2 ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, [iPébs eg 
FEBRUARY 25, 1889. 
SPECIAL MEETING. 
Called by order of the President,:for the purpose of receiving 
and acting upon the Report of the Committee on Revision of the Rules. 
The President supers, A. ELLIS, In the ehar 
The committee, appointed January 14, to revise the Constitution 
and By-Laws, submitted the following printed report : 
To the Rochester Academy of Science. 
Your committee, charged with the duty of preparing a revision of the Constitution 
and By-Laws which should incorporate certain provisions, hereby submit their report for 
your consideration, including a printed copy of the proposed rules, 
The committee feel that it is proper and desirable to summarize a few of the principal 
changes embodied in the revision, and the reasons therefor. 
1. Concentration. Itis believed to be desirable to unite the varied scientific talent of 
the city in a single, strong, comprehensive organization. The tendency of workers in 
similar lines to form associations by themselves is recognized, however, and the partial 
advantages of that plan are admitted. But it is believed that the Sections can be so 
related to the larger organization as to combine the advantages of both systems; and it is 
proposed to give the Sections sufficient liberty to enable them to privately carry on their 
special work, but at the same time to bind them closely to the general society. See 
chapter VII of By-Laws. 
2. Centralization of contro?, To give the chief control, in all directions, to one 
General Committee, here called the Council, which will result in greater unity, harmony 
and permanency in the work of the society. The Council to be large enough to fairly 
represent all interests, and all Sections; the Special Committees to be responsible to the 
Council. See article VII of Constitution and chapter IV of By-Laws. 
3. Purposes of the Society. The special objects of the Society to be accomplished by 
the reading and discussion of papers, the publication of scientific results, the exhibition of 
scientific material, the accumulation of a library and collections, and particularly the 
study of the Natural History of this region. See chapters VIII, IX and XI of By-Laws. 
4. Self-Support. The membership charges to be high enough to give a modest 
support to the purposes of the Society, and the Publications to be distributed to the paying 
members. See chapters X{ and XIII of By-Laws. 
5. Control of the Society. By the establishment of the order of Fellows for the 
reception of the scientific members, and the keeping of the organization within their con- 
trol, the latter may not be alienated from its purpose. See articles III, VI and VII of 
constitution. 
M. L. MALLORY, Chairman, 
SrA GTS; 
James E. WHITNEY, 
H. L. FAIRCHILD, J 
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[ Committee. 
