SOCIETY AFFAIRS 



Can the President of the Society Express His Personal Views? 



At the summer meeting of the New York Section of the Society the 

 following resolution was passed: "That the Secretary of the Section 

 communicate to the Secretary of the parent Society its feeling that the 

 I'resident of the Society should not have expressed personal views in 

 articles published over his official title, which may be construed as 

 representing views of the Society as a whole." 



Since the article to which exception is taken in this resolution ap- 

 peared in this Journal (page 227). some of the responsibility for its 

 form falls upon the editor-in-chief. Unfortunately, by accident, the 

 article did not come to the cognizance of the editor before it was in 

 ])rint. If, however, it had in the usual manner come before him he 

 might have asked permission of the author to modify the somewhat 

 unparliamentary expressions, but it would never have occurred to him 

 to question the propriety of the author's using his official designation 

 as President of the Society, especially as the article was evidently ad- 

 dressed to the members of the Society in his official capacity, not as an 

 expression of the opinion of its members, but as a call for taking a 

 certain attitude. 



The editor agrees entirely with the rejoinder of President Olmsted, 

 printed below, in his reply to the Section. P). E. F. 



August 30, 1919. 

 Mr. A. B. Recknagel, Secretary, 



New York Section, Society of American Foresters, Albany, Nci^' York. 



Dear Recknagel : 



At first I was inclined to believe that your letter of August i to Mr. Kellcter did 

 not call for an answer. It occurs to me now, however, that I should make it clear 

 in very few words why I am quite unable to agree with the feeling of the New 

 York Section to the effect that I should not have expressed personal views, in an 

 article under my official title, which might be construed as representing the opinion 

 of the Society as a whole. 



My article on "The Work Ahead" was an address to foresters, lumbermen, and 

 the public, and purposely expressed my views as President of the Society. I stood 

 for my personal views in my official capacity, as any executive is bound to do. 

 It is perfectly true that the views I expressed may or may not be those of the 

 Society as a whole, but that is entirely aside from the point. The article reflected 

 simply my own views as President and in no way implied that tliey were the 

 S9f! 



