Summer Meeting. 101 



For the last 25 years we have had on the program of the busi- 

 ness meeting of the Society a topic, "Suggestions for the Good of 

 the Society," and all these suggestions, whenever made, have been 

 considered and acted upon by the Executive Committee and by the 

 Society, at their regular meetings. 



The time of our sessions is always limited, and it has always 

 been thought best by the Society itself, on their own motion, to 

 not take up the time on the discussions of business matters, but to 

 devote most of the time to the papers, and refer business items 

 to the Executive Committee. This has been unanimously the 

 custom, not only in our own Society, but in every other State So- 

 ciety of which we have any knowledge. 



The attendance at our State meetings has been better and 

 more enthusiastic than any other of the fifteen or more different 

 State meetings which our delegates have visited almost every year 

 during all these years. 



The voting members of our Society are the life members and 

 the annual members who have paid their dues for two years or 

 more. Some States, as Nebraska, do not allow any except life 

 members to vote; and in some, as Wisconsin, the Executive Com- 

 mittee elects the Secretary, just as do many of our corporations. 



Every time the first notice of our meetings is sent out we al- 

 ways ask for "Suggestions for the Program," and all these ideas 

 are used in making up the program, if it is possible to do so. 

 Topics, questions, names of men for papers are all gladly received 

 and utilized. 



Membership has never been the chief object of our Society, 

 although we always secure all the members we can. It has never 

 offered premiums for membership, nor has it dropped names from 

 the roll because of non-payment. There are many other things in 

 a society which are more important than a large paid-up member- 

 ship. Among other aims have been, therefore, as the work of the 

 Society : 



(a) To collect information and experiences and give them 

 freely to all fruit growers of the State. 



(b) To build up local societies and local interests, and have 

 these people pay their dollar to their own organization, and then 

 report to the State Society their membership, and to them are then 

 sent the State reports, the same as to the members. These local 

 societies can do much for their own interests, still more for the 

 State's development, and just as much for the State Society, by 

 thus advertising their own counties. 



