president's address. 79 



The President: Gentlemen, what is now your further pleasure? 



A Member: It will be our pleasure to hear from our President. 



The President: It does tiot seem as though there is a place for the 

 President, but I think, perhaps, he could summon up courage enough to 

 say a few words. 



I am sure we have a very kindly feeling toward the University. 

 While I was a student here, I spent many years on the campus and at 

 the University here. This is one of the pleasantest spots on the con- 

 tinent for me. I like to come here, I feel at home here. I feel thankful 

 to Dr. Bessey for his friendly address of welcome and I believe you will 

 all have the same feeling. 



There are a few things that I would like to speak of that have come 

 to me from time to time. I will say, however, as your President I have 

 not done what I think I ought to have done. I have not attended as 

 many of the meetings as I ought to have. Nevertheless, there are things 

 that I would like to mention as a food for thought, or food for topics, 

 I don't care which, and if anything can be gotten from them which will 

 be to the best interests of our society, I shall feel pleased. There have 

 been some changes in our methods during the year and of what our 

 scretary has done. Many of these things will be embodied in his report 

 and of which will he give j'ou a thorough knowledge. There are a few 

 things that I noticed at our State Pair — I would like for our society to 

 take some action, looking toward a room for the Synonym Committee to 

 work in. Another is. Superintendent of the Hall, who shall be a helper 

 of the Board of Directors, but independent of the Board. Another point, 

 a matter of considerable importance to us as a society, and that is mem- 

 bership. I would like to have each of you consider yourself as a com- 

 mittee of one for that purpose. Probably the matter will be brought 

 up in these meetings as to the best way of increasing our membership. 

 I know that some of the people in the audience here have some thoughts 

 and have made some notes along this line which I hope will be brought 

 out. I wish this matter to be made one of the features of these meetings 

 to discuss as to how we can get a larger membership throughout the 

 state. Another item is and which really comes back upon yourself and 

 makes me a party to it — we have a committee, a standing committee 

 of the society and for years v/e have had no report from that committee. 

 Dr. Bessey kindly called my attention to it three or four weeks ago and I 

 should have asked our secretary to have notified the various members of 

 this committee to have them make us a report. Nevertheless, I ask the 

 same now. And then a little matter of beautifying our homes which 

 will come up in a report tomorrow on ornamental gardening. The time 

 has come when our farm homes should be beautified as well as our city 

 homes. I think other matters of which I might speak will be embodied 

 in our secretary's report. 



Mr. A. J. Brown: Gentlemen, I would like to suggest that the 



