CONSTITUTION

OF THE

STATE CHARITIES AID ASSOCIATION.

ADOPTED MAY 11, 1872.

AMENDED MARCH 28, 1878.

ARTICLE I.

The Name of this Association shall be the STATE CHARITIES AID ASSOCIATION.

ARTICLE II.

Title.

The Objects of the Association shall be: Ist. To promote an active public interest in the New York State Institutions of Public Charities, with a view to the physical, mental and moral improvement of their pauper inmates. 2d. To make the present pauper system more efficient, and to bring about such reforms in it as may be in accordance with the most enlightened views of Christianity, Science and Philanthrophy.

ARTICLE III.

Objects.

The Association shall make an Annual Report on the first day of March Annual Reto the New York State Board of Charities.

ARTICLE IV.

The Association shall be composed of both men and women.

ARTICLE V.

The Officers of the Association shall consist of a President, a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh Vice-President, a Treasurer, a Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, an Associate Secretary and a Librarian. They, excepting the Secretary, shall be elected for the year by a two-thirds vote, by ballot, of members present at the annual meeting. The Secretary shall be appointed, and removed by the Executive Committee. In case of the death or resignation of an officer, excepting the Secretary, a successor for the remainder of the year may be elected by a two-thirds vote, by ballot, of members present at any regular monthly meeting of the Association, two weeks' notice having been previously given in writing to all members by the Secretary.

Officers shall be ex-officio members of all Standing Committees.

port.

Constitution.

Officers.

ARTICLE VI.

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association, or appoint President. ⚫ a presiding officer from among those members of the Association present; shall appoint the members of Standing Committees; shall call Special Meetings at discretion or upon the written request of three members; shall appoint Special Committees, and shall have the objects and general interests of the Association in charge. The President shall, once every year, appoint an Auditing Committee to examine and report upon the accounts of the Association. This Committee shall consist of three gentlemen, not members of the Association.

ARTICLE VII.

The First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth. Sixth and Seventh Vice-Presidents, in the order named, shall, in the absence of the President, perform the ordinary duties of the President.

ARTICLE VIII.

The Treasurer shall have charge of the funds of the Association; shall keep a regular account thereof, and make monthly and annual Reports of the condition of the treasury at the regular meetings of the Association. The fiscal year of the Association shall be the calendar year.

Bills sent to the Treasurer for payment must be approved by the Executive Committee, and certified by signatures of the Secretary and a member of the Executive Committee.

Vice-
Presidents,

Treasurer.

ARTICLE IX.

The Secretary shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Association, Secretary. solely responsible for the management of its affairs, under such general rules and orders as shall be adopted by resolution of the Executive Committee. It shall be the special duty of the Secretary, in the first place, to bring about, by correspondence and personal visitation, the organization of Visiting Committees, auxiliary to this Association, for every institution of Charity supported by the public funds in the State of New York, and afterwards to maintain such correspondence with, and obtain such returns from them, as shall be necessary to the furtherance of the objects of the Association.

The Secretary shall keep minutes of the proceedings of all the meetings of the Association and of the Executive Committee; shall give notice of all meetings; shall receive and file the reports of the different committees, and keep any accounts and records of the Association that may be required.

The Secretary shall obtain money needed to meet the expenses of the Association by written requisition, countersigned by a member of the Executive Committee, upon the Treasurer, and shall account for the same at the monthly meetings of the Executive Committee, and at the annual meeting of the Association.

The Secretary shall make written monthly and annual reports to the Executive Committee.

i

ARTICLE X.

The Corresponding Secretary and the Associate Secretary shall do such Corresponding writing as may be required under the general direction of the Secretary.

ARTICLE XI.

It shall be the duty of the Librarian: Ist. To collect by means of donations to the Association such books and pamphlets as may, in the judgment of the Librarian, contain valuable information upon subjects connected with the objects and work of the Association, and to make a catalogue of the samie. 2d. To adopt a system by which the Library books may be available to all the members of the Association, as freely as may be consistent with a due regard for the preservation of the books.

The Librarian shall make written Monthly and Annual Reports of Donations and Loans to the Library, at the regular meetings of the Executive Committee and of the Association. The Librarian shall, before the regular meetings of the Standing Committees, send to the Secretary of each Committee, to be laid before the Committee, a list of any books, pamphlets or drawings given or loaned since the previous meeting, which may have reference to the work of the Committee.

ARTICLE XII.

and Associate Secretaries.

Librarian.

There shall be an Executive Committee, composed of the Officers of the Executive Committee. Association (excepting the Secretary) and the Chairmen of the Standing Committees. It shall hold meetings just previous to the regular monthly meetings of the Association, and oftener if desirable; it shall elect its own Chairman annually, just after the annual meeting of the Association, and make its own By-Laws; shall report in writing at the monthly meetings, and shall make a written Annual Report for the Association to the New York State Board of Charities.

It shall be the duty of this committee to define and adopt such course of action as may best promote the objects of the Association, and to devise ways and means for increasing the usefulness and efficiency of the Association.

It shall have authority to enforce the observance by all members of the Articles of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association.

It shall provide for the visitation by its members, from time to time, of the Institutions of Public Charities throughout the State.

This committee shall put itself into communication with the New York State Board of Charities.

Manuscript designed for publication must come before the Executive Committee for revision before being submitted to the votes of the Association.

ARTICLE XIII.

There shall be five Standing Committees, as follows:

I. Committee on Children.

2. Committee on Adult Able-bodied Paupers.

3. Committee on Hospitals.

Standing Committees.