FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 65 



posted? That will be one of the main features of the little paper, as I 

 understand it. 



Mr. Bassett — There is one matter of business that should come up 

 perhaps at this time. At the last annual meeting Mr. Charles B. Welch 

 gave notice that at this meeting he would move to change the life mem- 

 bership from ^o to ►^lO, and it is now in order that that motion be brought 

 before this body. 



The motion being brought before the house, it was spoken to as follows : 



Mr. Bassett — At the time that Mr. Welch introduced this matter I 

 was in favor of it, for we were in need of money and while I knew we 

 would lose some, I thought it would work out all right. During the past 

 year we have taken in 77 as life members at |5 each, but I think the 

 secretary is in a position to speak more intelligently as to these mem- 

 berships, because that is a part of his work. Now, today I seriously feel 

 that the interest of this society can best be conserved by retaining the 

 f 5 membership. I have gone over some of the figures in regard to annual 

 memberships, and counting tlie lapses, and averaging the whole thing 

 up, I am confident that we Avill be better ofi' to leave the life member- 

 ship as it is than to increase it to .flO. I would therefore ask that the 

 matter of advancing the price of the life membership to |10 be held in 

 abeyance until next year. We can try it one more year and then if 

 we wish to make a change, it can be done. 



A voice — I move that the matter be laid on the table for one year. 



Carried. 



Mr. Bassett — Notice was also given a year ago that at this time the 

 meml^ership of auxiliary members would be advanced from twenty-five 

 cents to fifty cents. We have certain funds that have in the past been 

 used to pay the delegate's expenses to the meeting. As soon as we had 

 a State appropriation the executive board was in favor of this, and did 

 it, but now that that appropriation is withdrawn, we have to stand on 

 our own bottom and the auxiliary societies could not ask the executive 

 board to spend more money than they put in. We will either have to fix 

 it on some other basis, instead of paying all the expenses, meet a part 

 of them, or cut out this entirely. What is the opinion of the society? 



A Member — I move that the matter of raising the fee of the auxiliary 

 society membership be left to the executive board, also the meeting of 

 the expenses of the delegates, to adjust on some fair and equitable basis. 



A Member — I am in favor of not raising the individual membership 

 of the auxiliary societies and let the societies pay at least a part of their 

 own expenses, for you will find it is easier to get people to pay money 

 when they see just where it is going and what is being done with it than 

 to send it to the state society. 



A Member — I think there is still another reason — it is better for our 

 state society to have 2,000 life members in it than to have 1,000 at |10, 

 and I believe that we can get the 2,000 quicker at .fi5 than 1,000 at 



It was moved that the report of the secretary be accepted. 



Carried. 



It was here moved to proceed to the election of ofl5cers, as follows: 



President — T. A. Farrand, Eaton Rapids. 



Vice President — O. S. Bristol, Almont. 



Secretary — C. E. Bassett. 

 9 



