Prospectus
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The Society for Research into Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida was founded in 1957 by a group of physicians and surgeons interested in the treatment of spina bifida and hydrocephalus. The first meeting of the Society was in London under the Chairmanship of George MacNab, a surgeon and the Society's first President. At the time, the incidence of spina bifida, a defect of the spine which develops early in pregnancy and which results in various degrees of paralysis and disability, was over 15 per 10,000 live births making it one of the commonest serious birth defects. In most cases it was accompanied by hydrocephalus, an accumulation of the cerebrospinal fluid in the brain which causes progressive brain damage leading to serious disability and death if untreated. Before the mid 1950's there was no effective treatment for hydrocephalus, which made efforts to alleviate the effects of spina bifida discouraging. However, at about this time, an American engineer, John Holter, faced with the unavailability of treatment for his son Casey, who had hydrocephalus, experimented with valve devices and eventually developed the Holter shunt, which was made from silicone and could be autoclaved. This step was crucial in stimulating research into not only the treatment of hydrocephalus but also that of spina bifida, in view of the prospect of removing the major life - limiting factor. A few years later John Holter was made a member of the Society.
Since those early days the Society has grown so that the membership now stands at approximately 265, representing over 29 countries.
The object of the Society is to advance education and to promote research into hydrocephalus and spina bifida and to bring together workers in different fields, who have a common interest so that they may be aided in their joint endeavour to prevent, cure or alleviate these conditions.
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The Annual Scientific Meeting is held at which lectures and posters of research and investigation are presented, and the Proceedings of this meeting are published in the same year as a 50 - page Supplement to the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery, which is cited in Index Medicus and other citation indices. The meetings are held in June or July of each year, from Wednesday to Saturday. Venues have varied from locations in the UK to centres in The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Israel, Italy and USA.
The meetings are planned to encourage members, including junior professionals, to present results of their research by either oral or poster presentation, and a limited number of bursaries is available. Papers and posters are selected by the members of the Executive Committee from submissions received in February of each year. The programme of the Annual Scientific Meeting facilitates international discussion and networking in order to strengthen the overall research effort. The meetings are recognised by the United Kingdom Royal Medical Colleges, the USA and other professional bodies for the purposes of Continuing Professional Development. The Society positively encourages the participation of junior professionals in training.
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The Casey Holter Memorial Prize and Lectureship are made available through generous donations by Dr John Holter.
The Prize is awarded competitively every three years for an Essay on any aspect of hydrocephalus or spina bifida submitted anonymously to the Executive Committee. The standard expected is high, and on several occasions where a suitable Essay has not been submitted the prize has not been awarded.
The Casey Holter Lectureship is by invitation of the Society to a person of international eminence in a field of relevance to hydrocephalus or spina bifida.
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Membership consists of three categories. Ordinary membership is open to any professional who is active in the fields of hydrocephalus or spina bifida, on being proposed and seconded by a member of the Society and at the discretion of the Executive Committee and the Annual General Meeting. Application forms may be had from any member or on application to the Hon Secretary.
On retirement from practice, an Ordinary Member is offered Senior Membership. Honorary Membership is by election at the Annual General Meeting, and is intended to reflect exceptional contribution to the fields of hydrocephalus and spina bifida. The number of Honorary Members is limited to twenty.
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The Rules are determined by the Annual General Meeting of its members, and are subject to scrutiny by the United Kingdom Charities Commission. The Society is fully registered as a Charity in the United Kingdom and in the USA. A copy of the Society's Rules may be obtained by request from the Hon Secretary.
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The Officers are appointed according to the Rules, by election from the Membership at the Annual General Meeting. The Society has a President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, two Publications Secretaries and three other members, one of which is the North America Corresponding Member, who constitute the Executive Committee. There are also two official Trustees of the Society.
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The Society's sources of funding are the annual subscription and any surplus from the Annual Scientific meeting, along with donations from private individuals and industry. The day - to - day running costs of the Society are covered by the subscription, but the other major expenses are bursaries for junior professionals attending and presenting at the Annual Scientific Meeting, and the publication of its Proceedings.
The Society actively supports involvement of junior professionals and those from countries where funds are short in order to promote a wider understanding of spina bifida and hydrocephalus to the worldwide benefit of those with these conditions. The Society does not give grants for research.
Anyone wishing to make a donation, or enter into a covenant or arrange a legacy, should contact the Honorary Treasurer:
 hontreas@srhsb.org
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