The Incorporated Phonographic Society

Do you want to improve your shorthand speed?

The I.P.S. meets for Speed Development sessions using live dictation on Thursday evenings except during August, at Bishopsgate Institute in the City of London.  Examinations can be arranged at speeds from 50 wpm to 200+ wpm held at Bishopsgate or elsewhere.

If you are seeking to improve your command of shorthand for career purposes, then you may well be interested in gaining a certificate to show the speed at which you can write.  For this purpose we have always run examinations at a reasonable cost, starting as low as 50 wpm if required, and going as high as you like.  Our all time star in this field is Amanda Taylor who in the 1970s gained a certificate for writing Pitman shorthand at 270 wpm!  However, during 2004 Natalie Bracken and Amanda Colton gained certificates for 200 wpm using machine shorthand with Computer Aided Transcription.  Natalie’s certificate was with Distinction!  Congratulations to these people, and to the others who gained certificates at various other speeds.  Where will YOU fit in?  If it is not possible for you to get to the City of London to take an exam one Thursday evening, we are always happy to make other arrangements.  Congratulations to Janet Fearon on obtaining her 180 wpm speed certificate.

There is still some demand for Typewriting exams.  

After our AGM, the President, Richard Ward, gave us an address about his love of shorthand.  Our venue, as in past years, was the Civil Service Club in Great Scotland Yard.  

 
The President during his address at the 2007 AGM

The Chairman presenting our Treasurer, June Harris, with a gift marking 50 years' membership of the IPS

Membership of the IPS is available with Designatory Letters after one’s name, and there is a quarterly magazine.

For further information e-mail Mary Sorene on

marysorene@ntlworld.com

Embroidered Shorthand

See pages 4-6 of the July 06 Journal
Click to enlarge:

Our quarterly magazine is called the

IPS JOURNAL

The aim of our Journal is to provide an interesting read slanted at secretarial workers, reporters, and other users of shorthand.

In addition to reports on recent talks, articles of topical and general interest written by our members, and news of forthcoming events, we have a Writing Competition each year and the prize-winning entries are printed in the Journal.

How much do you know about Apis Mellifica (the Honey Bee)?  The entry which gained first place this year was a fascinating story of bee keeping with various unexpected problems and excitements it can bring.  In joint second place we had an interesting account of New Year as celebrated in this country by a Spanish girl and her English hosts, and a thoughtful study about Time.  Other entries introduced us to an outing with a bird watching club, and some interesting points about holidays in the Channel Islands .  Well done all competitors!

Talks which have been reported in recent journals have been about the history of London buses, Shorthand Inventors and about horse keeping and in particular a holiday which Helen spent with her horse walking the Ridgeway.  An article about Text Messaging proved  very interesting, as also did a series on some psychological aspects of Teaching Shorthand and Typing.

Every issue contains some pages of shorthand for reading practice, and it is possible for non-Members to be Journal Readers, receiving the magazine regularly by post, for £7 per year.

We will take an Easter break (closed 20th and 27th March) and will re-start dictation on Thursday, 3rd April 2008.

For any further information e-mail Mary on

marysorene@ntlworld.com