UMASS/AMHERST • 3iaDbbDDSaDm53 Rcni LIBRARY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE s o u R c E^a ss.. SosL.-^T Pronwiiio^./^.i: 73 B27 V.2 CONSTITUTION OF THE Massachusetts Society FOR promoting Agriculture. ESTABLISHED IN 1792. CONSTITUTION MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY EOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. ESTABLISHED IN 1792. ( BOSTON : NATHAN SAWYER & SON, PRINTERS, NO. 70 STATE STREET. 1894 t CONSTITUTION. ARTICLE I. That there shall be a President, two Vice- Presidents, a Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer, who shall be Trustees ex-officio ; in addition to these, six other Trustees shall be chosen from the State at large until others are elected in their stead. ARTICLE II. All ollicers, as well as new members, shall be elected by ballot. The election shall be deter- mined by a majority of votes. ARTICLE III. The Annual Meeting of the Society shall be held on the second Wednesday in June, at eleven 4 MASSACHUSETTS SO( IKTV o'clock A.M., at such place as the Trustees shall appoint, of which they shall give notice in one of the Hoston newspapers at least one week previous to said meeting. ARTICLE IV. There shall be a choice of oflicers at the Annual Meeting in June, and any number of members present, or voting by proxy, shall be authorized to transact business. ARTICLE V. If at any meeting of the Society, or of the Trustees, the President and Vice-Presidents should be absent, the members present may appoint one from among them to preside at such meeting. ARTICLE VI. The President, or, in case of his absence, either of the Vice-Presidents, with the advice of I FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. O the Trustees, may call a special meeting of the Society ; or whenever written application with reasons assigned therefor shall be made by any twelve members of the Society to the President and Trustees, they shall call such meeting. ARTICLE VII. The meetings of the Trustees shall be held at such time and place as they shall from time to time agree upon, seven of whom, with the pre- siding member, shall make a quorum for doing of business, except in the case of election of members. ARTICLE VIII. The Trustees shall regulate all the concerns of the Society during the intervals of its meetings, propose such objects of improvement to the atten- tion of the public, publish such communications, and offer premiums in such form and value as they shall think proper, provided the premiums () MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY offered do not exceed the funds of the Society, and shall lay before the Society at its Annual Meeting a statement of their proceedings and of the communications made to them. The Trustees shall have power to fill vacancies in their body. ARTICLE IX. The candidate for election shall be proposed by a member of the Society, and, on being balloted for, if the number of votes in favor of such candidate shall amount to a majority of the members present, such person shall be considered as duly elected. ARTICLE X. The Recording Secretary shall take minutes of all the votes and proceedings of the Society and of the Trustees, and enter them in separate books, and shall record all such communications as the Trustees may direct. FOR rUO.AIOTING AGRICULTURE. ARTICLE XI. The Correspouding Secretary shall write all letters relating to the business of the Society, and answer all such letters to the Society as the Trustees shall direct. ARTICLE XII. Tlie Treasurer shall receive all monies due or payable to the Societ}', and all donations that may be made to it, for which he shall give duplicate receipts, one of which shall be lodged with the Recording Secretary, and make a fair record thereof, and from time to time pay out such monies that may be in the treasury as he shall have orders for from the Trustees, and shall annually, and whenever thereto required, render a fair account of all his receipts and payments to the Society or a committee thereof. The Treasurer's accounts shall be kept in dollars and cents, and shall give bonds for the faithful dis- 8 MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY charge of his duty in such sums as the Trustees shall direct and with such sureties, said bond not to exceed $5,000. ARTICLE XIII. A committee shall be chosen at the Annual Meeting to audit the Treasurer's accounts, who shall report thereon at the next Annual Meeting, and the same being accepted shall be entered by the Recording Secretary in his books. ARTICLE XIV. In the case of death, resignation, incapacity, or removal out of the State of either of the Secretaries, or of the Treasurer, the Trustees shall take charge of the official books, papers, and effects belonging to the office that may be vacated, and give receipts for the same, which books, papers, etc., they may deliver to some person whom they may appoint to till up the office until the next meeting Of the Society, at which time there shall be a new choice. FOR PROMOTING AGRICULTURE. !» ARTICLE XV. The members of the Society shall pay auuually into the hands of the Treasurer §1.00 for raising of a fund for carrying into execution the designs of the institution. ARTICLE XVI. A committee shall be appointed from time to time severally to solicit and receive subscriptions for raising of a fund for encouraging the noblest of pursuits, the agriculture of our country, the same to be sacredly appropriated to that purpose. i i