RAS - Year-end Statistics

[These Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) statistics were summarized at the conclusion of the final lecture for 2010 ..... Since I joined the RAS 3 years ago, the society has grown and ex-pats now are pursuing more awareness of Korea and its culture. Oddly enough, after the RAS started requesting 5,000won entrance fee for each lecture, the attendance greatly increased (and I always thought Koreans were the ones who put more value on things that cost ... haha, the irony!)]

Statistics for 2010

21 lectures
1050 attendees (40% non-members)
435~450 members in Korea
260 overseas members
many life-time members
# of Koreans attending is climbing
51 cultural tours (slightly down from 2009)
47 culture tours in Korea, 2 in Japan, 1 in Mongolia/China, 1 in Nepal/Tibet

The "Transactions" continues to be published annually. It represents the oldest collection of Korean writings in the world (Universities didn't start writing on Korea until the 1960s)

The RAS library has been relocated to Inje University and the RAS has a new website (www.raskb.com) where books can now be purchsed on-line.

A (unspecified) university has donated a large sum of money for the RAS to scan their collection of "Transactions" and some even older documents only held in the RAS library collection.

Brother Anthony of Taize (안손채) will be president of the RAS as of 2011.