756 REPORT OF THE AUTUMN MEETING 
The following amendment to the constitution reported from the Council 
and returned to the Academy from the Committee of the Whole with favor- 
able recommendation was adopted: 
That the Academy shall hold one stated meeting, called the Annual Meeting, in April of 
each year in the city of Washington, and another stated meeting, called the Autumn Meet- 
ing, at a place to be determined by the Council. The Council shall also have power to fix 
the date of each meeting. 
The following rule recommended by the Council from the Annual Meeting 
(April, 1917) was adopted: 
The annual meeting of the Academy shall begin on the fourth Monday of April. 
The Committee of the Whole, upon recommendation of the Council, con- 
sidered the following amendment to the constitution and reported it for fav- 
orable action by the Academy at the annual meeting in 1918: 
That the constitution be amended by substituting in Article II, Section 1, line 3 (Report, 
1916) the word four for the word six so that it will read . . . for a term of four years 
. . . to take effect on the expiration of the term of ofi&ce of the present incumbents or in 
case of a vacancy. 
Article II, Section 1, when amended to read: Section 1. The officers of the Academy shall 
be a president, a vice president, a foreign secretary, a home secretary, and a treasurer, all of 
whom shall be elected for a term of four years (line 3 in Report, 1916) by a majority of votes 
present, at the first stated meeting after the expiration of the current terms, provided that 
existing officers retain their places until their suqcessors are elected. In case of a va- 
cancy, the election iorfour years shall be held in the same manner at the meeting when such 
vacancy occurs, or at the next stated meeting thereafter, as the Academy may direct. A 
vacancy in the office of treasurer or home secretary may, however, be filled by appointment 
of the president of the Academy until the next stated meeting of the Academy. 
The following motion relating to the administration of the Watson Fund 
adopted at the Business Session of April 16, 1917, which was found to conflict 
with a clause in the will of James Craig Watson, was rescinded : 
That the trustees of the Watson Fund be authorized to act for the Academy in the approval 
of grants and to report such action to the Academy at the next stated meeting. 
Under business from the Council a statement of the financial condition of 
the Proceedings was laid before the Academy in considerable detail. To 
meet the anticipated deficit of $5000 in the conduct of the Proceedings to 
July 1, 1918, Mr. Pupin announced that three members of the Academy had 
agreed to be fiesponsible for one half of thi^ sum. The Chairman of the Fi- 
nance Committer, Mr. Davenport, reported that his commitee had raised 
$1100 for the same purpose. After discussion by the President, the Chairman 
of the Editorial Board, and Messrs. Hale, Meltzer, John M. Clarke and the 
Home Secretary, it appeared to be the sense of the meeting that further finan- 
cial arrangements be left in the hands of the Finance Committee. 
The Academy further considered securing additional subscriptions for the 
Proceedings and upon the recommendation of the Council adopted the fol- 
lowing resolu tion : 
