Honour and the Search for Influence: A History of the Royal Society of Canada

As early as 1939 it seemed to thoughtful observers within the Royal Society of Canada that the society's parts had become more important than the whole. The sections had developed distinct personalities, and as an institution the society appeared to be a congeries of interest groups, if not independent estates. This fragmentation was visible in the Transactions, published in separate parts for each of the scientific sections, and it was frequently deplored in presidential addresses devoted to clarifying the society's objectives. In 1938 the marine biologist A. G. Huntsman found an appropriate analogy in comparing the society to 'the common five-finger or starfish of our Atlantic coast, which, if placed on its back, takes a long time to right itself, since each of the five arms for a time at least gives expression to only its own idea of what should be done under the circumstances. Our five Sections ... not only slow down any necessary corporate action, but, when acting very effectively as units, tend to make us lose sight of what we might accomplish as a body.'