Charter and By-Laws OF THE 4- Association, Established February I83: CharterEb Janua , Rhode island* jcdptekb Y. 62 WEYBOSSET STREET. 1883. Charter and By-Laws OF THE, ip? vt . c A Established February 18th, Chartered January, ’ § rcoidehce: - -r RHODE ISLAND PRINT»ip COMPANY. 62 WEYBOSSET STREET. 1883. Revised at Annual Meeting HELD February 19th, 1883. CHARTER. Passed at the January Session, 1869. AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE “PROVIDENCE MUTUAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION.” It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: Section 1. Thomas Boardman, Robert Brad- ley, John Gray, William Jackson and others, their associates and successors, are hereby created a body corporate and politic, by the name of the “Providence Mutual Health Association,” for the charitable porpose of mutually sharing the burdens of medical attendance among the members of said Association and their families * and the cost of medicines provided for them under medical direction. Sec. 2. The said Corporation shall be located in the City of Providence, and may admit as members such persons as they may think proper, who are dependent upon their own labor or the labor of their families for support, and such others as they may think proper, who may be unable to pay the expenses liable to be incurred for medicines and medical attendance upon themselves and their families in sickness. Sec. 3. The said Corporation may assess its members for the purpose of carrying into effect the objects of the Association, such annual assessments as they may think proper, not ex- ceeding fifteen dollars, upon each member, and may collect such assessments from time to time, in a manner to be prescribed by the By-Laws of said Corporation, and may, if they think proper, graduate the said assessments among the said members, according to the number of persons in the family of the member. Sec. 4. The said Corporation may exercise all the rights and privileges, and be subjected to all the duties and liabilities prescribed in Chapter 125 of the Revised Statutes, and of the acts in addition thereto and in amendment thereof. By-Laws OF Providence Mutual Health Association. Considering that we are all liable to sickness and accidents requiring medical and surgical aid, and also that the bur- den of such aid falls unequally upon us as individuals, and unequally upon indi- viduals at different times, we form our- selves into an Association for the purpose of removing these burdens as far as may be, and regulating such as cannot be re- moved, so that they may be more easily borne. 6 Name. Art. I. This Association shall be called “The Providence Mutual Health Asso- ciation.” Object, Art. II. The object of this Association shall be to secure to working men and their families, suitable Medical and Surgi- cal Attendance and Medicines whenever required, without the hazard of ruinous expenses or hopeless indebtedness. Officers. Art. III. The Officers of this Associa- tion shall be elected annually, and shall consist of a Board of seven Directors, who shall elect from their number a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, each having th'e power usually vested in such officers. The Board shall also have power to fill any vacancy in their number. 7 T reasurer. Art. IV. All moneys received shall be paid to the Treasurer, who shall invest the same as recommended by the Board of Directors, in the name of the Association, and no money shall be paid on account of this Association, but by an order from the Secretary, signed by the President and one other member of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall give such bonds as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors. Art. V. Each member shall be entitled to vote at all elections of Directors. Voting. Medical Officers. Art. VI. The Medical Officers employed shall be elected annually, and shall be regular graduates in Medicine and Surgery of some respectable Medical College, and it shall be their duty to respond promptly to all calls of members of this Association by day or night, limited by rules here- after provided. The Directors shall have the power to fill any vacancy of the above officers. 8 Patients. Art. VII. It shall be the duty of patients to send their orders for the physicians (ex- cept in cases of sudden illness), by 9 o’clock A. M. or the night before, and in all cases when the patient is able, he shall visit the physician, in person, at his office, during office hours. Patients shall furnish their own bottles. To become a Member, Art. VIII. Any person wishing to be- come a member of this Association shall leave his or her name, residence and oc- cupation with a member of the Board of Directors, and shall deposit with him one quarter’s subscription, which will be re- funded if the applicant be not admitted a member. If a member changes his or her residence, he or she shall inform the Sec- retary. Rates. Art. IX. To become a member of this Association, each married man shall pay 9 the sum of three and a half dollars ($3.50) per quarter, which shall entitle himself, wife and children under age to all its bene- fits ; each widow for herself and children under age residing with her, shall pay half the sum required ($1.75) in case her husband was living; each man without a family shall pay one and a half dollars ($1.50), and each woman without a family one and a quarter dollars ($1.25) per quarter. Payments shall be made quar- terly, and always in advance. Quarters to commence February 18th, May 18th, August 18th and November 18th. Arrears. Art. X. Members in arrears on the fifth days of March, June, September and December, will stand disconnected from the Association, (unless a good and sufficient reason is given to the Secretary previous to the above date, which will be laid before the Directors for consideration,) and cannot again connect themselves with same until the commencement of the following quar- ter, and then only as new members. 10 Admitted when Sick. Art. XI. No person while sick shall be admitted a member of this Association without the payment of three times the amount of the regular quarterly subscrip- tion for the first quarter. The foregoing also applies to members having childbirth in their families during the first quarter of membership. Complaint, Art. XII. Any member feeling ag- grieved shall make complaint to the Sec- retary, whose duty it shall be to enter the statement in a book kept for that purpose, and to lay it before the next meeting of the Directors. Directors. Art. XIII. The Directors shall meet on the first Monday following the commence- ment of each quarter, when applications for membership shall be considered and any other business transacted which may come before the meeting. They may however 11 appoint three of their number to meet when necessary to attend to any business which it is not necessary to refer to the full Board. Funds Art. XIV. One-fifth of the whole amount received for membership shall constitute a Fund for the payment of In- cidental Expenses incurred by the Board of Directors for the benefit of the Associa- tion ; the remaining four-fifths of the whole amount received for membership shall constitute a Fund for the payment of the Physicians and Surgeons, to be divided among them in proportion to the services rendered by each. Alteration. Art. XV. No alteration shall be made in the Articles of this Association, except at an Annual or Special General Meeting, nor without two full weeks’ notice being given of the intended alteration, and it shall then be decided by the vote of the majority of the members present. 12 Art. XVI. The Annual Meetings of this Association shall be held on the first Monday after the 18th of February, when the reports shall be read of the past year’s proceedings, and such other busi- ness transacted as may be deemed neces- sary. Annual Meeting. Art. XVII. Ten Members shall con- stitute a quorum i'or the transaction of all business coming before the general meet- ings. Quorum