officers apply to and govern the officers of such neighborhood, so far as the same can in substance be applied thereto. (61)

CHAPTER II

The District Meeting

Whenever a new school district is formed, the school commissioner or any one or more of such commissioners within whose districts it may be, must prepare a notice describing such district, and appointing a time and place for the first district meeting, and deliver such notice to a taxable inhabitant of the district. (80)

It is the duty of such inhabitant to notify every other inhabitant of the district qualified to vote at the meeting, by reading the notice in his hearing, or in case of his absence from home, by leaving a copy thereof, or so much thereof as relates to the time, place and object of the meeting, at the place of his abode, at least 6 days before the time of the meeting. (81)

In case such meeting is held, and in the opinion of the school commissioner it is necessary to hold such meeting before the time herein fixed for the first annual meeting, he must deliver another such notice to a taxable inhabitant of the district, who must serve it as provided above. (82)

The district clerk of each common school district must give notice of the time and place of the annual meeting by posting 5 notices of such meeting

in 5 conspicuous places in the district 5 days previous to the date of such meeting. One of such notices must be posted on the front door of the schoolhouse. (83)

The annual meeting of each school district shall be held on the 1st Tuesday of August in each year. (84)

Unless the hour and place have been fixed by a vote of a previous district meeting, the same must be held in the schoolhouse at 7:30 p.m.. If a district possesses more than one school-house, it must be held in the one usually employed for that purpose, unless the trustees designate another. If the district possesses no school-house, or if the school-house shall be no longer accessible, then the annual meeting must be held at such place as the trustees, or, if there be no trustee, the clerk, shall designate in the notice. (84)

Whenever the time for holding the annual meeting in school districts passes without such meeting being held in any district, a special meeting must thereafter be called by the trustees or by the clerk of such district for the purpose of transacting the business of the annual meeting. (85. See 195)

If no such meeting be called by the trustees or the clerk within 20 days after such time, the school commissioner of the commissioner district in which said school district is situated or the commissioner of education may order any inhabitant of such district to give notice of such meeting, and the officers of the district must make to such meeting the reports required to be made at the annual meeting, subject to the same penalty in case of neglect; and the officers elected at such meeting will hold their respective offices only until the next annual meeting and until their successors are elected and have qualified. (85. See 81, 195.)

A special district meeting must be held whenever called by the trustees. The notice thereof must state the purposes for which it is called, and no business may be transacted at such special meeting, except that which is specified in the notice. (86. See 195)

The district clerk, or, if the office be vacant, or the clerk be sick or absent, or refuses to act, a trustee, or some taxable inhabitant, by order of the trustees, must serve the notice upon each inhabitant of the district qualified to vote at district meetings, at least 5 days before the day of the meeting, in the manner prescribed. But the inhabitants of any district may, at any annual meeting, adopt a resolution prescribing some other mode of giving notice of special meetings, which resolution and the mode prescribed thereby will continue in force until rescinded or modified at some subsequent annual meeting. (81, 86)

At the annual meeting, the usual order of business is the presentation of the annual reports of trustees, collector, and treasurer. The trustees then present statement of the money needed for teachers' wages, fuel, repairs, insurance, furniture, library, etc. and the meeting takes action upon it. This should precede election.-Superintendent's Circular of Information, July 5, 1894; 407).

When the clerk and all the trustees of a school district have removed from the district, or their office be vacant, so that a special meeting can not be called, as herein before provided, the school commissioner may in like manner give notice of, and call a special district meeting. (89)

The proceedings of a district meeting, annual or special, will not be held illegal for want of a due notice to all the persons qualified to vote thereat, unless it appear that the omission to give such notice was wilful and fraudulent. (90)

The proceedings of any meeting may be set aside where the proceedings were so turbulent and disorderly as to prevent a fair expression of opinion (589), or where records of the

meeting were not properly kept (591). But the meeting is not bound by strict parliamentary rules, and makes its own. (573)

If it is impossible to transact the business of the meeting through noise and disorder, the chairman may adjourn it, after which the powers of the meeting are exhausted. (D 4504)

Every taxable inhabitant, to whom a notice of any district meeting is delivered for services pursuant to any provisions of this article, who refuses or neglects to serve the same, as herein before prescribed, forfeits $5 for the benefit of the district. (91)

Whenever any district meeting is duly called, it is the duty of the inhabitants qualified to vote thereat, to assemble at the time and place fixed for the meeting. (92)

A person who, without authority of law, wilfully disturbs any assembly or meeting not unlawful in its character, is guilty of a misdemeanor. (88: 1909, 1470)

Any person is qualified to vote at any school meeting for the election of school district officers, and upon all other matters which may be brought before such meeting who is:

A citizen of the United States.

1.

3. A resident within the district for a period of 30 days next preceding the meeting at which he offers to vote; and who in addition thereto possesses one of the following four qualifications:

a.

Owns or hires, or is in the possession under a contract of purchase of real property in such district liable to taxation for school purposes, or

b. Is the parent of a child of school age, provided