122
REPORT OF THE COUNCIL.
Presented to the Annual Meeting, 26th March, 1938.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your Council has to report that the activities of the Club have pro-
ceeded satisfactorily during the past year.
The meetings at Stratford have been well attended and have produced
communications of distinct scientific value.
The field-meetings, thanks to Mr. Salmon's admirable organisation,
have been most enjoyable. Hospitality was kindly offered our parties
by the Rector of Pattiswick and his wife, by Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Christy
at Fryerning, by Canon and Mrs. Sowter at Rayleigh and by Mr. R. B.
Platford at Hornchurch: our grateful thanks are due to them, and also
to the many owners and occupiers of houses visited by us in various parts
of the County for their readily-given permission to inspect their property.
Two new Parts of the Essex Naturalist have been issued during the
year. It is gratifying to be able to record that no fewer than fourteen
public libraries in Essex (Barking, Chelmsford, Chingford, Clacton, Col-
chester, Dagenham, East Ham, Hornchurch, Ilford, Leyton, Romford,
Southend, Walthamstow and West Ham) now receive our Journal regularly.
A bequest under the Will of our late member, Mr. Henry Mothersole,
which comprised a Bronze Age burial urn from Chelmsford, a bronze
founder's hoard of eleven pieces from Little Baddow, an interesting series
of perforated stone hammerheads and other stone implements, together
with various books and prints, has made an important accession to the
Stratford Museum.
A noteworthy gift to the Library is Mr. F. J. Brand's manuscript
"Essex Index," bound in four volumes. The total of bound volumes in.
our Library now reaches 7,000: 75 books have been bound during the
year. Your Council could wish that more extensive use of the Library
were made by members.
Mr. A. W. Dennis has generously added to his earlier gifts by presenting
further topographical photographs of Essex, taken by himself: there are
now 11,120 mounted items in the Pictorial Survey Collection, of which
1,661 illustrate West Ham. During the last few days a former member
of the Club, Mr. Alfred Scott, has generously given us 200 negative photo-
graphs of West Ham, of which some 70 are views new to our collection.
The Hon. Treasurer's Accounts, which show the Club's finances to be
in thoroughly sound condition, will be laid before you.
In conclusion, your Council would again stress the importance of
members bringing in new recruits, so that the work of the Club may be made
still more widely known. Copies of the Booklet describing the activities
of the Club may still be obtained of the Hon. Secretary for distribution.