b y t h e members of the Association of Commerce, are presented. It has partici pated in Red Cross work a n d other activi ties. Membership in t h e auxiliary, a m o u n t ing to a b o u t one third of those women who are eligible, is open t o wives, mothers, daughters, a n d sisters of members a n d associate members of the Louisiana Sec tion. T h e organization of t h e auxiliary is parallel to t h a t of t h e section, a n d it maintains similar standing committees. Its refreshment committee sponsors t h e social hour which is held jointly with t h e section, meeting after t h e regular pro grams of each group. T h r o u g h its solici tation of members, the auxiliary has occa sionally been instrumental in obtaining members for t h e local section t h r o u g h t h e interest of their wives in t h e auxiliary. According t o A. W a t s o n C h a p m a n , who described t h e ladies auxiliary in t h e LSOG Exchange Column in CHEMICAL AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
in
Activities
A few sections have appointed com mittees d u r i n g the past y e a r t o s t u d y ways in which their local activities could be ex panded. Philadelphia's committee, under the chairmanship of S. W . Ferris, m a d e a critical examination of all of t h e section's activities a n d has m a d e recommendations t h a t are expected t o result in far-reaching benefits t o t h e section. T h e y include reestablishment of a welcoming committee, after-dinner speakers, a n d postmeeting refreshments. T h e same committee was responsible for t h e recent refurbishing of the section's bulletin a n d for sponsoring the section's meeting-in-miniature which was held in t h e spring. Recommendations 486
schools in the region would be entertained (including dinner). I t was felt t h a t such a meeting would stimulate interest in chemistry in t h e high schools as well as publicize t h e section a n d t h e SOCIETY. Provision is made for annual renewal of the event if it proves successful. Other sections appointing new activities committees were Midland and Cleveland. Cleveland's committee returned a number of recommendations of which those con cerning meetings—arrangements and pub licity, divisions, a n d social affairs—are being given special a t t e n t i o n . Interest in professional affairs has been particularly active during the past several years; a number of sections h a v e ap pointed committees to consider ACS affairs and to suggest new activities for the national SOCIKTY. These will be con sidered in a later article on professional activities.
1942, t h e
activities of t h e auxiliary have proved of both direct a n d indirect benefit t o t h e section. T h e attendance curve a t section meetings, for example, h a s gone u p largely owing to t h e fact t h a t b o t h h u s b a n d and wife have interest in a t t e n d i n g these twin functions which a r e held on t h e same night. Cases are on record where a hus band has attended a section meeting pri marily because his wife did not w a n t to miss a meeting of t h e ladies' auxiliary. M r . C h a p m a n concluded his article with t h e injunction t h a t if your section does n o t have a ladies* auxiliary, y o u waste no time in organizing such a valuable adjunct. I n Baton Rouge the women's auxiliary is also a n independent organization with its own officers a n d it h a s done an es pecially praiseworthy job in providing re freshments after the regular section meet ings. According t o J u l i a n Dorsky, secre tary of t h e section, this service is greatly appreciated, since i t m a k e s a n occasion for informal after-t he-meeting-get-to gether where the members have a better opportunity t o get better acquainted with one another. Last year t h e women's auxiliary arranged a n informal supper party a n d e n t e r t a i n m e n t which was a t tended b y 200 members a n d guests. Neuo
on t h e financial s t r u c t u r e of t h e section were made which inoludod incorporation and the need for lo^al duos. T h e Delaware Section has conducted several polls among its membership during the past year, one in regard t o subjects for meetings and social activities and an other on participation i n section activi ties. Interest was observed to center around subgroup meetings a n d extra curricular activities for woniun chemists, and although responses -were small, it is reported that they h a v e been helpful in guiding the progress of trie section. South Jersey appointeci a committee to recommend activities involving t h e ex penditure of t h e section's excess funds. Of the several suggestions offered, η plan was adopted to hold a special meeting of the section at which a sp-eakcr on a popu lar topic would be presented arid at which science teachers and students from high
Bureau of Mines Liquid Fuels IProg IPSE I H
N
HEABLY a score of developments in the E oil-shale phase of the synthetic liquid fuels program of the Bureau of Mines have been reported by Director H. R. Savers, as re search and construction crews a t Laramie, Wyo., and Rifle, Colo., work t o g e t into production by next s u m m e r . A t Laramie, where an oil-shale research and development laboratory is under con struction, a $47,409.85 contract for labora tory furniture and equipment w a s awarded to the Kewaunee Manufacturing Co., Adrian, Mich., with a requirement t h a t all deliveries be completed prior to J u n e 1. Despite continued l a b o r shortages a n d considerable subzero -weather, bureau officiais hope t o finish th
