176 MEETING OF COT"" "'"ONDlSs'G SOCIETIES' 



existence anywhere in i..^ ^ounti;y better adapted tlian the British Association for 

 stimulating, encouraging and cd^ordinating all the work being carried on by the 

 seventy Societies at present enrolled. Your Committee are of opinion that 

 iurther encouragement should be given to tliese Societies and their individual 

 working members by every means within the })o\ver of the Association, and with 

 the object of keeping the CoiTcsponding Societies in more permanent touch wilh 

 the Association they suggest that an officiiil invitation on behalf of the Council 

 be addressed to the Socieites through the Corresponding Societies Committee 

 asking them to appoint standing British Association Sub-Committees to be 

 elected by themselves with the object of dealing with all those subjects of 

 investigation common to their Societies and 10 the British Association 

 Committees, and to look after the general interests of science and scientilic 

 education throughout the provinces and provincial centres. Your Committee may 

 point out that the only permanent bodies carrying out systematic scientific woik 

 under the auspices of the Association are the vaiious Committees appointed by 

 the Sections to undertake particular investigations and to report thereon to their 

 respective Sections. The proposal now submitted is equivalent to a request that 

 the Corresponding Societies should themselves appoint such Standing Committees 

 for stimulating every branch of inquiry in which these Societies are co-operating 

 with the Association. It is believed that the active workers in every Society 

 would by this means be brought to realise more fully that their labours are 

 contributing to the general advancement of science ; and since the subjects at 

 present brought under the notice of the Corresponding Societies cover practically 

 every department of science represented by the Sections of the Association, it is 

 hoped that these new British Association Sub-Committees of the Corresponding 

 Societies may serve as nuclei for creating and maintaining locally public interest 

 in every branch of scientific knowledge. 



"Your Committee desire to lay special emphasis on the necessity for the 

 extension of the scientific activity of the Corresponding Societies and the expert 

 knowledge of many of their members in the direction of scientific education. They 

 are of opinion that immense benefit would accrue to the country if the Corre- 

 sponding Societies would keep this requirement especially in view Avith the 

 object of securing adequate representation for scientific education on the 

 Education Committees now being appointed under the new Act. The Educa- 

 tional Section of the Association having been but recently added, the Correspon- 

 ding Societies have as yet not had much opportunity for taking part in this 

 branch of the Association's work, and in view of the re-organisation in education 

 now going on all over the countiy, your Committee are of opinion 

 that no more opportune time is likely to occur for the influence of scientific 

 organisations to make itself felt as a real factor in national education. TJiev do 

 not at the present juncture think it desirable to formulate any definite 

 scheme detailing precise methods by which the Corresponding Societies might 

 be of service to the cause of scientific education. Some Societies might prefer 

 to unite to form Educational Consultative Committees of their own, and 

 to place their services at the disposal of the Education Authority of their Cottnty 

 or Borough. Others might prefer that individual members of their Societies 

 should be added to the Education Committee, and others again might prefer to 

 act indirectly by helping to foster public opinion in favour of that kind of 

 education which it is the chief function of a scientific corporation, such as the 

 British Association to promote. In view of the importance which your Com- 



