ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
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INSTITUTED 1857.
          BOSTON:
PRINTED BY DAVID  CLAPP.
         Orer 164 Washington Street.
            1857. 
 
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ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
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         BOSTON:
PRINTED BY DAVID OLAPP,
        Over 184 Washington Street.
           1857. 
OFFICERS.
         President.
GEORGE HAY WARD, M.D.

        Vice-President.
GEORGE H.  LYMAN, M.D,

         Secretary.
HENRY W. WILLIAMS, M.D.

         Treasurer.
WM, EDWARD COALE, M.D.

         Trustees.
CHARLES G. PUTNAM, M.D.
AUGUSTUS A. GOULD, M.D.
J. M. WARREN, M.D.
MORRILL WYMAN,  M.D.
SAMUEL CABOT, Jr., M.D.
E. W. BLAKE, M.D.
C. E. BUCKINGHAM, M.D.
FRANCIS MINOT,  M.D.
ALGERNON  COOLIDGE, M.D 
ARTICLES  OF  ASSOCIATION AND BYLAWS,
          ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION.
  Whereas, it sometimes happens that worthy members
of the Medical Profession become reduced in circumstan-
ces, we, whose names  are  underwritten (all being resi-
dents of Massachusetts), do  hereby  associate  ourselves
as a body corporate, for the relief of such, especially, as
become  members of  this  Society, or of  their  families,
should  they need assistance j and of  such other members
of the  medical  profession or their  families as may  be
deemed by the Society suitable objects of its beneficence.
  The name of this association shall be the " Massachusetts
Medical Benevolent Society."  It shall be located in the
city of Boston.

                   BY-LAWS.
                     MEMBERSHIP.
  I.  All persons admitted to this Society, shall, at the
time of their admission, be members  of the medical pro-
fession, or the wives or widows of such.
  II.  Persons desirous  of becoming members,  if nomi-
nated to the Council, and by them approved, shall be re-
ported to the Society at the next annual meeting; and
the vote  of a majority of  the members present shall be
requisite for admission. 
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  III.  Any member may withdraw from the Society upon
paying all subscriptions  due  from him, and giving to the
Secretary a written notice of his wish to Avithdraw.
  A member shall  forfeit the right of membership if his
dues remain unpaid for thirty days after notice of delin-
quency from  the Treasurer; unless excused  from pay-
ment by the Council.  But he may be  restored to his pri-
vileges by the Council,  upon payment of all  arrearages,
with interest thereon.
  Any member shall forfeit the right of  membership who
in the opinion of  three-fourths  of the  Council  shall  be
deemed guilty of conduct unworthy and unbecoming an
honorable physician and member of this Society.
  IV.  Each member  shall  sign  an  obligation promising
to conform to the By-Laws of  this  Society; shall pay on
admission three dollars; and two dollars annually there-
after, at  or before  the annual meeting.
  If any  member shall pay twenty-five dollars in  one sum,
or for the term of  twenty years shall have paid his an-
nual assessments, he  shall be regarded  as a life  member,
and at his option  shall be exempt from all subsequent
assessments.
   V. The donation  of  fifty dollars or more  at one time,
shall entitle the donor to be  inscribed among the Bene-
factors of the Society.
                       MEETINGS.
   VI. The annual  meeting of the Society shall be held
on the last  Thursday in July, at such hour and  in  such
place within  the city of Boston as the Council  shall ap-
point.  No  other  meetings of the  Society shall be held,
except as hereinafter provided.  Twenty  members shall
constitute a quorum.  Xo  member shall vote  by proxy.
A majority of the members present shall  decide all mat- 
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ters and  questions, except  such  as relate to the abroga-
tion of any of the By-Laws  of the Society, in which case
two-thirds of the  members  present shall concur.
  At the Annual Meeting  shall be  chosen,  by ballot, a
President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and nine
Trustees.
  These  officers  shall meet and  act together  as  one
Board, to be styled the Council.   Of this  Board,  five
members shall constitute  a  quorum.
                       OFFICERS.
   VII.  The President shall preside at  meetings  of  the
 Society and  the  Council, and appoint Committees when
 not otherwise ordered by the meeting.
   In his absence  his duties shall  devolve  upon the Vice
 President.
    VIII.  The Secretary shall keep fair and "rue  records
 of the doings of the Society and of the Council in a book
 or books, to be always open to the inspection of members.
 He shall notify  the  Treasurer of  appropriat ons author-
 ized by the  Council, shall present at the Annual Meet-
 ing a list of all  persons  receiving  aid from the Society
 during the year, and perform such other  duties as may be
 required of him.
    IX.  Bond, with such  surety as  shall be satisfactory to
 the Council, shall be given by  the  Treasurer before he
 enters upon the duties of his office, conditioned to render
 just  and true accounts when thereto required by the Coun-
 cil or the Society, to account for and deliver to any person
 or persons appointed to receive  the same, all such pro-
 perty, effects, and evidences  of debt, as shall have been
 entrusted to his keeping,  and to  perform all the duties
 of his office with fidelitv and skill. 
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   He shall  pay all  sums authorized by the Council, and
 shall present, at the annual meeting, a report of the state
 of the finances of the Society.
   X.  The  Council  shall meet on the last Thursdays  in
 January, April, July and  October, in the city of Boston.
 They may  fill all vacancies  which  shall  occur  in their
 Board during the year.   The President, or any three  of
 the Council, shall have authority to call special meetings
 of the Council, or to convene the whole Society upon any
 business in  which this charity may be interested, giving  at
 least ten days notice of  said meeting.
                    CARE OF  FUNDS.
  XL  The  care  of  the  funds and the distribution of the
 charities of  the Society shall be committed exclusively  to
 the Council, who shall have  power, whenever they think
 proper, to invest any portion of surplus income as capital,
 and may, us  occasion shall require, resume  said additional
 capital and  distribute it as  income.   All the receipts  of
 the Society  for five  years from the  time of its  organiza-
 tion, shall be reserved as a  Permanent  Fund;  and until
 this Fund shall amount to fifty thousand dollars, all sums
 received for life subscriptions, and all donations and lega-
cies, when not otherwise directed by the donors, shall be
added  thereto, and  be  invested to the begt advantage,
and only the accruing interest distributed.
  XII.  Money belonging to  the Society shall be loaned
only upon note  or obligation of the borrower with two
sufficient sureties; or first mortgage upon productive real
estate in the City of Boston, or of pledge  of the debt,
stock, or scrip of some town, city or  county in the Com-
monwealth  of Massachusetts, or of the debt, stock,  or
scrip of said Commonwealth, or of the United States, at a
safe  rate, not exceeding ninety per cent, of the par value. 
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And the Treasurer shall use his best endeavors to obtain
payment of all debts which shall not be duly paid when
by the contract they become payable, or security therefor.
  XIII.  No member of this  Society shall, either as prin-
cipal or surety, become a debtor to the Society for a loan
of any of its funds or effects.
                        RELIEF.
   XIV.  The aid of this Institution shall be  granted for
the relief of those only who are or have been  members of
this Society, and their families;  and of other  members of
the medical profession who are or have been  inhabitants
of  the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, their widows
and minor children.
   XV. Any member,  who  shall become a Benefactor of
the Society, or the widow of any such  member,  shall be
entitled to receive the interest of the sum thus given by
him (but not the arrears of interest), as an annuity, when-
ever, and  as long as his circumstances shall be such as to
 lead him to claim said annuity.
   XVI.   The income  of the  Permanent  Fund  shall be
 devoted, in the first place, to the payment of any annuities
 which may be allowed by the Council; and secondly, may
be distributed, with other  revenues  of  the  Society, to
 suitable objects of relief, at the discretion of the Council,
 not exceeding thirty  dollars  at one time to  one person.
 The  total  amount of annuities shall in no case exceed the
 income of the Permanent Fund.
   XVII.   No annuity shall be granted to any physician,
 or his widow, if they shall be  under  sixty years of age,
 except under peculiar circumstances.  But annuities once
 voted shall not  be withdrawn, except on account of mis-
conduct  in the recipient, or  because this assistance is no 
8
 longer  deemed  necessary.   All  annuities shall  be sub-
 ject to annual revision by the Council.
   XVIII.  Xo permanent grant shall be made to a disabled
 physician who has, if single, $250 a year, or if  married,
 $300 a year, to live upon.
   XIX.  Xo permanent grant shall be made to any  party
 except upon proof of good moral  character, and,  if grant-
 ed, it may at any time be withdrawn upon  proof of intem-
 perance, improvidence, or immorality; it being the inten-
 tion of this Society to devote  its funds to  the  relief of
 distress arising from misfortune and not from misconduct.
           MODE OF APPLICATION  FOR RELIEF.
   XX.  Any person applying  for  relief, must fully  state
 the circumstances which render  assistance necessary; and
 must be recommended,  from personal  knowledge, by two
 well-known medical men,  one of whom must be a member
 of this Society.
                ALTERATION OF  BY-LAWS.
  XXI.  These  By-Laws shall  not be altered, unless the
proposed  alteration shall  have been submitted  to the
 Council and by them approved. 
BOSTON, April  2d,  1857.
  Dear Sir :

             With this you  have  a  copy of the By-Laws of the
" Massachusetts  Medical  Benevolent  Society."     You will
perceive that  every  applicant  for  admiffion  to  this  Society muft
have his  name fubmitted to the Council,  and, if approved by it,
propofed  at the  Annual Meeting.   We  mould be very happy  to
propofe you  for  memberfhip  at  the  Quarterly  Meeting  of the
Council,  to be held on the laft Thurfday of this month.   If thi;
be your  with, you will pleafe notify  either  of the underfigncd.

                     G. H. LYMAN,  152 Tremont St.,
                     W.  E. COALE, 4 Staniford St.,
                                                Committee.