*'As'our membership is the most important part of our organization I would like to stress it here. We must keep up our membership, not only because our subscriptions are our chief source of revenue, but because the larger our membership list the more important we are as an organization. Towards the end of 1036 a membership sub-committee was formed first under the Chairmanship of Mrs. Ivan Clark and afterwards under Mrs. W. B. Rigden; it was certainly a wise move. They have accomplished great things during the past two years and I am sure that in time to come we shall consider them the backbone of the Association, I urge you all if they ask for your help at any time to give it, for theirs is not always an easy task.
Before dealing with the reports of the sections I should like to record our sincere thanks to Messrs. Lowe, Bingham & Matthews for once again auditing our accounts, To the Stewards of the Race Club for their continued generosity and to the press for their help in giving-publicity to all our activities.
Executive Committee Mrs. Brooke then gave a brief resume of the work of the various sections, touching specially on the Execution Committee, about whose activities she said: The Executive Committee have met at fortnightly: intervals during the past year. As I have already told you they were unfortunate in losing their chairman Mrs. Hardman early in the Autumn. Mrs. G. D. Nicholl left before the new year on an unexpected trip home. Mrs. W. C. Cassels, Mrs. H, R. O. Edmonds and Mrs. E. J. Ottewell left a few weeks ago on furlough and we thank them for their help and wish them a happy holiday. Mrs, Cheetham, Mrs. Duncan Main, Mrs, Shotter and Mrs. Boyd four very useful members have unfortunately decided not to stand again this year and we shall miss them. I am myself leaving for home shortly and would like here to thank all the members of the Committee for their loyal support during a very trying year. A year full of changes and surprises. My thanks are also due to our hard working Secretary, Mrs. Colter. Only those of us who come here day after day know how many and varied are her tasks and how cheerfully she gets through them, Personally, I owe her a debt of gratitude for the way in which she man through difficult waters. this opportunity of wishing the Association every success during "what does not, perhaps, give promise of being a very prosperous year, but Shanghai has shown a marvellous wer of recovery during 1038 and am sure with its usual capa for overcoming difficulties, the Association will keep the flag flying and the prestige of British women in this city as high as ever.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.