Presidential Address. 15 



branch in our Board School curricuhi. How ilry as dust this 

 study must be with but a text-book and very few, if any, specimens 

 to use in illustration. Now-a-days, when we have itinerary teachers 

 in cookery and carpentry travelling the country to teach these 

 useful crafts, is it but a dream to prophesy that lecturers in Nature 

 study or in Antiquarian research will one day be in demand ? 

 .A.nd perhaps the first sign of this movement will l)e the formation 

 of local museums. A\'e have in this district but a few ; and how 

 neglected and uncared for they become, when there is no one to 

 explain the contents, or, in other words, to make the inanimate 

 objects speak. ^The Observatory Museum contains some actual 

 treasures, yet it would hardly be taken over to-day bv a specula- 

 tor as a i)aying investment. But I believe there is a good time 

 (X)ming, when the Educational Department will in its wisdom 

 establish or sustain such museums, and will, by the appointment 

 of well chosen inspectors, equip and arrange such collections so 

 as to make them of real educational value. The Department 

 will then Avelcome the existence of such Societies as ours, and 

 will be able to call on us for our co-operation and assistance. 



But these are castles, at present in the air; and probably the 

 wish is father to the thought. I will therefore take up a more 

 tangible subject ; and as this is the first meeting of a session you 

 will perhaps allow me to remark on the unsatisfactorily small 

 attendance at our meetings. I know that a great many members 

 of our Society live at a consideraf)le distance from this hall, but it 

 has on occasions struck me that it must be almost embarrassing 

 for speakers to address the small assemblies I have at times seen 

 here. But I have been even more surprised, in conversations I 

 have had with people in the district, to find how very few have 

 been asked to become members of our Society. The subscription 

 is so small and our Transactions are now so interesting, that the 

 full five shillings' worth demanded by the subscription is obtained 

 by the receipt of a copy of our annual volume. I believe there 

 would be no difficulty whatever in trebling our membership, and 

 this is a point on which I would ask for your co-operation. You 

 have all heard of the far-reaching temperance movement, entitled 

 " Catch my Pal," which consists of each temperate convert ob- 

 taining a " pal " to go and do likewise. I suggest that something 

 on the same lines might be done by us. After all, funds are a 

 great thing, the oil which makes the machinerv run well, and. 



