Secretary's Report. 
619 
Tuesday, December 28th. 
MORNING SESSION. 
The meeting was called to order at 9:10 a. m. by President C. Dwight 
Marsh. 
The minutes of the Twenty-seventh annual meeting were read and 
approved. 
The reports of the Secretary, Treasurer, and Librarian were read 
severally and adopted. The second was read by the Secretary in the 
Treasurer’s absence. 
The proposed amendment to the Constitution, as indicated in the 
following extract from the printed circular making the preliminary 
announcement of the meeting, was brought up for action: 
“The attention of members is called to the following amendment 
to the Constitution, upon which it is intended to vote at the coming 
meeting. The amendment consists in adding certain words, which are 
indicated here by italics. To amend the first sentence of Article VII 
so as to read: ‘The annual meeting of the Academy shall be held in 
Madison, between Christmas and New Year, or at such other place 
as the Council may designate .” 
Prof. Bfrge moved to amend further by adding after the word “desig¬ 
nate” the following clause: “but all regular meetings for the election 
of officers shall be held at Madison.” 
The amendment thus changed was passed. 
The President appointed Messrs. Ernest Bruncken, G. E. Culver, and 
E. R. Buckley an auditing committee on the report of the Treasurer. 
At 9:80 a. m. President Marsh reported on the work done in secur¬ 
ing the passage of the bill by the State legislature for the Geological 
and Natural History Survey of the State. Members of the legislature 
generally were favorable to the measure when it had been explained 
to them. Members of the Academy had responded readily when asked 
for service. Among those most marked in assistance rendered were 
Messrs. Chas. R. Van Hise and John G. Gregory, and special credit 
was due to Miss Harriet B. Merrill. Considerable help was given by 
outside persons also, especially by Mr. Alfred C. Clas in connection 
with building stones. A bill was passed finally appropriating $5,000 
for two years to carry on the survey. 
Director E. A. Birge followed with an account of the work in prog¬ 
ress on the survey. Three lines were pursued: scientific, economic, 
and educational. A hearty response had been received from others 
asked to co-operate in the work, although no compensation was of¬ 
fered except for expense actually incurred, especially from the mem¬ 
bers of the college faculties throughout the state. 
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