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THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
Ordinary and Annual General Meeting, Saturday, January 26th, 1889.
The Ninth Annual General Meeting of the Club was held in the Public
Hall, Loughton, at seven o'clock, Mr. E. A. Fitch, F.L.S., President, in the
chair.
Previous to the Annual Meeting, an Ordinary Meeting (the ninety-seventh)
was held. Colonel Marsden and Mr. R. Wall were elected members.
The minutes of the Eighth Annual Meeting, on January 28th, 1888, were read
and confirmed.
The Secretary read the Annual Report of the Council (see page 40).
On the motion of Mr. H. Cohn, seconded by Mr, Gillham, the report was
unanimously adopted.
The presentation of the Treasurer's statement of account was unavoidably post-
poned.
The following members retired from the Council:—Mr. A. Lister, Mr. A.
Lockyer (on accepting office as Treasurer), Mr. E. B. Knobel, Rev. A. W. Rowe,
and Mr. T. Fisher Unwin.
To fill the vacancies, the following were elected into the Council :—Colonel
Branfill, J. P., Mr. Miller Christy, Rev. W. C. Howell, M.A., Mr. F. J. Mann,
and Mr. Thomas Royle, F.C.S, (on vacating office as Treasurer).
The following officers for 1889 were unanimously chosen :—President, Mr, E.
A. Fitch, F.L.S., F.E.S. ; Treasurer, Mr. A. Lockyer; Secretary and Editor,
Mr. William Cole ; Assistant-Secretary, Mr. B. G. Cole ; Librarian, Mr. A. P.
Wire.
Mr. E. M. Holmes, F.L.S., and Dr. John Evans, F.R.S. (President of the
Society of Antiquaries), were elected honorary members of the Club.
Mr. Fitch then read his Annual Presidential Address, which was mainly
devoted to showing the large field for observation and research which exists in
our county ; how, and in what directions, the energies of the members may be
best employed; and in what ways they could assist in carrying on the work of
the Club, &c. The Address will be printed in full in the Essex Naturalist.
Prof. Meldola, F.R.S., proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Fitch, not only for
the excellent address he had delivered that evening, but also for his diligent
services in the interests of the Club during the past year. Although Mr.
Fitch's attendance at the meetings involved a long railway journey, and gene-
rally the necessity of staying over the night in London, he was always at his
post, working in the heartiest manner for the success of the meetings. Prof.
Meldola alluded shortly to the various points of interest in the address, especially
the work in connection with the Field Meetings, and the suggestions for systematic
work suitable for Field Clubs made by the Committees of the British Association.
Mr. T. V. Holmes seconded the motion, which was carried by acclamation.
Mr. Fitch briefly thanked the members for their expression of confidence, and
also for re-electing him to the Presidential chair.
On the proposal of the Rev. W. C. Howell, seconded by Mr. Walter Crouch,
the thanks of the Club were given to the officers for their labours during the year.
Mr. W. Cole replied on behalf of Mrs. Royle (by whom the work of the
Treasurer had been carried on in Mr. Royle's absence), Mr. B. G. Cole, and him-
self.