The annual meeting provides an opportunity to bring members up to date on the progress of. their cooperative. It is the logical time to review and analyze the past year's business, to discuss economic and business trends, the volume and costs of operations, and the financial condition of the business.

Members are entitled to know all the pertinent facts concerning their organization. Properly presented and intelligent- ly discussed, annual reports are a basis of mutual understanding between management and members. The use of well- chosen pictures, charts, slides, and overheads helps members grasp the highlights covered.

Annual reports can also serve an additional purpose. "An analysis of the entire cooperative organization is frequently refreshing," points out one manager, "even to those who have been in the association for many, many years."

Those who have worked with the organization and have done their part toward helping to build it assume that every member of the association is equally well informed regarding these matters. But the story must be told over and over for those who are not fully aware of the nature of the cooperative's activities.

Highlights of the cooperative's business must be publicized for the entire membership, but particularly for members and their families attending for the first time.