Dalhousie Conservative Club
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Dalhousie Conservative Club | |
|---|---|
| President | Evan Colclough |
| Founded | ~1940 |
| Headquarters | 6136 University Ave, Halifax |
| Membership |  25 |
| National affiliation | Conservative Party of Canada |
| Colors | Blue |
| Website | |
| dalhousieconservatives | |
The Dalhousie Conservative Club is university society at Dalhousie in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Conservative Club seeks to brings together like-minded conservative students at Dalhousie University.[1]
The Dalhousie Conservative Club is also the largest conservative university society in Atlantic Canada. The society is officially registered as a campus club with the Conservative Party of Canada[2] and supports the provincial PC Party of Nova Scotia.
The society has evolved since its initial founding in the 1940s and is currently known as the Dalhousie Conservative Club.
History[edit]
Pre-1993[edit]
The exact origins of progressive conservative societies are unknown, but early campaign material suggests that partisan campus societies were founded in the 1940s or 1950s, during Robert Stanfield's tenure as leader of the PC Party of Nova Scotia.[citation needed] The Dalhousie Progressive Conservatives were a significant part of the university’s Model Parliament. The society won the 1955 campus-wide election and was re-elected in 1956.
During the 1960s, PC societies grew in influence as a result of four federal elections, three provincial elections and the federal 1967 PC leadership election. The PC leadership election was a hard-fought affair with PC societies including Dalhousie’s playing a major role. In the 1983 PC leadership election, former Finance Minister, John Crosbie, used a strategy of winning the leadership votes allotted to campus societies.
Membership in PC societies increased after John Buchanan was elected premier in 1978 and Brian Mulroney was elected prime minister in 1984. Leadership of the societies was heavily contested, with more than 500 people voting at the provincial convention.
Until the mid-1990s, Dalhousie University had two separate Progressive Conservative societies, including one exclusively for the Schulich School of Law.[citation needed]
1993-2003[edit]
The landslide defeat of the Progressive Conservatives in 1993 had a demoralizing effect on its youth organizers. By 1995, the Dalhousie PC Youth was reduced to only one member, Drew Campbell. In 1997, Drew Campbell created the first Dalhousie PC Youth website and worked to rebuild the society by recruiting Daniel Clark, who served as president from 1996-1999.
Daniel Clark's presidency was marked by an increase in the society's organization and public presence. Membership grew from 2 to over 50, articles were written in the Dalhousie Gazette detailing the society’s renewal, and the hospitality suites were designated as part of the provincial party’s AGM. In 1999, Daniel Clark hosted a fundraising dinner with former Minister of Finance John Crosbie. The Dalhousie PC Youth also organized the “I Support Hamm” campaign in response to calls for a leadership review to remove John Hamm. Members of the society had previously served as campaign staff for John Hamm during the provincial election.
Liam O’Brien, a student from King’s College, became president after Daniel Clark left Nova Scotia in 1999. He renamed the Dalhousie PC Youth to the Dalhousie-King’s PC Youth, to better reflect its close association with the University of King’s College.[citation needed]
2003-2023[edit]
During the 2003 PC leadership convention, the society elected delegates to support Scott Brison, an alumnus of Dalhousie and former member of the PC Youth. Delegates were also selected for the PC’s special meeting on the ratification of the agreement to form the new Conservative Party of Canada. After the Conservative Party's formation, Canadian Alliance supporters joined the PC Youth. The society was officially renamed to the Dalhousie-King’s Conservatives at the 2004 annual general meeting. The name change was motivated by a desire to make the former Alliance members feel welcomed and increase membership among the students at both Dalhousie and King’s College.
The society was de-ratified by the Dalhousie Student Union (DSU) in 2004 over a disagreement about DSU’s rules on alcohol and liability. After an appeal to the judicial board alongside other societies, the stance of DSU was relaxed and the Dalhousie-King’s Conservatives were re-ratified in 2005.[citation needed]
In 2007, the society officially renamed itself to the Dalhousie-King's Progressive Conservatives, when the Executive Team amended the constitution, which had previously been loosely put together during its founding. The Dalhousie-King’s Conservatives also launched the “Speaker Series" where elected members of the conservative movement were invited for an evening with the society. High-profile guests included then-premier Rodney MacDonald, the Hon. Jim Prentice, and the Hon. Chris d'Entremont. The event with then-premier Rodney MacDonald was interrupted by anti-poverty protesters, who yelled incessantly at the premier. The protestors were escorted away by Dalhousie’s Security Force.[citation needed]
Paige Black relaunched the Dalhousie Progressive Conservatives in 2014 and became the president, she also served as president of the NSPC Youth. The society remained small with only 15 members and struggled to attract membership as a result of the unpopularity of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Despite the opposition, the Dalhousie PCs worked with other partisan societies to promote student engagement in politics.[3]
In 2017 the society was restarted again by Aaron Sophocleous and Hannah Porter as the Dalhousie University Campus Conservatives. The society was officially registered as a campus society with the Conservative Party. Sophocleous and Porter were both part of the Conservative Party internship which allowed them the opportunity to meet with Andrew Scheer, Maxime Bernier, and Rona Ambrose. The society also worked with the Dalhousie Young New Democrats and the Nova Scotia Young Liberals.[4]
2023-Present[edit]
In the summer of 2023, the new Dalhousie Conservative Club was founded by Kai Jassal and Matt MacFarlane. Evan Colclough became the society's president and a revised constitution was adopted. Recently, the society has worked to grow its influence by increasing its online presence, attending the provincial party’s EDA meetings, and hosting Q&As and dinners with high-profile conservative speakers.[1]
Provincial and National Affiliation[edit]
Conservative Party of Canada[edit]
The Dalhousie Conservative Club is an official campus society recognized by the Conservative Party. The society’s executive team are also members of the federal party and Halifax EDA. Members also have the opportunity to attend Conservative Party conventions and other free-market conferences [2]
Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia[edit]
While not being formally linked with the Nova Scotia PCs, some members of the Dalhousie Conservatives also share membership in the provincial party. The NS Young PC’s and the Dalhousie Conservative may also share executive team members. The society works closely with the provincial party during election years and regularly attends the party’s AGM.[5]
Executive Team[edit]
Presidents[edit]
Even Colclough (2023-Present)
Aaron Sophocleous (2017-2021)
Paige Black (2014-2015)
Richard Norman (2009-2011)
Tyler Dennis (2007-2009)
Jon Matters (2006-2007)
Ryan O’Connor (2005-2006)
Liam O’Brien (2004-2005)
Will Szubielski (2002-2004)
Liz Bradshaw (2001-2002)
Liam O’Brien (1999-2001)
Daniel Clark (1996-1998)
Marsha Stagg (1995-1996)
Drew Campbell (1995)
James Dodds (1993-1995)
Chris Whynaught (1993-1994)
Hal McLean (1992-1993)
Arthur Donahoe (1970-1971)
Mike Steves (1959)
George Murray (1958)
Peter McDermaid (1955-1958)
Notable Alumni[edit]
Hon. Scott Brison, former President of the Treasury Board of Canada
John MacDonnell, former President of the Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia
Jaime Baillie, former Leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia
Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, 16th Prime Minister of Canada
Former Names[edit]
Dalhousie University Campus Conservatives
Dalhousie Progressive Conservatives
Dalhousie-King's Progressive Conservatives
Dalhousie-King's Conservatives
Dalhousie-King’s PC Youth
Dalhousie PC Youth
Dalhousie Law Progressive Conservatives
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Home". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Campus Clubs". Conservative Party of Canada. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
- ↑ Davidson, Eleanor (2015-10-16). "Society Profile: Dalhousie Progressive Conservatives". Dalhousie Gazette. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
- ↑ Jones, Kathleen (2018-01-29). "Youth political parties on campus try to thrive". Dalhousie Gazette. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
- ↑ "NS Young PCs". PC Party of Nova Scotia. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
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