7

4 THE SOUTHERN CHAPTER, A. I. A.

As yet the South is behind in the education of the masses as to our
duties and the benefits arising through us as professional servants, but
of late we are more and more every year building our monuments of
taste and skill in the various cities where the work is carried out in a
systematic way, and are thus broadening and expanding our line
of business, reaching out even into the smaller hamlets of our
Southland.

In the large cities we are, as a profession, getting a stronger foothold,
and there is a growing understanding. of the necessity of employing
skilled architects. Where a few years ago they were considered use
-less sinecures not worthy of a conference with the intelligent committees,
now they are considered a necessity.

Let us, as a body, work in unity, each member upholding his services
and compensation as a trust to aid in cementing together as brothers all
who are engaged in our chosen work, and render us "worthy of the
high vocation wherewith we have been called." Gentlemen, I am now
ready for the business that may be brought before the Convention.

Upon the motion of Mr. Lind, who placed in nomination
the names of Messrs.: Woodruff, Dennis, Morgan, Nixon and
Helmick as the Board of Directors, the Secretary was re-
quested to cast the vote of this chapter, which resulted in the
election of Mr. D. B. Woodruff, Mr. P. E. Dennis, Mr. T. H.
Morgan, Mr.. A. McC. Nixon and Mr. D. A. Helmich as the
Board of Directors.

Mr. Nixon, at this point, on behalf of the Atlanta Archi-
tects, extended welcome to the visiting architects, and the
first meeting of the Southern Chapter of the American Insti-
tute of Architects.

MR NIXON'S ADDRESS.

Mr. President, Gentlemen of the Southern Chapter of the American In-
stitute of Architects :

We greet and welcome you to our city, the capital of our State Gov-
ernment, and public instruction; where the free and: pure principles of
law and governnient, and all that has the best and most refined social
relations, intellect and culture. We are proud, indeed, to record this
first meeting of the profession in our city, for the advancement of archi-
tecture and its practice.

While taking under consideration our own profession, we can with
equal pride notice the steady growth and development of all the indus-
trial cities throughout'the Southern States. They are coming rapidly to
the front before the commercial world, and drawing wealth, brains and
sinew, of the skillful and scientific, to the fast development of her
product of mine and mineral deposits; in manufacturing and mechan-