July 15, 1921] 



SCIENCE 



45 



MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COM- 

 MITTEE OF SIGMA XI 



The executive committee of the Sigma XI 

 Society held its annual spring meeting in 

 New York on May 21. 



Careful consideration was given to requests 

 for chapters from a considerable number of 

 institutions and arrangements made in indi- 

 vidual cases to recommend the granting of 

 certain charters by the Convention to be held 

 next winter. In other cases petitions were 

 laid over without prejudice for further infor- 

 mation and future action. 



It was reported that the National Research 

 Council had voted to recognize Sigma Xi by 

 appointing the president as an ex-officio mem- 

 ber of the executive board. 



The invitation from the Royal Canadian In- 

 stitute to hold the mid-winter convention in 

 Toronto was accepted and the date fixed for 

 "Wednesday, December 28. The convention 

 will be held in the afternoon and the dinner 

 in the evening of that day. 



The report of the fellowship committee 

 showed sufficient funds already at hand to 

 assure the success of the plan and it was voted 

 to establish one or more Sigma XI fellow- 

 ships for the year beginning September, 1921. 

 The Ph.D. degree or its equivalent was de- 

 cided upon as a prerequisite for appointment, 

 and a sub-committee consisting of Professor 

 Edward EUery (Union College) and Professor 

 F. K. Richtmyer (Cornell University) was 

 appointed with authority to fix the stipend 

 and to recommend appointments as well as 

 the precise terms under which the fellowships 

 will be maintained. In view of the fact that 

 provisions had already been made under di- 

 rection of the National Research Council for 

 fellowships in physics and chemistry during 

 the next five years it was voted that, at least 

 for next year, Sigma XI will give preference 

 to other sciences in making the awards of its 

 fellowships. 



The membership committee recommended 

 certain changes in order to make possible a 

 wider enlistment of the membership in the 

 work of the society. The preliminary plan 

 includes the division of the organization into 



members and associates, with the recognition 

 of two groups distinguished on a functional 

 basis, viz: chapter members and associates 

 and general members and associates. The 

 chapter functions will remain unchanged, 

 whereas the members and associates in the 

 general group will participate in the advance- 

 ment of research through the national con- 

 vention, the fellowship movement, confer- 

 ences at scientific meetings, Sigma Xi clubs 

 and such other activities as do not infringe 

 on the rights and privileges of the active 

 chapters. It seemed advisable that the general 

 group should have at least one representative 

 on the executive committee, the representatioQ 

 from the active chapters being then four elec- 

 tive members on that committee. This sub- 

 ject will be more definitely formulated for 

 discussion at the coming convention. 



Several minor constitutional amendments 

 were discussed and formulated for presen- 

 tation through the chapters in the customary 

 manner. 



Henry B. Ward, 



Secretary 



BERKELEY MEETING OF THE PACIFIC 

 DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN AS- 

 SOCIATION FOR THE AD- 

 ADVANCEMENT OF 

 SCIENCE 



The fifth annual meeting of the Pacific Di- 

 vision of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science will be held from Au- 

 gust 4 to 6 at Berkeley, California, in quar- 

 ters provided by the University of California. 

 Previous meetings in the order named have 

 been held at San Diego, Stanford University, 

 Pasadena and Seattle. The location at Ber- 

 keley will insure a large attendance, as many 

 members of the Pacific Division are resident 

 in the San Francisco Bay region. 



Fourteen affiliated societies whose announce- 

 ments follow will participate in the Berkeley 

 meeting. 



GENERAL SESSIONS 



Features of the general sessions in which 

 the membership of the Pacific Division and 

 affiliated societies will unite are set forth in 



