Bird Clubs in America 



II. THE DELAWARE VALLEY CLUB 

 BY SAMUEL N. RHOADS 



IT has been an ever -increasing desire of the founders of the Delaware 

 Valley Ornithological Club to encourage bird study, not only in a 

 scientific, but in a popular sense, both for young and old. It is 

 therefore most gratifying that the editor of BlRD-LoRE offers us this 

 opportunity to preach the gospel of song and feathers to so large an 

 audience. Our sermon may well begin with the historic phase of the 

 " D. V. O. C," as we familiarly name ourselves. 



One day in December, 1889, a chance remark about birds in a Phila- 

 delphia architect's office caught the ear of a fellow -worker of kindred 

 spirit sketching in the same room. This touch of nature was an all- 

 sufficient introduction and the strangers soon were friends. This was 

 the spark that, kindled in a kindly environment, and glowing into flame, 

 has given zest and enthusiasm to the lives of so many during the past 

 decade. So far as the world of bird lovers was concerned this incident 

 might have resulted, as do most, in nothing more momentous than a 

 bird's-nesting jaunt or a few collecting trips; the result, shells and skins, 

 destined to moth and rust and house-cleaning wrath in the attic den. 

 But between J. Harris Reed* and William L. Baily such an avian fire 

 was burning as called for more fuel, and others soon yielded themselves to 

 the sacred flame. A few checkered postal cards with blank spaces and 

 bird's names did the rest, and order began to resolve out of the ornithic 

 chaos which had enveloped Philadelphia since the death of John Cassin. 



On the evening of January 22, 1890, William L. Baily, George S. 

 Morris, J. Harris Reed, Samuel N. Rhoads and Spencer Trotter met at 

 the home of Mr. Baily and decided to organize; this was done and a 

 constitution adopted February 3, of that year. Incidentally Mr. Reed 

 provided cake for the preliminary meeting, but it is significant of the 

 virility of the movement to note that the refreshment feature never 

 after appeared in the regular club meetings and even smoking was 

 prohibited for a few years. At the close of the February meeting the 

 organization had seven members; Witmer Stone and Charles Voelker 

 having meanwhile joined the movement. Baily was chosen president and 

 Rhoads secretary -treasurer. All the founders except Voelker and Stone 

 were members of the Society of Friends. 



Baily (architect) was a nephew and namesake of the author of one of 

 the first books intended to popularize the study of "Our Own Birds of the 

 United States." Morris (architect) had ornithological kinship with such 



*Reed first proposed organization. 



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