5 ^ THE CONSTITUTION OF THE Chicago Literary Club, AnOPTED DECEMBER 6, 1876. * *■ THE CONSTITUTION OF THE Chicago Literary Club, ADOPTED DECEMBER 6, 1876. WITH A LIST OF THE OFFICERS, COMMITTEES AND MEMBERS. CHICAGO: HAZLITT & REED, BOOK PRINTERS, I72 AND 1 74 CLARK STREET. 1876. DEACCESSIONED BY CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOClETt, PRINTED COLLECTIONS CONSTITUTION. ARTICLE I. THE NAME. The name of this association shall be the Chicago Literary Club. ARTICLE II. THE OBJECT. The object of this Club shall be social, literary and aesthetic culture. ARTICLE III. THE MEMBERS. Section i. There shall be two classes of members, Regular members, and Honorary Members. ; Sec. 2. Members may be elected at the fourth regular meeting of the month, provided the candidate shall have been nominated by the Committee on Officers and Mem- bers within the two months next preceding, and his name and those of his proposers shall have been posted in the Club rooms for two regular meetings before the ballot is taken. Sec. 3. Application for membership shall be in writ- ing and signed by three members of the Club. The application shall state, in the blank form furnished by the committee, the candidate's place of nativity, age, occu- pation, general qualifications, if a graduate of a college, the name of the college and year of graduation, and that the proposers believe that the candidate desires to become a member of the Club. Before the ballot is taken, not more than three persons shall speak in favor of the can- didate. The name shall be passed if no one of the proposers be present, or if any of the proposers shall so request. Sec. 4. The election of members shall be by secret ballot, and three blackballs shall prevent an election, pro- vided that in case more than thirty ballots are cast, one blackball for every ten ballots and one for any fraction of ten, shall be necessaiy to prevent an election; and no candidate who has been rejected shall be proposed for membership within three months after such rejection. Sec. 5. Before taking his seat, each member elect shall signify his acceptance in writing to the Recording Secretary, and shall pay to the Treasurer five dollars, which shall be his dues for the four-months' term in which he is elected. The election of a new member, who does not qualify within two months after he has been notified of the same by the Secretary, shall be void. Sec. 6. The annual dues of members shall be fifteen dollars, payable in advance, in three equal installments, namely, on the first days of June, October and February. Sec. 7. Membership may be terminated as follows: (i.) By voluntary resignation, provided that the mem- ber resigning has paid all his dues to the Club, and is in good standing. (2.) By vote of a majority of the Committee on Rooms and Finance, in case a member has failed to pay his dues for two months after the same are payable, and notice of such arrears has been sent by mail to his usual place of address at least one week before such action on the part of said Committee — except in case of the absence of such member from the city during the whole of the two months aforesaid. (3.) By vote of three-fourths of the regular members present at any regular meeting for business, provided that at the previous business meeting there shall have been a motion regularly made and seconded, with reasons given, that the name of the designated member be dropped from the rolls. Sec. 8. Honorary members shall be elected like Reg- ular members, but shall be exempt from active duties and the payment of annual dues. Members removing their residence from the city and vicinity, who are in good standing and have paid all their dues to the Club, shall be enrolled as honorary members. ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS. Section i. The Officers of the Club shall be a Pres- ident, as many Vice-Presidents as Standing Committees, a Corresponding Secretary, and a Recording Secretary who shall also act as Treasurer. The Chairman of each Standing Committee shall be a Vice-President. Sec. 2. These Officers shall be elected by ballot, on the second Saturday of June in each year, or in case of a failure then to elect, as soon thereafter as shall be practicable. At the business meeting next preceding, the Committee on Officers and Members shall submit their regular nominations for all the offices to be filled; and thereupon any member or members of the Club may make one or more nominations in opposition to those of said Committee. The election shall be according to common usage. The candidates for whom the highest number of votes shall be cast respectively, shall be declared elected. A special election may be ordered at any business meeting to fill a vacancy. Sec. 3. The Officers of the Club shall perform such duties as are implied by their respective titles, and such as shall be prescribed by the Constitution. Sec. 4. The Officers of the Club shall constitute an Executive Board for the transaction of all business not committed to any Standing or Special Committee, and for the general management of the affairs of the Club. Three members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quo- rum for the transaction of business. ARTICLE V. STANDING COMMITTEES. Section i. The Standing Committees of the Club shall be as follows : 1. On Nomination of Officers and Members. 2. On Arrangements and Exercises. 3. On Rooms and Finance. Sec. 2. Each Standing Committee shall consist of a Chairman and four other members, who shall be elected by the Club at the Annual Meeting on the second Sat- urday in June. Sec. 3. The several Standing Committees shall per- form the duties implied by their respective titles, and such other duties as may be specially imposed upon them by the Club. Sec, 4. The Committee on Rooms and Finance shall have charge of the Club Rooms, and shall restrict the expenses of the Club to its income. 8 ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS. Section i. Regular meetings of the Club shall be held on every Saturday evening in the year, except in the months of July, August and September, and the exercises of each meeting shall be under the direction of the Committee on Arrangements and Exercises. The first and third meetings of the month shall be for literary exercises. The second meeting shall be for conversation and entertainments, of which written papers shall form no part. The fourth meeting shall be devoted to the business of the Club and the election of members, at which meeting there shall be a collation. The fifth meeting (if any) of the month shall be for social pur- poses and such other entertainments as may be provided by the Committee in charge. Persons not residing in Chicago or vicinity may be present at meetings of the Club, upon the invitation of a member; but no member shall be at liberty to give such invitation to a resident of Chicago or vicinity. Sec. 2. Additional meetings may be ordered by the Club, or called by the President, as occasion may require. Sec. 3. The order of proceedings at the regular meetings of the Club, unless otherwise specially provided, shall be under the direction of the President. ARTICLE VII. LITERARY EXERCISES. Section i. The Literary Exercises in general shall not continue more than one hour. Sec. 2. The essayist shall select his own subject and be free to express any opinions whatsoever thereon. Sec. 3. The Club, as such, shall express no opinions in religion, politics, social science, political economy, or any other subject. It shall not by vote endorse or con- demn any paper that may be read or views that may be expressed by any member. No paper at the time it is read shall be open to adverse criticism in the Club. Sec. 4. The Committee on Arrangements and Exer- cises shall, on or before the first meeting of the Club in the Autumn, prepare and print a scheme of exercises, with the dates and the names of the readers and the editors for the whole season. The subject of each essay- ist shall be announced at the meeting next preceding. ARTICLE VIII. A QUORUM. Twenty regular members of the Club shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business ; but a less number shall have power to adjourn from time to time. lO ARTICLE IX. AMENDMENTS. The Constitution may be amended at any business meeting by vote of two-thirds of the members present, provided that the proposed amendment shall have been submitted to the Club at the business meeting next preceding. OFFICERS. President. C. B. Lawrence. Vice-Presidp:nts, Henry Booth, W. F. Poole, D. L. Shorey. Corresponding Secretary. (Vacancy.) Recording Secretary and Treasurer. E. G. Mason. COMMITTEES On Officers and Members. Henry Booth, J. R. Doolittle, A. C. McClurg, M. L. Scudder, Jr., H. D. Lloyd. On Arrangements and Exercises. W. F. Poole, K. Kohler, W. E. Furness, A. B. Mason, (one vacancy). On Rooms and Finance. D. L, Shorey, Franklin MacVeagh, E. S. Waters, J. C. Patterson, W. M. R. French. HONOBARY MEMBERS. Arthur Brooks, New York City. H. N. Powers, Bridgeport, Ct. H. S. Brown, Philadelphia. M. J. Savage, Boston, Mass. C. D. Helmer, Brooklyn, N. Y. G. B. Smith, ISIadison, Wis. R. H. Mason, Jefferson City, Montana. H. W. Thomas, Aurora, III. Lemuel Moss, Bloomington, 111. C. W. Wendte, Cincinnati, O. 1 1 REGULAR MEMBERS, March 1876. Charles Adams, C. T. Adams, Joseph Adams, S. W. Andrew, E. Andrews, J. W. Andrews, I. N. Arnold, E. G. Asay, B. F. Ayer, H. H. Babcock, H. C. Bannard, W. A. Bartlett, W. H. Barnum, Cecil Barnes, H. W. Bishop, C. C. Bonney, Henry Booth, William Brackett, E. O. Brown, J. C. Burroughs, G. C. Campbell, L. T. Chamberlain, T. S. Chard, E. C. Clarke, G. C. Clarke, W. H. Clarke, W. H. S. Cleveland, Robert Collyer, W. F. Coolbaugh, J. M. Corse, John Crerar, Franklin Denison, W. E. Doggett, J. R. Doolittle, J. R. Doolittle, Jr., C. A Dupee, David Fales, W. L. Fawcett, R. N Foster, W. M. R. French, W. E. Furness, Simeon Gilbert, C. A Gregory, E. M. Hale, G. F. Harding, S. S. Harris, G. P. A. Healy, P. N. Haskell, J. J. Herrick, Robert Hervey, H. N. Hibbard, J. L. High, George Howland, Thomas Hoyne, J. J. Hoyt, J. A. Hunt, H. A. Huntington, J. N. Hvde, J. T. Hyde, E. S. Isham, J. S. Jewell, J. N. Jewett, H. W. Jackson, J. A. Jameson, H. A. Johnson, H. W. Jones, W. H. King, Joseph Kirkland, A. S. Kissell, K. Kohler, J. J. Lalor, E. C. Lamed, W. C. Larned, Bryan Lathi op, C. B. Lawrence, J. B. Leake, J. V. LeMoyne, R. T. Lincoln, H. D. Lloyd, J. E. Lockwood, Reuben Ludlum, E. B. McCagg, A. C. McClurg, William Macdonell, Franklin MacVeagh, L. D. Mansfield, A. B. Mason, E. G. Mason, H. B. Mason, William Mathews, S. M. Moore, Murry Nelson, G. L. Paddock, J. C. Patterson, R. M. Patterson, Bronson Peck, Jr., A. M. Pence, N. C. Perkins, W. J. Petrie, J. L. Pickard, W. F. Poole, J. G. Rogers, John W. Root, Julius Rosenthal, J. B. Runnion, W, H. Ryder, George Schneider, J. J. Schobinger, M. L. Scudder, Jr., D. L. Shorey, J. G. Shortall, Mark Skinner, Orrin Skinner, E. A. Small, C. G. Smith, F. B. Smith, G. W. Smith, H. T. Steele, E. S. Stickney, David Swing, J. L. Thompson, Lambert Tree, Lyman Trumbull, L. W. Volk, E. S. Waters, J. D. Webster, Horace White. P. B. Wight, John Wilkinson, Norman Williams, A. W Windett. C.S R/tR£