I was elected the first President, a position which I held until I entered official life, when Lord Monteagle, a practical philanthropist if ever there was one, became my successor.
Father Finlay, who joined the movement in 1892, and who has devoted the extraordinary influence which he possesses over the rural population of Ireland to the dissemination of our economic principles, became Vice-President.

Both he and Lord Monteagle have been annually re-elected ever since.
The growth of the movement in the last nine years under the fostering care of the I.A.O.S.

is highly satisfactory.

By the autumn of this year (1903) considerably over eight hundred societies had been established, and the number is ever growing; of these 360 were dairy, and 140 agricultural societies, nearly 200 agricultural banks, 50 home industries societies, 40 poultry societies, while there were 40 others with miscellaneous objects.

The membership may be estimated--I am writing towards the end of the Society's statistical year--at about 80,000, representing some 400,000 persons.