The Audubon Societies 



257 



No. of No. of 



State Classes Members 



Brought forward 67 1,363 



Massachusetts 91 1,617 



Michigan ^ 15 372 



Minnesota 4 89 



Missouri i 10 



New Hampshire 87 1,629 



New Jersey 411 8,910 



Ohio 130 2,092 



Pennsylvania 113 2,349 



Rhode Island 36 842 



Vermont i 12 



Wisconsin 4 80 



Totals 960 19,365 



The Florida Audubon Society 



Mr. and Mrs. L. F. Dommerich, the 

 founders of the Florida Audubon Society, 

 were both ardent lovers of nature. In 

 their tour through the state, in 1900, pre- 

 vious to selecting Maitland as their 

 winter home, they were forcibly struck 

 with the alarming decrease of bird life, 

 especially of the picturesque birds in 

 their native haunts. They noticed the 

 tourist gun doing its deadly work unmo- 

 lested from the decks of every steamer 

 that plied the winding waters of the 

 beautiful St. Johns River, robbing it of 

 much of its charm. The seriousness of 

 this matter was felt by them, and they 

 deemed it their duty in some way to arrest 

 the wanton destruction that sooner or 

 later must result in serious trouble to 

 those whose living depended on crops of 

 fruit, grain, or vegetables. Acting on 

 this thought, in March, 1900, a little 

 gathering of friends and those interested 

 in preserving to the state its native birds, 

 was asked to meet at their home in Mait- 

 land, to organize what should be known 

 as "The Florida Audubon Society," and 

 whose object it should be to disseminate 

 information respecting the economic value 

 of birds to agriculture, to discourage the 

 use of feather-wearing, except Ostrich, 

 to establish bird-day exercises in the 

 schools of the state, and to encourage the 

 introduction of bird study in the schools. 



The cause as stated met with the hearty 



approval of those present, and the society 



at once began its work. Its first presi- 



' dent was Bishop Whipple of Minnesota, 



and its secretary and treasurer Mrs. 

 L. F. Dommerich. The iirst year the 

 society met with a severe blow in the 

 death of its founder, Mrs. L. F. Dommer- 

 ich, whose untiring efforts had done so 

 much, not only in organizing, but in 

 introducing the society to the people of 

 Florida; discouragements had been confi- 

 dently expected, rebuffs were continually 

 met. At the first annual meeting, it was 

 found difficult to secure anyone to fill the 

 office left vacant by the death of Mrs. 

 Dommerich. It was therefore deemed 

 wisest to separate the office; Mrs. L. P. 

 Bronson accepted the position of trea- 

 surer, and Mrs. I. Vanderpool that of 

 secretary, which offices they still hold. 

 The third year, death again visited the 

 society, and the choosing of a president 

 to succeed Bishop Whipple became neces- 

 sary. Mr. L. F. Dommerich, whose efforts 

 for the welfare of the society had been 

 unceasing, was unanimously chosen as 

 president, which office he held till March, 

 191 2, when he felt obliged by failing 

 health and long enforced absence from 

 the state to resign. His resignation was 

 accepted with the utmost reluctance, and 

 Dr. William Fremont Blackman, presi- 

 dent of Rollins College, Winter Park, 

 who had been acting president for the 

 past year, was elected as president. The 

 name and versatile talent of this promi- 

 nent educator are so well known that it 

 is needless to say more. The society has 

 every cause for congratulation that Dr. 

 Blackman, with the many calls upon his 

 time from college^, schools, and clubs 

 could accept the presidency. Entering 

 into the work with the energy that is one 

 of his distinguishing characteristics, we 

 feel sure our society will make marked 

 progress and continue with greater 

 interest in the lines laid down by our 

 former president. We have now a large 

 membership. Enrolled on our books are 

 the names of the best people of our state. 

 We now confidently hope we have suc- 

 ceeded in overcoming many of the pre- 

 judices that met us in the first year of our 

 struggle. We annually send to schools, 

 libraries and individuals thousands of 



