Talk:The Chaplin Society

This article is within the scope of the University of Cambridge WikiProject, an attempt to improve articles relating to the University of Cambridge, and to standardize and extend the coverage of the University in the encyclopedia. If you would like to participate, you can help us by editing the article attached to this notice, or you could visit the project page, where you can join the project, learn more about it, see what needs to be done, or contribute to the discussion.University of CambridgeWikipedia:WikiProject University of CambridgeTemplate:WikiProject University of CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge articles

I think information about this society is worthy of being included in wikipedia, because it is of interest to many who - like me - have a keen interest in the curious ways of one of the world's top universities. It is notable for its age, and for the fact that it has been much maligned in Cambridge recently. DM

Perhaps, then, the references to its having been much maligned would be evidence to bolster any claims of notability -- which don't seem to be there. Why is this organization unusual or special, and who says so? Accounting4Taste:talk 19:51, 26 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I have added a reference to the Peterhouse Annual Record, in which an Old Petrean mentions his experience at one of the society's dinners in the 1940s. Further references to it can be found in a history of Peterhouse, the exact author and title of which I shall look up and add soon. The Perne and Ward libraries also hold copies of termcards and invitations to the society's events.

An earlier wikipedia article on the Chaplin Society is one item of evidence of the society being maligned in recent times: the society's detractors wrote a ridiculous article, in which it was claimed - for example - that the society had built the River Cam in the 1920s, and set up the British Empire. The article was later (thankfully) deleted.

This organisation is unusual in the same way as other old societies and organisations of the University of Cambridge are of interest, such as the Pitt Club (even the Cambridge University Railway Club apparently merits a Wikipedia article, if a brief one) and other societies in Peterhouse and other colleges, such as the Adonians and the Cocoa Tree Club, for which I was planning to write short articles. I have no doubt that others who, like me, have an interest in this sort of organisation will appreciate having an article on the website, which hopefully they will continue to expand for the benefit of everyone - without maligning the society through spurious claims that seek to undermine its worthiness for inclusion.

I shall watch the development of this article with interest, and continue to add as many references as I can find in the near future. I do thank you for your help in ensuring that this article is of an acceptable standard, and I understand your concern for the society's notability. Davidmillbury (talk) 20:21, 26 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

There was an attempt at an article before and it was swiftly nominated for deletion. To qualify for notability you will need to find significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject - see WP:notability, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Notability. This would seem to eliminate the Peterhouse Record as a source, although the history of Peterhouse might be a candidate assuming it's a published work. My own sense is that I'm not sure it is notable enough for a mention outside the main Peterhouse article. Compared to the Pitt Club which is a longstanding establishment and linked to notable figures, this isn't really in that same category. (Incidentally I was an undergraduate there not so long ago and have never heard of the Chaplin Society, although perhaps that says as much about me as anything else!) Greycap (talk) 22:44, 26 February 2008 (UTC)[reply]

This society was founded in the Michaelmas term of the 2006-7 academic year. The historic connections are fabricated and the name apparently comes from Charlie Chaplin, of whom some of the founding members are fans. I am a current student at Peterhouse. 24th March 2008 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.144.125.58 (talk) 18:44, 24 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

If it's a Peterhouse society, it's certainly recent. I was there 1999-2003 and wasn't aware of its existence. Mrh30 (talk) 10:01, 1 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]