ARTICLE I

Name.

Section I. This organization shall be called THE HOLLAND SOCIETY OF NEW YORK.

ARTICLE II

Object.

The object of the Society shall be:

First: To collect and preserve information respecting the early history and settlement of the City and State of New York by the Dutch, and to discover, collect, and preserve all still existing documents, etc., relating to their genealogy and history.

Second: To perpetuate the memory and foster and promote the principles and virtues of the Dutch ancestors of its members, and to promote social intercouse among the latter.

Third: To gather by degrees a library for the use of the Society, composed of all obtainable books, monographs, pamphlets, manuscripts, etc., relating to the Dutch in America.

Fourth: To cause statedly to be prepared and read before the Society, papers, essays, etc., on questions in the history or genealogy of the Dutch in America.

Fifth: To cause to be prepared and published when the requisite materials have been discovered and procured, collections for a memorial history of the Dutch in America, wherein shall be partcularly set forth the part belonging to that element in the growth and development of American character, institutions, and progress.

ARTICLE III

Members

Section I. No one shall be eligible as a member unless he be of full age, of respectable standing in society, of good moral character, and the descendant in the direct male line of a Dutchman who was a native or resident of new York or of the American colonies prior to the year 1675. This shall include those of other former nationalities who found in Holland a refuge or a home, and whose descendants in the male line came to this country as Dutch settlers, speaking Dutch as their native tongue. This shall also include descendants in the male line of Dutch settlers who were born within the limits of Dutch settlements, and the descendants in the male line of persons who possessed the right of Dutch citizenship within Dutch settlements in America, prior to the year 1675; also of any descendant in the direct male line of a Dutchman, one of whose descendants became a member of this Society prior to June 16, 1886.

So long as there are one thousand members of the Society no further elections to membership shall be held, but candidates for admission shall be placed in order upon a waiting list; provided, however, that this restriction shall not prevent the immediate election or former member of the Society.

ARTICLE IV

Officers

Section I. A President, Vice-Presidents as provided in the By-Laws, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary and a Treasurer shall be chosen at each annual meeting and shall hold office for one year and until their successors are elected. There shall also be chosen from its mem bers twenty Trustees. Those elected at the first election shall divide themselves into four classes of five each; one class to hold office one year, the second class for two years, the third class for three years, and the fourth class for four years, next thereafter. At each annual meeting thereafter there shall be chosen five Trustees to fill the place of the class whose term will then expire. The offices of Secretary and Treasurer may be filled by one person.

If one who is not a Trustee should be elected President, Recording Secretary or Treasurer, he shall be ex-officio a member of the Board of Trustees during his term of office.

Section 2. All elections shall be by ballot, under the direction of inspectors, to be appointed by the President, and a plurality of votes shall elect.

ARTICLE V

Powers and Duties of Officers.

Section I. The President of the Society, and in his absence the Vice-President for new York County, shall authorize the call for all meetings of the Trustees, and of the Society, and appoint the place of each meeting, and shall exercise the usual functions of a presiding officer.

Vice-Presidents shall, as far as possible, keep in touch with the members resident in their several counties and stimulate their interest in the affairs of the Society. On the occasion of the death of any member, the Vice-President for the county in which such member has resided shall represent the Society and procure the necessary material for an appropriate memorial sketch to be inserted in the Year Book.

Section 2. The Recording Secretary shall make and keep a true record of all meetings of the Trustees, and of the Society, and of all Standing Committees; he shall also act as Librarian and Curator and shall have the custody of the Constitution and By-Laws, the Corporate Seal, and all books, pamphlets, manuscripts and personal articles belonging to the Society.

The Corresponding Secretary shall notify each Trustee of all meetings of the Trustees, and each member of all meetings of the Society; issue all other authorized notices to members, distribute all books, pamphlets, souvenirs and other matter, authorized by the Trustees, and conduct the correspondence of the Society.

Section 3. The Treasurer shall collect, and under the direction of the Trustees disburse, the funds of the Society, and shall keep regular accounts thereof, which shall be subject to the examination of the President and Trustees. He shall submit a statement thereof to the Trustees at each regular meeting.

Section 4. The Trustees shall have general charge of the affairs, funds, and property of the Society. It shall be their duty to carry out the objects and purposes thereof; and to this end may exercise all the powers of the Society, subject to the Constitution, and to such action as the Society may take at its special or stated meetings.

Section 5. The Trustees shall have power to fill any vacancy which may occur from death or resignation among the officers of the Society, for the unexpired term of office vacated. Absence from three consecutive stated meetings of the trustees, without satisfactory explanation or excuse, shall be deemed equivalent to resignation and may be acted upon accordingly.

Section 6. The Trustees shall cause to be prepared annually a detailed statement of the financial condition of the Society, showing its receipts and expenditures for the current year, the number of members, and other matters of general interest to the Society, and a statement thereof shall be printed and a copy sent to each member ten days previous to the annual meeting.

Section 7. The Trustees shall, from time to time, make by-laws, rules and regulations, and appoint standing committees and sub-committees on matters not herein determined.

ARTICLE VI

Membership

Section 1. Candidates for admission must be proposed by one member and seconded by another, and the member proposing a candidate shall state in writing the name of the person proposed, his occupation, place of residence, and his qualifications for membership.

Section 2. The name of every candidate, with those of his proposers, shall be sent to the Corresponding Secretary at least fifteen days, and by him sent to each Trustee at least ten days, before he is balloted for. Members shall be chosen by the Trustees, and no candidate for membership shall be elected unless he receive an affirmative vote of four-fifths of the Trustees present, and in every instance two blackballs shall exclude.

Section 3. Any Trustee may, at the same meeting, move the reconsideration of a vote, either of admission or exclusion; but after an adjourment no rejected candidate shall be eligible for six months thereafter.

Section 4. The admission fee shall be five dollars. The annual dues shall be five dollars, payable in advance on the first day of February in each year, or, in the case of newly elected members, upon notice of election. By the payment of ninety-five dollars at one time a member not in arrears may exempt himself from further payment of annual dues. The Trustees shall have power to increase each of said amounts from time to time, but not to a sum greater than one hundred dollars for the admission fee, and ten dollars for the annual subscription.

Section 5. Every person elected to membership, as a condition thereof, shall, within thirty days after being notified, pay to the Treasurer the amount of the admission fee and sign the Constitution; the Trustees may extend the time for the latter in special cases.

Section 6. Should any member neglect to pay his annual subscription within six months of the time when it is due, his name shall be dropped from the roll of the Society, unless for any good and sufficient excuse the Trustees shall vote to remit or suspend such penalty.

Section 7. The Trustees shall have power, by a vote of a majority of its members, to suspend or forfeit the membership of any member of the Society for conduct on his part likely, in the opinion of the Trustees, to endanger the welfare, interest, or character of the Society, an opportunity being first given such member to be heard before the Trustees in his defence.

Section 8. Any person who shall cease to be a member of the Society shall forfeit all right or interest in the property of the Society.

ARTICLE VII

Meetings

Section 1. The annual meeting of the Society shall be held on April 6th, the anniversary of the day when, in A.D. 1566, the Dutch combined against tyranny and adopted the badge which is now the badge of this Society. Should such date fall on Saturday or Sunday, the annual meeting shall be held on the Monday following.

Section 2. No special meeting of the Society shall be called at any time except by order of the President, with the approval of three Trustees, or by the Corresponding Secretary whenever the President shall be thereunto requested in writing by twelve members, setting forth the purpose of such meeting. At any such special meeting no business other than that specified in the call shall be considered, except by unanimous consent. At least ten days' notice shall be given to the members of all meetings of the Society.

Section 3. The Trustees shall hold four regular meetings each year at such times as may be provided in the By-Laws.

ARTICLE VIII

Notices

Section 1. All notices shall be sent to such address as shall be left with the Corresponding Secretary. If no address be so given, such notices shall be sufficient if addressed to the member at his last known place of residence.



ARTICLE IX

Amendments to the Constitution

Section 1. To amend the Constitution, an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members present at a general or special meeting shall be requisite, but no amendment shall be made except upon the recommendation of the Board of Trustees, or upon the written request of at least fifteen members of the Society, and after the mailing to each member notice of any proposed amendment at least ten days before the meeting at which it is intended to be acted upon.