INTRODUCTORY PROCEEDINGS. xxxix 



The Chairman : — We will now call for the Report of the Committee on Revision of 

 the Constitution and By-Laws. 



The Secretary: — About a year ago, appreciating that, owing to certain amendments 

 that had been made and others that had been suggested to meet certain contingencies which 

 have arisen since the original Constitution and By-Laws were framed, it was desirable that 

 there should be a revision of the Constitution and By-Laws, the Council appointed a com- 

 mittee with Admiral Capps as chairman. Captain McAllister and the Secretary as members, 

 directing this committee to consult together, and with the members of the Society, with the 

 intention of revising the Constitution and By-Laws, not merely making amendments to 

 them, but taking advantage of any suggested amendments which have been proposed or 

 difficulties which have been met with in the handling of the Society's affairs. This com- 

 mittee was directed to report back to the Council as soon as possible so that its efforts 

 could there be passed upon, the changes it proposed be considered, and the matter pre- 

 sented in final form to this meeting of the Society. 



The Committee considered the matter most carefully, reported to the Council, and at 

 two meetings the action of the Committee has been unanimously ratified by Members of 

 Council present; you have before you now in printed form the revised proof of the Con- 

 stitution and By-Laws which takes into account all of the suggestions, amendments and 

 revisions recommended by this special committee. With regard to amendments to the Con- 

 stitution, our present Constitution and By-Laws provide as follows: — 



"Proposed amendments to the Constitution must be reduced to writing and signed 

 by not less than ten members. They shall be forwarded to the Secretary at least ten days 

 before the annual general meeting, and shall be immediately forwarded to the Council for 

 its consideration. If a majority of the Council approve the proposed amendment, it shall 

 be presented to the Society at the next general meeting for discussion; if approved by two- 

 thirds of the members present, voting by ballot, if a ballot be demanded, it shall be adopted." 



These formalities have been gone through with, so that the entire matter not only has 

 the approval of all of the Members of Council who have been consulted, but it is in legal 

 shape to be acted on this morning. 



Running over the matter so that the membership at large may grasp it, the scheme, as 

 already announced, was that this is to be the proof of the revised Constitution and By-Laws, 

 if accepted by the Society. All alterations from the previous Constitution are shown in 

 italics, so by glancing from page to page you can see in what respects the original Con- 

 stitution is to be amended. 



The main points which were called to the Committee's attention, outside of merely 

 typographical errors and inconsistencies which had crept in, were : First, there has been 

 complaint on the part of members, when elected, that they were called upon not only for 

 their entrance fee but the dues for the year in which they were elected, and as, owing to 

 the change in date of meeting, they were elected in December and not notified until about 

 the middle of December, it hardly seemed proper that they should be called upon to pay 

 the dues for the year in which they were elected. The intention of that requirement was 



