Evening star., 1895-06-01
THE GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
The Annual Business Meeting Gives Re
view of the Year.
There Are Over a Thousand Members
During the Past Season.

The National Gee graphic Society held its
last business meeting of the year at the
Cosmos Club last evening. Few were there,
but the meeting was an important and in
teresting enc. The reports Of the various
officers were especially gratifying to those
who havc tn, welfare of this large and
most useful society at heart. 1t was shown
that from a membership of 2O5 In 1883,
when the society was first organized, there
has been steady increase, until now there
are 1,103 members. And in the work done
equally important progress Is apparent.
There were eighteen lectures, for instance,
during the winter of 1880, and during the
past season there have been sixty-two. All
Of these lectures were greeted by immense
audiences, throngins the hall until even
standing room " IL exhausted.
Need of Large Hall.
For some of the lectures no auditorium
sufficiently large could be had. The series
or course of lectures styled "A Trip Across
the Continent" will doubtless be longest re-
membered in connection with the season Of
1S94-5. and it was remarkable concep-
ton. splendidly executed 1t embraced
seven meetings, with two lectures at each
meeting, all of the fourteen lectures being
finely illustrated, and the lecturers them
selves being persons Of national reputation.
Inc Held Qdy excursion tnlS year, VnlCQ
was devoted to a general study of the town
and battlefield of Fredericksburg, was one
of the most enjoyable known in the history
Of the society.
Election of Officers.
The election of officers happily resulted
in the reelection Of Mr.. Gardiner G. Hub
bard as president and of Lieut.. Everett
Hayden as recording secretary. To the IN
firing and wise efforts of these gentlemen
a large share of the success of the society,
especially in its lecture season, Is due
Their reelection Is the good fortune Of the
public.
The following vice presidents We're elect
ed: c. w. Dabney, jr., assistant secretary
Of agriculture; H. G. Ogden, coast and
Geodetic survey; Gen. A. w. Greely, chief
signal service; C. Hart Merriam, Agricul-
tural Department; w. w. Rockhill, assist
ant secretary of state and Henry Gannet,
chief topographer United States geological
survey; board Of managers. Marcus Baker,
United States geological survey; G. H.
Gilbert. chief geographer. United States
geological survey; John Hyde, statistical
expert, Agricultural Department.; Prof w.
ELL chief photographer. United States geo-
logical survey; Prof. w. B. Powell and
John X. Proctor; treasurer, c. ]. Bell; re-
cording secretary, Everett Hayden; cor
responding secretary. Miss E. r. Scidmore.
Prosperous Condition.
The reports of the treasurer. Mr.. c. J.
Bell, and secretary, Lieut. Everett Hay
den. showed the society to be in highly
prosperous conditlon-so much so. in fact,
that it is probable that the course Of spe-
cial popular lectures will hereafter be
held in Metzerott Hall. OF the present
members, 365 were elected during the past
year.
One Of the vice presidents, Mr.. w. W.
Rockhill, assistant secretary of state, is
n =hf6 tl l1nr fnr,c f, hat
for which he was awarded the gold medal
of the Royal Geographical Society. He has
been appointed by the State Department
delegate to the international geograph-
ical congress in London this summer, and
will cooperate with the delegation of the
National Geographic Society in a strong
effort that will be made to persuade the
congress to hold it's next meeting in this
clty-probably in 1885.
Likely to BE Held Here.
Letters were read in favor of this invi-
tation from the Acting Secretary of State.
the Commissioners of the District, the sec
retary of the Smithsonian and the presi-
dent of Johns Hopkins, and there is every
reason to believe that the next meeting of
this great congress will be held here. A
party is being formed to attend the Lon
don congress this summer July 26 to
August 81. to sail on the fast steamer Nor
MAMMA, July Is, and the secretary wishes
members who desire to join the party and
take advantage of the SPECIAL rates to in
form him at their earliest convenience.
The program for the meeting in London is
one of great interest. The society's delega-
ton consists of Mr.. Gardiner G. Hubbard,
president; VIM. T. Harris, Miss f. r.
Scidmore, Mr. Cyrus C. Adams, and Mr..
Crosby S. Noyes, and it is hoped that Gen.
John w. Foster. now in China, will attend
his way home. The larger the party
the more likely is the invitation to meet
here to receive favorable consideration, and
it is hoped that many more members will
go.
After acting upon pending amendments
to the bylaws and the transaction Of other
routine business the society adjourned