PUBLIC WINTER MEETING OF THE BOARD, 



AT AMHERST. 



The annual public winter meeting of the Board was held 

 in the town hall, Amherst, on Tuesday, Wednesday and 

 Thursday, December 6, 7 and 8. The weather was favor- 

 able, and the attendance was the largest in the later history 

 of these meetings. The lectures were interesting and the 

 meeting was a success. 



The first session was called to order by Secretary Ses- 

 sions, who introduced First Vice-President James S. Grin- 

 nell as presiding officer. 



Mr. Grinnell. You will please give your attention 

 while the Rev. Dr. Walker, chaplain of the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College, invokes divine blessing on our labors. 



Prayer by Dr. Walker. 



Mr. Grixnell. It is my pleasure next to call upon, not 

 to introduce, one who presides over our college, our be- 

 loved president, who will give the opening address. 



President Goodell. I did not know that the few remarks 

 that I was expected to make by way of welcoming you 

 would be dignified by the name of opening address, and I 

 hope you will dismiss that from your minds at once. When 

 the secretary of this Board announced to me that I had been 

 chosen to make a few welcoming remarks, he informed me 

 that I was chosen for the reason that they knew I would be 

 short, — that they wanted a short man and a brief man. 



I have a way sometimes of worrying a subject, and if you 

 see a tendency in me to do that this morning, please check 

 me at once. 



I want to commence with the words of Colonel Clark to 

 this Board when they met here thirty years ago. He said 

 " Gentlemen, you do not know how glad I am to see you 

 here." Now, adding to the reasons why he was glad to see 

 the Board here, I have still another reason. You know it 



