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FIVE YEARS' RETROSPECT 

 i93i~ I 935 



(Issued in April, 1936). 



This Summary Report is intended by the Council to be the first of a series 

 dating from the beginning of the Association's second century, in 1931. 

 Its principal purpose is, not to review the transactions of the annual meetings, 

 but to illustrate by examples the perennial activities of the Association 

 which arise from or are supplementary to those transactions. 



I. Annual Meetings. 

 By way of introduction, however, a summary reference to the annual 

 meetings themselves is desirable. The following table shows (1) the places 

 of meeting, (2) the presidents of the Association, and (3) attendances of 

 members. 



Year. (1) (2) (3) 



icm London Gen. the Rt. Hon. J. C. Smuts, P.C., C.H., 5,702 

 y F.R.S. 



1932 York Sir Alfred Ewing, K.C.B., F.R.S. 2,024 



1933 Leicester Sir F.Gowland Hopkins, O.M.,Pres. R.S. 2,268 



1934 Aberdeen Sir James H. Jeans, F.R.S. 2,938 



1935 Norwich Prof. W. W. Watts, F.R.S. 2,321 

 The following observations should be made concerning this table. 



It is common knowledge that the Association had never before 1931 held 

 its annual meeting in London ; it is not ordinarily its function to do so, 

 and its statutes lay down that the Association ' contemplates no invasion 

 of the ground occupied by other institutions,' a disclaimer always under- 

 stood as referring particularly to the other great learned societies whose 

 headquarters are in London. Nevertheless, for the Centenary Meeting, 

 in 1 93 1, London was chosen by common consent, at the expressed wish of 

 the Corporation of the City of London, and with the generous co-operation 

 of the London County Council, the University of London, and many 

 other bodies. Accommodation for meetings was provided mainly by 

 the Imperial College of Science and Technology. York was the birth- 

 place of the Association in 183 1, but it was felt that so large a meeting as 

 the Centenary was expected (and proved) to be could not be conveniently 

 arranged there. The President and other officers and members made 

 pilgrimage to York during the week-end of the Centenary, and the meeting 

 in the following year was held there. 



