Page:Transactions of the Second International Folk-Congress.djvu/18

xiv success of the Congress. This result was obtained by repeated circulars addressed to members of all known folk-lore societies, to the Gipsy-lore Society, to the Anthropological Society, to the Society of Antiquaries, as well as by direct invitation to all scholars whose line of research in any ways touched folk-lore studies.

The Organising Committee was also fortunate enough to secure the active countenance and support of Mr. Andrew Lang, then President of the Folk-lore Society. Mr. Lang was nominated to the Presidentship of the Congress, a position to which his eminence as a man of letters and his acknowledged leadership among English folk-lorists fully entitled him, and in which he was able to render invaluable service.

Sub-committees were appointed, the list of which will be found on p. vii.

From the first it was felt desirable by the members of the Organising Committee that one of the outcomes of the Congress should be the constitution of a permanent body representing all schools of folk-lore research and all existing folk-lore organisations. This International Folk-lore Council should, it was suggested, be elected by each Congress, and remain in office from one Congress to another. In addition to serving as a bond of union between scholars scattered all over the world, and acting as a final court of appeal in all folk-lore matters, its special function should be the material and scientific organisation of the next Congress. It was therefore resolved to submit to the Congress a list of names, as representative as possible, for election to the proposed Council; and it was further resolved to take the Comité de Patronage and the Comité de Organisation of the first Congress as the basis of such a list. Numerous names were added, and the list, as finally voted by the Congress, will be found on pp. xxiv-xxv. It is necessary to place on record one fact connected with this list. Among the members of the Comité de Patronage of the first Congress was Dr. Ed. Veckenstedt, editor of