# Journal of American Folk-Lore/Volume 12/Issue 47/Local Meetings and Other Notices

LOCAL MEETINGS AND OTHER NOTICES.
Eleventh Annual Meeting of the American Folk-Lore Society.—The Annual Meeting for 1899 will be held in New Haven, at Yale University, Thursday and Friday, December 28 and 29. The Society will meet for the transaction of business on Thursday morning. The business meeting will be followed by an address of the President, and by reading of papers. On Friday the Society will meet jointly with Section H (Anthropology) of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Papers will be read in morning and afternoon sessions.
At the same time (December 27–29) will meet in New Haven the affiliated societies, including the Society of Naturalists, the American Psychological Association, the American Physiological Society, also the American Archaeological Institute. The Psychological Laboratory will be open at all times as a central meeting-place for the anthropologists and psychologists, with such arrangements for comfort and sociability as can be devised. In order to obtain the advantage of reduced fares it will be necessary to procure a certificate at the office where the ticket is purchased.
Members intending to present papers will please give notice to the Permanent Secretary, W. W. Newell, Cambridge, Mass.
Baltimore.—The Baltimore Folk-Lore Society, being desirous to promote the collection of folk-lore in Maryland, has offered prizes (1) for the largest collection of negro folk-lore; (2) for the largest collection of anything coming under the general head of folk-lore. The competition is to close on January 1, 1900. All the material must be found within the State. The Society further offers prizes of books, intended especially for teachers: "1. For the largest general collection of superstitions, of every kind and variety, to be found in Maryland. 2. For the largest collection of singing-games and counting-out rhymes; as, 'King William was King James' Son,' and 'Eeney, meeny, miny, moe,' and the like. 3. For the largest and best collection and account of charms, mascots, amulets, and luck-bringers. 4. For the largest collection of harvest customs and crop superstitions. 5. For the largest collection of manners and customs, and the observance of certain times and seasons in the State. 6. For the largest and best collection of witch tales and superstitions, hoodoo customs and practices. 7. For the largest collection of superstitions or sayings in regard to fish and fishermen. 8. For the largest collection of tales, legends, or superstitions connected with birds and animals. 9. For the largest collection of strange happenings or superstitions connected with old Maryland families. 10. For the largest and best collection of what is known as 'sign language.' This is to be found in all walks and stations of life. The child uses it when he crosses his heart to indicate that he is telling the truth, or puts his hand over his left shoulder to indicate that he is not telling 'the whole truth and nothing but the truth.' Our electric cars furnish instances of the ​use of sign language,—the raising of the fingers, one, two, or three, to denote the number of tickets wanted when a transfer is to be made the raising of the hand and pointing forward, to tell the conductor to stop at the next corner."
The following topics are given as to be discussed at the monthly meeting 1899-1900: October meeting, Harvest customs and crop superstitions; November meeting, Personal superstitions respecting families and individuals; December meeting. Games, rhymes, and riddles; January meeting. Cross-roads, running water, and holy wells; February meeting, Sailors; and soldiers' superstitions; March meeting, Easter superstitions; April meeting, Maryland day. Aside from this, it is proposed to take up certain studies in "groups" or committees; and it is hoped that every member of the Society will join one of these groups, and notify the secretary of his or her desire to do so. The group subjects already planned for are as follows: "Sign language amongst all peoples and through all time;" "Folk-lore of animals;" "The evil eye" Other "group subjects" may be added at any time.
The officers of the Society for the year are as follows: President, Professor Henry Wood. Vice-President, Mrs. John C. Wrenshall. Secretary, Miss Anne Weston Whitney. Treasurer, Dr. Henry M. Hurd. Members of the Council, Mrs. Waller R. Bullock, Mrs. John D. Early, Miss Mary Willis Minor, Prof. Maurice Bloomfield, Prof. Kirby F. Smith, Dr. Charles C. Marden, Miss Mary Worthington Milnor.
Cincinnati.—The programme for the year 1S99-1900 is as follows, the general subject being "The Folk-lore of Different Nations:" November 8. "Mexico," paper by Prof. P. F. Walker; December 13, "Japan," Mrs. Etsu Sugimoto; January 10, open meeting at the Woman's Club, "The Relation between Indian Story and Song." Miss Alice C. Fletcher; February 7. "Sweden." Josua Lindahl, Ph. D.; March 14, "Islands of the Pacific," Miss Florence Wilson: April 11. "Africa."' Mrs. A. C. Woods.
Books especially recommended for 1899-1900 are: Journal and Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society: The American Anthropologist; Brinton: Races and Peoples, new edition; Ratzel: the History of Mankind; Quatrefages: Histoire géneralé des races humaines; Spencer: The Principles of Sociology.
The officers of the Branch for the year 1899-1900 are as follows: President, Charles L. Edwards. Ph. D. First Vice-President, J. D. Buck, M. D. Second Vice-President, V. A. King. Secretary, Mrs. C F. Hopkins Treasurer, Mrs. A. P. McLeod. Advisory Committee, Miss Annie Laws, C. D. Crank. M. D., Mrs. A. C. Woods, Miss Field.
The Branch reports thirty-one active and twenty-five associate members.
International Congress of Folk-Lorists. Exposition of 1900.— An international congress of folk-lorists, and of all scientific students of popular traditions, is to be held under the patronage of the French government in the series of official congresses of the Exposition of 1900. The ​date of opening has been fixed at the 10th of September, 1900, immediately following the kindred congresses of prehistoric anthropology and archæology and history of religions, and preceding that of the Americanists. This arrangement will allow of members wishing to take part in all these congresses to do so without too great waste of time.
The honorary president of the committee of organization is M. Gaston Paris, of the French Academy. The acting president is M. Charles Beauquier, president of the French Folk-Lore Society; and the secretary-general is M. Paul Sébillot, the well-known writer on folk-lore, and editor of the "Revue des Traditions Populaires."
It is desired that the preparation of the work of the congress should be begun as soon as possible, as it consists largely in the gathering of documents. For this purpose, a general programme of questions to be submitted to the congress has been outlined. Since the first congress in 1889, masses of new material have been collected, especially in Central Africa, and in various other savage or uncivilized countries. Much still remains to be done, and certain points of scientific folk-lore have scarcely been touched. Still it is already time to try to gather together and compare these materials of various origin, and to draw from them general conclusions. The idea of the organizing committee is that the congress should devote itself rather to synthetic and comparative work than to analytic and documentary investigation. It is to such general studies, or to those which have an international character, that the full sessions will be given. The special meetings will be divided between two sections:—
I. ORAL LITERATURE AND POPULAR ART.
(a) Origin, evolution, and transmission of tales and legends. Exposition and discussion of the various systems which are now advocated.
(b) Origin, evolution, and transmission of popular songs, both from the point of view of poetry and that of music. Reciprocal influence of learned poetry and music, and popular poetry and music. The popular theatre: its relations, ancient and modern, with the literary theatre.
(c) Origin and evolution of traditional iconography (pictures, sculpture, etc.): its relations with classical art; mutual borrowing.
(d) Origin and evolution of popular costume. Investigation, in monuments and documents, of the parts of costume which have been preserved more or less completely up to our own day. Origin and evolution of jewels and ornaments.
II. TRADITIONAL ETHNOGRAPHY.
(a) Survival of customs connected with birth, marriage, death (marriage by capture, "bundling," funeral offerings, etc.).
(b) Survival of animal worship in the customs of modern peoples. Survival of the worship of stones, trees, and fountains.
(c) Traces of ancient local cults in the devotions to saints. Popular hagiography (rites and traditions).
(d) Popular medicine and magic, (amulets, rites for preservation, laying spells, fascination and the evil eye, etc.).
​General survey of the folk-lorist movement from 1889 to 1900.
French will be the official language of the congress. Communications may be made in English, German, Italian, and Latin, but they must be accompanied by a résumé in French. They should be in the hands of the Secretary-General before the first of July, 1900. The length of such communications is restricted to a quarter of an hour's reading. No tale will be read at the general sessions, but those which have universal interest may be printed in the report.
Membership subscription is fixed at twelve francs. Members receive the printed reports of the sessions of the congress, and any other publications which may be issued.
The address of the Secretary-General is M. Paul Sébillot, 80 Boulevard Saint-Marcel, Paris.
The Twelfth International Congress of Orientalists.—This congress is to be held at Rome, October 12, 1899, under the presidency of Count Angelo de Gubernatis. Among the twelve sections into which it will be divided, may be here noted the third, "Comparative history of the Oriental religions, comparative mythology and folk-lore," and the twelfth, "The languages, people, and civilization of America." Cards of membership entitle the holder not only to the publications of the congress, but also to a reduction of fares, amounting to one half, for all railroads in Italy, and for the railroads in France communicating with them. Americans may secure cards by sending the amount of the subscription ($4.00) to Mr. Cyrus Adler, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C.
Note.—It may here be allowed to deprecate the use of the expression, now somewhat out of date, "comparative folk-lore."—Editor of the Journal of American Folk-Lore.
Congress on Basque Studies.—Among the congresses of the Exposition of 1900 is one to be organized by the "Société d'Etudes Basques." The organizing committee appeals for support to all "basques and bascophils," to historians, philologists, ethnographers, and folk-lorists. The work laid out for the congress includes investigation of customs and of Basque music. The subscription is ten francs. The Secretary is M. d'Abartiagus, Osses, Basses-Pyrenées, France.