Cbc Uictorian naturalist 



\^0L. XXX.— No. 6. OCTOBER 9, 1913. No. 358. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 

 A SPECIAL general meeting of the Club was held in the Royal 

 Society's Hall on Monday evening, 8th September, 1913, to 

 consider a proposed alteration of the rules by excising clause 

 (e) (relating to junior membership) of rule 4. 



The president-elect, Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., occupied 

 the chair, and about 40 members and visitors were present. 



In accordance with his notice of motion given at the pre- 

 vious meeting, Mr. A. D. Hardy, F.L.S., moved — " That 

 clause (e) of rule 4 be repealed," and, in speaking to the 

 motion, said that it was with regret that he took this action, 

 which became necessary from two points of view — the falling 

 off in the junior membership and the lack of interest shown 

 by those who remained. Members would remember the 

 energy and enthusiasm with which some members, who were 

 interested in educational matters, had taken the initiative and 

 early steps in connection with the juniors, but latterly mem- 

 bers had had their energy diverted to other matters, or had 

 gone to other districts, hence there had been lack of enthu- 

 siasm as regards the juniors, and this section of the Club 

 would have failed sooner but for the interest taken in it, until 

 his death, by Mr. C. Stout, and by Miss Bury throughout. 

 At present it was difficult to get more than half a dozen 

 juniors to attend excursions or lectures, for which busy senior 

 members unselfishly gave up their Saturday afternoons in the 

 interests of the young people. No doubt the compulsory 

 military drilling on Saturday afternoons was largely respon- 

 sible for the falling off. This was not only a duty but a 

 counter attraction and a pleasure. The remaining Saturdays 

 appeared to be devoted to sport. In any case, looked at from 

 a financial point of view, the section was a recurring loss in 

 the Club's annual balancing of accounts. Provision could 

 be made for the juniors already in the Club who had paid 

 the current year's subscription, but no more juniors should 

 be admitted. Present juniors might be admitted by amend- 

 ment of another rule as associates, or drop out at the end 

 of the current year. In seconding the motion, Mr. F. G. A. 

 Barnard said that he did so with regret, as it seemed a back- 

 ward step, but from the difficulty of keeping in touch with 

 the juniors, except at a considerable expenditure of time and 

 money, he failed to see that the Club could do anything else 

 but repeal the provision for juniors at the present sub- 

 scription. 



