14 THE yA*U; DrUrB OcN BP Ure Lae ee 
Association. A total of 53 persons registered for the two meetings. Our 1953 
annual meeting was held jointly with the Tri-City Bird Club in the Moline- 
Rock Island-Davenport area April 18 and 19, in connection with the field 
trip mentioned above. The 1954 meeting was held May 8 in the Chicago 
Natural History Museum, with 84 members and guests at the dinner meet- 
ing. A field trip was held next day in the forest preserves with 50 observers 
tallying 88 species of birds. Our 1955 meeting was held May 14-15 in Prince- 
ton, where the I.A.S. went as guests of the Bureau Valley Audubon Club, 
with an all day outing on the second day in which observers counted 100 
bird species. More than 120 members and friends turned out for this meet- 
ing. The 1956 meeting was at Dixon, April 28-29, with the White Pines 
Bird Club our excellent hosts for the occasion. Registration for the meeting 
totaled 112 and dinner reservations 132. The field trip was marred by great 
quantities of rain, but we had fun and a hot picnic lunch at White Pines 
State Park. This year’s meeting at Rockford is discussed elsewhere in 
this issue. 
OTHER ACTIVITIES: The I.A.S. helps through membership dues or contribu- 
tions the work of several other conservation groups, including the National 
Audubon Society, the Wilderness Society, the National Parks Association, 
the Chicago Conservation Council, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the Inter- 
national Committee for Bird Preservation, and the Natural Resources Coun- 
cil of Illinois. (Mr. Mostek, then I.A.S. conservation vice-president, was the 
prime mover in organization of the last named group, which is working to 
coordinate conservation efforts within Illinois of such diverse groups as bird 
students, garden clubs, hunting and fishing groups, agricultural interests, 
and all others interested in the outdoors. Our Fourth Vice-President, Elton 
Fawks, is now chairman of the N.R.C.I.) 
The Society presents free to the public each year a series of five Audubon 
Screen Tours. These formerly were presented in the Chicago Academy of 
Sciences, where we could accommodate only about 300 persons. Since moy- 
ing to the Chicago Natural History Museum we have presented the pro- 
grams in Simpson Theater. Attendance some times has exceeded 1,000 per- 
sons, and has shown an increase over the years. This is one of our costliest 
ventures, but we believe it is one of our best in helping to acquaint others 
with the need for and value of conservation efforts. I.A.S. has purchased 
nature books for several school libraries, and for the two years just ended 
has sent free copies of The Audubon Bulletin to 100 public libraries through- 
out the state. In 1955 the I.A.S. shared the cost and the preparation task 
with the Illinois State Museum of producing and distributing “A Distribu- 
tional Check List of the Birds of Illinois,” authored by former I.A.S. Presi- 
dent Harry R. Smith and Paul W. Parmalee of the museum staff. 
FINANCES: In the fiscal year ended June, 1947, I.A.S. income from member- 
ship dues was $491. In 1950 it was $915; in 1954, $1,209; in 1956, $1,600. 
Investment income from endowment funds, made up principally of bequests 
by former members, rose from $502.50 in 1947 to $989 in 1956. Our 1947 
income from sale of books and other articles was $37.76. In 1956, including 
binocular sales, we took in $1,804.00, not all profit, of course. Expenses have 
