At the annual dinner of the Phillips Brooks House Association held last night, fourteen officers made their report for the current year 1923-24.

In addition to the President, Treasurer, Librarian, and Religious Work Secretary, there are included in the list the heads of the Christian Association, St. Paul's Catholic Club, St. Paul's Society, Chapel Committee, Mission Committee, Graduate Schools Society, Medical School Society, Dental School Society, Law School Society, and Social Service Committee. The reports in full follow:

Brooks House Is Worth the Candle President Finds

With a few exceptions, the detailed work of the Brooks House is covered in the reports of the various committees represented on the Cabinet. A few independent activities, however, can best be mentioned here.

First of these chronologically, is the Spread held on Class Day last year under our auspices. As usual, this filled a large need, and was as successful as it deserved to be, under the able managership of Malcolm Morse'24. The attendance was about 400, as compared to 322 last year.

Handbooks Soon Exhausted

The Harvard Handbook, Editor, Frederick Flather '23, Business Manager, A. M. White '25, proved not only a help to old students, but almost a necessity to many bewildered freshmen who scarcely knew where Harvard Square was. Also, the Handbook gives the Freshman his first conception of undergraduate organizations, and an understanding of what activities he is best suited for. The success of the Handbook can be measured by the demand for the edition. Many men kept applying for copies long after the supply was completely exhausted.

Cheek Gave Information

The Information Bureau this year was run by M. A. Cheek '26. Its purpose is to help students find rooms at the opening of college, also as an intermediary in furniture bargaining, and to answer any questions by new students it can. Each year more men come to the Information Bureau for assistance, and now it is obliged to begin its work two weeks before the opening of college.

On September 26th, the Freshman Reception was held. About 350 members were present. The speakers were: E. C. Carter '00; Captain Hubbard of the football team; F. A. O. Schwarz '24; J. McK. Kimball '24, Oliver LaFarge '24, representing the Crimson, Lampoon, and Advocate respectively; Alexander Mackey-Smith '24, President of the Glee Club; B. M. Henry '24 presiding.

Monday Freshman Talks

Later, as a natural sequence to this first meeting, a series of Monday night meetings were held in Smith Halls Common Room under the direction of Dean Sperry and a committee of students. Among the speakers were Dean Sperry, Bishop Slattery, and Dean Brown of Yale.

Open House on Thanksgiving Day was under the management of J. P. Hubbard '25, 125 men appeared. At a similar entertainment over Christmas 85 men appeared. J. L. Combs '26 was in charge.

Such are the details of general work not connected with any committees. So far as increased numbers of attendance, etc. goes, the report is encouraging, and shows that a few more men are interested in the work of Brooks House than last year.

As for giving out any statement that Brooks House occupies its due importance and prestige among the undergraduates, that is impossible, for it does not. Since the present graduating class has been in college, Brooks House has been respectable, conscientious, and vaguely approved of. But interest?--Have the majority of the college showed the interest in Brooks House that not only its position in the Yard, but the greatness of its founder and the power of its purpose deserves? Perhaps five hundred men have been connected with it in the past year. Many of these have been in boys clubs and other social service work, and the presence of their names on the roster is more due to the efficiency of the Social Service Committee than to any innate interest in the Brooks House itself. The work connected with our Association should be at least as important as the work of any of our publications, and as much a duty as trying for any college team. We do not reach half enough men. Even to the men elected to our committees, our work does not seem vital enough to sacrifice other activities for it. A man does not say, "I can not do that; I am working for the Brooks House." He says, "Sure I'll do it; the Brooks House can wait."