SIXTH  ANNUAL  REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE HE Secretary begs leave to submit for your consideration the         following brief review of the affairs of the Society during       the year just closing. The Society entered upon its sixth year of existence with an active membership of seventy-five. To these were added during the year, nine, making a total of eighty-four members. During  the same  period the Society lost by  death, five members, viz.: Jos.   Alex.   Shriver,   who   died  on   the  1st  of  March   1891, Christopher Lipps,       ''        "       "     "   13th   "   April        " Hermann von Kapff,     "        "      "      "   30th   "       " " Frederick Polmyer,       "        "      "      "  16th   "   August     " Dr. John H. Smith,        "        "      "      "   7th   "   December" and also five, for other reasons.    A total loss of ten, leaving at the close of the present year upon our roll of active member ship the names of seventy-four gentlemen. The   number   of   corresponding   members   has   not   been changed from that of the previous year. Of   the  notable  events  during the year stands first as to       time  THE REMOVAL OF THE SOCIETY TO ITS NEW QUARTERS. Though  the rooms of the "Historical Society of Maryland" had been  most courteously offered  at the time of our 4 organization for our regular meetings, and had been just as readily accepted on the part of this Society, it became evident ere long for certain reasons, chiefly the want of sufficient book room for our rapidly increasing library, that a change of quarters would be acceptable to both organizations. In the March meeting of 1891, the Committee appointed for the purpose of securing other quarters reported, that the "GERMANIA CLUB" of Baltimore had kindly offered the use of a suitable room in their spacious building to this Society for its regular meetings and the storing of its library, etc., without any charge whatsoever. The offer was gratefully accepted on the part of the Society, and the removal ordered to take place at once. Hence the Society has occupied its new quarters in the Germania Club House since April 1891, and, I venture to add, to the entire satisfaction of its members.— "The Germania Club," charging no rent for the use of its room, but bearing in addition the expense for gas, janitor, etc., has thereby become a strong auxiliary to this Society, and is entitled to our most hearty thanks for its very liberal conduct in this matter. Another incident during the year deserving mention, was the 88TH BIRTHDAY OF OUR MOST WORTHY PRESIDENT, Rev. Dr. JOHN G. MORRIS, which occurred on the 14th of November 1891. The Society, very properly, took special notice of this event, since its success is due in no small measure to the untiring interest which the Doctor has ever manifested in the affairs of the Society, and the ability with which he has occupied the chair from the earliest beginnings of our organization. The Society rejoices with the President that, notwithstanding the unusual number of years already granted to him, he is still in the possession of physical and mental strength to a remarkable degree, and earnestly desires that a kind Providence may continue them to him for many years to come. THE GERMAN DAY, whose celebration during the previous year had stirred up the entire city, was again observed on the part of this Society, together with the "German Society of Baltimore," only in a 5 more quiet way, viz.: a banquet. About 140 guests responded to the invitation. Mr. L. P. Hennighausen, President of the "German Society'' and first Vice-President of this Society, presided on the occasion. Suitable addresses were delivered after the banquet by Mr. Theo. Poesche, of Washington, D. C., Mr. Ed. F. Leyh, Dr. M. Wiener, and Dr. L. H. Steiner. THE FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT of this Society, a document of 96 pages, and issued in March 1891, contained besides the Secretary's and Treasurer's Reports, list of members, the following articles composed and delivered by their respective authors : "Memoranda in Reference to Early German Emigration to Maryland," by F. B. Mayer, of Annapolis, Md. "Gottlieb Mittelberger's Reise nach Pennsylvanien und ihre Bedeutung als Kulturbild," by Prof. M. D. Learned, Ph. D. "Early Western Settlements," by L. P. Hennighausen, Esq. "The Celebration of the German Day of 1890 in Baltimore City," by L. P. Hennighausen, Esq. "Die Ersten Deutschen Secten in America," Part I, by L. P. Hennighausen, Esq. "Family Records," by Prof. Ch. F. Raddatz. THE PAPERS READ AT THE LAST YEAR'S MEETINGS                                were the following: 1. "Reports of two German Lutheran Ministers to the Ev, Luth. Synod of North Carolina in 1812," by L. P. Hennighausen, Esq.—(This article has already appeared in print in our last year's publication under the title: "Early Western Settlements.'') . 2. "Deutsche Kultur in Amerika," by Prof. M. D. Learned, D. Ph. — [This article is to appear in this year's Annual Report by resolution of the Society.] 3. "Abbe Domenec's miraculous and ridiculous discovery of Indian customs," by Rev. J. G. Morris, D. D. 6 4. Some instances of liberal bequests and donations by foreign- born citizens to charity and education in America," also by Rev. J. G. Morris, D. D. 5. "Early German Settlements in Western Maryland," by L. P. Hennighausen, Esq. Considering the great difficulty to learn at this late date any of the particulars in the experience and achievements of our earlier German forefathers, whose descendants have largely and for generations become entirely americanized, the endeavors of this Society in this direction, small as they may appear to the casual observer, nevertheless give proof not only of earnest research on the part of its members, but also of encouraging success. The Society is under obligations to the following members and friends of the organization for DONATIONS MADE DURING THE YEAR: Dr. Wm. Gombel. — L. P. Hennighausen. Esq. — Dr. L. H. Steiner. — Rev. F. Ph. Hennighausen. — Rev. Ed. Huber. — Rev. W. Arnolt, D. Ph. — Dr. W. H. Egle. — Künstler-Verein in Bremen. — Prof. H. Deiler. — Owners of "Der Deutsche Correspondent" and of "Das Baltimore Journal," who have again gratuitously offered their daily issues. The following is a LIST OF BOOKS added to our Library during the year both by purchase and by donation: 1.  "Durch das Weltall," by Louis Lübkert. 2. Reports of  Lutheran Synodical Conventions from the year 1812. 3. Geschichte der Deutschen Gesellschaft von Pennsylva- nien, von Prof. Oswald Seidensticker. 4. Acadia and the Acadians, by Rev. D. L. Roth. 5. Die allgemeine Wappenwissenschaft. 6.  Evangelische Liedersammlung. 7. Allgemeine Geschichte   der   Vereinigten   Staaten   von America, by C. F. Taylor. 7 8. Jahresbericht  der   Deutschen   Gesellschaft   von   New Orleans. 9. 2ter Jahresbericht der Gesellschaft des Künstler-Ver-eins in Bremen. 10. Report of Preliminary Meeting of the Pennsylvania German Society. 11. October issue of the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, containing copy of the Will of Augustine Herman, of Bohemia Manor. 13. Geistliches Blumengärtlein Inniger Seelen, von Terstee- gen, printed in Germantown, Pa., in 1791. 13. 1st vol. of "Der Süden," a weekly paper, published in Richmond, Va., in 1891. 14. Deutsches Lutherisches Gesangbuch, with an introduction by Rev. H. M. Mühlenberg, printed in Germantown, Pa., 1795. 15. Gesangbuch für evangelisch - reformirte Gemeinden in den Ver. Staaten von America, printed in Germantown, Pa., 1799. 16. Die Siegesgeschichte der christlichen Religion, von Dr. Jung-Stilling, printed in Reading, in 1814. Respectfully Submitted, F. PH. HENNIGHAUSEN, Sec'y. Baltimore, Md., February I6th, 1892.