This is a good opportunity to look back and to identify what we have achieved and what remains to be accomplished. A hundred years ago those who shared our views hesitated to join our movement for reasons of fear (often justified) that to do so would harm them socially and economically. Today such fears are very much less, but many people of our attitude do not take an active part in our endeavours because they think that our battle has been won! Undoubtedly this is substantial progress, an advance to which the RPA, through its books and its journal the New Humanist has made a substantial contribution. What remains to be achieved? I think most of our present troubles are due to the widespread belief (especially among politicians) that religion, any religion, inoculates people, particularly perhaps the young, against delinquency. There is no shred of evidence to support this view, which indeed can be regarded as insulting to religion. Yet, its persistence gravely diminishes our standing and undermines support for our principles, especially in their application to education.

There is plenty to be done by the RPA in its second hundred years.