There were maintained during the entire week a competent Information Bureau, free stenographic, typewriting and messenger service, telephone and telegraph communication, correspondence room and rest room. The National Educational Association directors from the N. E. states had desks here, and teachers desiring to do so had their mail sent to Rogers Building. A register of New England teachers, with their city and home addresses was opened on Saturday, July 4th, and maintained throughout the week, thus enabling all New England teachers and their friends readily to find each other. Receptions were held in the Library every afternoon in charge of ladies and gentlemen representing social and educational organizations from each of the New England states. The several apartments of the building besides being equipped for the various uses above indicated, were made very attractive by numerous works of art from the studio of Caproni and by trees and plants from the conservatory of MacMulkin. Throughout the week there were always in attendance committees of ladies and gentlemen (representatives of local educational associations) to welcome and make at home the thousands of visitors. On Monday, July 6th, at five o'clock P. M., a banquet was given at Hotel Vendome by the Institute to the officers and directors of the N. E. A. Between two and three hundred participated. There were seated at the head table: Pres. Charles H. Keyes, Pres. Charles W. Eliot, U. S. Com. Wm. T. Harris, Gov. John L. Bates, Mayor Patrick A. Col lins, Sec. Wm. C. Crawford, Sec. Irwin Shepard, Treas. Alvin F. Pease, Treas. Charles C. Davidson, Dr. Edward Everett Hale, Hon. George H. Martin, Pres. Grafton D. Cushing, Supt. Edwin P. Seaver, Pres. Nicholas M. Butler, Pres. Wm. R. Harper, Pres. Henry S. Pritchett, Supt. A. G. Lane, Supt. N. C. Dougherty. Addresses were made by Gov. Bates, Mayor Collins, Pres. Eliot and Commissioner Harris. The occasion was a very delightful one, long to be remembered as having brought to the same board a large number of the most distinguished educators of the country. At the close the company went to the Mechanics Building to attend the opening exercises of the Convention. Early in the year the Local Executive Committee of the N. E. A. asked the American Institute to take charge of the Advance Memberships of the Boston meeting. To this end the president, secretary and treasurer of the Institute served as chairman, secretary and treasurer respectively of the Advance Membership Committee associating with themselves Messrs. Walter S. Parker and John Tetlow of Boston, Mr. George I. Aldrich of Brookline, Mr. Ray Green Huling of Cambridge, and Mr. Charles T. C. Whitcomb of Somerville. The secretary was also appointed as the local representative of Sec. Irwin Shepard (N. E. A.) in financial matters pertaining to this work. The Committee succeeded in securing over 7000 advance members thereby turning into the permanent fund of the N. E. A. over $14,000. Quite a number of membership certificates were lost or left at home. As these were necessary to the owners for securing badges, guide books and many convention privileges, an office for dispensing duplicate certificates (without charge) was maintained at Institute headquarters until all demands upon it had been met. Acknowledgments are here made to the Library Bureau Co. for furnishing an outfit of ingenious cabinets for card catalogue and correspondence, whereby the work of the office was greatly facilitated. The company also provided a competent clerk for arranging the thousands of letters and cards for ready ref erence. Further acknowledgments are hereby made to the members of the Local Executive Committee of the N. E. A. for their hearty co-operation with the officers of the Institute in carrying forward various lines of work of common interest; to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the use of the Rogers Building and for other courtesies extended through Sec. H. W. Tyler and Burser F. H. Rand; to the Hospitality Committee of the N. E. A. for its co-operation in equipping and maintaining Institute Headquarters; (this work was under the special direction of Mrs. Ella L. Cabot); to the Paine Furniture Co. for use of furniture; to Mr. P. Caproni for art decorations; to Mr. Edward MacMulkin for floral decorations; to the Sub-Masters' Club of Boston and to other local educational organizations for valuable committee work. The officers and members of the American Institute of Instruction desire to express their gratification at having had the privilege of doing their part, by ways |