37 
MEETING OF THE DELEGATES OF THE 
CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES OF THE BRITISH 
ASSOCIATION AT HAVRE, 1914. 
Report by the Essex Field Club’s Delegate, 
Mr. Wilfred Mark Webb, F.L.S. 
M EMBERS of the British Association who went to 
France were most kindly received by the French Asso¬ 
ciation and by the town of Havre. In fact, a special 
compliment was paid to them, as the meeting was everywhere 
announced as being a joint one of the English and French Asso¬ 
ciations, although those who came from the British Isles were 
really only visitors. The proceedings were carried on much 
on the same lines as those of the British Association, though the 
number of sections was greater, and that of number of members, 
attending each, smaller. 
“ The Conference of Delegates met on Tuesday, 28th July, 
and twelve affiliated and five associated societies were repre¬ 
sented. The object of holding the meeting in France was to 
demonstrate how the Conference of Delegates worked, and 
therefore the Chairman’s address dealt with the history of the 
endeavour to co-ordinate the work of local Scientific Societies 
in Great Britain. 
“ In the absence of the Chairman, Sir H. G. Fordham, his 
address was read bv the Vice-Chairman, Sir Edward Brabrook. 
A greater part of the paper is mainly a record of facts, to which 
reference may be made in the printed report of the Corresponding 
Societies Committee. It may be well, however, to mention that 
Sir George Fordham endorsed the opinion of the Chairman of 
iQO-j , that the labours of the Conferences of Delegates had 
scarcely been commensurable with the expectations of those who 
instituted the meetings, or with the possibilities of the situation. 
Sir George Fordham thought that the weakness of the secretarial 
staff of the local societies had apparently been the difficulty in 
the way of success. This opinion gave rise to some discussion. 
Dr. Garson thought that honorary work was badly done, and 
that the duties which secretaries of societies were called upon 
to carry out should be divided. Mr. T. Sheppard did not agree 
that honorary secretaries were usually bad secretaries. He knew 
of several, both paid and honorary, and his experience was 
