898  Pharmaceutical  Plant  Society.         { ^  Decemberi9'2'S: 
MEETINGS  OF  THE  SOCIETY. 
The  meetings  of  the  Society  are  held  in  the  Research  Department 
between  four  and  five  p.m.  on  any  Friday,  except  hoUdays,  when- 
ever sufficient  matters  are  in  the  hands  of  the  Chairman  to  warrant 
a  meeting.    These  meetings  are  called  by  the  Chairman. 
The  Company,  with  which  I  am  connected,  has  recognized  the 
mutual  advantages  to  be  derived  from  mem.bership  in  the  Society 
and  has  granted  permission  for  attendance  at  meetings  held  during 
working  hours. 
OFFICERS  OF  THE  SOCIETY. 
At  present  only  two  officers  are  required,  namely  a  Chairman 
and  a  Secretary.  The  Chairman  is  chosen  by  nomination  and  elec- 
tion at  a  regular  meeting  and  then  appoints  the  Secretary.  The 
Chairman  and  Secretary  hold  office  for  three  calender  months. 
As  a  rule,  the  Secretary  is  nominated  and  elected  as  Chairman 
to  succeed  his  retiring  Chairman.  The  present  arbitrary  plan  of 
choosing  a  Chairman  and  Secretary  is  based  upon  length  of  service 
with  the  Company,  so  that  each  member  has  the  privilege  of  becom- 
ing Secretary  and  then  Chairman  in  turn.  This  plan  is  not  abso- 
lutely rigid,  as  reservation- is  held  that  appointment  of  an  indesirable 
Secretary  is  not  obligatory.  However,  to  date,  this  plan  has  been 
followed  without  a  break  and  with- undoubted  satisfaction. 
The  duties  of  the  Chairman  consist  of  collecting  material  for 
meetings,  calling  meetings,  presiding  at  meetings,  and  appointing 
his  Secretary. 
The  duties  of  the  Secretary  are  to  assist  the  Chairman  in  every 
possible  way,  take  up  the  duties  of  the  Chairman,  when  the  Chair- 
man is  unable  to  functionate,  record  minutes  of  each  meeting  and 
read  at  each  meeting  the  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting. 
QUORUM  NECESSARY  FOR  HOLDING  MEETING. 
The  quorum  necessary  for  holding  a  meeting  was  adopted  as  being 
one  more  than  half  the  membership. 
It  might  be  well  to  note  here  that  at  no  time,  has  it  been  impossi- 
ble to  obtain  a  quorum,  when  a  meeting  was  called.  No  intimation 
of  coercion  is  exercised  to  secure  attendance  at  the  meetings.  The 
members  appreciate  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  attendance. 
Every  effort  is  made  to  make  the  meetings  interesting  and  in  order 
to  accomplish  this  purpose,  the  practical,  rather  than  the  theoretical, 
