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GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



operate in this work is regrettable, for it is an important 

 undertaking which, if it fails, will reflect unfavorably upon 

 the association and the profession which it represents. 



The Committee on Co-operation with the Federal Board 

 of Vocational Education, M. C. Ebel. chairman. On the 

 request of a representative of the I~ederal Board of Voca- 

 tional Education, who addressed the convention in Cleveland 

 last year, a committee was appointed by the president to co- 

 operate with the Board to aid disabled soldiers, by placing 

 those who desired to take up the training of gardening in 

 positions, that would provide such an opportunity. 



During last Winter, the association's office was visited fre- 

 quently by a member of the board to remind the committee 

 that it counted on the association to place a number of boys 

 in the Spring, it being claimed that some 250 boys would be 

 available. When Spring arrived, the committee took the 

 matter up with the superintendents of several estates, who 

 agreed to provide for soldiers on their places, the owner of 

 one estate agreeing to provide accommodations and training 

 for eighteen. 



When the board was called on to provide the boys, it was 

 found that it was not able to do so, and in all, six boys were 

 sent to the office, of which one qualified temporarily, the 

 remaining being all of a type not suited for a country estate. 

 The committee can only report that its efforts were a failure, 

 with many explanations necessary to those who had agreed 

 to accept the boys and make provision for them. 



The committee does not desire to appear as if criticizing 

 the board unjustly, but believes the blame rests on an over 

 ■enthusiastic representative, who exaggerated the claims he 

 made of the boj-s he had to place, and who probably counted 

 on many being available when Spring came to hand, for whom 

 he was going to be prepared, placing the committee to con- 

 siderable unnecessary work. 



COMMUNICATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS 



The following communication was received from the New- 

 port Branch of the National .Association of Gardeners; 



"To the Members of the National .Association of Gardeners, 

 Assembled in Convention in St. Louis; — We regret to confess 

 in so far as making further suggestions for the good of our 

 association, that this branch is practically at a standstill for 

 want of co-operation. We look with some concern upon the 

 probable findings of the coming convention in relation to the 

 very important subjects to be dealt with. We are of the 

 opinion that before subjects of this nature are passed upon, 

 a thorough representation of the majority is a necessity. 

 Will you have this condition at St. Louis? Is it possible at 

 the present stage of our development to secure a majority 

 attendance in any part of the L'nited States? We think not. 

 We believe there are certain foundations to be laid before the 

 association as a unit can continue to build and prosper. W'e 

 believe the establishment of local branches in various parts 

 of the country as previously suggested, is one important 

 foundation upon which the association would benefit a great 

 deal. 



"St. Louis and Newport are the only branches of the 

 N. A. G. in this vast country as far as we know. Members 

 of the association are scattered thousands of miles apart 

 and have no means of coming together officially to help and 

 interest others in the work of our association. Other up- 

 to-date organizations have their branches, for instance, the 

 Garden Club of America, whose memliers are more active 

 in their organization work than we are. Why? Becaus'; 

 they take more interest in their work and attend their local 

 meetings. This country is too large to have a national or- 

 ganization such as ours with only headquarters in New York; 

 we need more co-operation among the members, and 

 branches seem to us to be the only means of getting it. Even 

 the British Gardeners" Association, small as its country is, 

 has branches. 



"Directors could be chosen through the local branches among 

 such men as are known to be active in the work of 

 our association. It also helps to keep up the interest of the 

 individual member in the association and its work through 

 meetings to discuss the problems which confront the pro- 

 fession. It would be helpful in increasing the membership; 

 also helpful to our secretary in filling positions where a 

 branch is located, by giving him all possible information. 

 These arc only a few duties a local branch can undertake, 

 and to this end, we would respectfully submit the follow- 

 ing resolution; 



"Resolved, That an article be added to the By-Laws author- 

 izing members to form branches in the localities where they 

 may reside; that rules should be drawn up for such branches, 

 giving them certain duties to perform for the betterment of 

 •our association, and 



"Be it further resolved, That this resolution be given due 

 consideration, and some action taken at this convention. 



"In regard to certificates we have nothing further to add to 

 wliat we have already written the secretary under date of 

 February 2, this year. 



"With best wishes for a successful convention, from the 

 Newport branch. "Frederic Carter, Secretary." 



In the discussion which followed the reading of this letter, 

 it was generally agreed .that local branches would be of ma- 

 terial aid to the progress of the association and the profession 

 it represents, if the interest could be secured among local 

 members which is not now shown. The suggestion that an 

 article be added to the By-Laws could not be acted on, as 

 the By-Laws provide that an amendment must be published 

 ten days before the annual meeting. It was pointed out that 

 Newport and St. Louis have their local branches and similar 

 branches can be organized elsewhere without special pro- 

 vision in the By-Laws. It was proposed that the president 

 appoint a committee to draw up a set of rules by which local 

 branches could be guided. 



Communications were received from Charles Milburn, New 

 York, and J. E. W. Shaw, British Columbia, proposing that a 

 button be adopted by the association, but as at other con- 

 ventions, this suggestion did not meet with favor, especially 

 at this time, as the cost would make it prohibitive to supply 

 a button to each member. 



The following resolution was adopted on the National Bo- 

 tanical Garden. 



Be it Resolved, That the National Association of Gardeners 

 at their convention assembled at St. Louis, recommend and 

 support the pending bill authorizing the Commission of Fine 

 .Arts to establish a representative botanical garden at Mount 

 Hamilton. Washington. D. C, copies of this resolution to be 

 sent to the representatives of Congress and Senate, to the 

 Chairman of the Commission of Fine .Arts, and spread upon 

 the minutes of this conxention. 



AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS 



The amendments to the By-Laws, which follow, were sub- 

 mitted to the convention to be acted upon; 



To amend .Article 2, by adding two sections (Section 7 and 

 Section 8) as follows; 



Section 7. -Applicants for active or associate membership 

 shall be passed on by a membership committee to consist of 

 the secretary and any two members of the executive board, 

 on whom the secretary shall be authorized to call, to pass 

 on applications. .An applicant for active membership must 

 provide the membership committee with a complete record 

 of his gardening experience and references as provided for on 

 the application blanks. 



Section 8. The Executive Board, or its authorized com- 

 mittee, shall have the power of refusing to admit an applicant 

 to membership, and shall be empowered to c.xpel from mem- 

 bership any one guilty of unprofessional conduct or other 

 conduct, calculated to reflect adversely on the association. 

 The executive board shall be under no compulsion to give 

 any reason for its action in refusing an applicant to, or ex- 

 pelling a member from the association, either to the individual 

 concerned or to the association. 



To amend Article 3, Section 1, by making the dues $5.00 a 

 year instead of $3.00 a year as now provided. 



To amend .Article 3, Section 3, by making dues for life 

 membership $50 in place of $25 as now provided. 



.A communication was received from the Cleveland Horti- 

 cultural Society, protesting against the amendment of 

 .Article 2, Sections 7 and 8, as being too drastic and auto- 

 cratic. 



The proposed Section 8 to .Article * met witli much oppo- 

 sition from the floor as giving a member no appeal from the 

 decision of the executive board. It was contended that a 

 member should have the right to appeal to tlie association 

 against the findings of the executive board. ■ George 

 McMahon, Iowa, directed attention to the Bj'-Laws, .Article 

 5, Section 5, "* * * and all acts of the board, which in 

 its judgment are for the welfare of the association, shall be 

 considered binding." 



On motion by J. Baxter. Illinois, Section 7 to Article 2 was 

 adopted as proposed, and Section 8 to .Article 2 was adopted, 

 modified as follows; 



Section 8. The executive board or its authorized com- 

 mittee, shall have the power of refusing to admit an applicant 

 to membership, and shall be empowered to expel from mem- 

 bership any one guilty of unprofessional conduct, calculated 

 to reflect adversely on the association. 



On motion by .A. Bieschke. Connecticut, the amendments 

 10 .Article 3, Sections 1 and 3. were adopted. 



