f6f/ 191 144 )V 1 £7054b . . CONSTITUTION , . OF THE Oklahoma Historical Society. Incorporated Jan. 21, 1895. I. This association shall be styled the Oklahoma Histor- ical Society. The objedt of the Society shall be to collect, embody, arrange and preserve books, pamphlets, maps, charts, manuscripts, papers, paintings, statuary, and other materials illustrative of the history of Oklahoma in particular, and of the country in general; to procure from the early set- tlers narratives of the events relative to the early settlement of Oklahoma, and of the early explorations, the Indian occupancy, opening and immigration to the Territory and theWest; to gather all information calculated to exhibit faith- fully the antiquities, and the past and present resources of the commonwealth, and to take steps to promote the study of history by lectures and other available means. II. This Society shall consist of active, life, honorary and corresponding members, who may be chosen by the Board of Directors at any regular or special meeting, except at their meeting uext preceding the annual meeting of the Society: the aclive members to consist of citizens of the common- wealth, bv the payment of one dollar annually; the life mem- bers by the payment at any one time of ten dollars; thehonor- arv and corresponding members, who shall be exempt from I LP" I + &4- |- *Dd taM ^ shall be chosen from persons in any part of the a odd distinguished for their literary or scientific attain- ments, and known especially as friends and promoters of history; editors and publishers of newspapers and periodicals vhc contribute the regular issues of the same to the collections °/ th ? Society, shall be considered active members of the bociety during the continuance of such contribution. "I. There shall be a Board of Directors of the Society to consist of twenty-five members, who shall be elected from among members of the Society; or, if any person be elected who shall not at the time be a member of the Society, he shall become such by the payment of the annual membership fee of one dollar; and he shall then become qualified to act as a member of the Board of Directors upon taking the oath of °f Ce aS SU(1 '- Ai! . v Person elected a member of the Board of Directors who shall fail to qualify within sixty days after bemKnot.hed of h,s election, shall be deemed to have declined tl.t Office, and I the same shall thereby he considered vacant Any vacancy m the Board of Directors, or in any office of the So( ,ety may be filled by the Board of Directors" at any meet- ing subsequent to the occurring thereof. Any number not -s h,n hve shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. No member of the Board of Directors, or other officer, except the Custodian, shall receive pay for any of the ordinary duties of his office. IV The elective offices of the Society shall consist of a President and two Vice Presidents, a Secretary, C us tod Eui l™\\l Th( V >I ' eS ; dent ViCC Preside " ts ™* Usurer shall hold their offi es for a term of one year, and until their successors are chosen; said officers to be, chosen by ballot of the Society the reledt on fo be made at the annual meeting o he Society, and their terms of office shall begin at the date of their election and qualification in office. The Secretary and Cns od.an shall hold their offices for a term of wo yea" 5 ad »intiltlH.n i Succ ( ss, ) rsarecho,en. And. in addition to thW office,^ all ! donah on. of money or property (if accepted"' the Board of Directors) to the amount or value of five hun dreddolhi^ shall constitute the donors life- directors of the Society during their natural lives: hut such life-directors shall never exceed in dumber the regularly elected directors and ^ 7^>« from life-directorships or from donations or be quests, unless especially directed otherwise by such life" direc t, ; S ' (,,n,,,S - o^ u devisors, shall be invested to the est lt V T 8 f ■ and th< ' arrn,m - UlW ^ b e used ana shall be Z*l7 e ? ,v 1S l Ch > mBawf f or the benefit of the Soctty as the Board oi Directors mftv direct. • V. The annual meeting of the Society shall be held at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, on the first Saturday in J une; and those members not less than ten who meet at any annual or special meeting of the Society upon the call of the Board of Directors, shall be a quorum for the transit tion of business. VI. The President, or in his absence one of the Vice- Pi es- identsor in their absence auymemberof the Society selected on the occasion, shall preside at the annual meeting or any special meeting of the society. Such presiding officer shall preserve order, regulate the order of proceedings, give a cast- ing vole whenever the same is required, and countersign all warrants drawn by the Secretary. VII. The Secretary shall preserve a full and correct record of the proceedings of all meeting's of the Society, to be enter- ed on his book in chronological order. These records shall always be open for the inspection of any member of the Society. He shall conduct the correspondence of the Society, shall preserve for the Society the official communications addressed to him and keep copies of official letters written by him; he shall have charge of the seal; he shall collector cause to be collected moneys due to the Society and pay the same to the Treasurer; he shall give notice of the meetings of the Society; he shall edit and supervise, under direction of the Publication Committee, the publications of the Society, and to prepare or cause to be prepared and published, a bi-ennial report of the work and condition of the Society. VII I. The Custodian shall have charge of the books, manuscripts, and' other collections of the Society; he shall keep a catalogue of the same, together with all additions made during his official term; in case of donation, he shall specify in his record the name of the book, manuscript, or article do- nated with the name of the donor and date of the gift: he shall make an annual report of the condition of the library; he shall keep and cause to be suitably bound such papers as he shall deem fit, out of funds not otherwise expended: lie shall direct the literary exchanges; he shall report to all calls made upon him touching the affairs of his office by the Secre- tary of the Society, his work to be under the general super- vision of the Secretary. IX. The Treasurer shall receive and have charge or all dues, appropriations, donations and bequests of moneys, and all funds whatsoever of the Society, and pay such sums as the Board of Directors may from time to time direct, on the warrant of the President, countersigned by the Secretary; and he shall make an annual report of the pecuniary transactions of the Society, and also a statement of the funds and proper- ty of the Society, at any special or stated meeting when thereto required. X. The Custodian and Treasurer shall give satisfactory bonds, in such sums as the Board of Directors may deem proper, for the faithful performance of their respective duties, and for the faithful preservation of property of every kind belonging to the Society; and such bonds shall be filed among the papers of the Society. XI. The Directors shall elect their own officers. The Directors shall supervise and direct the financial and business concerns of the Society; may augment the library, cabinet, and gallery, by purchase or otherwise; may make arrange- ments for a single lecture or a course of lectures, for promot- ing historic knowledge, and increasing the pecuniary resources of the Association. They shall have power to fill any vacancies occurring in their number; they shall audit and adjust all accounts of the Society; they may call special meetings when necessary, appoint tiie annual orator, make suitable arrangements for the delivery of the annual address, use their discretion as to the publication of any communica- tions, collections, transactions, annual or other addresses,- or other written matters of the Society; and they shall make a full report of their transactions to the Secretary, accompanied by such suggestions as may seem to them appropriate and worthy of attention. They may appoint an Executive Com- mittee from their own number, to perform su< h duties as may be pres :ribed for such committee. XII. The Secretary is hereby authorized and directed to cause the bills for the annual dues of active members to be made out and sent to the addresses of such members on or before the first day of June of each year, with a copy of this article, and if such amount is not paid to the Treasurer of this society by the first day of December following, of said vear, those members in arrears shall be deemed to have for- feited their membership and their names shall be stricken from the roll of the members. The term of annual member- ships to date from and after the first Saturday in June. XI M. The Board of Directors may adopt By-Laws for their own ^oyeru merit and guidance, not inconsistent with this constitution. XIV. This Co;istituti m and By-Laws shall not be amend- ed save at tie a i rural meeting of the Society, and then o .lv when the proposed amendment shall have been reduced to writing, and entered on the minutes of the Society, at least one month previous to a vote being taken on the same, and provided also that a y 3 majority of the members present shall concur in the adoption of the amendment or amendments pr< - posed. By = Laws. I. The Board of Directors shall audit all accounts pre- sented against the Society, and all warrants drawn upon the Treasurer shall be upon sworn vouchers, approved by a ma- jority of the Board of Directors, there being a quorum. II. The Board of Directors shall determine the character of the published reports of the Society, and shall decide what papers from its transactions and collections the biennial re- port shall contain; shall provide for the annual address: shall take such action as may be deemed advisable in reference to the delivery from time to time of lectures and addresses on historical subjects at the University or elsewhere; shall take such action as the interests of the Society shall from time to time demand in relation to providing and furnishing suitable rooms for its collections, and shall consult with the Secretarv and Custodian and with them decide upon the purchasing of bo . iks to augment the Society's library. III. At or before the commencement of each fiscal year the Board of Directors shall examine and audit the accounts of the Treasurer; and at the annual meeting they shall make a written report to the Society. IV. There shall be a Committee on Legislation to consist" of five members; and it snail be the duty of the committee, annually, to confer with the members an 1 committees of the legislature, and present for their consideration and action the matters for legislation which the Board of Directors shall rec- ommend. V. There shall be a Committee on N miinations to c insist of five members; it shall be the duty of the committee, annu- ally, at some time ; revious to the annual meeting of the So- ciety, tu make a selection of persons whom they mav deem proper to recommend for members of the Board of Director.-, and shall present the same for the action of the Society at the annual meeting. VI. The Custodian shall be paid a salary of by warrant on the Treasurer of the S >ciety, drawn by the Secretary, and c uintersigned by the President, out of any appropriations made by the Legis- lature for the benefit oi the Society. VII. That a two thirds majority of the Directors present shall be required to eh\ t a candidate 1 >r membership. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 016 089 580 9 (p