Throughout its history, the Society has successfully advocated for the inclusion of geography in schools and universities, and served as an information exchange for geographers, explorers, soldiers, administrators and naturalists, providing intelligence for academic and state endeavours.
It has also been developing its support for education: at all levels, but particularly academic geography. In 2009, a campaign group named after HMS Beagle suggested that the RGS was not following its Royal Charter by abandoning leading its own expeditions and relying on offering grants to others to carry out expeditions in its name.
In 2009, an article in 'The Independent' newspaper queried an apparent loss of the Society's "spirit of adventure".
A 78-strong group of them has requested a Special General Meeting of RGS Fellows next Monday, at the society's splendid Norman Shaw headquarters in Kensington, with a resolution calling for the policy switch to be reversed, and large-scale expeditions to be undertaken once again.
All 10,500 Fellows are eligible to vote on the resolution, and a postal ballot has been organised; the result will be known at the time of the meeting, and added to the votes of those present (who will probably number several hundred).
The Council of the RGS is strongly opposed to the resolution, and there are big guns on their side too: all living former RGS Presidents are against it and support the Society's current strategy.
For the record, they are Professor Michael Wise, Lord Chorley, Sir Crispin Tickell, the Earl of Selborne, Professor Sir Ron Cooke, Sir Neil Cossons, and Professor Sir Gordon Conway.
The resolution was lost at a Special General Meeting in 2009 by roughly 61% to 39% against.
One supporter was John Hemming, Director of the RGS for a period before Rita Gardner.
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