The beginning of the seventh decade of The Symposium coincided with the peak of the Watergate scandal, the knighting of Charlie Chaplin by Queen Elizabeth II, the assassination of King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, the re-opening of the Suez Canal following the end of the Six-Day War, and the birth of Angelina Jolie.

It also coincided with an era of wrestling with problems of membership and finance facing the club. These two issues were closely related, since more members would mean more revenue in the form of dues. Costs associated with the meetings (mainly subsidization of the cost of the dinners, now amounting to $2.50 per meal) were rising rapidly. In October of 1975, President James Rendall announced that the Trenton Club had raised the price of dinner to $9.00. A motion was made and accepted "to hereafter collect $8 from those attending the meetings and subsidize $1.00 from the treasury." This reduction in the size of the subsidy, coupled with the dues increase that had taken place several years earlier, temporarily addressed the situation.

But it did not go away entirely. The minutes of the meeting of November 1, 1978 contain the following statement: "The subject of the cost of the dinner in these inflationary times was discussed. The Trenton Club has been hospitable to us and should not be expected to continue to serve us unless we pay our full share. The advantages of meeting at the Trenton Club were expressed. On the other hand, we were assured that the Club will continue to serve us practically at cost but that may be somewhat more than we have been paying." This problem was exacerbated by the fact that, between 1975 and 1978, the active membership fell from 50 to 44, thus seriously reducing dues income.

In January of 1979, Herbert Moore suggested that The Symposium consider increasing the membership limitation to include more members, perhaps twenty-five additional. The idea was given considerable discussion. President Arnold Pierce pointed out that the proposal for a constitutional change, which was under discussion, should be the subject of a membership canvas. At the March meeting, President Pierce reported a 70% response to the question of extending the membership limit and stated, "Individuals expressed themselves freely on the subject and offered alternatives but, on the whole, agreed to remain as we are."

In October, 1979, The Trenton Club raised the price of dinners to $12. However, at the meeting of November, 1979, "By general approval, it was decided that $9 would be collected for the dinners hereafter and the rest of the cost should be born by The Symposium treasury." Thus, the organization was back in the subsidy business in a major way. This decision would mean that the organization would subsidize each member's dinners to the amount of $24 a year (assuming perfect attendance at eight meetings) out of a dues structure that produced only $20 per member per year. Anyone who carefully thought this through would come to the inevitable conclusion that the treasury would obviously be better off if fewer members attended the meetings - less subsidy would be required.

Between November, 1979 and April, 1980, Dr. Paul Reisinger, on three separate occasions, recommended an increase in the authorized size of the membership, which would have created additional income in the form of dues. However, on each occasion he was rebuffed. Arnold Pierce, the immediate Past President, stated that he did not think that a larger club would necessarily be a better club and offered the counter-suggestion that two non-attending members (unnamed in the minutes) be given honorary status and two others (also unnamed) be polled about the continuing interest in remaining members. In November 1980, President Wilson Sturdevant sent the following letter to all the members:

"We are confronted with a problem which is very disturbing to your officers and, I am sure, to many of you - poor attendance.

"It does not seem unreasonable to expect that at least 75% of our 50 active members would attend each of our eight monthly meetings. Symposium exists only to provide fellowship and education to its members. We always have a waiting list of men anxious to join and attend our meetings and wait twelve to eighteen months for the privilege. At the same time our attendance averages less than 60%. In addition, we have the further problem of no-shows. For example, at the November meeting seven men who returned cards with a "Yes" did not attend.

"The only attendance requirement of Symposium is the By-Law which states automatic termination for a member missing eight consecutive meetings. Obviously the founders rightfully assumed that the very purpose of Symposium would support a high degree of attendance since membership is of no value to the non-attender."

Then, in an effort to ease the present budget crisis, [it was] moved that all current members be assessed $5 and that those present make payment at this meeting. The motion was passed without a negative vote.

The minutes of the meeting of February 3, 1982 report a "Constitutional Amendment adopted by voice vote" allowing future changes to the dues structure to be made without future amendments to the Constitution, but previous minutes contain no record of a discussion of this amendment; neither is the specific language of the amendment recorded. Furthermore, in December of 1982, the minutes record an amendment raising the dues to $30 and adding the language "until changed by the membership."

At the end of the meeting year in May, 1982, at the request of President Larrecq, Paul Burr, the Secretary/Treasurer presented the following statistics on the attendance by members during 1981-82:

23 members were absent 4 or more meetings
11 were absent 5 or more meetings
8 were absent 6 or more meetings
2 were absent 7 meetings

There were a total of 226 attendances by members Who each paid $13 for dinner, a total of $2938 The average attendance per meeting was 28.25 We paid $3107 to the Trenton Club for dinners for members and speakers

Discussion ensued with both pro and con comments on the proposal to raise dues to $100 per year, to include the price of dinner. Among other proposals suggested as alternatives were to raise the limit of active members to 60 or to make it mandatory that those with less than 60% attendance be dropped. It was finally moved, seconded and passed that a letter be sent to the membership outlining the problem asking for a vote on: "Shall the dues be increased to $100 with dinners at no cost?" Note: $30 of this amount has been paid for 1982-83. The vote on this proposal would be by the enclosed card to be returned to the Secretary/Treasurer indicating each individual member's wish."

The next meeting was in October, 1982 and it was a momentous one. Paul Burr, the Secretary/Treasurer, announced that following a secret ballot conducted by mail it was recommended by 30 (according to the minutes) or 31 (according to a letter from the Secretary/Treasurer to the membership]) affirmative votes to 12 negative votes that the dues be increased to $100 per year commencing January 1, 1983 and that such dues cover the 1983 calendar year.

Also at that meeting, after assuming the chair, President Robert Murto reminded the members of the report on non-attendance at meetings which was presented at the last meeting held the previous May. It was obvious early on that one of the principal concerns of the group is the relatively low attendance at the meetings. It had been at times an embarrassment since the quality and importance of the speaker warrants a good attendance. It was pointed out that 21 of the 50 members attended three or fewer meetings during the past year.

The general feeling was that raising and requiring prepaid dues from all members should improve attendance. Dr. Reisinger pointed out that it could be expected that there would be at least five resignations because of the increased dues. Therefore, he renewed his recommendation of several years previous that the membership be increased.

It was quickly noted, however, that in order to do this a change in the Constitution was necessary and that a notice would have to be given at least two consecutive meetings before such change could take place. Dr. Kembel Widmer expressed what appeared to be the feeling of many when he said it was an honor to be a member of The Symposium but he agreed that an attendance of 20 to 25 persons is not enough when a speaker of the caliber which we seek is before us.

Two approaches were recommended: (1) that the authorized number of members be increased; (2) that consideration be given to decreasing the number of missed meetings as a requisite for continued membership.

A. J. Larrecq proposed a compromise, to whit: raise the authorized membership to 55. Since there may be some resignations, the infusion of five to ten new members, and thus new ideas, minds and backgrounds, would be reasonable and ample to assume during the next year. Ed Robinson recommended that the eight-consecutive-absence provision be dropped to six.

After further discussion two proposed amendments to the Constitution were adopted:

1. A.J. Larrecq moved that membership be increased from 50 to 55. There were several seconds and virtually unanimous approval by a show of hands.
2. Judge Sidney Goldman moved that membership in The Symposium shall cease upon failure of a member to attend four meetings in any calendar year. The motion was seconded by Edmund Robinson and on a show of hands vote, all members voted yes except one which was a no.

Article II. Name and Membership.

Section 1. This organization shall be known as The Symposium, and shall consist of not more than fifty fifty-five members, who shall be citizens or residents of Burlington, Hunterdon or Mercer County in New Jersey or Bucks County in Pennsylvania.

Section 3. Membership in The Symposium shall cease upon failure of a member to attend eight consecutive meetings four sessions in any calendar year, except when the Membership Committee, upon prompt review, recommends that an exception be made, due to unusual circumstances.

After this flurry of activity, things quieted down for a while. It wasn't until three years later, in November, 1985, that Ed Whelan made a motion to raise the dues to $130 per year, effective in January 1986, to cover an increase in dinner costs. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. However at the next meeting a member who was not present when the vote was taken opened further discussion regarding the dues increase. Some members expressed concern that the increase of $30.00 in the annual dues would "increase the amount in the treasury unnecessarily." A cursory examination of the annual Financial Reports for 1986 and 1987 indicates that this was not the case. A year later, in December, 1986, in reply to an inquiry from the floor, President David Pierce noted that it was not thought advisable to reduce dues for 1987, but that "we expect to hold to our present dues level for at least a couple of years."

He was uncannily correct. Two years later, in December 1988, another dues increase - to $140 - took place (although there is no mention of it in the minutes - the only evidence is in the record book of the Secretary/Treasurer).

Meanwhile costs continued to rise. From $13.75 in 1982, the charge per meal by the Trenton Club rose to $15.00 in April, 1985, $17.50 in March, 1988, $20.00 in February, 1989, $24 in November, 1989 and $25.00 in February, 1990. In light of this, dues were increased again in November 1989, this time to $160.

This chapter in the history of The Symposium has so far focused on issues of membership, attendance and finances. These, of course, were important, but the intellectual and social purposes of the group were scarcely affected by them.

When announcing that William G. Bowen, president of Princeton University, would address the May 5, 1976, Symposium president James H. Rendall pointed out that "Our society has been addressed more than fifty times by Princeton professors but this is the first scheduled address by the incumbent President. Harold Dodds addressed us twice before he became Princeton's President (in 1930 and 1933) and seven Presidents of other institutions of higher learning have served us as speakers."

On October 6, 1976, The tradition of memorializing deceased members in the minutes with a eulogy and sending a copy thereof to a survivor, mentioned above, ended. Donald B. Rice, a member since 1937, Vice President in 1945 and President in 1946, who died on June 8th got only "a standing silent prayer for him and his long life."

Although the minutes do not mention the fact, Mary Ann Bartusis, MD was the first woman to address The Symposium. She was the wife of Symposium member Donald Bartusis and was the guest speaker at the meeting of January 3, 1979. However, her talk which presented the contents of her book, "Every Other Man," dealt with male impotence and garnished a few verbal winks in the minutes.

In October of that year, George N. J. Sommer, Jr. MD was elected president of the organization. Fifty-four years earlier, in 1925, his father George N. J. Sommer, MD, had been elected to the same office.

In November of 1980 one tradition ended and another began. Since April, 1946 - 34 years and 268 meetings - dinner at the meetings of The Symposium had begun at 6:30. At the November, 1980 meeting President Wilson Sturdevandt raised the question of the desirability of starting our meetings at 6 o'clock instead of 6:30. Although no discussion is recorded in the minutes, Dr. Paul Reisinger so moved and Edward Walton seconded, and the motion was passed unanimously, to begin with the December meeting.

At the following meeting, in December, President Sturdevant reported on plans to update the pamphlet containing our Constitution, lists of Officers and a roster of members for reprinting and distribution to our members. The last printing was in 1973. In March of 1985, David Pierce, chairman of the Membership Committee, renewed this request, proposing that a copy of the Constitution and a list of the membership, with addresses and phone numbers when available, be provided to the members each year. In May of 1986, the minutes contain the following statement: "The secretary will update our booklet during the summer hiatus. A separate list containing names and addresses will be prepared." In all three cases, a small pamphlet containing a copy of the current Constitution and a list of officers was produced, but in no case were the addresses and telephone numbers of the members distributed. The reasons for this are not clear. Perhaps the membership was perceived to be opposed to publicizing their addresses and phone numbers. Perhaps the cost of printing the list was considered excessive. Perhaps it was just another case of lack of follow-up and/or direction, which, as we have seen, occurred several times earlier in the history of the organization.

In March, 1982, Wilson Sturdevandt announced the acquisition by The Symposium of a beautiful and interesting scroll given as a memorial to the highly regarded Judge William Lanning. Judge Lanning was a charter member from 1904 until his death in 1912. He was the grandfather of William Lanning who was more recently a member. The scroll, which was found among Judge Lanning's records, was passed among the members. There followed a motion by Robert Backes and seconded by all the members that the memorial be properly framed and that effort be made by the officers to request that it be placed at some place within the Trenton Club public area so that it might be enjoyed and respected by many persons. At the May meeting, the President reported to the membership that the scroll had been handsomely framed and hung in the dining room of the Trenton Club.

The following year, at the March, 1983 meeting, Dr. Reisinger moved that a photograph of the members be taken at the May meeting. This met with interest and unanimous approval.

Front Row: Herbert Moore, John Belli, Paul Burr, Adolph Harvitt, William Heefner, Robert Murto, Charles Bain. Edmund Robinson, Frederick Zoda, Anthony J. Larrecq

Middle Row (left): John Dilatush, Kenneth Atchley

Back Row: Henry Murphy, Leonard Lynch, Edward Swan, John Haverstick, Charles Stewart, Wilson Sturdevant, Paul Hartsfield, Merlin Smith, Paul Reisinger, George Brauninger, William Hart, Carroll Moore, Kemble Widmer, William J. B. Stokes, III, Wellington Eler, Arnold Pierce

Despite the continuing concern, documented above, about attendance at meetings of The Symposium, there was occasional good news on the meeting attendance front. At the meeting of April 5, 1988, when Gerald M. Hansler spoke on "The Delaware River Basin Commission: Its Origins and the Delaware River," meeting attendance topped 50 for the first time in Symposium history.

The 15 years covered in this chapter were rich ones in terms of the subject matter presented for discussion at the meetings. Just prior to the merger of the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroads to form Penn Central, John Pullam, District Court Judge for Eastern Pennsylvania spoke on the topic, "The Crisis in the Railroads of the Northeastern United States." Six months before its ratification by the Senate in 1978, Arnold Pierce, a Symposium member, presented "A Discussion of the Panama Canal Treaty" Other topics included "Duke Ellington and the Jazz Movement," "The Search for Energy at the Forrestal Campus," "The Diary of a Hessian Soldier" and "Afghan Resistance to Soviet Occupation."

Of the 122 presentations made during the period 1975 to 1990, only 24 (approximately 20%) were by members. Virgil Kauffman made four presentations, Lawrence Jacobsen made three, and seventeen other members made one each.

Twenty-eight members died during the 15-year period, including Lewis Link. He joined the organization in 1933 and, when he died in 1988, he held the record for the longest period of membership - 55 years. Twenty-five members resigned and 57 new members were added to the roles. Total membership, including honorary members, ranged from a low of 53 in 1980 to a high of 65 in 1987 and 1988, with an average membership for the period of just over 58.

Not only was the size of the membership at an all-time high, average attendance at meetings topped 56%, the highest of any of the periods covered in this report.