In 1875, Mr William Jolly was the first President and some words from his first address to the Club bear repeating. "Many good men are deterred from joining any Scientific Society by the idea that great erudition, much scientific knowledge and elaborate papers are asked for and are necessary to constitute efficient membership. Our objects, as a local association, are very much less ambitious and much more human and sensible. We are all learners."
Mr Jolly and his friends were fired by Professor Young's Ettles Lecture in November 1875, and made an expedition to the Abriachan quarrie in 'a persistent rainfall, with a shroud of mist enveloping the valley and a steady depression of the barometer.' Despite this damp outing, they enjoyed themselves so much that they at once took the Town Hall and formed the Inverness Scientific Society and Field Club. To them 'Science' meant 'Knowledge', but today its meaning is so much more limited that in 1973 the title was officially changed to the Inverness Field Club, which had been its accepted name for some time.
Over the first fifty years nine volumes of Transactions were published recording the talks given, sometimes several short ones in an evening, and the expeditions to interesting places, but rising costs seem to have checked publication in the 1920s. The Transactions are constantly used by researchers into the wide range of subjects covered. The Public Library and the Museum are largely the result of the encouragement of the Club, which used to meet there yearly to inspect the latest gifts and loans. In 1971, following the very successful 'Dark Ages Week' in 1970, a small book was published, 'The Dark Ages in the Highlands,' which contained most of the lectures given at that time and this, too, is well thought of. Unfortunately, the book is now out of print.
From the original Rules, which were reviewed in 1973 and found to need scarcely any alteration, the Club is for 'Study and Investigation and specially to Explore the District.' 'Members may be of either sex' and there were to be 'readings of papers' from October to April and 'Excursions during the summer months.' Though the Club has had its ups and downs, these pursuits still continue, with coloured slides instead of the Magic Lantern and horse-power instead of horses.