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December TELESCOPE 274 Our cover this month is the bell mounted behind the forward turret of the whaleback steamer John Ericsson. As we noted in our April issue, John Ericsson, the last whaleback bulk freight steamer on the lakes, went into retirement this year. We learn that plans are afoot to preserve at least a part of her at Toronto, offered by Upper Lakes Shipping Ltd., her last owners. In our haste to finish up our November issue, we neglected to identify the cover subject, a photograph of Norwegian tanker Dagali from the collection of Donald Baut. Under her later name of Stolt Dagali, this onetime Seaway visitor was lost off the New Jersey coast on Thanksgiving Day after being cut in two by the Israeli cruise liner Shalom. General Meeting Friday 29 January 1965 Dossin Museum, 8 p.m. Our speaker will be our Treasurer James McDonald, who will present a showing of his marine color slides. Mr. McDonald is one of the more imaginative Great Lakes area photographers, and often uses his slide programs to introduce the lakes to other gatherings, so that we shall look forward to his program with the greatest pleasure. Business Meeting Friday 26 February 1965 Dossin Museum, 8 p.m. Visitors are welcome to these meetings of the Board of Directors. * * * PAST MEETING REPORTS: On November 20, the Institute was privileged to have as its speaker Mr. William R. Wingate, who has been closely connected with the lake passenger business for many years. Mr. Wingate's talk was a fascinating series of stories and anecdotes of his years on the lakes, both as a young man in a freighter's crew, and later in his connections with many famous passenger steamers. Bad weather and the newspaper strike in Detroit cut attendance somewhat, but those on hand were delighted with the stories, some funny, some sad, which Mr. Wingate had to offer. As a second section, Mr. Wingate offered various slides from his own and other collections, and said a few words about the passenger boats shown. At the end of his talk, Mr. Wingate presented the museum a fine stone-lithograph of Seeandbee, a print he had owned since he had been with the C&B Line in the thirties. Bob Lee and Pat Labadie hung it immediately. After the entertainment meeting, there was a short, informal session for the board members and officers present, at which Bob Lee read a letter received concerning printing of Telescope. --William M. Worden, Secretary