190 



Moved that the visiting delegations be received at 1:15 P. M. each being 

 given ten minutes to present its claims for the next annual meeting. Sec- 

 onded and carried. 



The secretary read a letter from Dean Davenport, in which, as chairman 

 of the committee on Agricultural Books, he reported the committee's ap- 

 proval of Dr. Carver's new work entitled "Principles of Natural Economics", 

 recently published by Ginn & Co. 



President Mann spoke of the work of the committee on Soil Investiga- 

 tions and Experiments and its relation to the University, explaining that 

 under the ruling of the Board of Trustees the State Institute is requested 

 to submit the names of three Directors from which the Trustees will appoint 

 the members of this committee. Mention was also made of the fact that 

 one of the requirements made by the University is that members of this com- 

 mittee must not only be farmers but must actually live and reside on a farm. 



The Secretary of the Department of Household Science presented the 

 following report: 



To the President, Officers and Board of Directors of the Illinois Farmers' 

 Institute: 



Gentlemen: It is always a pleasure as well as my duty to bring you a 

 brief review of the year's work of our Department. It is not the services 

 of your secretary but the faithful team work and co-operation of the insti- 

 tute Board, the club and county household science officers, the speakers, all 

 who have made the interest of the year just closing. 



In looking backward the thought comes to us, often, what have been 

 the achievements of the Department, one of the oldest organizations in the 

 state for the education of homemakers? What has been done to make the 

 business of housekeeping the greatest profession for women and to interest 

 them to realize that it is not drudgery, but an art for every woman who 

 presides over the institution called HOME. 



We could not make a report without paying tribute to the Board of 

 Directors of the Illinois Farmers' Institute who have always been our great 

 support and with whom we work in harmony year after year. Why not 

 such close organization? Men and women are partners in the business of 

 home making and the problems to be discussed and solved belong to all. 

 The Department is a helpful auxiliary of the institute and there is no 

 stronger body of men and women existing in Illinois today which reaches 

 out to every profession every home that we may be better fitted for the 

 job which is ours. 



THE OBJECT. 



The object of the Department of Household Science has always been 

 the advancement of all the interests of the home and that woman's work 

 of housekeeping and homemaking should be made a subject for systematic 

 study. We have encouraged young people to become interested and to have 

 a part in the work. Household science clubs and parent teachers' associa- 

 tions have been organized, all for the purpose of making better homes, better 

 schools and a better citizenship. 



From a beginning small we have grown to be an organization which 

 will never finish its work until every home in Illinois has been touched. 

 Sometimes the past year we have been told that the Household Science De- 

 partment is out of date and that it is no longer needed, but I ask you if 

 there is not a great work yet to be done when every woman is a part of 

 the institute without fees and dues and can have a voice in the discussions 

 of every subject before us? 



I wish I could go back and recall each step In the growth of our Depart- 

 ment but it cannot be done in a brief report. It may be of interest for you 

 to know where the meetings have been held since the first annual in 1898. 

 The first meeting was held in Princeton with the Farmers' Institute and a 

 part of one day was given to the women for their program. In the succes- 

 sion the meetings have been held Princeton, Mt, Vernon, Jacksonville, Rock' 



