93 



Art. Y, Changing the Constitution. — The Constitution 

 of the Society may be amended, altered, or repealed by a 

 two-thirds vote of the members present at any regular 

 meeting. 



NOTES ON THE CONSTITUTION. 



A Committee on the nomination of officers was appointed 

 at the meeting in 1871,* and the rule continued until the 

 meeting of 1882, when nominations were made. See XI., 

 15. In 1884 a Committee was again appointed, XIII., 122. 



A Committee to revise the Constitution was aj)pointed in 

 1885, XIV., 7. It was last published in full in the Report 

 for 1887, and some changes of phraseology made which 

 escaped the writer's notice, but nothing important. 



OFFICEES. 



A history of the Society would not be complete without 

 a record of its officers ; therefore, with the exception of the 

 members of the Executive Committees, who change yearly, 

 and have of late years been simply ornamental, the 

 following record is given : 



Presidents: Wm. Clift, Mystic, Conn., 1870-'73, four 

 years ; R. B. Roosevelt, New York, 1874-'81, eight years ; 

 Geo. Shepard Page, New York, 1882; James Benkard, 

 New York, 1883 ; Hon. Theodore Lyman, Brookline, 

 Mass., 1884; Col. Marshall McDonald, Washington, D. C, 

 1885 ; Dr. Wm. M. Hudson, Hartford, Conn., ]'886 ; W. L. 

 May, Fremont, Neb., 1887; John H. Bissell, Detroit, 

 Mich., 1888 ; Eugene G. Blackford, New York, 1889. 



* This Committee practically appoints the officers, and has. at times, given 

 dissatisfaction. I have steadfastly opposed this method, but have always 

 been voted down, because the Committee disposes of the question in the 

 least time, and the members are always in a hurry to get away. I believe it 

 to be the very worst way to select officers, its only advantage being in saving 

 time. p, M. 



