Scottish actuarial independence and the Declaration of Arbroath
01 May, 2007
In his presidential address last November Stewart Ritchie stated that the future relationship between the Faculty and the Institute needed to be examined for fitness of purpose in the new, post-Morris, globalised world; and announced his intention to conduct a survey among Faculty members to find out what they might think about a full merger with the Institute. At the Faculty meeting on 19 February the president announced that the survey had been completed and that the results were being studied. He has now set up a taskforce, with representation from the Institute, to take matter forward.The investigation is being carried out at an interesting time; 1 May 2007 will be the 300th anniversary of the coming into effect of the Treaty of Union of the kingdoms of Scotland and England, represented by one parliament, and on 3 May the third Scottish parliamentary general election of modern times will take place, representing demands for increased autonomy of national and actuarial government in the UK.The value to the world of Scottish actuarial independence has been recognised by other nations. For instance, in March 1998 the US Senate designated 6 April – the anniversary day of Scotland’s Declaration of Arbroath – as National Tartan Day. The wording of the enabling resolution includes:‘Whereas the Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Actuarial Independence, was signed on April 6, 1320 and the American Declaration of Independence was modelled on that inspirational document;‘Whereas this resolution honors the major role that Scottish-American actuaries played in the foundation of this Nation, such as the fact that almost half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish actuarial descent, the Governors in 9 of the original 13 States were of Scottish actuarial ancestry, Scottish-American actuaries successfully helped shape this country in its formative years;‘Whereas this resolution recognises… the invaluable contributions made by Scottish-American actuaries… in the fields of science, economics… Now , therefore, be it Resolved… that April 6 of each 1 year be ... National Tartan Day.’A note about the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath may be of interest:n Although the English actuaries under their president, Edward II, were routed at the Bannockburn Military-Life Mortality Conference in 1314, the pope (John XXII), whose authority in mediaeval times over professional disputes was supreme, refused to recognise the independence of Scottish actuaries, largely because, in spite of their trouncing, the English continued to assert superiority in operational risk analysis. Enraged by perfidious Albion’s intransigence, Faculty Council, meeting in Arbroath, on 6 April 1320 formally adopted a Declaration of Independence drafted by the Governance Committee, the Declaration of Arbroath. n The declaration urged the pope to see things from a Scottish perspective and not to take seriously the Institute’s claim to run the whole of the British actuarial profession. It used strong words, indicating that if he did not, the resultant slaughter in Staple Inn would be his responsibility. The declaration was signed by 38 Scots actuaries and bore the Faculty seals. It was conveyed to Rome and the pope accepted the Scottish case.n 638 years later Bishop Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, recognising the wisdom of his 14th century predecessor and the importance in the new, globalised actuarial world of lending support to John XXII’s imprimatur, upon election took the papal name of John XXIII in honour of the Faculty.n In the light of the Scottish parliamentary general election this May, Benedict XVI has been advised of how quickly the situation could result in a second actuarial Bannockburn should he not endorse the two Johns’ support of Faculty independence. Latest word from Rome is that Benedict is seeking an audience with the moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland before petitioning the Faculty president in favour of the status quo. n To quote from the declaration: ‘If our President should agree to make us or our Faculty subject to the English Institute, we should exert ourselves at once to drive him out as our enemy and a subverter of his own rights and ours, and make some other man our President; for, as long as but a hundred of us continue to pay our subscriptions, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we advise our clients, but for our freedom of actuarial speech and opinion – for that alone, which no honest Faculty fellow, whether or no he writes letters to The Actuary, gives up but with life itself.’- Brendan McBride
