THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

OF THE

VICTORIA INSTITUTE

WAS HELD IN COMMITTEE ROOM B, THE CENTRAL HALL, WESTMINSTER, ON MONDAY, MARCH 15TH, 1920, AT

3 P.M.

LIEUT.-COL. G. MACKINLAY, VICE-PRESIDENT,

TOOK THE CHAIR.

The Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting, held on March 17th, 1919, were read, confirmed and signed.

The HON. SECRETARY was then called upon to read the notice convening the Meeting, and to present the Report and Annual Accounts. As the Report had been circulated, the Hon. Secretary suggested that it might be taken as read, but would be glad to emphasize one or two points, the first being what he would call the illusions of peace, on p. 1. The Council, though at no time deceived by the promise of a new earth put forward by our respected rulers, did hope that things, which had been dislocated by the war, would soon right themselves; but their experience had been that this could only be looked for as the gradual effect of patient and united effort on the part of all. The number of Members and Associates had fallen by seventeen below the previous year, through death and other causes; against this he placed the fact that in the first two months of the present year more Members and Associates had joined than during the whole of last year. Besides this, the satisfactory attendances at the opening Meeting of the current Session were an augury of better things in store for the Institute. Might not some few Associates help by becoming Members, and enjoy the additional advantage of so doing?

The CHAIRMAN emphasized the points already raised as to the need of more Members and more united effort, but also dwelt on the

encouraging features of increased membership and attendance. He also referred to the generous response given last year to the Special Appeal for £500, of which over £300 had been received, and to the issue of six Tracts for New Times "--being reprints of Institute lectures, ably condensed by Dr. Schofield. The sale has already been most encouraging, and our best thanks are due to the generous donor, himself a Life Associate, whose gift of £200 alone made this issue possible. The Chairman also announced the intended appointment of an Incorporated Accountant as Auditor of the Institute, in accord with modern business procedure. He also announced that, after accepting election as Chairman for ten years, he was obliged for health reasons to withdraw his candidature, but that Dr. Schofield had been unanimously elected Chairman, and Mr. A. W. Oke Deputy Chairman. In closing, the Chairman introduced the four Members of Council elected since our last Meeting, Dr. Ernest Masterman, Mr. Theodore Roberts, Lt.-Colonel F. A. Molony, O.B.E., late R.E., and Lt.-Colonel Hope Biddulph, D.S.O., R.F.A., and also referred to the good work of our Secretary, Mr. A. E. Montague, so long associated with the Institute.

Mr. J. NORMAN HOLMES then moved the first resolution :

66

That the Report and statement of accounts for the year 1919 herewith submitted, be adopted, and that the thanks of the Meeting be tendered to the Council and Officers for the efficient manner in which they have carried on the affairs of the Institute during the past year, and also to Messrs. H. Lance Gray and G. Avenell, the Honorary Auditors, for having kindly audited the accounts once more."

Mr. HOLMES thought a word ought to be added to the Resolution, and that was the word "cordial to thanks. Few knew how much thought and effort lay behind the carrying on of a work like that of the Institute. He urged Members to back up the Council to the best of their power. This was seconded by Miss C. PEARCE and carried unanimously.

Dr. A. T. SCHOFIELD then moved the second resolution :—

"That the following retiring Members of Council be reelected, Mr. T. B. Bishop, Mr. H. Lance Gray, the Rev. Chancellor Lias, M.A., and Dr. T. G. Pinches, M.R.A.S., and

that Mr. William Dale, F.S.A., F.G.S., and Colonel C. W. R.
St. John, late R.E., be elected on the Council, also that
Dr. Handley Moule, Bishop of Durham, be elected Vice-
President of the Institute.

Dr. SCHOFIELD warmly recommended these names for election, and expressed special pleasure that Dr. Moule, so long connected with the Society, had consented to be proposed as a Vice-President. His high influence and authority could not help being a great additional strength to the Institute.

The resolution was seconded by the Rev. PREBENDARY Fox, and carried unanimously.

Dr. SCHOFIELD next proposed a vote of thanks to Colonel Mackinlay for presiding, and expressed his unfeigned and deep-felt appreciation, which he felt sure would be shared by those present, of the extraordinary work which Colonel Mackinlay had accomplished on behalf of the Institute during the last ten years. He deeply regretted that the Colonel should feel obliged, for reasons of health, to relinquish the post he had so ably fitted, and expressed the hope that he would soon be restored to his usual health.

This was carried unanimously, and the Meeting was declared closed.

HELD IN COMMITTEE ROOM B, THE CENTRAL HALL, WESTMINSTER, S.W., ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 8th, 1919, AT 4.30 P.M.

ALFRED T. SCHOFIELD, ESQ., M.D., IN THE CHAIR.

The Minutes of the previous meeting were read, confirmed and signed, and the Election was announced of the Rev. John Maurice Turner as an Associate.

The HON. SECRETARY then gave notice that owing to the withdrawal by Bishop Welldon of his paper on Spiritualism," Mr. Arthur W. Sutton, a member of the Council, had kindly consented to deliver a lecture on "The Ruined Cities of Palestine, East and West of the Jordan," illustrated by lantern slides from his own photographs, but that at the last moment he found himself under doctor's orders to cancel all engagements. Under the circumstances Dr. Ernest W. G. Masterman, long resident physician in Jerusalem, and Hon. Secretary of the Palestine Exploration Fund, had most kindly consented to take his place.

The CHAIRMAN, after a few introductory remarks, called upon Dr. Masterman to deliver the lecture. This he proceeded to do, covering the same ground as Mr. Sutton intended to do, and utilizing the same slides.

Dr. MASTERMAN (Hon. Secretary, Palestine Exploration Fund), showed beautifully-coloured slides (of Mr. Sutton's) illustrating the following tour through Palestine, which he fully described in a most interesting lecture, parts of which are incorporated in the following paper.

The tour commenced at Beyrout, and continued south through Tyre and Sidon. Thence to Safed in Galilee down to the Sea of Tiberias, across the Jordan, south of the lake, up the Yarmuk Gorge to the site of ancient Gadara, thence to Beit er-Ras, the site of Capitolias, and on to Daraa, where once stood Edrei, the capital city of Og, King of Bashan. The great importance of this city and its famous underground passages, where the inhabitants took refuge from the Arabs, were fully described. Thence the journey went south to Jerash, the ancient Gerasa, of which many views were shown. Ammon, the ancient Rabbath-Ammon, later called Philadelphia, was next visited. Then to Madeba, with its mosaic map of the country, and Mount Nebo; and then to the Jordan, past the Springs of Moses. After crossing the Jordan the route lay through Bethany, skirting the walls of Jerusalem, to Hebron, and on to Beit Jibrîn and the ancient Gezer, and so to Jaffa. The views of Gezer illustrated the work of the Palestine Exploration Fund. The following is the description of the tour.