ing plans so as to better meet some of 

 the acute problems that seem to lie 

 ahead." In line with this thinking, the 

 Board of Directors early in the year 

 authorized the appointment of a com- 

 mittee charged with the responsibility of 

 carefully examining the internal organ- 

 ization and operation of the Association 

 and its affiliates. This study has been 

 a major project during the year. Out- 

 side technical advice has been obtained 

 and a partial report presented to and 

 approved by the Board of Directors. This 

 study considered suggestions coming from 

 the county Farm Bureaus and should re- 

 sult in a program of broader service. 



The organization and activities of the 

 Association fall quite naturally into sev- 

 eral distinct headings. 



Organization 



One of the most important parts of 

 any successful membership association is 

 an active organization department. I 

 am happy to report that the Association 

 has, and will continue to have, an active, 

 aggressive membership acquisition and 

 maintenance program. I am sure that you 

 are all more than pleased that at the close 

 of the fiscal year the membership of the 

 Association had reached an all time high 

 of 130,825, which is an increase of 

 15,174 or 13.1% over the previous year. 

 This rapid advance is a tribute to the 

 sound program of service to farmers of- 

 fered by your organization. It is also 

 a tribute to the ability and loyalty of 

 our organization staff and especially to 

 the thousands of Farm Bureau members 

 who have served as volunteer workers. 



The Department of Sales Service has 

 been an integral part of our successful 

 organization program. During the year 

 we were unfortunate in losing the serv- 

 ices of the capable director of this de- 

 partment to a broader field of activity. 

 It "is hoped that this service may soon 

 be renewed. 



The problem of membership main- 

 tenance is fully as important as acquisi- 

 tion. It involves many problems of re- 

 lationship as well as the development of 

 new and expanded fields of service. To 

 the Field Secretary has fallen much of 

 the responsibility of promoting this pro- 

 gram. While there is no separate re- 

 port of the Field Secretary this year to 

 the convention, much of the credit for 

 the effective membership maintenance 

 program and the generally smooth func- 

 tioning of the organization during the 

 past year is attributable to his untiring 

 efforts. 



Treasurer's Department 



The Treasurer has already reported on 

 the financial condition of the Associa- 

 tion. I need only emphasize that the 



organization is in excellent financial con- 

 dition and continues to administer its 

 fiscal affairs in a conservative manner. 

 The duties and responsibilities falling 

 upon the Treasurer's Office have con- 

 tinued to multiply as our operations have 

 grown. We are now faced with the 

 practical necessity of relieving the Treas- 

 urer's Office of some of this congestion 

 and responsibility and have plans in the 

 making for that purpose. 



.Purchase of Building , 



One of the largest financial iander- 

 takings in the history of the Association 

 was authorized by the Board of Directors 

 and approved by the voting delegates 

 during the year just closed. A build- 

 ing to be used as a home for the Associa- 

 tion and its affiliated companies was pur- 

 chased. This step had been contem- 

 plated for a number of years and was 

 made increasingly necessary by the very 

 difficult rental situation in Chicago, to- 

 gether with the continued growth and 

 expanded needs of your organization. 

 We hope to be able to move most of 

 our offices into this new home within 

 the next few months. Farmers, in par- 

 ticular, appreciate the security and con- 

 venience of the ownership of a home, 

 if it can be accomplished without too 

 greatly increased costs of operation. 



Comptroller's Department 



The increase in the responsibilities of 

 the Comptroller parallels that of the 

 Treasurer. Here, too, we face the neces- 

 sity of and are planning improvements 

 in the organization of the Department 

 in line with the growth of the Associa- 

 tion. Proper internal auditing and bud- 

 get control are of primary importance to 

 the membership and to our associated 

 companies. Both the Treasurer's and the 

 Comptroller's office have handled a great- 

 ly increased volume of work in a very 

 creditable manner. 



Edwin R. Franklin (right) assistant treas- 

 urer of Rockford Life Insurance Company 

 receives check from lAA President Charles 

 B. Shuman in full payment for 13-story 

 building north of Chicago's Loop which is 

 to sorv* Of lAA'* home in the near future. 



Secretary 



Keeping abreast of the many corporate 

 requirements of our various organizations, 

 the keeping of proper records, and trans- 

 mitting the decisions of Boards of Direc- 

 tors into various channels for action are 

 some of the routine duties of the Secre- 

 tary. A new activity falling under his 

 super\'ision this year has been the man- 

 agement of the new building and the 

 development of plans for its occupancy. 

 We are trying to plan for maximum 

 efficiency in the layout and use of our 

 new quarters. 



One of the most serious problems of 

 the past year has been the difficulty of 

 maintaining an adequate staff of capable 

 office workers. With the end of the 

 war many of our experienced women em- 

 ployees chose to cease working in order 

 to establish their own homes. It has 

 been very hard to find replacements. 

 In order to help solve this problem, 

 we recently established a Personnel De- 

 partment with an experienced full time 

 director. His services are available to 

 all departments and associated companies. 



Legal Department 



An institution of our size having such 

 widely divergent activities and having so 

 many different corporate structures pre- 

 sents legal problems of no mean propor- 

 tions. Present needs, plus almost cer- 

 tain future expansion of activities, will 

 undoubtedly require an early enlarge- 

 ment of our legal staff. 



Farm Bureau Services 



Many of the departmental activities of 

 the Association hzve been directed to- 

 wards giving assistance to the county 

 Farm Bureau organizations with their 

 many local problems. During the year 

 these activities have been further broad- 

 ened and expanded. The Department 

 of Safety has been reactivated and the 

 Department of Research and Taxation 

 has been divided into a Department of 

 Research and a Department of Property 

 Taxation. A new Department of Road 

 Improvement is also now in operation. 

 These changes and expansions were made 

 necessary by great increases in the need 

 for study and action on local govern- 

 mental problems. .. ■; 



For several years there has been a 

 growing demand on the part of the 

 county organizations for the establish- 

 ment of a Department of Veterinary 

 Medical Relations. This department is 

 now a reality. I believe that with the 

 establishment of the new College of 

 Veterinary Medicine at the University of 

 Illinois, the Association can make a real 

 contribution to better understanding and 

 relationships in the whole field of ani- 



DECEMBER, 1946 



