Constitution of Friends' Historical Association

CONSTITUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION.13 CONSTITUTION OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. Historical Preamble, 1924. Friends' Historical Association was founded Twelfth Month 4th, 1873, adopted its Constitution First Month 8th, 1874, and was incorporated Ninth Month 25, 1875. Friends' Historical Society of Philadelphia was founded in 1904, and was merged into the older Association in Twelfth Month, 1923. The following Constitution, based upon that of 1874, with certain modifications chiefly from the Constitution of Friends' Historical Society of Philadelphia, is now agreed upon and adopted, Fourth Month 2nd, 1924. Original Preamble, 1874. " Believing that the Society of Friends has been and is potential for good and that necessity exists to create a Repository for such Books, Manuscripts, or other material as may be secured, wherewith to Elucidate its History ; and realizing the importance of social intercourse in enlarging our sympathies, and creating an incentive to action in Kindred pursuits, the undersigned, for the purposes above set forth, do form ourselves into a Society to be known by the name and title of ' Friends' Historical Association.' " ARTICLE I. Name. The name of this Association shall be Friends' Historical Association . ARTICLE II. Objects. The objects of the Association shall be to collect, preserve and publish manuscripts and other materials bearing upon the history of the Society of Friends, or Quakers ; to encourage and promote among its members historical reading, research and writing in this 14 BULLETIN OF FRIENDS HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. field; to hold meetings, make historical pilgrimages, preserve and mark places and objects of special significance in Quaker history; and to cooperate with other individuals and organizations along these lines. ARTICLE III. Membership. Any person interested in the objects of the Association is eligible for membership and may be elected thereto by a majority vote at any meeting of the Directors. Honorary or Corresponding Members may be elected to the Association. Honorary membership shall be reserved for those who have done notable research work in the field of history, preferably in the history of the Society of Friends. Honorary and Corresponding Members shall have all the privileges of membership except voting, and shall be exempt from the payment of dues. ARTICLE IV. Directors and Officers. The fourteen Directors prescribed by the Charter shall be elected annually and they in turn shall elect annually from their number a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary and a Treasurer, who shall serve as the officers alike of the Association and of the Directors. The Directors may fill vacancies in their number. In addition to the regular officers as above, the Directors are empowered, as they see fit, to elect Honorary Officers from the membership of the Association. ARTICLE V. Funds. All life membership dues, legacies, bequests, amounts oversubscribed to special funds, and such funds or other amounts as may from time to time be so appropriated by the Directors, shall constitute a Permanent Fund, to be kept invested, and the income therefrom to be used for the general purposes of the Association. BY-LAWS OF THE ASSOCIATION.15 The principal of the Permanent Fund may be appropriated for other purposes of a substantial and permanent character, if such appropriation is agreed to by two-thirds of the total number of Directors, after one month's prior notice in writing stating the specific purposes proposed. ARTICLE VI. Seal. The Seal of the Association shall be as impressed in the margin of this Constitution. ARTICLE VII. By-Laws. The details of management of the Association shall be provided for in the By-Laws. ARTICLE VIlI. Amendments. This Constitution may be amended at any meeting of the Association , provided that a notice of the intended amendment shall be given in writing, through the Directors to the members, two months in advance. BY-LAWS OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. ARTICLE I. Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting of the Association shall be held in Philadelphia on the last Second Day of the Eleventh month, at such place and hour as the Directors may decide. Other meetings of the Association may be called by the Directors or the President upon due notice. ...