Linguists and Linguistics
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Abstract
and farsighted understanding of the need for our organization. A further proof of the wisdom of our founders can be seen in the esteem or veneration we have inspired in others who have taken our group as a pattern for similar language associations. Another characteristic that identifies us as a venerable institution is our wealth of traditions. We are gathered together in Boston in our traditional annual meeting and, since the very beginning, these annual meetings have been an occasion for the friendly contacts between high-school and college teachers that our founders envisaged as one of the two principal aims of our society. Right now we are met to observe another tradition, the annual luncheon that features the presidential address. I am, of course, proud to be a part of this last tradition although I admit that the thought of preparing something worthwhile to discuss with you today made me regret that I lacked the firmness to say "No" a little over eighteen months ago when your nominating committee asked me to accept a place on the presidential ballot. "Something worthwhile" has characterized traditionally the content of presidential addresses ever since Lawrence Wilkins delivered the first in 1917. I grew increasingly disturbed as today's date approached and this uneasiness, probably traditional in our presidents, has lasted up to this very m ment. My first step in preparing for this moment was to take from the shelf