THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES GAS EDUCATIONAL FUND TO THE AMERICAN GAS LIGHT ASSOCIATION AND OTHER SUBSCRIBERS TO THE FUND. To the American Gas Light Association and Subscribers : GENTLEMEN:-The Trustees appointed at the Twenty-sixth Annual Meeting of the American Gas Light Association, held October 17, 1898, to administer the Educational Fund formed by your subscriptions, submit the following Report as to the work done from October 1, 1900, to September 30, 1901. The main object for which the Fund was raised, that of encouraging and guiding the efforts of those employees of gas companies, who, lacking the advantages of an extended education, are anxious to acquire knowledge that will be of service to them in their work, has been provided for, as before, by the Correspondence Class working under the direction of the Secretary. This Class now contains three sections, known as the Second, Third and Fourth Sections, the Second Section being in its third year, the Third in its second year and the Fourth in its first year of work. Each of these sections receives its own set of questions, which are made to differ as much as possible from those sent to the other sections, although each section covers the same ground during its three years' course as has been covered by preceding sections. The Second Section will complete its work at the end of this year and a Fifth Section will be formed at the same time from new applicants for admission to the class. In September, 1900, a rule was made that in the future no graduates of a university or technical college would be admitted to full membership in the class, but that any such applicants could, upon payment of an annual fee of $5. be admitted to a Special Section, the members of which would receive the questions and answers as issued, but would not be entitled to the individual attention given to the regular members. The object of this rule is to make it certain that the benefits of the work will accrue chiefly to those who, having had the fewest educational advantages, are therefore the most in need of the assistance that is given by the work of the class. The other rules governing admission to, and continuance of, membership in the class are as follows: Eligibility for and Admission to Membership. Only employees of gas companies are eligible for membership in the class. Employees of gas companies who are not graduates of Universities or Technical Schools, nor holders of degrees from Colleges are eligible for membership with the full privileges of the Class without the payment of any fee. To secure admission to either the regular or special class, a person eligible for membership in such class must file an application, made according to a prescribed form, copies of which will be furnished by the Secretary upon request, and endorsed by a member of the American Gas Light Association or a Subscriber to the Fund. In cases where a subscription is made in the name of a Company, any of the executive officers of such Company shall be entitled to endorse applications for membership in the Class. All applications will be considered by the Secretary, who will admit to the Class applicants whose applications, being in proper from and properly endorsed, show them to be entitled to member ship. When applications are received after the beginning of a class year, but before the first of June, the applicants will be admitted to membership in that section of the Class which began work upon the first of January immediately preceding the date of their applications, upon condition that they take up and carry on the work in such manner as to complete and send in answers to all the questions sent out to such section during the first year, on or before the first of January next following the receipt of the applications. Applicants applying for admission after the first of June will not be admitted to the class before the beginning of the next class year. The class year corresponds with the calendar year. Continuance in Class. Any member of the class who fails to send in his answers to any set of questions within the time specified for the receipt of such answers, and does not furnish to the Secretary a good reason for such failure and secure an extension of time in which to send in these answers, or having secured such an extension of time in which to send in the answers to any set of questions, fails to send in such answers within such extended time, forfeits his membership in, and shall be dropped from, the class. A member so dropped, if still eligible for membership, may, upon application, re enter the class as a member of the next section formed, either at the beginning of the next class year, or at a point during such year corresponding to that at which his membership ceased in the preceding year. Members of the class who send in answers to each set of questions issued within the time originally specified for the receipt of such answers, or within any extended time which may be granted to them, will be continued in the class for three years, but at the end of this time their membership shall cease by limitation. Method of Instruction. A set of twelve questions is sent out each three months. Answers to each set of questions are due within two months after the date at which it is sent out. In the preparation of their answers the members of the class are at liberty to use any and all sources of information at their command, except the answers to such questions as have been previously used, which are published in the Proceedings of the American Gas Light Association. They are also at liberty to consult the Secretary in regard to any question which they do not understand, or upon which they are unable to obtain any satisfactory information by the means at their disposal. All the answers received from the members of the regular class are carefully examined by the Secretary, and to each of such members is sent a criticism of his work based upon this examination. Each member receives also a set of the answers prepared by the Trustees to the questions. Both the criticisms upon the answers of the students to any set of questions and the Trustees' answer to these questions are sent out with the next set of questions. The number of members in each section at the beginning of the year and the changes that have taken place during the year are shown in detail on the Secretary's Report which is appended. The Second Section now contains 22 members, the Third 30 and the Fourth 36, making the total membership in the regular class 88. There are two special students who are receiving the questions and answers with the Fourth Section. The other branches of the work as described in previous reports have also been kept up. The Treasurer's Report, which is appended, shows the total amount of subscriptions to date, the available income and expenses for the year, a summary of the cash account and a statement of the amount of the surplus fund and the securities in which it has been invested. This surplus fund is made up of portions of subscriptions paid in in advance of the time when they are due, of unexpended balances and of interest received on investments. The proper proportion of the advance subscriptions will of course be drawn out each year to meet expenses, but the unexpended balances and the interest will accumulate into a fund which will be available to assist in carrying on the work in case all the present subscriptions are not renewed when they expire. Respectfully submitted, Trustees Gas Educational Fund, SECRETARY'S REPORT, SEPTEMBER 30, 1901. WALTON CLARK, Chairman. ALFRED E. FORSTALL, Secretary. |