PROCEEDINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY THE FIRST MEETING A MEETING of the subscribers to an Agreement of Asso ciation,1 made for the purpose of forming a corporation to be known as THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, was held, upon due notice, 2 on the seventeenth day of June, nineteen hundred and five, at eight o'clock in the evening, in the building of the Cambridge Social Union at 42 Brattle Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts. There were present: EDWARD ABBOTT, HOLLIS RUSSELL Bailey, ARTHUR GILMAN, MARY ISABELLA GOZZALDI, ALBERT BUSHNELL HART, RICHARD HENRY DANA was elected Temporary Chairman, and FRANK GAYLORD COOK was elected and duly sworn as Temporary Clerk. The Temporary Chairman, being empowered to appoint a Committee of three persons to consider and report By-Laws, appointed, as such Committee, EDWARD ABBOTT, Edward J. BRANDON, and HOLLIS R. BAILEY. The report of this 1 For the terms of the Agreement, see p. 94. 2 For the terms of the Notice, see p. 95. Committee was received and accepted, and the Committee was discharged. The name of this corporation shall be "THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY." II. OBJECT. The corporation is constituted for the purpose of collecting and preserving Books, Manuscripts, and other Memorials, of procuring the publication and distribution of the same, and generally of promoting interest and research, in relation to the history of Cambridge in said Commonwealth. III. REGULAR MEMBERSHIP. Any resident of the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, shall be eligible for regular membership in the Society. Nominations for such membership shall be made in writing to any member of the Council, and the persons so nominated may be elected at any meeting of the Council by a vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting. Persons so elected shall become members upon signing the By-Laws and paying the fees therein prescribed. IV. LIMIT OF REGULAR MEMBERSHIP. The regular membership of this Society shall be limited to two hundred. V. HONORARY MEMBERSHIP. Any person, nominated by the Council, may be elected an honorary member at any meeting of the Society by a vote of two-thirds of the members present and voting. Honorary members shall be exempt from paying any fees, shall not be eligible for office, and shall have no interest in the property of the Society and no right to vote. VI. OFFICERS. The officers of this corporation shall be a Council of thirteen members, having the powers of directors, elected by the Society, and a President, For the By-Laws at present in force see p. 99. three Vice-Presidents, a Secretary with the powers of Clerk, a Treasurer, and a Curator elected out of the Council by the Society. All the above officers shall be chosen by ballot at the Annual Meeting, and shall hold office for the term of one year and until their successors shall be elected and qualified. The Council shall have power to fill all vacancies. VII. DUTY OF PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society and shall be Chairman of the Council. In case of the death, absence, or incapacity of the President, his powers shall be exercised by the VicePresidents, respectively, in the order of their election. VIII. DUTY OF SECRETARY. The Secretary shall keep the records and conduct the correspondence of the Society and of the Council. He shall give to each member of the Society written notice of its meetings. He shall also present a written report of the year at each Annual Meeting. IX. DUTY OF TREASURER. The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds and securities, and shall keep in proper books the accounts, of the corporation. He shall receive and collect all fees and other dues owing to it, and all donations and testamentary gifts made to it. He shall make all investments and disbursements of its funds, but only with the approval of the Council. He shall give the Society a bond, in amount and with sureties, satisfactory to the Council, conditioned for the proper performance of his duties. He shall make a written report at each Annual Meeting. Such report shall be audited prior to the Annual Meeting by one or more auditors appointed by the Council. X. DUTY OF CURATOR. The Curator shall have charge, under the direction of the Council, of all Books, Manuscripts, and other Memorials of the Society, except the records and books kept by the Secretary and Treasurer. present a written report at each Annual Meeting. XI. DUTY OF COUNCIL. He shall The Council shall have the general management of the property and affairs of the Society, shall arrange for its meetings, and shall present for election from time to time the names of persons deemed qualified for honorary membership. The Council shall present a written report of the year at each Annual Meeting. XII. MEETINGS. The Annual Meeting shall be held on the last Monday of October in each year. Other meetings shall be held on the last Mondays of January and April of each year, unless the President otherwise directs. Special meetings may be called by the President or by the Council. XIII. QUORUM. At meetings of the Society ten members, and at meetings of the Council five members, shall constitute a quorum. XIV. FEES. The fee of initiation shall be one dollar. There shall also be an annual assessment of two dollars, payable in advance at the Annual Meeting. XV. RESIGNATION OF MEMBERSHIP. All resignations of membership must be in writing, provided, however, that failure to pay the annual assessment within six months after the Annual Meeting may, in the discretion of the Council, be considered a resignation of membership. XVI. AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS. These By-Laws may be amended at any meeting by a vote of twothirds of the members present and voting, provided that the substance of the proposed amendment shall have been inserted in the call for such meeting. The Temporary Chairman, being empowered to appoint a Committee of three persons to consider and report a list of nominations for the offices prescribed by the By-Laws, appointed as such Committee STEPHEN P. SHARPLES, SUSANNA WILLARD, and HOLLIS R. BAILEY. |