Journal of Proceedings. xcix
The President said it was his painful duty to announce that at the
Council Meeting held on January 18th, it was resolved:—"That in
accordance with Rule VII. the following members be removed from the
Club, and their names read out from the chair at the Annual Meeting
as having been expelled for non-payment of subscriptions, repeated
application having been made for the same." [Here followed the names
of eight members.]
In accordance with notice given at the last meeting, the Hon.
Secretary proposed the abolition of the 7s. 6d. rate of subscription, on
the grounds that the actual charge of each member upon the funds
amounted to more than 7s. 6d., and further, as the operations of the
Society embraced the whole county of Essex, the retention of the second
class of members was felt to be unnecessary and anomalous.
The proposal was seconded by Professor Boulger, and passed
unanimously. It was understood that the change did not legally affect
members proposed previously to the last two months of 1883, but the
hope was expressed that such members would accept the alteration for
the reasons given above and in the Annual -Report.
Some discussion took place as to the expediency of imposing an
Entrance Fee of 10s. 6d. upon all future elections into the Club, but some
doubts being expressed as to the wisdom of the proposal at that period
of the Club's existence the matter was allowed to drop for the time.
The retiring President then delivered his third and valedictory Annual
Address [Transactions, vol. iii., p. 59.]
At the conclusion of the Address, Mr. Henry Walker said that though
the hour was then late they would not do justice to themselves unless
they told their retiring President what was in their minds and hearts.
They had come to that meeting feeling that it was a somewhat eventful
night—the night of their parting with Mr. Meldola in his official
character as President. It was not for him to attempt to give Mr.
Meldola a certificate. But one could not help feeling this: they had all
noticed the immense advantage it was to have in biological questions the
assistance of one who had had what one might call a double training—
a training in physical science, the severe training of the physicist. They
had had that great advantage with Mr. Meldola; he had come to the
consideration of biological problems with the enlarged views gained by
studies in chemistry and observational astronomy. Unfortunately, so
high an ideal as they had had before them made it somewhat difficult,
perhaps, for a new President to follow, although he, knowing the
succeeding President, could well assure the Club that he would fully
vindicate himself. But he was then speaking only as their mouthpiece to
convey to their President their very sincere regret upon his retirement;
they were all under a personal debt of obligation to him, for they felt
that the Club largely owed its status to him. He moved that the Club
present its most hearty and sincere thanks to the retiring President.
[Applause.]