THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE.

STATED MONTHLY MEETING, MARCH 15, 1944

When the guests were assembled in the lecture hall, the National Anthem was played. Mr. Charles S. Redding, President and Presiding Officer, then called the meeting to order

and stated t ha t the minutes of the meeting for January had appeared in the February JOVRNAL of the Ins t i tu te and tha t if no corrections were offered they would stand as printed.

On motion duly seconded and carried they were so approved. Mr. Redding then introduced Mr. Morris Wister Wood who made an appea! to the audb

ence to support the Red Cross Drive and made many convincing statements, calling to mind the vas t amount of good being done by this organization.

The Secretary of The Franklin Inst i tute , Dr. Henry Butler Allen, was then called upon to give his month ly report. He stated tha t the following additions have occurred in the Membership Depar tment during the past month:

Sustaining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Active . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Associate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Library Sustaining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~33

Total Membership is now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,797

Dr. Allen then announced the proposed programme for Medal Day and urged tha t mem- bers and their friends make a note of the date, Wednesday, April I9th, and tha t they at tend this very interesting annual function. He pointed out tha t because of the capacity of the hall, it would be necessary this year to limit a t tendance at the dinner and requested everyone to send in early acceptances.

The Chairman also emphasized the importance of Medal Day and urged members of the h ls t i tu te to be present.

He then introduced the speaker of the ewming, giving an interesting account of some personal happenings in the life of Dr. Swann.

The meeting was then turned over to Dr. W. F. G. Swann, Director of the Bartol Research Fmmdat ion of The Frankl in Inst i tute , who spoke on "Cer ta in Applications of Physical Prin- ciples to the Playing of Musical Ins t ruments ."

The lecture dealt with simple applications of physical principles to certain matters per- raining to musical instruments and their use. Among other things, it dealt with the question of steel versus gut strings on stringed instruments: the problem of the pressure of tile bow on stringed instruments; the significance of carrying power; the question of piano tone; and cert~iin psychological and physical principles in relation to stringed instrument technique, as in tim staccato.

The talk was illustrated by lantern slides and demonstral ions on the appropriate musical instruments.

The meeting adjourned a t IO:3o.

3H