THE WORKING OF THE ASSOCIATION. liii 



Annual Meetings had little or no connection with the scientific 

 work of the Association, and had besides other obvious dis- 

 advantages. 



The Council consider that the question whether general 

 excursions be arranged, and their aiTangement, if decided 

 upon, ought to be left entirely to the Local Executive: that the 

 Association should not ask for them as part of the regular pro- 

 gramme, and that the permanent officials of the Association should 

 undertake no duties in connection with them. 



The Council consider that sectional excursions for the 

 purpose of field-work, visits to works, etc., arranged by Organis- 

 ing Sectional Committees, are appropriate to the work of the 

 Association and should be encouraged. 



(4) Attendance of non-Members as Speakers at Sectional 

 Meetings. — The Council recognise that on occasion a discussion 

 in a Section may be enhanced in value by the presence of specially 

 qualified speakers, who may not be Members of the Association, 

 invited by the Organising Committee. But they consider that 

 Organising Committees should exercise discretion as to the number 

 of speakers so invited, and. (while not proposing a fixed limit to 

 the number of such invitations) they recommend that it be a 

 direction to Organising Committees that their Eecorders shall 

 acquaint the Assistant Secretary with the names of non-members 

 proposed as speakers, in order that he may inform such persons of 

 the terms and privileges of membership or (a^t the General 

 Treasurer's discretion) issue ' special admission ' tickets to them 

 for any particular sectional meeting. 



(5) Service of non-Members on Research Committees. — The 



Council recognise that the expert assistance of non-members 

 may, on occasion, be essential to the success of a Research Com- 

 mitte.e's work. They recommend that the names of such persons 

 should appear in a separate category as assessors or consultative 

 or co-opted members of the Committee. 



(D) Grants. 



The Committee received a suggestion that in view of the 

 increase of other claims upon the revenue of the Association, the 

 funds devoted to purposes connected with research should be more 

 closely limited to incidental expenses, inasmuch as other funds 

 have become available to assist research itself. While recog- 

 nising the extreme importance of, this question, the Committee 

 did not discuss it at length, understanding that another opportunity 

 might arise for the Council to consider it. 



The Council will make a separate report to the General 

 Committee on this question. 



(Note. — The recommendations in the above report were adopted by 

 the General Committee, which ordered that alterations in the Rules, 

 where necessary to give effect to changes proposed, shonUl be made.) 



