The President of the Institute of Actuaries was in the Chair. The opener prefaced his formal remarks as follows:

I would first of all like to say how pleased and honoured I feel to have been asked once again to take a part in the proceedings of this Society, particularly as this must be regarded as a special occasion since we are honoured by the presence in the chair of you, Sir, the President of the Institute, and also because this meeting is in the nature of an experiment.

It may be within your recollection, Sir, that on the first occasion, some thirty years ago, when I was asked to take part it was also an experiment. We met at the Old Bell and my part was in what has come to be known as Heath's play. It was therefore not so much a surprise to me, as it might have been to some, when three or four months ago the Chairman of the Society telephoned me and asked me to take part in another experiment, mentioning a symposium. Being one of those who dodged compulsory Greek in my undergraduate days I temporized. I consulted a Pocket Oxford Dictionary and found that my memory had not let me down: ‘symposium = a Greek drinking party’. Pursuing the matter further, I consulted the larger edition: ‘symposium = a drinking party, a convivial meeting for drinking and conversation’, and the only example it gives of the use of the word, ‘our symposium at the King's Head broke up, 1787’. This seemed conclusive and, remembering the symposia I had enjoyed with Alan Gardner in the past, I agreed to come along. I was a little disturbed when I received the notice of meeting which mentions a review, but I concluded this was just a printer's error for revue, although I thought the title unusual. My doubts were quite set at rest on Monday when you yourself announced in this Hall that the Society would meet tonight for a symposium.