I may, however, say briefly that when we took up the work of the Membership Committee in October a year ago, we found the roll contained about 545 members, of whom perhaps 100 were somewhat inactive, being remiss in their dues and not taking all the interest they might have taken in the affairs of our Society; so that substantially the active membership was about 450.
Inside of fourteen months we have brought the membership up to nearly 1,000, including many life members. We introduced them into our circle from all over the United States and even further, for they included members from such far distant points as the Hon. Thomas J. O’Brien, American Ambassador to Japan, and Richard Bradshaw of Fort Pickens, Florida. United States Senators, Congressmen, generals, bankers, merchants—the best men throughout the land have joined our ranks.
It required hard work; but, as the Treasurer-General has pointed out, we brought in about 400 members and nearly $2,000 in money at a cost of approximately $700, which, as a business venture, has the endorsement of a bank president, our Treasurer-General.
The great advantage of this increase is that, if we have 500 new members and they pay us $2,500 a year, while there is no further expense in connection with those members, they return each year an annual dividend of $2,500, which will readily equal the dividends paid by any good, working trust. So much for the genius of the race.
The work progresses splendidly. This morning’s receipts, for example, consisted of five names. I have just handed them to the Secretary-General in the form we always pursue, but it will give you an idea of the membership we get and the way they come in if I read them to you:
Mr. John P. Donohoe, a director of the Barclay-Westmoreland Trust Company of Greensburg, Pa.; Major George W. McNulty, a civil engineer and a man very highly regarded in constructive work in this city of New York; Mr. John J. Powers, cashier of the Exchange Bank of Savannah, Georgia, and President of the Knights of Columbus Investment company; John G. Butler of Savannah, Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st Infantry National Guard of Georgia, proposed by Colonel O’Leary, who is Colonel of the First Regiment of Infantry of Savannah; Mr. Butler is president of the J. G. Butler Supply Company, a director of the Citizens Trust Company, and Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus; Mr. Thomas M. Blake of this City, proposed by Mr. Danvers; and Mr. Desmond FitzGerald of Brookline, Mass., past President of the American Society of Civil Engineers and consulting Hydraulic Engineer.
The committee would urge that each one bring in at least one new member this year, so that we may have 2,000 members before the close of 1910.
I trust the work of the Membership Committee meets with your approbation.
Dr. Quinlan: The next order of business will be the report of the Constitutional Committee. I will ask Mr. O’Brien to report in behalf of that committee.
Mr. John E. O’Brien: Mr. President and Fellow Members, the committee appointed at the last annual meeting were called together shortly after their appointment and decided that it was important that the constitution should be amended in several matters. The present constitution is somewhat antiquated, and that applies equally to the by-laws because of changed conditions and changes in policy. For example, under the present by-laws the dues are only two or three dollars a year, whereas we have been charging five dollars; and the officers provided for are somewhat different than those that have been elected for years. The committee, therefore, have determined upon and beg to submit the following constitution. I hesitate to read this, Mr. President, because it is rather long.