Page images
PDF
EPUB

BY-LAWS

I.

PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT.

The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association; he shall deliver the annual address and perform all other duties required of him by the Constitution or By-Laws. In his absence one of the Vice-Presidents shall preside, and, in the absence of all such officers, such person as may be called to the chair by the meeting.

II.

SECRETARY AND TREASURER.

The person holding the office of Secretary and Treasurer shall be charged with the following duties:

1. He shall keep full and accurate minutes of the proceedings of the members, officers and committees of the Association, with which a record shall be ordered by the Association; and he shall carefully preserve its archives and transmit them to his successor in office.

2. He shall, with the aid and concurrence of the President, when by the latter deemed expedient, conduct the correspond. ence of the Association.

3. He shall keep at all times a complete and accurate roll of all meetings of the Association, and of all other matters of their addresses; he shall notify new members of their election, and officers and members of committees of their election or appointment.

4. He shall, under the direction of the Executive Committee.

issue notices of all meetings of the Association, and in case of a special meeting, shall add a brief note of the object thereof.

5. He shall, as Secretary, report to the Association at each annual meeting, giving a summary of his transactions during the preceding year, and an outline of the business which is to come before the Association at such annual meeting, so far as it relates to propositions or resolutions referred to any special or standing committee at the previous meeting. And he shall be the keeper of the seal of the Association.

6. He shall collect, and, under the direction of the Executive Committee, disburse, deposit, or invest the funds of the Association.

7. He shall keep regular and accurate accounts in books belonging to the Association, which shall be open at all times to the inspection of any member of the Executive Committee:

8. He shall report to the Executive Committee, whenever so required, the amount of money on hand or under his control, and any appropriations or charges affecting the same.

9. He shall, as Treasurer, make a full and detailed report at each annual meeting, showing: (a) The receipts and disbursements of the preceding year, suitably classified; (b) all outstanding obligations of the Association; and (c) an estimate of the resources and probable expenses for the coming year; and any suggestions he may think proper to make.

10. He shall submit his said report and all his books, vouchers and papers relating thereto, to a committee to be appointed by the Executive Committee at its annual meeting, who shall audit and certify said report before its presentation to the Association.

III.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

1. The members of the Executive Committee first elected under this Constitution shall forthwith divide themselves into three classes of two members each; the first class shall hold

office for two years after the adjournment of the first annual meeting, the second class for one year after the adjournment of said meeting, and the third class until the adjournment of said meeting; at the said meeting, and, thereafter at each annual meeting, there shall be elected, by ballot, two members of said committee, to hold office for three years, and such additional members as may be necessary to fill vacancies, if any, to hold office for the "nexpired terms of their predecessors.

2. They shall have the general management of the affairs of the Association, and shall make such regulations and take such action, not inconsistent with the Constitution and By-Laws, as may be necessary for the protection of its property.

3. They shall audit all accounts against the Association, and no money shall be paid out of the treasury except upon a warrant signed by their secretary and countersigned by their chairman.

4. They shall, as soon as conveniently may be after their first election under this Constitution, and thereafter as soon as conveniently may be after each annual meeting, invite some lawyer of prominence, not a resident of this State, to make an address before the Association at its next annual meeting, upon some subject to be selected by the person so invited. And they shall at the same time select not more than five members of the Association to prepare and read papers at the next annual meeting, upon subjects to be chosen by the persons so selected, or such as may be suggested by the committee.

5. They shall, at least sixty days before each annual meeting of the Association, select a place and a time within the month of July or August for holding such annual meeting, and prepare a printed programme of the proceedings to be held thereat. A copy of such programme and a notice of such meeting shall be mailed to each member of the Association by its Secretary.

6. They shall, at their annual meeting in each year, appoint a special committee of three members of the Association to audit and certify the accounts of the Treasurer before they are presented to the Association.

7. They shall secure the services of a stenographer to report the proceedings of each annual meeting.

IV.

COMMITTEE ON ADMISSIONS.

1. All applications for membership in the Association shall be in writing, signed by the applicant with his full name, and addressed to the Committee on Admissions. The application shall be endorsed by at least two members of the Association not members of the committee, and by the member of the committee from the circuit in which the applicant resides; provided, that if the member of the said committee from any circuit have not registered at any annual meeting, or, having registered, shall have left the place where any annual meeting is held, it shall be the duty of the President of the Association, on the request of the Chairman of the Committee on Admissions, or, in his absence, of any member thereof, to designate a substitute for the said absentee, with power to act during his absence, naming one from the appropriate circuit, if convenient, or, if not, any other member of the Association.

2. If application be presented at a meeting of the committee, the vote thereon shall be by ballot, and every member present shall be required to vote; one negative vote in every five votes cast shall be sufficient to reject the applicant.

3. If the application be presented during the vacation of the committee the method of proceeding shall be as follows: Upon its receipt by any member of the committee he shall forthwith refer it to the member of the committee from the judicial circuit in which the applicant resides, whose duty it shall be to diligently inquire as to the character and standing of the applicant and his eligibility to membership in the Association. If, upon such inquiry, he finds the applicant free from objection, he shall endorse the application favorably; otherwise he shall withhold his endorsement and communicate his reasons therefor in writing to the chairman of the committee, and forward the application to him. If the application be favorably endorsed it shall be referred to the chairman of the committee, and if favorably endorsed by him and four other members of the committee,

including the member from the circuit in which the applicant resides, the applicant shall be declared elected, and the secretary of the committee shall notify the Secretary of the Association of his election. If the application be returned unendorsed by the member of the committee from the judicial circuit in which the applicant resides, or if any member of the committee to whom it is referred refuse to endorse it, it shall be filed by the secretary of the committee until the next meeting of the committee. At such meeting such application shall be disposed of as provided by section 2 of this article. No candidate rejected shall be again proposed within a year.

4. No member of the committee shall disclose to any person the discussions, statements, or votes of any member thereof upon any application for membership; nor shall the committee's decision upon any such application be made known to any person other than the applicant.

5. It shall be the duty of any member of the committee who has knowledge of any fact which, in his opinion, disqualifies the applicant for membership in the Association, if it be in a meeting of the committee, to state such fact to the committee, and if it be in the vacation of the committee, to withhold his endorsement of the application and communicate such fact to the chairman of the committee in writing..

6. The secretary of the committee shall keep, in a book provided for that purpose, a record of all applications for membership in the Association, and shall preserve the originals of all applications among the archives of the committee.

V.

COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATION AND LAW REFORM.

1. It shall be the duty of the Committee on Legislation and Law Reform to scrutinize carefully all proposed changes in the law, to encourage and promote such as appear to be beneficial, and to check, as far as possible, all such as appear to be hasty

« PreviousContinue »