Repm-t of the FortySeveffdh Avmwd General Meting, 3&1 



soddier of the Empire, whose ser-dce we eoftld illi afford to lose. Practically by ttc 

 single-handed efforts oi himself and Ms wife tlie Journal had been lifted to a higher 

 level than ever before. It ia onr duty to eontimie his work and to endeavour to raise 

 the standard of the Journal still further until, by the dignity of its form, the excellence 

 of its paper, the beauty of its illustrations, the style of writings and the soundness of its 

 doctrine, the Journal is regarded as the first periodical of the Empire, to which every 

 patriotic Briton should turn. 



Sir J. Bevan Edwards has been Chairman of the Council for six years. During the 

 term of his stewardship the membership of the Institute has been more than doubled 

 and its efficiency has increased in an even greater ratio. The Imperial value of the 

 Institute, which, when he entered office, had become, in the opinion of some, almost 

 non-existent, is now universally acknowledged in every part of the Empire. The time 

 has now come when, in Sir Bevan Edwards' opinion, he should pass on his official 

 trusteeship to other hands. In parting from him as Chairman of the Council, which 

 we do with feelings of regret and of grateful affection, I hope I may be allowed to express 

 the hope that we may keep him in the team of the Institute as one of its Vice-Presidents. 

 I trust I shall not be regarded as betraying an official secret when I say that the first act 

 of the Council on the retirement of Sir J. Bevan Edwards will be, on his own suggestion, 

 to elect Sir Charles Lucas to the honourable and responsible position of Chairman. 

 Those who are acquainted with the value of Sir Charles Lucas's Imperial work will, 

 I kiiov/, agree that we could not do better in parting with Sir J. Bevan Edwards, than 

 to put in his place Sir Charles Lucas, whose high character, lovable personality and 

 great experience will make hira an ideal Chairman for an Institute which is charged 

 with the resiwnsible duty of keeping the highest British ideals continually before the 

 attention of Britons in every part of the world. I now call upon Sir Bevan Edwards 

 to move the adoption of the Report and Statement of Accounts. 



Lieut. -General Sir J. Bevan Edwards, K.C.B., K.C.M.Gr. (Chairman of Council) : 

 The Report of the Council for the year ending December 31, 1914, is given at such 

 length, and embraces so fully every subject of the work of the Institute, that in moving 

 its adoption it will be unnecessary to repeat the information which it gives ; and I, 

 therefore, propose only to make a few remarks upon it. Under the circumstances that 

 the Empire was engaged for the last five months of the year 1914 in the greatest war 

 that it has ever undertaken, we may feel satisfied that the Report for last year shows 

 that we have not only maintained the number of our members, which was 9,088 at the 

 end of the year 1913, but increased them by 1,038, bringing up the total number to over 

 10,000 for the first time in the history of the Institute. 



I will first refer to the Statement of Receipts and Payments as certified by the 

 Auditors. Up to December 31, 1912, the accounts were rendered in a form which gives 

 only the actual receipts and payments, without grouping the payments in a manner 

 which shows at a glance the actual cost of the different branches of our work. In the 

 following year — 1913 — the payments were divided under the following heads : (1) Office, 

 which includes the salaries and pensions of the staff, stationery, printing, postages, etc. ; 

 (2) Library and Newspaper Room ; (3) House, including all expenses connected with the 

 Institute building ; (4) Recruiting ; (5) Journal ; (6) Year Book ; (7) Meetings ; 

 (8) Entertainments ; (9) Empire Lectures ; (10) Miscellaneous. The same arrangement 

 has been carried out in the accounts for 1914. So now we can compare them with those 

 of the previous year. The total subscriptions show a decrease on last year of 

 £237 16.S-. 8c^., which may be attributed to the war. There has, however, been a 



