Lord Provost receives prestigious Fellowship
17 July 2020
The Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett was today (Friday 17 July 2020) welcomed as a Fellow to the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. (RSA).
Aberdeen’s Lord Provost took part in the RSA Scotland AGM earlier this summer alongside his Edinburgh counterpart, the Rt Hon Frank Ross. Together they looked at how Scottish cities might emerge from COVID-19.
The Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett said: “I am delighted to receive this prestigious honour of becoming a Fellow of the RSA.
“As a keen historian, former teacher and equalities champion, I wholeheartedly believe that we can and should continue to strive to make societal changes by appreciating our heritage, through education, business and innovation to inform the future so we have a society where there is equality for all, and we can all prosper.”
RSA Fellowship Councillor and University of Aberdeen Senior Lecturer Neil McLennan said: “One of my aspirations during my time as Fellowship Councillor was to reactivate RSA Fellows in the North East of Scotland. We now have fellows in the northern isles of Shetland connecting, a very active Angus & Mearns network and we also have a re-energised RSA presence in Aberdeen including our engagements with the University of Aberdeen May Festival and recent PodFest.
“Lord Provost Crockett joining the fellowship is an important event for us. Lord Provost Crockett has contributed to many of the key areas RSA are engaged in- improving society through education, innovation for the future and persevering our past heritage. Past fellows are a roll call of great thinkers, social innovators and reformers. That work continues today including in areas such as equity and sustainability.
“Lord Provost Crockett joins with 30,000 fellows across the globe who are committed to one thing- creating a better future through the modern enlightenment. We welcome him to fellowship.”
The RSA was founded during the Enlightenment by William Shipley in 1754 with the first meeting held at Rawthmell’s Coffee House in Covent Garden, London. The RSA was the catalyst for many enlightened ideas coming to action including the lifeboat, historic blue plaques, prison reform, education improvement and industrial innovations.
At the same time Aberdeen had its own enlightenment society, the Aberdeen Philosophical Society (‘the Wise Club’) formed by philosopher Thomas Reid and other Aberdeen academics and thinkers. It met in Old Aberdeen and discussed matters ranging from medicine, education, the arts, policy making, labour and industry and wider societal issues.
As a Fellow of the RSA the Lord Provost will now be able to use the post nominals FRSA.
For more information on the RSA: https://www.thersa.org/about-us
More information on RSA activity in Scotland here: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/in-your-area/areas/scotland