UNCLE JOHN'S TALK WITH THE CHILDREN. 



F YOU have not yet organized a Junior Nat- 

 uralist Club in your school, we most cordially 

 invite you to do so. If you desire it, we will 

 gladly mail you instructions. By the instruc- 

 tions you will learn all about the election of 

 club othcers, the charter, monthly lessons, and 

 the conditions under which we send badge but- 

 tons. The observations of the month can be made the topic for 

 compositions and drawings, and these are sent to us once or twice 

 each month and are considered by us as payment of dues. For each 

 member there is an index card in our office on which his record is kept. 



* * * 



In our plans for simplifying the work never for a moment have 

 we entertained the idea that the thousands of letters received as 

 dues should be neglected. Never do we pick up a letter without 

 the feeling that its production meant much to the author and that it 

 is entitled to respectful consideration. Those of our staff to whom 

 this work falls, have become expert in " catching the key " of each 

 letter when reading the first few lines. Tlie original, unpruned 

 letter, expressing the natural boy orgirly pleases us most. We want 

 their ideas more than their scholarship. 



* * * 



Ideally one might suppose that our most enthusiastic clubs would 

 come from outside of the city, where Nature is to be observed. 

 While we have had very gratifying reports from such quarters, we 

 have been much delighted by the zeal shown by clubs in such cities 

 as Albany, Auburn, Binghamton, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Colioes, Corn- 

 ing, Dunkirk, Elmira, Gloversville, Johnstown, Jamestow^n, Lock- 

 port, New York, Niagara Falls, New Eochelle, Olean, Poughkeep- 

 sie, Rochester, Schenectady, Syracuse, Utica and Yonkers. 



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