38 



and if they said " No " we continued circularizing them a Httle 

 while longer along a different line. Finally, when we thought we 

 had gotten them to a point where they were interested, the problem 

 was to get them properly signed up. So we then made a drive for 

 those particular individuals by showing them what they could per- 

 sonally get out of it. After he had joined our problem was to hold 

 him, to keep him interested until he became enthusiastic. Unless you 

 keep them interested they are liable to cool off, and once they are 

 cooled off it is almost impossible to get -them interested again. We 

 find the members who have gone out are the hardest to get back. A 

 way of keeping that new member in, and helping him to feel that 

 he is a potent factor in the organization, might be by having some 

 sort of a special communication with him at the time he joins, or 

 at the next meeting of the association. I know that in California 

 that is the way they work it. Keep members informed, not merely 

 with reports of proceedings but with something like an occasional 

 sheet or two on the latest thing that is' going on, especially for the 

 new members. , (Applause.) 



The President : I would like to have any other suggestions. 

 Dr. Morris, have you anything to say? 



Dr. Morris : No, I have been doing a lot of thinking. 



The President : It seems to me it is the one vital thing for us 

 to consider. We have got to increase our membership. 



Mr. Olcott: Apropos of the remarks of Dr. Taylor comes 

 the question of the desirability of giving a prospective member some- 

 thing for his money. Our first problem is to interest someone to 

 the extent of membership and then to keep him after we get him. 

 Those are problems that require thought. I think the President in 

 his address suggested that the association produce young nut trees 

 to be given away to someone to plant, to interest that someone and 

 others who see it. Would you give him another tree at renewal 

 time? 



The President : That was the idea. 



Mr. Olcott : The renewal proposition with trees selling at 

 $2.50 to $3.00 apiece would be pretty expensive for the association — 

 for a member to pay us $2.00 and get a tree for nothing. My per- 

 sonal idea has been that there should be a state organization in every 

 one of the northern states, subsidiary to this association; that each 

 association have its monthly meeting, or maybe quarterly or annual, 

 taking in those who cannot find it convenient to come to the parent 

 association's convention. 



Dr. Morris : I will pay the dues, and subscription to the Jour- 

 nal, for any Boy Scout for ten years if you will make that the 

 object for striving for a prize in some organization of Boy Scouts. 



The President : I appreciate that very much. 



The Secretary: I have two suggestions for ways of drawing 

 attention to our association. The first is lectures. There are a 

 number of our members who have given lectures on the subject of 



