We believe that as a society we should put ourselves on record as 
_ Federation of Women’s Clubs, is good, and for that purpose would 
_ recommend that the wives of all members of this society be made 
_ members. 
Finally we would commend the untiring zeal and the ability put 
into the work by our secretary. 
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SECRETARY’S REPORT FOR 1897. 
A. W. LATHAM. 
_ The secretary is expected at this time to make a full report of the 
work of his office, showing what money he has received and ex- 
_ pended, the number of enrolled members, in what ways they and 
the public have been benefited through the channel of his office, and 
many other things, which, unless the officer who prepares the re- 
port embellishesa long array of bare facts with the flowers ofa 
fertile imagination, are likely to make it a tedious and wearisome 
AR document. Under these circumstances the only safe course for 
him is to boil down the facts he would present so they may be taken 
in ata single gulp and have the dry dose out of the way. The re- 
al sult of the first operation, with your permission, I will now pre- 
gent to you, that you may without delay perform the second. 
The fact of first importance that confronts us, then, relates to the 
strength of our organization, which may be considered from two 
standpoints, numerical and possessional. In numerical strength 
-_—-we are gratified to record that the year just closing continues to 
show the usual increase over that of the year before. At the last 
annual meeting our roll of annual members footed up to 459, while 
now it numbers 643, which is an increase of 184 members. The fol- 
lowing names have been added to our life membership roll the past 
year: Ditus Day,Farmington; W. S. Dedon, Taylor’s Falls; J. Cole 
Doughty, Lake City; Fred Nussbaumer, St. Paul. 
The roll of deceased life members has received an addition also in 
the name of M. Pearce, much beloved. Others of our well known 
and equally beloved brothers whose names have been inscribed for 
the last time on the annual rollare: M. W. Cook, Rochester; W. KE. 
Brimhall, San Diego, Cal.; W. W. Pendergast, Hutchinson; E. J, 
Cutts, Howard Lake: Wm. Danforth,Red Wing. Portraits and obit- 
uary sketches of these, except the latter, have appeared in our 
monthly, and that of Mr. Danforth may rightfully find a place in an 
early issue. 
It may be interesting to you to have here grouped together the 
_ figures representing our membership during the few years past 
which cover the new departure of our association: 
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