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Spiritualists' Lyceum Union
History
The formation of Lyceums in America and UK was inspired by Andrew Jackson Davis, an American visionary and lecturer who, in 1863, spoke of the benefit of training youngsters in both worldly and spiritual matters. The first Lyceum in the UK was opened in Nottingham in 1866, with a second one in 1870 in Keighley.Definition of 'Lyceum'
The garden in ancient Athens where Aristotle taught philosophy to his follower. And in America, during the 1800's the word 'lyceum' meant a literary institution, lecture hall or teaching place.
The Lyceum Union, a coming together of the various Lyceums that sprung up in the succeeding years, owes a lot to Alfred Kitson. A first district Lyceum conference was held in 1884 where it was decided to hold annual meetings to discuss the best ways of encouraging Lyceums. Two years later Alfred chaired and was the secretary of the annual conference where 20 delegates. Alfred's organisational and literary skills allowed the Lyceum movement, in 1889 to draw up a constitution for the formation of a 'Union of Lyceums,' and in 1890 the British Spiritualists Lyceum Union (BSLU) was formed with Alfred as its Honorary Secretary. In 1948 the BSLU amalgamated with the SNU and from that point the Lyceum became a branch of the SNU with special responsibility for training the young.
Andrew
Jackson-Davis, was called in his time the 'Poughkeepsie Seer' as he
developed the ability to go into a trance state and could demonstrate his
psychic ability. He called his altered state of consciousness, the
'superior condition and it is said to have induced within him a 'very
active and intense psychic ability.'It was in January 1863 that he gave a lecture to a Spiritualist audience in which he described a vision he had when in one of his 'superior condition' states of consciousness. He described seeing spirit children being taught and trained in the spirit-world and suggested that a similar system of learning would be of great benefit to children on the earth. This lecture inspired some members of the audience and, very shortly after, some of them met and established the first 'Children's Progressive Lyceum.'
The primary objective of this first Lyceum was the cultivation and harmonisation of the individual by the development of the Physical, the Intellectual, the Moral and the Spiritual faculties of the young. The objectives were, the promotion of Truth, Justice, Fraternal Love, Purity, Beauty, Music, Art, Health, Science, Philosophy and Spirituality.
| Presidents of the Spiritualists’ Lyceum Union | ||||
| 1890 Mr H. Kersey | 1911 Mrs L. Nurse | 1949 Miss G. Halliday | ||
| 1895 Mr C. Chiswell | 1911 Mr R. Owen | 1954 Miss M. E. Grieve | ||
| 1896 Mr.T.O.Todd | 1912 Mr R. Lathem | 1957 Mrs M. I. Bonney | ||
| 1897 Mr.W. Mason | 1914 Mr E. Vickers | 1959 Mr N. Ainley | ||
| 1898 Mrs J. Greenwood | 1916 Mr G.F. Kent | 1961 Mrs G. Owen | ||
| 1899 Mr J. Venables | 1918 Mrs A. Hesp | 1965 Mr D.P. Everitt | ||
| 1900 Mr J.J. Morse | 1919 Mrs M. E. Pickles | 1968 Mr D.J. Hopkins | ||
| 1901 Mr A Smedley | 1923 Mr C. J. Williams | 1971 Mr J. Biggin | ||
| 1902 Mr A. Wilkinson | 1924 Mr G.A. Mack | 1974 Miss J. Dunn | ||
| 1903 Mr J. Clarke | 1926 Miss E. Elliot | 1976 Mr W. Mills | ||
| 1904 Mrs M. Thorpe | 1930 Miss.V.G. Raynor | 1979 Mrs M. Nethercote | ||
| 1905 Mr W. Johnson | 1931 Miss E Elliot | 1984 Mr A.K. Millichamp | ||
| 1907 Mr R. Lathem | 1932 Mr J. Sutherland | 1989 Mr B. Hastie | ||
| 1908 Mr E.A. Keeling | 1935 Mr J. Slimin | 1995 Mrs A. Bennett | ||
| 1910 Mrs A.A. Bentley | 1940 Mr A.E. Fruin | 2000 Mr R. Lowrie | ||
| 2001 Mrs N. Shaw | ||||
| 2009 Mr Brian Gledhill | ||||