The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-05-25
s 2.15S II

ceired membership
Ices Zee ioi A. 2oo2 so
2,15S II
The secretary, Mr.. John Garland Pol
lard. submitted his annual report
Mr.. Patteson moved that II be received.
and that the recommendation conunueu
therein, as to The obtaining Of charter
Doe adopted
The report is as follows:
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY.
The Richmond Lyceum begins the foufth
wear of its existence with more appilca-
TONS for membership than ever before.
The interest that this community mas
taken in the lyceum is best ailesteo ny
the fact that four months before the pc
ginning Of its annual lecture course there
are five hundred applications for member
shin and more than two thousand doi-
lars Maid into the treasury. 1t IS gTau-
fring not 10 say surprising, mat nearly
four hundred members should have lalu
their membership fee on TUESDAY, sisl
,iay the treasurers books were opened.
Il is a matter of regret, however, ihat
1hirtv-onc applications already mace
for membership will have to be rejected
on account Of the limited seating capacity
of the Academy of Music, which seems
TO be the only hall in the city available
for our purposes. The limit Of member
ship was reached without any effort or
the part of the Executive COMMITTEE.
who simply sent out circulars asking the
old members to renew their membership.
and after giving them ten days TO do
so, advertised for new members to take
The place of such OLD members az Should
drop out In twenty-four hours after
the announcement through the news
papers that new members were beng re-
cefyed The limit of membership was
,iir.,fi long ny mo-
ship made since that time were flied
only upon the condition that the appll-
cants be allowed to take the places OF any
members VINO failed TO pay their dues
promptly
The allotment Of reserved seats has
given the Executive Committee much
trouble. Many members do not seem
to understand the plan of allotment,
although it has been printed and sent
to each member at least five times within
the last two years. Last year many
complained that they did not get choice
seats. although they paid their dues i'm
rnediately upon request This Is ac-
counted for by the fact that about three
slundred and fifty members sent their dues
by he same mail, and il was impossible
TO decide between these members except
by lot, which was impartiaIy done, under
supervision of a committee appointed for
the purpose. a similar committee, con-
.sisting of DIR. Z. n. Calisch, Hon. S. S.
2. Patteson and Mr.. Leon Wallerstein,
performed the same dueies this year. It
as a great pity that all OF the members
cannot have the best seats, for which
fact your Executive Committee Is held
personally responsible. II is urged by
some that no seats be reserved, but the
committee are thoroughly convinced that
Ut is necessary TO have some incentive
for the prompt payment of dues, and they
believe that, but for this incentive. the
financial management OF the organization
would not have been so successful. IN
der the plan adopted by the committee
1t is well nigh impossible for the lvceum
TO become unable 10 meet lis obligations.
for we never make a contract unless
funds are in bank TO meet the same:
and iaasmuch as most of the contracts
have to be made in May or June. the
money is asked for long before the course
begins. We believe that ii will be i'm
possible, even with the aid of collector,
10 get in hand the requisite funds in due
tine unless this incentive is offered. II
IS true that under the plan q member
who pays his dues promptly may not gel
desirable seat, but 1t Is certain thai
IL he delays paying his dues he will get
an undesirable seat
MOST POPULAR LECTURERS
This year we again made an attempt
to ascertain the class of talent most
pleasing 10 our membership. a tircuia,
containing a list of the lecturers who
appeared last season was sent to each
member with the request that he indicate
the two lecturers who most pleased him
TWO hundred and sixty-four votes were
cast and the FIVE most popular lecturers
are here named in the order of theiI
popularity:
o'Ren, Stafford. Henson, Smith. DE
motts.
From this Il will be seen that no one
man was the first choice of the majorit,
OF the membership. The figures un
doubtedly indicate great diversity i,
taste. We are now making an eGor; Il
get the iyceums in the South 10 adopt 6
plan similar to ours fer ascertainins
popular taste, our purpose being to in
icrchange Information as 10 results. W.
hope thus 10 be guided ia obtaining onl,
the hes; talent
We also asked for further suggestion
from our membership. About half
dozen asked for change in the ola.
OF allotment of seats. and perhaps
dozen suggested that we have no preach
ers IN the course. One of the member
who was very emphatic in his vote I
exclude ali ministers from our platform
when he went to mark the two lee
,nrers that mnst pleased him, selects
the only two ministers in the course
s. unfortunate that some of the minister
who have appeared before us have ex
pressed their beliefs in a manne. dis
tasteful TO many in tho audience. Min
listers. however. form quite a large pro
portion OF the most popular lecturers npo'
ne platform. and II d difficult to max