MADRONO [Vol. 1, 



FOUNDING OF THE SOCIETY. 



THE first meeting was held at the Oakland Public Museum on 

 April 12, 1913, at 4 o'clock, to consider the advisability and 

 possibility of forming a Botanical Society for California. 



Dr. W. F. Bade was chosen as temporary chairman and Mrs. 

 D. W. de Veer as temporary secretary. The meeting having been 

 called at the instance of Dr. W. L. Jepson, he was asked by the 

 chair to state his views. 



A botanical society, said Dr. Jepson, ought to have two aims — 

 the promotion of botanical research, and the diffusion of accurate 

 botanical knowledge, in an accessible form, amongst the people. 

 Botany should not be the property of a small cult or a select few, 

 but it should be a science with a broad outlook in its relation to other 

 sciences and to the humanities. It should play its due part in the 

 progress of civilization in California. 



With any such end in view, botanical science, for its proper de- 

 velopment, must have the support of the people of California, and 

 with such support accorded, the people of California are entitled 

 to have at their command the best results of recent botany in a 

 form suited to their needs. 



The speaker felt that a society composed of both professional and 

 amateur botanists would best serve the interests of the State. The 

 interchange of ideas in such a society by people of diverse interests 

 would be valuable. Our station on the most traveled, round-the- 

 world route, would enable us to entertain many traveling botanists 

 and secure the benefit of their experience. 



Dr. Bade expressed the belief that inasmuch as the field for 

 botanical research in California is unique and quite wonderful, 

 there should be a large organization, and that from the nature of the 

 field, it would be found advisable to have various sections to investi- 

 gate various places of the plant life of the State. 



A temporary organization was thereupon effected. The follow- 

 ing provisional officers were elected: President, Dr. W. L. Jepson; 

 First Vice-President, Guy Smith ; Second Vice-President, Dr. W. F. 

 Bade; Secretary-Treasurer, Mrs. D. W. de Veer; Corresponding 

 Secretary, Miss Mary W. Tyrrell, and a meeting called for April 

 26th, in order that a larger number of persons might participate in 

 the organization. 



The following persons were present at the first meeting : Dr. W. 

 L. Jepson, Dr. W. F. Bade, Mr. Charles S. Greene, Mr. C. P. Wil- 

 comb, Miss Mary W. Tyrrell, Miss A. Gertrude Anthony, Miss 

 Henrietta Burroughs, Miss Ethel C. Ayer, Miss Mary A. Darby, 

 Miss Rowena Beans, Mrs. Calvert Meade, Mrs. Edward A. Kluegel, 

 Mrs. D. W. de Veer, Mr. V. L. Minehart, Mr. Guy Smith, Miss Inez 

 Deming, Mrs. J. G. Lemmon. 



