Thirteenth Meeting. 21st December, 1876.
R. Gillies, President, in the chair.
New Members.—G. Grant, T. W. Whitson, J. R. Sinclair, J. O'Meagher.
"State Forestry: its Aim and Object," by Captain Campbell Walker. (Transactions, p. 187.)
Annual General Meeting. 16th February, 1877.
R. Gillies, President, in the chair.
New Members.—G. Stevenson, G. Joachim, Dr. D. Blair.
ABSTRACT OF REPORT AND BALANCE-SHEET.
During the past year 13 meetings have been held, at which three lectures and 31 papers have been read by 14 different members, 13 of whom are resident in Otago.
Since the last annual meeting 33 new members have joined us, and 28 have retired, thus bringing our numbers up to 231.
During the past year 45 volumes have been added to the library, in addition to the scientific periodicals.
In order to excite a greater interest in the Institute, the experiment was made last year of alternating popular evenings with our scientific meetings, and the result was highly satisfactory. Arrangements are being made for giving six popular evenings, one a month, during the coming session.
The balance-sheet showed: Receipts (including balance from last year, £24 19s. 6d.), £263 6s. 6d.; expenditure, £230 16s. 6d.; balance to carry forward, £32 10s. 2d.
Election of Officers for 1877.—President—The Right Rev. Bishop Nevill; Vice-presidents—R. Gillies, W. N. Blair; Council—Dr. M. Coughtrey, H. Skey, J. S. Webb, G. M. Thomson, P. Thomson, D. Petrie, Dr. Hocken; Auditor—A. D. Lubecki; Hon. Sec. and Hon. Treasurer—Professor Hutton.
The retiring President then delivered the following
ADDRESS.
After reviewing the work of the past session, and referring to the popular meetings held during the year, Mr. Gillies went on to say:—
I may mention now that it is our intention, at the beginning of the session we are now entering upon, to compile a programme for the popular meetings of the year, embracing a variety of interesting and instructive subjects, and to endeavour to get those most competent to undertake their elucidation. Several of the Professors have already signified their willingness to take part in these meetings. In this way we hope to make our Institute more educational in its character, and, judging by the crowded audiences with which we were favoured in the year that is past, we feel sure that there is in Dunedin sufficient mental vigour to appreciate and support such endeavours, and that we will only be supplying a felt want in our midst.
