Interest on Credit Balances, Transferred to General Account.. $688.55 11,096.20 $4,991.54 7,624.56 34.87 $19,444.18 $11,137.28 $5,434.31 2,590.81 8,025.12 34.87 246.91 $19,444.18 V. MEMBERSHIP PERCY R. PYNE, Secretary The growing popularity of the Museum among our Members and their belief in the importance of its undertakings have been evidenced by their generous responses to two invitations for support. Third Asiatic The astounding and important discoveries of our Third Asiatic Expedition, under the leadership of Roy Chapman Andrews, in Mongolia, and the prospect of even greater scientific results made it imperative that this exploration should be extended for a longer period. When Mr. Andrews returned to New York in the fall of 1923, it was therefore decided to reorganize the work on the basis of continuing it for five years more. This would cost some $250,000, and with the many demands upon the resources of the Museum for other purposes, such a large sum could not be appropriated for this expedition. Consequently, with the approval of the Trustees, Mr. Andrews addressed a letter to our Members, setting forth the aims and purposes of the Third Asiatic Expedition and inviting subscriptions to carry it on. The responses were prompt and generous. In all, 217 Members from all parts of the Union and from several foreign countries subscribed a total of $19,354, which, combined with new subscriptions of $225,646 from Trustees and other friends, makes a total of $245,000 available for the next five years and thus insures the future work of the expedition. Fund Similarly, in order to keep faith with the Board of Estimate, which had erected two new building sections, Section 9, ASIATIC HALL, and Section 10, HALL OF OCEAN LIFE, Emergency the Trustees decided to concentrate the activities Preparation of the Museum on the preparation of the exhibitions to be shown in these new buildings. The regular financial resources of the Museum were inadequate to meet this preparation program. Our needs were made known to our Members and again there was a most generous response. A total of $35,125 was contributed by 123 Members. The fact that these subscriptions came from such distant points as Maine, California, Porto Rico, and Hawaii, and that seventeen states were represented in the list indicates that interest in the Museum is not merely local, but nation-wide. These contributions were placed in a special Emergency Preparation and Exhibition Fund and have been used exclusively in the mounting of groups and specimens for the new building. Members may therefore feel that they have a personal share in this important phase of the Museum's work. To these Members the Trustees are especially grateful. General In addition to these special subscriptions, the Members have contributed, through their membership fees, $55,695.50 for the general purposes of the Museum. Of these contribuSupport tions, the receipts from Life Members and the higher classes of membership, amounting to $7,600, have been added to the Permanent Endowment Fund, while the fees from Annual, Sustaining and Associate Members, totaling $48,095.50, have been applied to the current income of the Museum. This substantial support on the part of our Members is an important factor in carrying forward the exhibition work of the Museum. Our Members are also rendering a valuable service by spreading abroad information of Museum activities and by making its work known among their friends. At the close of the year 1924, there were 7,952 Members on our roll, and the wide interest in the Museum is indicated by the geographical distribution of these Members, in which every state in the Union, as well as forty-seven foreign countries, are represented. Members receive the Museum's popular illustrated magazine, Natural History, published bi-monthly, recording the advancement of natural science, scientific research, exploration, discovery and the development of museum exhibition and museum influence in education. Membership In the Members' Room, on the third floor, Members may read, rest or write letters during their visits to the Museum, and, through request of the attendant in this room, an instructor will meet members and conduct them to the most interesting exhibits. Special lectures for Members are given during the year, and Members are welcome to other lectures given in our auditorium. During the year eight lectures for Members and eight lectures on Saturday mornings for the children of Members were given in the Auditorium, while three special lectures were arranged to which all Members were invited. Every season tickets for these lectures are distributed to Members. |