Annual Meeting

120 BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING. The Eighth Annual Meeting of Friends' Historical Society of Philadelphia was held at Friends' Institute, 20 South Twelfth Street, Philadelphia, on the evening of Second month 26th, 1912. The social feature of the occasion was the serving of the Annual Supper in the Tea Room of the Twelfth Street Meeting House. The tea tables were attractively arranged to accommodate at one time all the members present and their guests, who numbered nearly two hundred. The young ladies who assisted in serving the supper were attired in the Friends' costume of the days of their grandmothers, which recalled many pleasant memories. The company remained seated after the supper when the Annual Meeting was held. The usual routine business was soon accomplished, when the addresses of the evening were presented. Amelia M. Gummere read a paper entitled " Our Ambitions." She spoke of the completion of the eighth year of the existence of Friends' Historical Society of Philadelphia, and called attention to the fact that during this year would occur the hundredth anniversary of the building of the meeting house in which the company was assembled. She made an earnest plea for a settled habitation or headquarters for the Society, which is greatly needed, and where it might be possible to display the manuscripts, pictures, books, relics, etc., belonging to the Society. Our collection of such things would doubtless be increased thereby, as suggestions have been made by interested friends at various times of their desire to present to us articles in their possession should we secure a suitable place for their display. She mentioned the fact that the birthplace and locality where one had lived, so distinctively representing the principles of the Society of Friends in the example of his life as John Woolman, was little known to many Friends of the present day. TIk suggestion was made that it might be fitting for Friends' ANNUAL MEETING121 Historical Society of Philadelphia, to erect a suitable memorial to mark the site, near Rancocas, N. J. Rachel Smith Howland read portions of the journal of her grandmother's grandmother, Margaret Morris, of Burlington, N. J., covering a period of six months in 1776-1777. The journal gave an interesting picture of the anxieties and cares of the inhabitants during the trying times when the British soldiers were in the neighborhood of Burlington.. The expression of the journalist of her experience of the care and preservation of an over-ruling providence was beautiful and touching. Watson W. Dewees presented some account of the " Walking Purchase " at the time of Thomas Penn in 1737 stating the facts in regard to it which are historical and pointing out statements which are most likely legendary. The starting point of the Walking Purchase is located near the Meeting House at Wrightstown, Bucks County, Pa., which has been marked by the Bucks County Historical Society in memory of the Lenni Lenape Indians, ancient owners of this region. A brief address was made by Isaac Sharpless in which he spoke of the value to the present generation of the serious study of the history of the Society of Friends. He urged that Friends' Historical Society should do more than collect old manuscripts and relics, and read entertaining diaries. The study and research for the strong elements and forces active in the development of the Society of Friends, the meaning and message that Friends have for the world, the spirit and knowledge of Quakerism, the causes of our successes and failures , are most important factors in connecting the present with the future for our advancement and improvement. He spoke of a lack of the knowledge of the philosophy of the history of Friends prevalent in some sections being the probable cause of their failure to uphold the standards of the Society of Friends. After some brief discussion, the meeting closed. M. S. A. ...