THE 
BOSTON MUTUAL 
HEALTH 
4is©an a® 2@ue 
©rganijcli 3anuatg 6, 1851. 
NO. 8 SCOLLAY’S BUILDING, 
OFFICE, 
BOSTON, MASS. 
1852. THE 
BOSTON MUTUAL 
HEALTH 
AilS@OJIAf 2®^. 
©rgamjrfc Sanuarjj 6, 1851. 
NO. 8 SCOLLAY’S BUILDING, 
OFFICE, 
BOSTON, MASS. 
1852. Rand, Pr. 3 ComhUl. 13 tj- 1C inttg. 
Article 1. This Association shall 
be called the Boston Mutual Health 
Association, of Boston, Mass. 
Art. 2. The Officers of this Asso- 
ciation shall consist of a President, Vice 
President, Secretary, Treasurer, Board 
of Five Directors, and a Finance Com- 
mittee of Two. 
Art. 3. The Board of Directors 
shall be elected annually by the mem- 
bers, each member being entitled to 
one vote. s And a vote of a majority of 
all members voting, shall be necessary 
for a choice. The President, Vice 
President, Secretary, Treasurer, and 
Finance Committee, shall be chosen by 
the Board of Directors. 4 
BY-LAWS 
Art. 4, The Board of Directors 
shall consist of five members of the 
Association. And the Secretary shall 
keep a true and faithful record of all 
their acts at all their regular meetings. 
Art. 5. All necessary Clerks and 
Agents shall be appointed by the Sec- 
retary, subject to the regulations herein- 
after specified. 
Art. 6. The President, Secretary, 
and Treasurer, shall be (during their 
terms of office,) residents of Massa- 
chusetts. 
Art. 7. An office shall be kept in 
Boston, Mass., for the transaction of 
business, and shall be considered the 
parent office, and shall be under the 
immediate charge of the President, 
Secretary, and Board of Directors, and 
shall be at the expense of the Associa- 
tion. 
Art, 8. The duties of the Presi- 
dent shall be, to preside over all meet- 
ings of the Association, and to sign all 
Certificates of Membership, and to have BY-LAWS. 
5 
a general oversight of all business trans- 
actions. 
Art. 9. The duties of the Yice 
President shall be, to supply the place 
of the President in his absence. 
Art. 10. The duties of the Secre- 
tary shall be, to keep the books, and 
have a general charge of the same, and 
to do all the writing of the Association, 
in respect to all matters of business, 
and also to sign all Certificates of Mem- 
bership. 
Art. 11. The Secretary, who shall 
be Treasurer, shall receive all moneys 
paid to the Association, and shall, on 
the first Monday of each month, pay 
over to the Finance Committee all funds 
in his hands, and take their receipt for 
the same. 
Art. 12. The Duties of the Finance 
Committee shall he, to meet on the first 
Monday of each month, to audit all 
accounts. Also, to receive from the 
Treasurer all funds on hand, and see 
that they are rightly disposed of. They 6 
BY-LAWS. 
shall also submit a full report to the 
Annual Meeting. 
Art. 18. The funds of the Asso- 
ciation shall be deposited as soon as 
received, in such bank or banks as the 
Board of Directors shall direct, and in 
the names of the President and Treas- 
urer, and shall be drawn out only by 
checks, bearing both their signatures, 
and countersigned by two of the 
Finance Committee; and whenever the 
money thus deposited shall amount to 
more than may be deemed necessary for 
immediate use, it may be invested in 
Real Estate, or otherwise, as shall ap- 
pear most secure and advantageous to 
the Association. 
Art. 14. The Treasurer shall give 
bonds, with sureties, to be approved by 
a majority of the Board of Directors, 
in the sum of One Thousand Dollars, to 
the President and his successors in 
office, for the use, benefit and security 
of said Association. 7 
Art. 15. A regular set of books 
shall be kept, and all business trans- 
actions registered, and shall be open 
for inspection by the members, at all 
reasonable hours. 
BY-LAWS 
Art. 16. Certificates of Member- 
ship may be granted to male persons 
between the ages of fifteen and sixty- 
five. 
Art. 17. Persons over fifty years 
of age applying to become members, 
shall be charged twenty-five per cent, 
extra, over and above the regular rates 
of yearly payments. 
Art. 18. No Certificate of Mem- 
bership shall be issued entitling any 
member to a larger benefit than Eight 
Dollars per week. 
Art. 19. A Consulting Physician 
shall be employed by the Board of 
Directors, to examine all applications 
for membership, and perform such other 
duties as may be required in the line of 
his profession. 
Art. 20. The application papers 8 
BY-LAWS 
must be examined and approved of by 
the Association’s Physician before a 
Certificate of Membership can be se- 
cured. 
Art. 21. The Annual Meeting of 
the Association for the election of offi- 
cers shall take place on the first Wed- 
nesday of January in each year. 
Art. 22. Any nine members of the 
Association shall constitute a quorum 
for the transaction of business, in any 
regular or special meeting. 
Art. 23. The Secretary shall give 
notice, in one or more newspapers, 
printed in Boston, of the Annual Meet- 
ing for the election of officers, at least 
one month prior to the time of holding 
said meeting, and of such other busi- 
ness as will properly come before the 
meeting. 
Art. 24. All moneys received, not 
otherwise appropriated, shall be reserved 
as a safety fund, until the same amounts 
to Twenty-five Thousand Dollars, and 
the remainder, after providing for out- 9 
standing risks, shall be divided annu- 
ally to the members in ratio to their 
yearly deposits. 
Art. 25. All travelling or local 
Agents shall be required to report to the 
Secretary, on the first and fifteenth of 
each month, and forward all applica- 
tions in their possession. 
Art. 26. All persons becoming 
members of this Association shall be 
required to make a statement respect- 
ing their former health, how often and 
how much they have been sick, and 
with what disease; also the amount of 
yearly deposit. 
Art. 27. All members, in case of 
sickness, shall notify the Secretary or 
the nearest Agent of such sickness, or 
inability, within two weeks after the 
commencement of the same, 
proof of such sickness, he will be re- 
quired to obtain the certificate of at 
least three members of this Association, 
or his attending Physician, 
BY-LAWS. 
Art. 28. All claims thus substan,- 10 
BY-LAWS. 
tiated shall be paid within ten days 
after being received at this office, if 
approved by two of the Directors, un- 
less such claim shall appear to conflict 
with the articles of agreement sub- 
scribed to by the parties in the appli- 
cation and Certificate of Membership; 
and if so, or otherwise doubtful, then 
such claims may be submitted to a Board 
of Referees, to consist of three members 
chosen by the parties, one by the offi- 
cers, one by the claimant, and the third 
by the two first, and their decision shall 
be final. 
Art. 29. All the officers of the 
Association shall be members of the 
Association. 
Art. 30. The Board of Directors 
shall regulate the salaries of all officers, 
and two at least shall approve of every 
item of expense allowed by the Assso- 
ciation. 
Art. 31. No member shall be en- 
titled to a benefit until he has paid in the 
full amount of his yearly deposit. BY-LAWS. 
11 
Art. 32. The Certificate of Mem- 
bership shall be based on the Applica- 
tion, and the agreements therein made 
shall be binding upon the parties, and 
shall be resorted to to explain the 
rights and obligations of the parties. 
Art. 83. The rates of annual de- 
posits for members under fifty years of 
age, shall be as follows, first and frac- 
tional parts of a week excepted:— 
-$2.00 per year, draws $2 per week. 
3.00 i£ “ “ 8 “ 
4.00 “ “ « 4 “ 
5.00 “ <£ ££ 5 “ 
6.00 “ ££ £! 6 ££ “ 
7.00 “ “ “ 7 “ « 
8.00 “ ££ ' “ 8 “ “ 
Over fifty and under sixty-five: 
$2.50 per year, draws $2 per week. 
8.75 ££ “ “ 8 ££ ££ 
5.00 “ “ “ 4 “ “ 
6.25 “ ‘£ “ 5 “ “ 
7.50 “ “ “ 6 ££ ££ 
875 ££ ££ ££ 7 <£ 
10.00 “ “ ,e 8 .■*« 16 12 
BY-LAWS- 
And $1,50 in addition to the above 
will be charged as admission fee the 
first year, and must be paid at the time 
of making application. 
Yearly Deposits for Females under 
sixty years of age, same as above, against 
diseases common to both sexes. 
Those over fifty years will be charged 
twenty-five per cent, extra. 
Art. 34. Each member of the As- 
sociation shall be entitled to a printed 
Report of all the doings of the Associa- 
tion, at the end of each year, sent to 
them by mail. 
Art. 35. The oncers of this Asso- 
ciation shall be chosen by ballot, and 
on a general ticket • and all members 
living at a distance, from the office, or 
whose health or business prevents their 
being present at life Annual Meeting for 
the choice of 'officers, shajl-have the 
privilege of sending in their votes for 
officers, by mail or otherwise, post paid, 
addressed to the Secretary; such votes 
to be signed anal sealed by the voter. 13 
BY-LAWS. 
and opened by said Secretary in pres- 
ence of said meeting, provided no mem- 
ber shall be the bearer of over one 
hundred votes. 
Art. 36. The old Board of Offi- 
cers shall retain their office until new 
ones are duly appointed to take their 
places; and in case of the death or 
resignation of an officer, the vacancy 
shall be filled by vote of the other 
oificers. 
Art. 37. These By-laws may be 
subject to alterations and amendments 
by a vote of two-thirds of the members 
present at any Annual Meeting; and all 
propositions for alterations and amend- 
ments shall be given to the Secretary 
in writing, signed by seven members, 
with such alterations or amendments 
specifically stated, that notice may be 
given that alterations of the By-Laws 
are contemplated. 
Art. 38. In case any officer shall 
habitually neglect or refuse to discharge 
the duties pertaining to his office, or 14 
BY-LAWS. 
become incompetent or disqualified for 
the faithful discharge thereof, the offi- 
cers of the Association shall declare his 
place vacant, and choose a successor. 
I certify that the foregoing is a true 
copy of the By-laws adopted at the 
meeting of the Boston Mutual Health 
Association, holden at the Office of the 
Association, in Boston, Jan. 6th, 1851, 
WM. PULSIFEB, 
Secretary, REMARKS. 
In calling the attention of the public to this 
institution, it may be worthy of remark, that 
though Health Insurance Companies are but 
of recent date in this country, yet in England 
they have long been considered as the greatest 
blessings and benefits of the age. "There, 
where the price paid for labor is so small as to 
preclude all hopes of the mechanic or laborer 
ever obtaining a sufficiency beforehand to 
support himself or family, should sickness or 
accident prevent him from attending to his 
daily labor, the want of some such an institu- 
tion was deeply felt. 
As an experiment, Health Insurance Com- 
panies were formed, and as such, more than 
realized the brightest hopes of their protect- 
ors. Thousands have been the cases, wwere 
the head of a family has been prostrated upon 
the bed of sickness, with no provision for him- 
self or wife and children, had it not been for 
the aid received from his Insurance Policy. 
By this he was enabled to remain with his 
family around him, instead of being obliged 
to remove to the Charity Hospital, and his 16 
REMARKS. 
family scattered abroad, homeless, to seek 
their bread of strangers. For now, thanks to 
his fortunate foresight, he was sure of re- 
ceiving a weekly allowance amply sufficient 
to keep want far away from his door. This 
happy thought cheered him through his sick- 
ness, and has often done as much to restore 
the bloom and strength of health, as the Med- 
ical art. 
This is no fancy sketch, but reality. Even 
in our own more favored country,—and the sys- 
tem is yet in its infancy,—we can see many 
cases very similar to the one we have sketched 
above. And we would put the question to 
every man in humble circumstances, whether 
if sickness should lay its heavy hand upon 
them at any moment, have they any support 
for themselves or families? If not, what 
awaits them ? Shall it be aid from the hand 
of charity, or support from the public fund ? 
both alike repulsive to the man of sensi- 
bility and spirit. 
In the Mutual Health Insurance Associa- 
tion you can find the antidote, and we earn- 
estly entreat the attention of all to its object, 
for its great advantages and benefits must be 
aprarent to every one. What happier thought 
can thrill the breast of the husband and 
father, than the consciousness that, though 
called away at any time, he was sure of leav- 
ing his family well provided for. 
The Office is located in Scollay’s Building, 
Court Street, where every information will be 
cheerfully given to applicants.