136 proceedings of the amherst meeting 



Session of Friday, December 30 



The Society met in general session Friday morning at 0.30 o'clock, 

 President Kemp presiding. 



VOTE OF THANKS 



A hearty vote of thanks was passed to President Meiklejohn and other 

 authorities of Amherst College and the student organizations for the 

 hospitality afforded to the Society in many ways, and to Prof. F. B. 

 Loomis for the perfection of the arrangements for the technical and busi- 

 ness sessions, the banquet, and the smoker, which had conduced to the 

 enjoyment of the most largely attended meeting in the history of the 

 Society. 



Response was made by Professor Emerson in a few well chosen words. 



REPORT OF THE COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON POLICY 



By direction of the Council, the chairman of its Committee on Policy 

 read to the Society the report which it had submitted, as follows: 



December 30, 1921. 

 To the Council of the Geological Society of America: 



The undersigned having been appointed a Committee on Policy on April 20. 

 1921, to consider certain matters brought to the attention of the Council 

 through letters signed by Ashley. Olapp, De Wolf, Fairchild. Marsters, Pratt. 

 David White, and Fuller, and having given these matters careful investiga- 

 tion, submit the following report of conclusions reached: 



1. AVe believe that the letters referred to. even though comprising criticism 

 and protest, are for the members of the Council and all other Fellows a proper 

 source of gratification, for they indicate a live and healthy interest in the 

 Society. 



2. We arc convinced that the requirements for Fellowship have not been 

 made more stringent or in any other noteworthy respect changed. Successive 

 Councils seem to have held to much the same standards, and we believe that 

 any committee of seventeen Fellows would, after study, follow the same gen- 

 ( ral course — maintain past and present standards unchanged. 



:). There seems to be general agreement among Fellows that a careful and 

 conservative attitude should be maintained in electing Fellows, and that past 

 standards can not be made more "generous** without lowering; that the Fel- 

 lowship should, so far as possible, consist of workers interested in geology and 

 capable and willing to contribute to the advance of the science. The meetings 

 of a large society which are diluted with non-contributing members tend to 

 become formal, devoid of stimulating discussion and profitable personal con- 

 tact. The Geological Society of America is and has been from its beginning, 

 in its ideal, a company of workers engaged in developing and fostering geo- 

 logic science, banded together for mutual encouragement, friendly criticism, 

 and intellectual stimulation. 



