esident, a handsome
banner presented by the national union at Nashville as a reward for the
largest membership of any state in the Union, and in 1890 we received
the beautiful prize banner awarded by Miss Willard at Atlanta to the
state making the largest increase in membership, New York being first in
the Middle States. At the Denver convention, in 1892, New York was again
awarded the national prize banner for the largest percentage of increase
in membership.

In 1893 our state received two other national banners--one from Miss
Lucia F. Kimball, national superintendent of Sunday-school Work, for
returning the largest number of signed autograph pledge cards for the
World's Fair, and the other from Mrs. Mary H. Hunt, national
superintendent of the Department of Scientific Temperance Instruction,
for having the largest number of local superintendents of this
department of any State in the Union.

STATE BANNERS.

In 1889 Mrs. Ella C. Viele, publisher of our state paper, _Woman's
Temperance Work_, presented a banner to the county having the largest
subscription list from January to September. Dutchess county captured
the prize, holding it until 1892, when Steuben received it; but in 1893
Dutchess county came to the front and again claimed it for its own.

PRESIDENT'S PRIZE BANNERS.

Through the generosity of our president, the state has five banners
which are awarded each year to the counties showing the greatest
increase in membership. The state is divided into four tiers--northern,
southern, eastern, and western--and a banner goes to the county in each
division which has rolled up the greatest increase. The fifth banner is
for the Y's, and is awarded to the county which has gained most in Y.
membership, regardless of location.

The Loyal Temperance Legion also has a beautiful banner, which was first
presented in 1891 to Suffolk county for having gained most in the number
of Loyal Temperance Legions during the year.

These banners are each held for one year, being then brought to the
annual meeting and "passed along" or held over again, as the case may
be.

EXHIBITS.

In 1885 our state was represented at the World's Exposition at New
Orleans by a beautiful banner, and that we were worthily represented is
shown by the fact that to this banner was awarded the first honorable
mention.

The exhibit sent by our state to the Columbian Exposition, and which was
placed in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union