306 
SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
of these graduates joined the association, but not finding prac¬ 
tice sufficiently remunerative, nor the work suited to their 
liking, have failed to continue their memberships in good 
standing. Our records show that during the life of the asso¬ 
ciation we have received into membership 147 names, a little 
less than one-half of whom are members in good standing a 
the present time. During the past year the association lost one 
member by death. Dr. C. H. Whitwell, a ’96 graduate from 
the Chicago Veterinary College, practicing at Dubuque, died in 
November. Dr. Whitwell never attended one of our meetings, 
but his application for membership was accepted at our annual 
meeting, held January 13, 1897. With the number of veteri¬ 
narians now practicing in this State, and the increase that we 
may reasonably expect with the increase of business, the asso¬ 
ciation should experience a considerable growth m membership 
during the next few years. Possibly we may be able to offer 
o-reater inducements to veterinarians to join us. While we 
have long enjoyed the reputation of being one of the live or¬ 
ganizations of the kind, there is still room for improvement. 
There is not always that enthusiasm manifested by aL out 
members that insures success. Such has been ray experience 
while preparing our present programme. I think about twenty ol 
our members, when asked to prepare papers for this meeting 
refused for one cause or another. Our meetings should be 
made everything along the line of instruction, benefit and 
pleasure to the members and to the profession that it is possible 
to make them, and to make them what they should be, and to 
accomplish all that such an organization should accomplish, 
will require the united efforts of all the members. I am con¬ 
vinced that one of our needs is a programme committee. \\e 
have no executive committee. All the work that would natu¬ 
rally fall to the attention of such a committee has, in the past, 
o-enerally fallen upon the Secretary. The responsibilities of 
the Secretary have been too great either for the good ot the as¬ 
sociation or for the member who has had the position to nil. 
Few of our members realize what the duties and responsibihr 
ties of that office are. The expenditure of sufficient time and 
thought to do it all means a considerable sacrifice to one s own 
business—more than one can afford, and hence the association s 
interests are to a certain extent neglected. This committee 
might be known as an executive committee, or as a programme 
committee. It should be made responsible for all arrangements 
for the meetings— place of meeting, programme, etc. Its oil a 
