

Till- r.l'IDR TO NATURE 



claims lias it upon the interesl oi the 

 public ? It is a union of local s< icieties, 

 each numbering From 4 to i-> mem- 

 bers, of all ages from 4 to 84. < >ur 

 total membership is above ten thou- 

 sand. We are distributed in all the 

 States and Territories with very Few 

 exceptions, and have organized branch 

 societies in Canada, England, Ireland. 

 Scotland, Chili, Japan, Persia, and 

 other ci >untries. 



The local societies arc known as 

 "chapters." The} take their names 

 from the towns where they arc estab- 

 lished, and are Further distinguished 

 by letters of the alphabet. Thus the 

 first chapter established in New York 

 City was called New York (A); the 

 second, New York (B) ; and so on. 



1 may mention four different sorts 

 of chapters. First, family chapters. 

 The parents and children of a single 

 Family unite for joint study and re- 

 search. Chapters of this sort are es- 

 pecially desirable, and prove almost 

 uniformly pernament. Chapters of 

 another sort are found in schools. 

 There are many teachers able and will- 

 ing to give their strength and time, 

 beyond the exacting requirements of 

 their contracts, to the encouragement 

 and assistance of their pupils. Under 

 the fostering care of such men and 

 women, the happiest results have been 

 accomplished. Not the least import- 

 ant result is seen in the pleasant per- 

 sonal relations thus established be- 

 tween teacher and pupil. Chapters 

 of a third kind are organized and con- 

 ducted entirely by young persons. A 

 company of girls or boys meet to- 

 gether and decide to form a branch of 

 the AA. They elect their officers, 

 draft their rules and by-laws, engage 

 their rooms, build their cabinets, make 

 their collections, prosecute their stud- 

 ies ; and if T needed to awaken interest 

 or arouse enthusiasm. T should have 

 only to show what our boys and girls 

 have done even when unaided and 

 .-done. The}- have made lists of all the 

 flowers that grow about them, and of 

 all the birds that fly over their heads. 

 They have published papers, started 

 museums, founded libraries. In doing 

 this they have mastered the laws of 



parliamentary debate; have learned to 

 observe with accuracy, to write with 

 fluency, to speak with power; and, 

 after thus working for a few years, 

 many of them have pushed themselves 

 into schools and colleges and labora- 

 tories of the highest grade, and are now- 

 completing their self-appointed prepa- 

 ration for lives of commanding intel- 

 ligence and cheerful service. Finally, 

 1 will mention chapters of adults. In 

 increasing numbers, men and women 

 of mature years, feeling the need of 

 scientific training which the schools of 

 their childhood failed to give, are 

 organizing societies, joining their in- 

 fluence to our Association, and receiv- 

 ing in return the benefits coming from 

 united endeavor and from enthusiastic 

 devotion to a common cause. 



Embracing all the little chapters, 

 binding into one the larger and more 

 powerful assemblies, and making room 

 also for individuals when chapters 

 cannot well be formed, is our Agassiz 

 Association. There are many chapters, 

 but only one Association. And the 

 influence and prosperity of each chap- 

 ter can be increased and perpetuated 

 by spreading everywhere we go a 

 know ledge of our local work not only, 

 and of our local organization, but also, 

 and even with more emphasis, a knowl- 

 edge of our entire Association, with 

 its broader membership and farther- 

 reaching aims. 



It seems at first thought difficult, if 

 not impossible, to suggest any general 

 principle of study that can apply to the 

 whole Association, for it is composed 

 of elements so diverse. 



We are of all ages, of varying ca- 

 pacities and differing desires, living in 

 places widely distant and widely dif- 

 ferent. Some of us pick our violets 

 in June, others in January. 



But there is a common ground on 

 which we all stand — love of nature and 

 desire for knowledge. And there is 

 one principle that underlies and deter- 

 mines the methods of our study. It 

 is this: Nature must be studied from 

 her own book. 



While, therefore, we do not under- 

 value the printed records of others' 

 work, and while we ever recognize 



