8 
Your Committee have decided that Members of the Society 
who are serving in His Majesty’s Forces shall be exempt from pay- 
ing their subscription during the period of the war. A separate list 
of these will be found on pages 10 and 11. Owing to circumstances 
already referred to our Membership for the first time for a long 
series of years shows a slight decrease, but it is hoped that before 
the end of our next financial year the present European conflict 
will have terminated and a better state of affairs established in 
our midst. A gratifying feature is the very satisfactory state of 
the Society’s finances. Your Committee have met 13 times 
during the year for the transaction of the Society’s business. 
GEORGE P. MILN, 
Hon. General Secretary. 
Way NEw; 
GROSVENOR Museum, Assistant Secretary. 
13th May, 1915. 
ELECTION OF PRESIDENT. 
At the Annual General Meeting of the Society, held on May 13th, Dr. H. 
Drinkwater, F.R.S. (Edin.), F.L.S., was unanimously elected President in 
succession to Proressor Ropert Newsteap, F.R.S. &c. In proposing Dr. 
Drinkwater for this office, Mr. F. W. Longbottom pointed out that the new 
President was a Medallist of Durham and Edinburgh, and was _ possessed 
of all the necessary qualifications for this office. Mr. J. Bairstow, in seconding 
the proposition, referred to Dr. Drinkwater as an able Scientist, and made 
special reference to the series of beautiful Water Colour Drawings of Plants 
executed by him, and which he had presented to the Society. In returning 
thanks for the honour conferred upon him, Dr. Drinkwater, in the course of a 
short address, said that to follow Robert Newstead in the Presidential Chair 
was a hazardous step, but there was consolation in the thought that though 
one could not emulate his great natural gifts, his most encyclopedic knowledge, 
or his persistent energy, one could follow his example by making the best use 
of the powers one has, by devotion to truth, and by striving to add something, 
however small, to the general sum of knowledge, by taking advantage of 
opportunities which are sure to occur, if one has the eye to see, and the mind to 
perceive and appreciate. 
Referring to the various works of Canon Kingsley, Dr. Drinkwater said :— 
““We think of him as the revered founder of this Society, and we believe that 
neither ‘ Westward Ho,’ nor ‘ Alton Locke,’ nor any other piece of work that 
he accomplished is calculated to exert a more enduring and beneficent influence 
than the Chester Society of Natural Science, Literature and Art, if the Mem- 
bers will strive honestly to pursue those high ideals which Kingsley inculeated 
both by precept and example.” 
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