NELSON INSTITUTE.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13728, 17 March 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

NELSON INSTITUTE.

ANNUAL MEETING

(From "The Colonist,'- Feb. 53.)

The annual meeting of the Nelson Institute was held last evening. The President (Mr F. G. Gibbs), occupied the chair, and there was a fair attendance of members. In the unavaoidable absence of the honorary secretary (Mr W. F. Worley) the president read the annual report and statement of accounts. The report was as follows:— "Your committee' has pleasure in presenting its annual report (the 72nd) for the year ended December 31st, 1914. The membership at the close of the year was 270, the number of members having varied very little during the past eighteen months. Your committee has been careful not to let the expenditure exceed the revenue, and a small credit balance is shown in the statement of accounts. Were the membership larger, *■ an increased amount could be spent on books and periodicals. During the past year over 300 new books have been added to the library, and some of the more popular periodicals have been duplicated. Both the Library and the Reading Room have been much frequented by the general public, as well as by subscribers, and the museum continues to afford pleasure and instruction to large numbers of visitors. The additional new cases, kindly promised by Mr Cawthron, to which reference was made in the last annual report, have been completed, and add greatly to the attractive appearance of the upstair rooms. Our fine min'.3ra'iO.j;ical collection has now been unpacked, and is displayed in the old museum room on the ground floor. Many complaints have been received from time to time with regard to the ack of ventilation in the Library during the warm summer weather. Your committee is glad to report that the siei.s recently taken to rectify this state of tilings have proved quite efficacious. The Scientific and Literary branch held a number of interesting meetings during the winter months, but particulans of these will be given in the branch's separate annual report. A Chess Club, formed by members of the Institute, also hold a successful session. The statement of accounts for the year showed that the receipts had been £529 3s 3d, and the expenditure a little less than this amount, leaving a small credit balance. In moving the adoption of the report, the president said that the past year had been quite satisfactory. The membership had been well maintained during the year, but at present there was a slight falling-off, no doubt largely due to the war, but he did not anticipate that the effect would be permanent. It was not the object of the Institute to build up a reserve, and increased subscriptions simply meant the purchase of more books. He suggested that members should canvass among their friends, as they would be the gainers thereby. The motion was seconded by Mr F. A. Thompson. Cr. Webley expressed, on behalf of the City Council, his appreciation of the able manner in which the business of the Institute was conducted. He made special reference to _ the good work done by the president and Messrs Worley, Knapp and Wise. The mo Lion was carried. The president stated that eight persons only, the required number, had been nominated for the committee, and Le declared them elected as iollows : —Mrs C P. Graham, Messrs F. G. Gibbs, F. V. Knapp, H. P. Washbourn, A. J. Redgrave, G. 11. Wise, W. F. Worley and T. A. 11. FM<\ M.P. Mr Gibbs explained that the City Council also appointed four members on the committee. The president expressed his high appreciation of the work done by the officials of the Institute, and hearty votes of thanks were accorded the librarian (Miss Reeves), the honorary secretary (Mr Worley), Mr Morley (for his work in connection with the Atkinson Observatory), the local new spapers (for publishing lists of books and providing free copies for file purposes), the outside newspapers, donors of exhibits to the museum, and theauditors (Messrs F. St John and F. A. Bamford), who wore subsequently reelected. Mr Wise mentioned that the Library now contained some" very valuable books on farming subjects, which should be an inducement for farmers to join the Institute. The meeting then terminated. At a committee meeting held subsequently, the retiring officers wove re-elected, including Mr F. G. Gibbs as president, Mr T. A. H. Field, M.V.. as vice-president, and Mr W. F. Worley as secretary and treasurer. SCIENTIFIC BTfANCTI. (From "The Colonist,'' M:;rch IS.) The annual meeting, of the Scientific and Literary Branch of ;1 !^ XeU-nn Institute was field at the Insriiuto last night., when .Mr. T. A. IT j-'iel.i, M.1., the retiring president,, occupied tho chair. Mr. F. V. Knapp,. the re: in;;:.; wcrotary, read the' iwmunl report, 1..-, i";; Unit for the year ended M;mt!i .T!s:t, 1915, as follows:—"AH the .noi'tr-...----held during last year were e^ni'med u> members of ihe branch, and the vanr.vi;papers read proved both iiiici'csiii:^ and instructive. Early in the year, i.)r Dyson, the Astronomer-Royal of F.ngland, intimated hisiiTtontici of \ isiting Nelson after the conclusion of the meeting of the British Association ;u Australia, in connection.'with the establishment of the CnwHiron Observatory, and arr.anceraents were- ht'h\<.>: made for hia to deJn-yr jft public lecture, but the great war in Europe "'woke out. and the doctor was recalled to London. The first meeting of the session was held in May, when Mr. V. G. Gibbs read a most interesting paper <>:>. the subject of the Cawthron Observatory, detailing wlk.it. had been done to fix upon the most suitable site, and ;dsp giving an account of the- methods of observation, with parh'cv;liirs regardin the equipment of a folar observatory. -H the June and July mooting Mr". W. F. Worlov dealt with the Government Bulletin on tho Dun Mountain district, nnd compared that report with former ones on the locality, pointing out what he considered after years of as »wrong conclusions made by the writer. Useful discussions ; foiloTved, bringing out much information rewarding tho geology of this district. Then, owing to public interest becoming absorbed in the war crisis, only one more meeting was held—that of the first week in November. lh/s was a 'Miscellaneous Kvoning.' A paper was read by Mr. F. V. Knapp dealing with the subject of »«ellbreaking Implements of the Maoris, and a ruimhrr of specimens "were exhibited, their uses beino.,. explained. Mr L Morlev showed an ingeniously norked-out model illustrating the relation of the oi bit of the Recent comet to tho orbit of the parth. Mr. Whitwell cave an account of various rusts observed by him in this district, ami at the request of members he.has promisi ed to deal further with this snpject at ■ * future meeting.'The last, contribution » was by Mr. H.* P. Washbourn, regard-: ; in" his investigations into the habits r of "New Zealand eels and his theory as to their breeding habits. The Atkin-

son Observatory has been regularly, opened during the year when ■■weather conditions were favourable, and the thanks of the Institute, are due to Mr. Morlev, who has again kindly acted as custodian." The statement of accounts showed a credit balance. Both the report and the balancesheet were adopted. The election of offiwrs for the ensuing year resulted as follows: —President' Mr. F. V. Knapp; committee, Messrs. T. A. H. Field, F. G. Gibbs, H. P. Washbourn, Strachan, Lancaster, W. Short, jun., Worlev and Wise; secretary and treasurer, Mr. L. Morley. Mr. Whitwell exhibited a peculiar fish which had been washed up at the Glen, and also leaves showing tho work of the leaf miner in mangolds. The first meeting of the ensuing session is expected to be held in April, iwhen Mr. Knapp will read a paper on "The Maori, Implements in the Museum." |