Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29

ception and it seems in my opin-
ion to have come from 'spontan-
eous combustion and here endeth
my chapter of the annals of our
dear old club"
The constitution signed be-
fore the first meeting was in
the handwriting of Bentley and
it has been the basic law of
this club, and of many others,
since its adoption in 1874. 1t
is as elastic as the constitution
of the United States in the
hands of the Supreme Court,
say its members, and much less
difficult to interpret.
1t says, in part, %. "A free in.
terchange of ideas upon agricul-
tural subjects will be expected
by all; and if any member is
making experiments which will
be likely to be useful or inter-
esting, we shall take especial care
to notice their progress and re-
suits.
"When the examinations are
completed we shall return to the
house and after taking tea, our
host for the evening will be ex-
pected to read US an original
agricultural essay of such length
and on such subject as he may
prefer, but it is recommended
that portion of the essay should
consist of a report on some ex-
pertinent in one or the other of
the departments of the farming
business, which we consider it in
cumbent upon every member to
make.
1--WE adopt for our government
no rules or regulations other than
those which should always pre-
vail in good society, with the
single exception that it shall be
both the privilege and duty of
each member to criticize freely
the arrangements that may come
under his examination. :"
Visitors Allowed
The host member may invite
visitors to attend Club meetings.
This privilege has been enjoyed
by such men as DR.. H. ]. Patter-
son, in the COS; Sen. MacKellar
and Sen. Caraway in the 1920's,
and William Tyler Page.
Rep. Gilpit Haugen appeared
at one meeting to discuss a bill
he sponsored for the relief of
farmers. He apologized for talk
ing so long, but said he had the
best time he ever had at a farm
ers' meeting.
William Henry Farquhar was
the clubs first secretary, and he
wrote almost every minute
through 1847. He was selected as
secretary pro tenn for so many
absent officers and was reelected
to the office so many times that
he noted in his minutes, "con-
demned to serve as secretary pro
tenn"
In the years that followed there
were many who filled the office
from two to five years. At last
in 1897 a rule was adopted by
which every member who did not
wish to serve as secretary, on
the first of January of each year,
should pay to the member who
would serve the sum of one dol
lar. After that, DR.. Mahlon Kirke
held the job until his death in
1911, and then John E. Muncaster
served in the post for more than
80 years.
Longtime Members
The II original members of the
club held their membership for
long time. George E. Brooke
died in 1905 at the age of SO.
He resigned his membership in
1891, but the resignation was re-
fused and he was asked to con-
tinue as a member and attend
when he could.
Brooke was one of seven Of the
original members who at an ad.
vanced age turned their farms
over to their sons and resigned
from the club. Henry C. Halo
well was not a founder, but he
and his son, Frank, who had
formed a second club along with
the other sons, had a joint club
meeting at Rocklan, and George
Brooke and his son Charles had
one at Brooke Grove.
The other old fellows, William
John Thomas, Robert r. Moore,
Richard T. Bentley, William H.
Farquhar and Caleb Stabler,
whose sons went into the other
clubs, seem to have had two club
meetings a year on their farms
for a while, and then resigned.
They were elected honorary
members and were asked to at
tend any and all meetings of the
club whenever they could.
Old.Timers Die
Mahlon Kirke died in 1860.
Henry Stabler resigned and was
reinstated after being out II