UK Apostrophe Society shuts down; 96-y-o founder bemoans loss to 'ignorance & laziness'

Apostrophe Protection Society of the UK is shutting down as its founder has announced that it had lost its fight against ignorance and laziness. Former journalist John Richards, 96, established the society in 2001 aiming to preserve the correct use. He spent the last quarter of his career as a sub-editor, preparing the writers' copy for the newspaper. It often involved correcting the use of apostrophes. He kept identifying the same mistakes in his daily life and decided to take some actions after his retirement. The Apostrophe Protection Society had a  specific aim of preserving the correct use of this currently much-abused punctuation mark in all forms of text written in the English Language.

READ: British Ecological Society Announces Best Images Of 'Capturing Ecology' Competition

Two reasons for closing down the society

Richard said that he is closing down operations for just two reasons. The primary reason is that he is 96 years old and can't keep his commitments and the secondary reason is that very few individuals and organizations are now caring about the correct use of the apostrophe in the English language. He mentioned the reasons on the society's website. He said that they have done their best but the ignorance and laziness present in modern times have left them behind. The www.apostrophe.org.uk website will remain open for reference. The website gives a simple guide to the readers by providing examples that how apostrophes are used to indicate the missing letters.

READ: CAB : Mizoram CM, Civil Society Organisations Express

Richard's Note on website

Richards wrote on the website, "With regret, I have to announce that, after some 18 years, I have decided to close the Apostrophe Protection Society. There are two reasons for this. One is that at 96 I am cutting back on my commitments and the second is that fewer organizations and individuals are now caring about the correct use of the apostrophe in the English Language.

We, and our many supporters worldwide, have done our best but the ignorance and laziness present in modern times have won!"
The website's homepage reads, "We are aware of the way the English language is evolving during use, and do not intend any direct criticism of those who have made mistakes, but are just reminding all writers of English text, whether on notices or in documents of any type, of the correct usage of the apostrophe should you wish to put right mistakes you may have inadvertently made."

READ: RSS: Society Will Reject 'anti-national' Show 'Family Man'

READ: Asiatic Society Of Mumbai Elects First Woman President