UNION'S SUCCESSFUL YEAR

The Union has now completed the sixth and most successful year of its history, and is established on a practical working basis. Through the efficient and untiring efforts of this year's Governing Board the Union has become an active and indispensable factor in the life of the University. The increasing usefulness of the club has been due not so much to innovations as to improvements in departments already established.

The restaurant has been run for the good of the members and every effort has been made to make it both attractive and useful. As a result the deficit has been decreased by $2000. The scheme commenced a year ago of placing the membership dues on the term bills has been continued with increased success and has gone a long way towards solving the financial problem. At present there are 2173 active members--80 more than at this time a year ago. Of these active members 1958 had their dues charged on their term bills. There are 1061 graduate life members, 72 student life, 651 associate members, and 526 non-resident members, making a total of 4483 men who now belong to the Union.

The Class Day spread, better planned last year than in the previous year, when the affair was an innovation, has been continued by the 1907 officers, and promises to be most successful. Increasing experience has made the Junior Union Dance more pleasant year by year, and it is now one of the big events of the College year.

But the most noticeable improvement in the Union during the past year has been in the lecturers that have addressed the members. The Governing Board has made it a definite policy to obtain only prominent and well-known speakers. Among those who have spoken are President Roosevelt, President Eliot, Secretary Shaw, Hon. Thomas P. O'Connor, M.P., Hon. John D. Long, Major Henry Lee Higginson, Hon. William J. Bryan, Dr. W. T. Grenfell, Mr. Booker T. Washington, Mr. F. Hopkinson Smith, and Mr. Jacob A. Riis. These names in themselves convey some idea of the variety of subjects discussed.

Mass meetings and pop-nights have also been held in the Union and the rooms have been freely used for class smokers and for meetings of smaller organizations. About 750 volumes have been added to the library, making the present number of books about 8800.

In short the Union has become a place not supported by a feeling of sentimental loyalty, but self-supporting because of its usefulness--a place to study, to read, to write or to play. For all time the Union has come to stay.