l8o FIF.I.D MEKIINGS FOR 1914. 



record our sincere appreciation of the courteous and ever- 

 attentive services of our esteemed Secretary, Mr. Robson. 



I believe it is customary for a Field President at the con- 

 clusion of his year of office to offer in his report any suggestion 

 which he may consider useful for the general welfare of the 

 Field Section of the Society. In matters of programme, system, 

 or routine, I have nothing to add to what my predecessors in 

 office have already set forth ; but I think that the question of 

 membership, and the source from which we expect to recruit 

 new members is one that is worth some consideration. 



True naturalists do not compose a very large section of the 

 community, and one rarely discovers a " grown-up " who 

 makes an enthusiastic supporter of our Society, unless that 

 'grown-up" has, in his youth, been in some way associated 

 with the study of natural history. It seems to me, therefore, 

 that to ensure the success of our Society in the years to 

 come, we ought to offer some encouragement to the young 

 people of to-day, who in the natural course of things will 

 become the members of to-morrow. Let us invite them to our 

 Field Meetings occasionally, give them opportunity — 

 opportunity which might reveal qualities which in course of 

 time would develop to their own good, and fit them for useful 

 membership of our Society in the days to come. 



I ghould be very sorry indeed to introduce anything in the 

 way of an innovation which might disturb the more quiet 

 proceedings of the "grown-ups"; but I think it quite possible 

 to encourage the young folk a little without interfering with 

 the regular programme of the older members. For instance, 

 we might have one or two additional outdoor meetings in the 

 summer, say on Saturday afternoons, when it would be under- 

 stood that the young folk were especially welcome. These 

 could be held at short inexpensive distances, and I venture to 

 predict that not only would such meetings be of the greatest 

 value to juniors, but that they would give peculiar pleasure to 

 many of our older members, who, in turning awhile with the 

 young people to the simpler stages of nature study, would 

 revive many pleasant reminiscences of tlu-ir own youth. 



