Evening star., 1936-01-12
|BOARD OF TRADE
TO HONOR BELGIUM
Meeting to Be Devoted to
First Reciprocal Trade
Agreement.

Belgium will be honored at the
January meeting of the Washington
Board of Trade, which will be devoted
to recognition of the first reciprocal
trade agreement made between a Eu-
ropean nation and the United States.
The meeting will be held at the May
flower Hotel on the night Of Tuesday,
January 81, with the Belgian Ambas-
sador, the Belgian consul general at
Baltimore and representatives Of the
State and Commerce Departments as
guests of honor. Foreign affairs COM
mitteemen of the Senate and House
also will be present, along with officials
Of the United States Chamber Of
Commerce.
M.d-Year Meeting.
The mid-year meeting of the board
Of directors of the Board of Trade was
held iast week, when John Saul, presi-
dent, presented a report covering the
first half of his administration. At
the end of the calendar year. he said.
membership turnover totaled only
per cent, divided 3 per cent for de-
linquents and 4 per cent for deaths
and designations, Uotaling altogether
263 members. To Offset this approxi-
mately 300 new members were enlisted.
Saul compared this with a 25 per
cent delinquency for individual MEM
bers and u per cent for associate
members of the United States Cham
Der Of Commerce.
Judged by past membership trends.
Saul 2aid, and collections to date since
the beginning of the new calendar
year, the board has an income eXpec-
fancy Of about Is per cent over last
year. During that period, the board
managed to increase its investments
by approximately $4,000 and is now
wholly free of debt.
Working for Community Interest.
I'VE must keep in mind the fact"
he said, that this organization is not
a profit-making institution; that if it
is to justify its purpose of existing
for the promotion and protection Of
the welfare of the District of Colum-
bia and its citizens it must at all
times keep itself in position to render
service, to supply adequate personnel
to carry out the functions for which
1t exists, and to see that 1t Is in a
position to render every reasonable
support to its members, working In
the interests of the community; sec
ond, t must maintain its dignity and
position as the outstanding organiza-
ton representing the leading thought
of the business. professional and
civic life of the Nations Capital, and
as an institution which is increasingly
growing in esteem and Importance,
both in the eyes of our local citizens
and officials and similar organiza-
tions and leaders of Importance
throughout the Nation"
During the past week the officers,
advisory council and committee chair
men conferred at the Mayflower to Coz
ordinate the boards contemplated ef-
forts before the present session OF
Congress, reviewing the work already
accomplished and preparing to pre-
sent a united front with weu-laid
plans.
$50 Meetings Held.
In the first half Of the year, Presi-
dent Saul pointed out, 1l0 committees
and subcommittee have been tunc-
tioning, and, while there was long
Summer halt in the major activities
of the organization, $50 separate meet
ings have been held by the various
groups since the resumption Of active
work at the beginning of the Fall and
Winter season.
Saul also pointed out that the
morale of the membership has i'm
proved under the system Of having
the individual members themselves
select one or more committees on
which they prefer to serve. In this
way many members have been brought
into active board work who in the past
confined their activities to attendance
at monthly MEETINGS of the board as
whole
In this way as many as IS members
have attended single committee meet
ings.