"The society" was (and still is) the Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society. This organization was founded in 1944. William Johnson was one of the founders of the society, and was the second-to-last founder to pass away, leaving only T. Melville Bailey surviving him. Mel Bailey has since passed away, also.
The February 12, 1945 address, delivered orally to the society by Mr. Johnson, was printed by the Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society in their publication "Wentworth Bygones", a selection of addresses from the papers and records of the society, in Volume 2, in 1960.