Library Collections: Document: Full Text

At a Meeting of the Connecticut Asylum for the education and instruction of Deaf and Dumb persons, held at the State House in Hartford, 24th June 1816.

JOHN CALDWELL, Esq. Chairman. HENRY HUDSON was chosen Secretary pro. tem.

The following articles were adopted as by-laws for the government of the Society.

Art. 1. The Connecticut Asylum for the education and instruction of Deaf and Dumb persons, shall be established in the town of Hartford.

Art. 2. The annual payments of five dollars shall constitute the person who has paid since the act of incorporation, or shall hereafter pay that sum, a member of the Society, for the year commencing at the annual meeting next subsequent to such payment: and the payment of fifty dollars, a member for life. The payment of one hundred dollars, shall constitute the person who has, or shall hereafter pay that sum, a Director for life, and the payment of two hundred dollars, a Vice-President for life.

Art. 3. The Society shall annually choose ten Directors, who together with the Directors for life, shall manage the concerns of the Society. They shall choose a Clerk for the year. The Clerk shall record the doings of the board, and lay them before the Society at their annual meeting.

Art. 4. The Society shall annually choose a President, eight Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, and Secretary, who shall be ex-officio, additional Directors of the Society. At every meeting of the Society, or of the board of Directors, the President, or in his absence a Vice-president shall preside, or in the absence of both, a chairman to be chosen for that purpose. The Secretary shall keep a record of the transactions of the Society, and correspond in their name. All the officers of this Society shall be chosen by ballot.

Art. 5. The Treasurer shall keep the accounts of the Society, receive the monies, pay the orders of the Directors and report to the Society the state of their funds at the annual meeting, present his accounts to the board of Directors when requested, and procure on accepting his office, bonds to the satisfaction of the board, for the faithful execution of his trust.

Art. 6. The stated annual meeting of the Society shall be holden in the City of Hartford, on the first Saturday after the second Thursday of May. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to call a special meeting of the Society, at the request of five of the Directors. Notice of all meetings of the Society shall be given in two news-papers printed in Hartford, at least two weeks previous to the proposed meeting.

Art. 7. The Directors shall meet in Hartford ten days after they shall have been chosen, and then by their own adjournments through the year. A majority of the board or six annual Directors with such other Directors as may be present, shall constitute a quorum for business; but in case a quorum of the board does not meet, the President, a Vice-president, the Secretary, or in their absence, the members present may adjourn the meeting to some future date.

Art. 8. Alterations and amendments in these articles may he made by a majority of the members present, at an annual meeting of this Society, or at a special meeting of the Society called for the purpose, and at no other.

Art. 9. A meeting of the Directors may at any time be called by the President, or in his absence by a Vice-President, giving ten days notice, by publishing the same in one of the newspapers in the City of Hartford.