ilf;!; =P^: If'^j i'?'.!^*^ Jijyit:;.!,,'"':.': wm^'' LAWRENCE J. GUTTER Collecrion of Chicogoano THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO The University Library Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2010 witii funding from CARLI: Consortium of Academic and Researcii Libraries in Illinois http://www.archive.org/details/constitutionofpr03pres PRESS CLUB OF CHICAGO 26 N. Dearborn Street CONSTITUTION of the Press Club of Chicago Adopted April 12, 1908 Revised May, 1911 CHICAGO, 1911 OFFICERS 1911 President CHARLES H. SERGEL First Vice-President E. J. BAKER Second Vice-President R. R. JONES Treasurer HARRY S. HYMAN Financial Secretary D. L. HANSON Recording Secretary W. FREDERIC NUTT Librarian JOSEPH F. HENDERSON Directors Theo. Van R. Ashcroft Frank D. Comerford Horace M. Ford George B. Hische W. R. Barnes H. B. McMeal Constitution Article I. — Name and Object. Section 1. The name of this organization shall Name be the Press Club of Chicago. Section 2. Its object shall be to bring members Object of the newspaper, literary and publishing callings together in closer personal relations, to further good fellowship, to promote the interests of its members and to provide them with comfortable club rooms. Art. II. — Members. Section 1. There shall be five classes of mem- bers; Active, Non-resident, Life, Honorary and Active Retired. Section 2. The following shall be eligible to ac- tive and non-resident membership : (a) Persons regularly connected with the press, in Chicago or elsewhere, as editors, reporters, artists, proprietors, paid correspondents or contributors, gen- eral managers, business managers ; and proofreaders of the daily press. (b) Persons who can produce indisputable proof of having at some time fulfilled one or more of the above qualifications on the press for a period of five years. (c) Authors of books of original matter and of literary character ; publishers and illustrators of such books, and of periodicals ; librarians, and persons whose occupation is chiefly literary. Members Active and non-resident (d) Provided^ That the residence or place of business of non-resident members must not be within the Hmits of Cook County, Illinois. Transfers Section 3. Active members, upon removal from Cook County, shall be transferred by the Board of Directors to the non-resident list if they so request. Section 4. (a) Non-resident members, upon be- coming residents of Cook County, or having their regular place of business in Cook County, shall be transferred by the Board of Directors to active membership and shall pay dues accordingly ; such transfer to be made without regard to the limit placed on membership. (b) Transfers of non-resident to active mem- bership shall be given precedence when vacancies occur; that is, no new applicants shall be elected to active membership so long as the 700 limit of membership, counting transfers, is full. (c) Non-resident members, upon making pro- longed stay in Cook County, shall pay active dues for such period, if the Board of Directors shall so order. Limit of Section 5. The number of active members shall be limited to seven hundred, except that this num- ber may be increased by transfer from the non- resident list. Life ynemhers Section 6. The following shall be eligible to life membership : (a) Any person of good character and of liter- ary appreciation. Limit (b) The limit shall be five hundred. active members Section 7. Active and life members in good Rights standing shall have all the rights and privileges of the Club. Non-resident and honorary members shall not vote or hold office. Section 8. The following shall be eligible to hon- Honorary orary membership : (a) Authors of international or national repu- tation. (b) Persons who have placed the Club under deep obligation. Section 9. Active members who have been in the Club ten years and have reached the age of sixty-five may, upon their own request, or by action of the Board, be transferred to the Active Retired list ; and be thereafter exempt from payment of dues. Section 10. No woman shall be eligible to mem- Women bership in the Club. Art. III. — Endowed Annual Memberships. Section 1. Endowed Memberships. — These shall Endowed be effective during the life of the Press Club, and memberships shall be issued, not to any individual, but to such of the daily newspapers of Chicago as shall qualify therefor. Each such membership shall entitle the newspaper holding the same to have remitted, or canceled, each calendar year, during a period of twenty-five years, the annual dues of such active member of the Club as the newspaper, by its man- aging editor, shall designate. Such designation (to be made upon due notice from the Club that a vacancy will exist on certain day) in order to be effective shall be made within the first quarter of the calendar year. Section 2. Provided, however, That in case of the resignation, discharge or death, or exclusion from the Club, of such designated person another • may be named to fill out the unexpired year. Should a newspaper fail to exercise its right of such desig- nation in any year, it shall not have the right in any following year to make more than one such designation for each membership it holds. The own- ership of such membership shall not be transfer- able, and shall cease on the suspension or absorption of the newspaper holding it. Members designated by newspapers, as above provided, shall be subject to all Club rules and regulations, except those re- lating to dues. Section 3. The Press Club shall deliver a con- tract specifying the rights of endowed annual mem- bership to such daily newspapers in Chicago as may acquire them under the regulations required, and the Club shall not change the terms of any such contract without the consent of the newspaper inter- ested. Section 4. The Club shall receive for these mem- berships, in advance, $400 for one ; $750 for two ; $1,000 for three — all by one purchaser. Art. IV. — Officers. Officers Section 1. The officers of the Club shall be : The President, First and Second Vice-Presidents, Treas- urer, Financial Secretary, Recording Secretary, Li- brarian, and six Directors, all of whom shall consti- tute a Board of Directors of the Club. Section 2. The Standing Committees of the Club, Standing by appointment of the President, shall be : (a) An Entertainment Committee. (b) A Reception Committee. (c) A Building Committee of live. (d) An Art Committee of three members. Section 3. The officers shall be elected annually Election by ballot on the first Thursday after the first day of ^^ officers September. Except that at the January, 1911, elec- tion three Directors shall be elected till the next September meeting, and three for the term expiring at the September meeting, 1911, and commencing with the September election, 1911, three Directors shall be elected annually for the term of two years, and they, with the three ''hold over" Directors, will constitute the full number. At 4 o'clock p. m. on that day the President shall call those present to order, state the object of the meeting, appoint one judge and one clerk of election and immediately declare the polls open. No one whose dues are not paid up to July 1 of the current year, or whose ■ house account exceeds the constitutional limit as to amount or time, shall vote or be elected to any office. The Financial Secretary shall be present or furnish a list to the Judge of Election to determine who are debarred from voting under the above pro- visions. The polls shall be kept open continuously until 9 o'clock p. m., at which time they shall be de- 9 clared closed by the judge in charge. The judge and clerk and one representative of each avowed candi- date for President shall thereupon count the ballots, and the clerk shall fully record the result at once, and post the same on the bulletin board. The Recording Secretary shall report the same to the Club at its next regular meeting. Vacancies Section 4. When a vacancy occurs in any office by death, resignation, removal from the city, or other cause, that fact shall be announced at the next regular meeting of the Club, and an election to fill such vacancy shall be held at a future meeting, either regular or special, and notice of such election shall be posted on the bulletin board for at least seven days prior to such election. Section 5. In case of a vacancy in any office, save that of President, the Board of Directors may se- lect any member of the Club in good standing to discharge the duties of said office until the Club fills the vacancy as above provided. Section 6. In case of a vacancy in the office of President the Board of Directors shall at once order an election to be held on the second Thursday there- after, and shall post a notice of same on the bulletin board. The election shall be held in accordance with the section governing the election of officers. Removal Section 7. If any Director shall absent himself rom ce ^^^^ meetings of the Board, without sufficient ex- cuse, or be flagrantly derelict in performing the du- ties of his position, that fact shall be reported to the Club, which is hereby authorized to declare his office 10 vacant, and the same may be filled as above pro- vided. Section 8. It shall be the duty of the President ^^^^-^^ ^f to preside at all meetings of the Club and of the President Directory, to preside at other gatherings, or appoint a representative, to appoint standing and special committees, and to be the custodian of the bonds of the Treasurer, Recording and Financial Secretary. Section 9. It shall be the duty of the Vice-Presi dents, in their order, to perform the duties of Presi dent in his absence. Duties of Vice-President Section 10. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer „ . Duties of to have charge of the moneys and funds of the Club. Treasurer (a) All moneys received by the Club properly through the Financial Secretary from dues, depart- ment accounts, miscellaneous sources, etc., shall be deposited by the Treasurer in such bank or banks as the Board of Directors shall designate. Such moneys shall not be drawn out except by the Treas- urer's check, and corresponding with a warrant or- dered by the Board of Directors and signed by the President and Financial Secretary. (b) All moneys received by the Club from rents, life membership fees and bequests shall be deposited by the Treasurer in such bank or banks as the Board of Directors shall designate, but such bank or banks shall not be the same as designated under paragraph (a) preceding. Such moneys shall not be paid out or expended except on the Treasurer's check, coun- tersigned by the President of the Club and such offi- cer or committeeman as the Board shall designate. 11 and corresponding to a warrant ordered by the Club, and such moneys shall not be used for any other purpose than may be specified under authority of Art. XIII. (c) The Treasurer shall give a bond with two sureties, or a bonding company, in the sum of $10,- 000, said bond to contain the usual provisions and to be approved by the Board of Directors. If a surety company shall execute such bond the premium on the same shall be paid by the Club out of the gen- eral funds. (d) The Treasurer shall make an annual report to the Club at its January meeting, and shall report at such other times as the Club may order. Duties of Section 11. It shall be the duty of the Financial sTcr^tary Secretary, Under the direction of the Board of Direc- tors, and of the Club, to have general charge of all financial affairs of the Club,. not otherwise delegated by this instrument. (a) He shall receive all moneys of the Club, from dues, house accounts and other sources, except as authorized under authority of Art. XIII, and shall turn them over to the Treasurer in systematic manner. (b) He shall draw warrants on the Treasurer for payment of such bills for general Club main- tenance and operation as the Board of Directors shall approve. (c) He shall supervise the Club's ordinary finan- cial affairs, and report and make suggestions to the Board of Directors concerning the same. He shall 12 recommend to the Board of Directors a person to be appointed as Steward of the Club, and a book- keeper of the Club. Provided, That such appoint- ment shall be made only by the Board of Directors, (d) He shall, under the Board of Directors, exercise direction over the employes and see that in all respects they perform their duties faithfully. (c) He shall keep in permanent form a list of all members of the Club, and of their financial obli- gations to the Club, and shall obey all regulations of the Constitution in relation to notices for dues and house accounts and all requirements stipulated in the case of delinquents. (f) He shall keep in permanent form a list of all members leaving the Club on account of resigna- tion, death, expulsion, being dropped for delinquent dues or house accounts, or other reasons, together with the date and cause, and also the amounts, if any, owing by them to the Club. (g) He shall report weekly to the Board of Di- rectors, and monthly and annually to the Club, and shall include in each of the latter reports the num- ber of members of the Club in each class. (h) He shall furnish a bond, the same as re- quired of the Treasurer, except that it shall be in the sum of $2,000. (i) The Financial Secretary shall be exempt from dues and payment for meals, but not for buffet supplies or cigars, during the time he serves. (k) He shall have general charge of the rooms of the Club during the intervals between the Board's 13 Duties of Recording Secretary Duties of Librarian Duties of Board of Directors meetings, but committees may be appointed to aid him, upon his request. (1) He shall have charge of the Club's burial lot and monument in Mount Hope Cemetery. Section 12. The Recording Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Club and of the Board of Directors, and preserve the same in per- manent form. He shall attend to all correspondence, except that of a financial nature. He shall prepare and send out all notices of meetings and elections. He shall see that copies of all printed notices of meetings, elections, entertainments, etc., are preserved in proper order and permanent form in scrap books. He shall notify new members of their election and send to each a copy of the Constitution of the Club. He shall report annually to the Club, and on request of the Directory, or the Club. He shall be exempt from dues and payment for meals, but not for buffet supplies or cigars, during the time he serves. He shall furnish a bond in the sum of $1,(300. Section 13. The Librarian shall have general custody and care of the books, periodicals and news- papers belonging to the Club, and make an annual report concerning the same. Section 14. The Board of Directors, as a whole, always under the supervision and direction of the Club, shall exercise general management of all Club affairs. It shall carefully examine and pass upon applications for membership. It shall audit bills and order warrants for payment of such as are approved. On all motions requiring the expenditure of money 14 a record of the vote shall be kept. It shall fix the salaries of employes. It shall see that the provisions of the Constitution in relation to members' dues and house accounts are strictly enforced. It shall insist on specified weekly reports from the Financial Sec- retary as to all delinquent house accounts, and shall take such action in relation thereto as the Constitu- tion directs. It shall not remit or cancel the house accounts, or any part thereof, owed by any member. It shall report monthly to the Club and annually at the September meeting. The Board of Directors, annually, in advance, shall make an estimate of the amount required to pay the Club's rent and other fixed charges, and shall see to it that a portion of the Club's income is set apart sufficient to meet such obligations. Such mon- eys, so set apart, shall be kept in a separate fund and diverted to no other purpose than the payment of such obligations. Section 15. No general Press Club entertainment Entertainments or reception shall be given, in the Club or elsewhere, except it be authorized by the Board of Directors, or by the Club at a regular meeting. Section 16. The Art Committee shall give advice as to the decoration of club rooms, framing and hanging of pictures, and other matters of kindred nature. It shall, when requested by the Club or the Board, superintend the performance of work of the above description. Duties of Art Committee 15 Art. V. — Entrance Fees and Dues. Entrance fees Section 1. Entrance fees for membership shall be as follows : (a) For active members, ten dollars. (b) For non-resident members, five dollars. (c) For life members, five hundred dollars. (d) For honorary members, nothing. (e) For active retired, nothing. Section 2. Persons elected shall qualify by pay- ing the entrance fee within thirty days of notification of election. Failing to do so their election shall thereby be invalidated, and they shall be duly noti- fied. Their election shall be canceled and they shall not be restored to the membership list without being again regularly posted and presented to the Club for election. No credit shall be extended to candidates for election to membership until after their election and qualification by the payment of initiation fee. Dues Section 3. The dues shall be : (a) For active members, $40.00 a year, payable one-fourth quarterly in advance, namely, on the first day of January, April, July and October, respectively. Provided that all members who pay their dues for a year in advance, within the first quarter of the year, shall be entitled to a discount of $2.00. (b) For non-resident members, $10.00 per year, payable annually in advance. (c) Active retired, nothing. (d) For life and honorary members, nothing. 16 Art. VI. — Collection of Dues. Section 1. Notification of indebtedness for dues Notification of active members shall be sent out by the Financial Secretary on the first day of each quarter (January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1) on a form bearing a printed copy or synopsis of this article. Section 2. Upon the first day of the second month Posting in each quarter (February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1) the Financial Secretary shall post on the Club's bulletin board the names of all members who owe their dues, or any part thereof, for the current quarter. Section 3. At the regular meeting in the third Final notice month of each quarter, namely, in March, June, Sep- tember and December, the Financial Secretary shall furnish a list of all delinquents to the President, or presiding officer, who thereupon shall rise and say : "By direction of the Constitution of this Club, the Financial Secretary is hereby instructed to send no- tice to the following members, that unless their indebtedness for this quarter shall have been paid in full they will be suspended from membership at the next regular meeting." (Here the presiding offi- cer shall read the names of the delinquents and the amounts owed.) Section 4. At the first regular meeting in each Suspension quarter, namely, in January, April, July and Octo- ber, the President or presiding officer, having been furnished by the Financial Secretary with a list of all who, having been duly notified, have failed to pay in full their dues for the preceding quarter, shall rise 17 Exclusion Non-resident members and say : "The following named persons are delin- quent on last quarter's dues : (Here he shall read the names and amounts.) By direction of the Con- stitution of this Club I declare these persons sus- pended from membership in the Press Club of Chi- cago. They are henceforth debarred from all privi- leges of the Club until their indebtedness is paid in full. All who fail to purge themselves of suspension within three months, that is, pay in full what they owed when suspended, and also the dues accruing thereafter, shall be dropped from membership and shall forfeit all claims upon the Club. The Financial Secretary will notify them accordingly." At the same meeting the President shall read the names of those who are dropped from membership by reason of their failure to purge themselves of their suspension of three months before, and the same shall be posted on the bulletin board by the Financial Secretary as dropped. Section 5. Notification of indebtedness for dues of non-resident members shall be sent out on the first day of January of each year. On July 1 of each year a statement of account shall be rendered to each delinquent. In December of each year, at the same time that final notice is sent to delinquent active members, all non-resident members who are delin- quent shall be notified that unless their indebtedness is paid by the next regular (January) meeting fol- lowing they will be dropped from membership. At the January meeting of each year the President or presiding officer shall read the names of all non- resident members who after final warning notice 18 have failed to pay their dues for the preceding year, and shall announce that their membership has ceased, and the Financial Secretary shall notify them ac- cordingly. Section 6. The provisions of the above five sec- No evasion tions shall not be evaded by referring delinquents to the Board of Directors, or in any other manner, except as provided by Section 8 of this Article. Section 7. Any person excluded from the Club Restoration under this article, who shall desire to re-enter, must pay the amount he owed at the time of his exclusion and conform to the requirements governing the ad- mission of new members, including payment of en- trance fee. Section 8. When a member is sick, or meets with other misfortune, and the Board of Directors is satisfied that in consequence it would be a great hardship for him to pay his dues, it may remit said dues for such time as the reason remains valid. Remission of dues Art. VII. — Meetings. Section 1. The meetings of the Club shall be held as follows : (a) The annual meeting known as the annual Annual election election, on the first Thursday after the first day of September at 4 o'clock p. m. Provided^ That the presentation of annual reports and the installation of officers shall occur at the regular September meet- ing on the second Saturday thereof. (b) Regular monthly meetings on the second Saturday of each month at 1 :30 o'clock p. m. Monthly meetings 19 Order of The order of business at all regular meetings of the Club shall be as follows : 1. Roll call. 2. Reading of minutes. 3. Reports of officers. 4. Reports- of -standing committees. 5. Reports of special, committees. 6. Reading, of delinquent lists, if any. 7. Action. on house accounts. 8. Reading of resignations, and action thereon. 9. Election of members. 10. Unfinished business. 11. Installation of officers at the September reg- ular meeting, second Saturday. 12. New business. Special ^^^ Special meetings shall be called by the Pres- meetings . , , r i -r-» i <- t^- , ident upon the request of the Board of Directors, or upon order by the Club, or at the written request of any ten members of the Club. Notice of the meetings thus called shall, without question, be posted on the bulletin board or sent to members by the Recording Secretary, if so requested. Cluh quorum Section 2. Twenty-five members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at regular and special meetings of the Club, except as herein- after provided. Board meetings Section 3. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held as follows : (a) Regular meetings weekly, at such time as the Directors may decide. 20 (b) Special tneetings at the call of the Presi- dent, or at the request of five Directors. (c) The order of business shall be as follows : Order of _ ,, ,, , ,. . . business 1. Roll call and reading of mmutes. 2. Itemized report of Financial Secretary as to receipts, names of delinquents on house accounts with amounts, and condition of the property of the Club. 3. Examination of bills and their payment by vouchers signed by the President and Financial Sec- retary. 4. Canvass of applications for membership. 5. Unfinished business. 6. New business. Section 4. Five shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, except as provided in Article XI (charges against members). Art. VIII. — Application for Membership. Section 1. xA-pplications for membership must be Amplications posted on the bulletin board for two weeks or more ^^'' "'^"'^^''^'''t' before being acted on by the Club. Applications must show the name, residence, occupation, news- paper connection, or other qualification of the appli- cant, and each one must be signed by two or more members of the Club as proposers. The Board of Directors shall consider and pass upon the eligibility and desirability of each applicant, require personal information from the indorsers, and report concern- ing the same at the Club meeting at which action is 21 to be taken. In absence of such action by the Board, the Secretary shall furnish the members with a list • of such applicants, stating their qualifications and their sponsors. When a candidate is not vouched for by some member in person or by letter, his name shall be held until the next regular meeting and his sponsors notified. Any applicant who has been posted for membership shall enjoy the same privi- leges as the holder of a visitor's card until such time as he shall be elected or rejected, providing that his sponsors shall be jointly and severally re- sponsible for any indebtedness he may contract in the Club. Balloting Section 2. The voting on applicants by the Club shall be by written or printed ballots, showing their names, thus permitting all applicants, however nu- merous, to be voted upon at once. In all cases where a "no" is omitted a "yes" shall be under- stood. The President shall appoint a teller. The teller shall distribute the ballots. As the teller col- lects the ballots he shall announce the name of the voter, and the number of ballots must correspond with the number of voters as noted by the Secretary. The ballots shall be counted by the teller and two assistants appointed by the President. Rejection Any candidate receiving seven or more negative votes shall be declared rejected. The count Section 3. Upon completion of the canvass of votes and at once the teller shall announce the result in open meeting, giving the names of those rejected, if any, but not the number of negative votes received. The President thereupon shall declare the successful 22 applicants elected to membership in the Club, and, if no objection is raised, the ballots shall be de- stroyed. If objection is raised by two or more members the ballots shall be turned over to a spe- cial committee of three, appointed by the President, for a recount. Section 4. No applicant who has suffered rejec- Barred tion shall be eligible to election during the period of f^'' ^"^ y<^"'' one year therefrom. Section 5. Any person having left the Club by Readmission resignation, when in good standing, and desiring to re-enter, shall conform to the requirements govern- ing the admission of new members, except that he shall not be required to pay an entrance fee. Art, IX. — Waiting Lists. Section 1. When the active membership limit is Waiting full the names of applicants shall be canvassed by ^^^^^ the Directors, and if approved shall be duly posted, and placed on a waiting list by the Secretary, in the order in which they are presented. Vacancies, when they occur, shall be filled from such waiting list, the applicants being advanced to election in the same numerical order that their applications were filed. Section 2. When the life membership limit is full the names of applicants shall be similarly placed on a waiting list, and upon a vacancy occurring shall be advanced to election in like manner as specified in the previous section. 23 Art X. — House Accounts. Credit Section 1. Credit on house account to member-s statements j^^ ^^^^ standing shall not exceed $10 in amount or thirty days in time. Section 2. The first day of each month state- ments shall be sent, by the Financial Secretary, to all members who owe house accounts, regardless of the amount. Whenever a member's account reaches, or exceeds, $5 in amount or fifteen days in time, he shall be rendered a statement made out on a differ- ent colored blank, prominently printed on which shall be the words "The Constitution of the Club stops credit at $10 in amount or thirty days in time." uspension Section 3. When a member's indebtedness on or credit house account reaches $10 in amount or thirty days in time his credit shall be stopped and he shall promptly be sent a notice stating that fact, and also that, in the event of the account not being previ- ously paid in full he will, by constitutional require- ment, be reported to the Board of Directors at its next meeting as a delinquent. If the delinquent member fails to pay such account within two weeks therefrom, the Board shall notify him that, if his account still remains unpaid, his name and the amount he owes will be reported and read at the next meeting of the Club, which, by constitutional requirement, must suspend him from membership. House account Section 4. The making of reports as required b)^ the preceding section shall have a regular place in the order of business of the meetings of the Club. When such report is made to the Club the President 24 reports shall say : "By requirement of the Constitution the persons reported delinquent are hereby suspended from the Club until full payment is made of their indebtedness, and if they do not purge themselves of the suspension within three months they will be dropped from membership. The Financial Secretary will notify them accordingly, and post their names on the bulletin board." At each regular meeting of the Club the President shall read the names of all persons, if any, thus to be acted upon, and the amounts owed. Section 5. Every member delinquent, as above indicated, in point of amount or time, who has dis- regarded the statements and warning notices sent him, shall be reported to the Board and the Club, by the Financial Secretary, in full conformity with said warning notices, without favor, discrimination or omission. Section 6. The Board shall have discretionary power in dealing with all house accounts under $2 which have run over thirty days in time. Art. XI. — Charges Against Members. Section 1. Charges of immoral or unprofes- sional conduct, or conduct unbecoming a gentle- against man, or violation of any regulation of the Club, members preferred by any member against another member, shall be considered by not less than a majority of the full Board of Directors, who may (1) dismiss the case, or (2) suspend or expel the accused mem- ber if, upon investigation, he be found guilty, or (3) report the case, with or without recommendation, to the next regular meeting of the Club. Any member, 25 against whom charges have been preferred, shall Right of have the right of a hearing before action shall be taken, and if suspended or expelled by the Board shall have the right of appeal to the Club, which may, at any regular meeting, my a majority vote, approve or overrule the action of the Board, or, in case of non-action by the Board, may suspend or expel, or take such other action as may seem justi- fied, provided that expulsion by the Board or by the Club shall require a two-thirds vote of not less than seven members of the former, or of twenty- four members of the latter; and provided, further, that in either or both investigations the accused may be represented by a fellow-member, and full notice shall be sent to all voting members. Reconsideration Section 2. No action of a disciplinary nature by the Board of Directors or by the Club shall be recon- sidered, rescinded, or otherwise changed, either by the Board of Directors or the Club, by a less num- ber than that by which the original action was taken, and full notice shall also be given. Art. XII. — Amendment or Revision. Section 1. Amendments to or revision of this Constitution may be made as follows : Individual (a) Individual amendments may be offered in amendments •-• i ^- i ' i writmg by any votmg member at any regular meet- ing of the Club, and shall be read aloud by the Recording Secretary and posted on the bulletin board for the time intervening until the next regular meet- ing. At such regular meeting such amendment or 26 amendments shall be open to discussion and further germane amendments. Upon approval by two-thirds of the voters present at the meeting such amend- ment or amendments shall be considered adopted, and be so declared by the President, (b) At any regular meeting of the Club, at the request of two-thirds of the voting members pres- ent, the President shall appoint a committee of not less than five on the Constitution. This committee shall report a project entire to the Club not later than the second regular meeting thereafter. This document shall be read aloud by the Recording Secretary, entire or by title, as the Club by majority vote shall decide, and be posted entire upon the bul- letin board. Upon request of one-third of the voting members present the reported project shall be im- mediately printed on galley slips for the convenience of members. At the next regular meeting, under the order of unfinished business, the report of the Committee on Constitution, so posted, or posted and printed, shall be taken up for amendment and final adoption. Two-thirds of the voting members present shall be required to secure the adoption of such project, making it the new Constitution of the Club. Any Committee on Constitution having been out for more than the time covered by three regular meet- ings shall be declared discharged from its duties by the President, at the request of any voting member at any regular meeting of the Club. Section 2. The Recording Secretary shall not Notice fail, in sending notices of regular meetings, to give 27 property information and warning to members when the Con- stitution is up for final action on amendment or re- vision. Art. XIII. — Management of Building^ Etc. Management of Section 1. The Press Club of Chicago may man- age its property at 26 N. Dearborn Street in any of the following ways, or in other ways if deemed to be more expedient : (a) At any time after it shall be found to be a clearly legal proceeding, the said Press Club may authorize the formation of an Ancillary Press Club, a corporation for profit under the Illinois laws. In this ancillary corporation the voting members in good standing of the said Press Club, and no others, shall be shareholders, and all ojfficers of the said ancillary corporation shall be voting members of the said Press Club. (b) The said Press Club may empower a trust company of first-class standing to act as its agent under a mutually revocable covenant, and for a com- pensation, the agent performing such duties as may be agreed upon under written covenant. (c) The said Press Club may appoint one or more of its voting members to perform the same duties as in paragraph (b), and for a compensation. (d) The Board of Directors of the said Press Club may manage and administer the property of the said Press Club, but without compensation to any elected officer of the said Press Club. Section 2. No covenant made by the said Press 28 Club shall traverse or nullify the spirit and principle of this organic instrument — namely, that the said Press Club itself shall enjoy regular monthly meet- ings of all its voting members, general supervision of all its fraternal affairs, and annual, free, and open elections, in which all voting members shall have equal rights; and no officer of the said Press Club shall hold office for a term longer than one year, except as provided in Art. IV, Sec. 3; but all officers of the said Press Club shall be eligible for re-election. Section 3. The said Press Club binds itself hereby to faithfully perform its part of any cove- nant made in conformity with this Art. XIII, and will, in its action, be thus and that far guided by the details of said covenant, the same as if those con- formable details were entered into this organic in- strument — (it again being reserved and understood that the said Press Club, within its own proper government, shall continue to enjoy the rights of regular monthly meetings, supervision of all its own affairs, and annual free, and open elections, as stated in Section 2). Section 4. It shall be the duty of the voting members of the said Press Club, its Board of Direc- tors, and its financial officers in particular, to de- mand from any agent that may be employed, a faithful and exact performance of all covenants entered upon. Section 5. Provided, Any plan of management whatever of the general property and finances of the 29 said Press Club must be reported to the Club in regular monthly meeting, read aloud by the Record- ing Secretary, posted for one month, and debated at a later regular monthly meeting. To become finally effective it must secure a two-thirds vote of all vot- ing members present. Section 6. The Board of Directors of the said Press Club shall not create any interest-bearing debt against the said Press Club without authority from the said Press Club, obtained by report of a project, posting of said reported project for one month, and subsequent adoption of said project or its amend- ment, in regular meeting, by a two-thirds majority, for each financial transaction. Section 7. Due notice of any action under this Article (XIII) must be given by the Recording Secretary to all voting members. Art. XIV. — Miscellaneous. Visitors' cards Section 1. Visitor's cards, entitling the holder to the privileges of the Club rooms for two weeks, may be issued by the President, upon request of members in good standing, to persons for whose conduct and expenditures in the Club they sign a guarantee and become personally responsible. Pro- vided, that such cards shall not be issued to the same person more than once in any six consecutive months, or to any one who has been expelled, or dropped for delinquent dues or house accounts. The names of all persons receiving such cards shall be kept posted on the bulletin board during the time the cards are operative. 30 Section 2. Whenever any member is reported sick or in need, the Board shall appoint a special visiting committee to investigate and report upon the case. Section 3. No book or other property of the Club shall be taken out of the Club rooms. No por- trait, picture, decoration, advertisement or other ar- ticle shall be hung in the Club rooms without au- thority being given by the Club or the Board of Directors. Section 4. On all parliamentary questions not otherwise provided for, Roberts' Rules of Order shall be authority, provided there shall be no cur- tailment of reasonable debate. Section 5. A set of House Rules not in conflict with the spirit or letter of the Constitution and By-Laws, may, when deemed necessary, be adopted and printed with this instrument, but, to the broad- est extent possible, permanent rules for the personal guidance of members should not be posted on the walls. Such printed House Rules, if passed, shall be adopted by not less than a two-thirds vote of a regular meeting, after having been read at a previous meeting and posted one month. Section 6. Any Club caucus held in the Club rooms and mustering not less than twenty-five vot- ing members, proceeding with chairman and clerk, may nominate a full ticket, with but one candidate for each office. When the chairman and clerk shall have posted this ticket on the bulletin board and certified a true copy to the Financial Secretary not later than ten days before election, the Club shall 31 Sick members Non-removal of property Parliamentary House rules authorised Methods of nomination print and send such ticket to all voting members. All caucus tickets similarly made shall bear the heading: "Press Club ticket No. — ," together with the date of club election ; the address of the Press Club ; the names of nominees and offices, and shall bear nothing else whatever. All tickets sent by the Club shall be printed on the same size and color of paper, and always on separate slips. The Board shall not order a caucus. The Club may, at the August regular meeting, order a caucus. Neither the Club nor the Board shall name Committees of Nominators with power to act. All nominations, however made, must be posted on the bulletin board not later than 120 secular hours (five full week- days) before the opening hour of voting at the an- nual election. And detailed notice of all said nomi- nations on the bulletin board must be sent by the Club to all voting members. The judges of elec- tion, at the annual election, shall count and report, and the Club shall record, all votes cast in the way ordinarily proper, but persons not specifically nom- inated and posted as above provided, shall them- selves be disqualified from holding the said specific offices by or through the said election. Repeal Section 7. All minutes, resolutions and constitu- tional amendments heretofore passed, and conflict- ing with the terms of this instrument, are hereby repealed. In effect Section 8. This Constitution shall go into effect immediately upon its passage. pf^ Adopted April 12, 1908. /[gCJCJ Revised to May 1, 1911. P755 Blakely- Oswald Printing Co., Chicago