THE AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION. 



31 



the Association of which The Guide To 

 Nature is the official organ. 



We have been favored with the con- 

 tribution of articles and photographs 

 from the best naturalists and scientists 

 of the country — far beyond the capac- 

 ity of our pages. From the last num- 

 ber several departments were omitted 

 for lack of room. There is no better 

 method of promoting one phase of our 

 Charter of Incorporation, "the general 

 diffusion of knowledge," than by the 

 increased circulation of The Guide TO 

 Nature. We believe this also to be 

 good missionary work in the dissemi- 

 nation of interest in God's works. 



Notwithstanding the fact that great- 

 er attention has been given during the 

 vear to "ways and means," we are glad 

 to report the addition and reorganiza- 

 tion of twenty-nine Chapters and the 

 enrollment of one hundred and thirty- 

 two new members — mostly adult. 



These are active, enthusiastic and in 

 "good standing." Some of these Chap- 

 ters are very large. "Park Life" Chap- 

 ter (No. 1021) of Dubuque, Iowa, has 

 an enrollment of one hundred and six- 

 ty-one. Quite naturally you may ask 

 how many Chapters and members we 

 have in all. I frankly reply that I do 

 not know. The record of members was 

 lost previous to my administration. 

 We now have an enrollment of about 

 seven hundred Chapters, but many of 

 these have not complied with my re- 

 cpiest to render an annual report. 

 Some of our Chapters have grown so 

 large and are doing so good work that 

 they have preferred to separate from 

 the parent body and become self-sus- 

 taining scientific societies. Among 

 these are notable the Sullivant Moss 

 Society, Wilson Ornithological Society 

 and a few other well known large scien- 

 tific bodies. Some members not report- 

 ing for several years will again take up 

 our work. It would seem from corres- 

 pondence with these that there is no 

 exaggeration in the AA current saying 

 that "more than half the naturalists 

 and nature lovers of the world have 

 been or are members of the AA." 



It must be remembered that much of 

 mv work has been personal, by corres- 

 pondence, through "St. Nicholas" and 



by lectures in many places. By these 

 methods the number of people reached 

 has been innumerable. It is also to be 

 taken into consideration that the AA is 

 primarily for young folks, and so many 

 of these are reached in various ways 

 that it is impossible to make statistical 

 reports. 



The experiment of State Superinten- 

 dencv has been made in the appoint- 

 ment of Mr. C. L. Wilhelm, of Balti- 

 more, for Maryland. Mr. Wilhelm is 

 ideally fitted for the position, and I pre- 

 dict that he will be conspicuously suc- 

 cessful. If he is, his success will en- 

 courage the promotion of other active 

 workers in other places to a State 

 Superintendency. 



The success of the Summer School of 

 1909 has led to plans for a school on a 

 larger scale this year, beginning June 

 twenty-seventh. Particulars will be 

 found in the May issue of The Guide to 

 Nature. 



On our Opening Day, September the 

 eighteenth, hundreds of visitors were 

 shown through the buildings, keeping 

 three ushers busy all day. We have had 

 regularly visiting hours as published in 

 The Guide to Nature — Sundays and 

 Wednesdays, 4:00 to 6:00 P. M., and 

 many learned personally on these days of 

 our work. All visiting members and con- 

 tributors have been urged to examine the 

 cashbook. Many have done so — some 

 carefully in detail — and have expressed 

 approval at the use of the money. 



Another important plan is the appoint- 

 ment of chiefs of the various depart- 

 ments of science for definite instruction 

 by correspondence. Mr. Alex. E. Wight 

 of Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts, a 

 skilled botanist and lifelong worker in 

 the AA, has been appointed instructor in 

 elementary botany. We are hoping to 

 appoint other special instructors. 



To you, my fellow Trustees, I extend 

 most cordial thanks for your hearty sup- 

 port in the executive management, and I 

 congratulate all concerned upon the priv- 

 ilege and honor of co-operating in this 

 larger life and efficiency of a great work. 

 And further, fellow Trustees, I want 

 to acknowledge the great aid that my 

 elder daughter has been in this work, and 

 to declare that much of the success has 

 depended on her. For more than two 



