DR. MacDANIELS: I have here the official gavel of The Northern Nut Growers Association, which was sent to me by Mildred Jones Langdoc, who unfortunately is not able to come to this meeting. She, of course, is our president. She expected to come until fairly recently but on her doctor's orders changed her plans and wrote to me a very short time ago asking me if I would preside at this meeting.
Does anyone present know the history of this gavel?
MR. GEORGE SLATE: It was presented to the Association by Mr. Littlepage, and was made from Indiana pecan wood.
DR. MacDANIELS: But anyway here it is, and we declare the Association in session.
This morning the meeting is quite brief. We will start the meeting with the report from the Secretary, Mr. McDaniel.
Secretary's Report
J. C. McDaniel
MR. J. C. McDANIEL: My report before the meeting will be very brief. It may be extended a little later for the publication.
The last count for this Association's membership made last week shows the Association has 575 paid members, plus 20 subscribers and one foreign exchange membership, totalling 596. There have been a few more members come in since then, so I might say we have in round figures about 600 members to date in 1950, a few less than last year.
I probably owe the members an explanation on the delay in the printing of the Fortieth Annual Report. That was finally taken up by the printing company and should be printed by now. It was ready to put on the press—in fact, some of it was on the press when I left Nashville two weeks ago, and we have every reason to believe that it will be ready for mailing in about another week. The Treasurer said he heard me say that six months ago. That's six months nearer to being the truth now.