As the new by-laws provided that those who have rendered specially meritorious or distinguished service to the association and have been approved for such distinction by two-thirds vote of the members present at any annual meeting shall become honorary members, three names for this honorary membership were proposed, President Roosevelt being at that time the only honorary member of the Society. Those proposed were the Honorable William H. Taft, who since the re-organization of the American Red Cross has been its President and who has always, in spite of being a very busy man, has given his time and assistance to the Red Cross to its great advantage, was the first name proposed. Because of the work she did during the Civil War in the Sanitary Commission, that precursor of the Red Cross, and because of her generous aid in the way of a large contribution to the Endowment Fund of the American Red Cross Mrs. Russell Sage’s was the second name proposed. Dr. Louis Klopsch, Editor of the _Christian Herald_, during the great famines in Japan and China, raised very large funds for the purposes of relief, amounting to considerably over half a million of dollars, besides collecting moneys for the purchase of food supplies which were forwarded to China, and who sent these generous contributions through the American Red Cross, was the third person proposed for honorary membership in the American Red Cross. Mr. Taft on the proposal of his name made the request that it be withdrawn, as he had consented to stand for re-election as President of the Red Cross, and preferred to consider himself still an active, rather than an honorary member. At this request his name was withdrawn and Mrs. Sage and Dr. Klopsch were unanimously elected honorary members of the American Red Cross. It was also unanimously voted to present special medals for the rendering of important and unremunerated volunteer services to the Red Cross to Dr. Edward T. Devine, Mr. Ernest P. Bicknell and Mr. F. W. Dohrmann for their services at San Francisco, in 1906, and to Major C. A. Devol, U. S. A., and to Major Wendell L. Simpson, U. S. A., for their services at Hattiesburg, in 1908. In the evening a reception was given by Miss Boardman, at which the members met the President of the Red Cross and Mrs. Taft. RED CROSS ENDOWMENT FUND Balance on hand, December 1st, 1907 $21,516.00 Life memberships, 1908 4,750.00 Contributions to December 1st, 1908. Mrs. Russell Sage, contribution 25,000.00 Mr. F. A. Keep, contribution 1,000.00 Admiral Robley D. Evans 400.00 Miscellaneous 120.00 --------- Total December 1st, 1908 $52,786.00 Contributions since December 1st, 1908. Mr. Joseph Rathborne $ 1,000.00