OCT 1-3 1397 



THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 6 



of Vice-President Hagar was noted, and tiie valuable and 

 long-continued service of the deceased was referred to. 



Vice-President White offered the following resolution 

 which was unanimously adoi)ted : 



Resolved: That in the judgment of this meeting, the 

 fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Essex Institute 

 ought not to pass without a distinct and emphatic recog- 

 nition, and that the Council take steps to carry this vote 

 into effect, 



George M. Whipple, 



Secretary^ pro tern. 



The Executive Committee's Report was as follows : 

 The Essex Institute has been from the beijinnin<): de- 

 pendent to a very large extent upon the spontaneous help 

 of volunteers, and the class of persons to which such an 

 institution can appeal being a busy and preoccupied class, 

 it is impossible to depend upon the attendance of most of 

 the committees except on special occasions. The institu- 

 tion is too large to be conducted longer by one man, even 

 if that man were its founder. Accordingly, resort has been 

 had, of late years, to an executive committee, which is 

 now practically charged with administering the Society's 

 affairs, and it seems tit that some report should be heard 

 from it, in the enforced omission of the usual report from 

 the Secretary. 



To a very exceptional extent the Institute has been 

 hampered this year by the absence, through sickness and 

 other causes, of its working ofl5cers and members. New 

 comers, be they ever so well disposed, cannot till the 

 places of experienced workers. But it has not been the 

 practice of the Institute in the past to magnify its difficul- 

 ties, and fortunately there is enough of encouragement in 



