IN THE YEAR ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FOUR. AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE "AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE." Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: SECTION 1. Joseph Henry of Washington, Benjamin Pierce of Cambridge, James D. Dana of New Haven, James Hall of Albany, Alexis Caswell of Providence, Stephen Alexander of Princeton, Isaac Lea of Philadelphia, F. A. P. Barnard of New York, John S. Newberry of Cleveland, B. A. Gould of Cambridge, T. Sterry Hunt of Boston, Asa Gray of Cambridge, J. Lawrence Smith of Louisville, Joseph Lovering of Cambridge and John LeConte of Philadelphia, their associates, the oflicers and members of the Association, known as the "American Association for the Advancement of Science," and their successors, are hereby made a corporation by the name of the "American Association for the Advancement of Science," for the purpose of receiving, purchasing, holding and conveying real and personal property, which it now is, or hereafter may be, possessed of, with all the powers and privileges, and subject to the restrictions, duties and liabilities set forth in the general laws which now or hereafter may be in force and applicable to such corporations. SECTION 2. Said corporation may have and hold by purchase, grant, gift or otherwise, real estate not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars in value, and personal estate of the value of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. SECTION 3. Any two of the corporators above named are hereby authorized to call the first meeting of the said corporation in the month of August next ensuing, by notice thereof "by mail," to each member of the said Association. SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon its passage. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, March 10, 1874. CONSTITUTION OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. Incorporated by Act of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. OBJECTS. ARTICLE 1. The objects of the Association are, by periodical and migratory meetings, to promote intercourse between those who are cultivating science in different parts of America, to give a stronger and more general impulse and more systematic direction to scientific research, and to procure for the labors of scientific men increased facilities and a wider usefulness. MEMBERS, FELLOWS, PATRONS AND HONORARY FELLows. ART. 2. The Association shall consist of Members, Fellows, Patrons, and Honorary Fellows. ART. 3. Any person may become a Member of the Association upon recommendation in writing by two members or fellows, and election by the Council. ART. 4. Fellows shall be elected by the Council from such of the members as are professionally engaged in science, or have by their labors aided in advancing science. The election of fellows shall be by ballot and a majority vote of the members of the Council at a designated meeting of the Council. ART. 5. Any person paying to the Association the sum of one thousand dollars shall be classed as a Patron, and shall be entitled to all the privileges of a member and to all its publications. ART. 6. Honorary Fellows of the Association, not exceeding three for each section, may be elected; the nominations to be made by the Council and approved by ballot in the respective sections before election by ballot in General Session. Honorary Fellows shall be entitled to all the privi (xxvii) leges of Fellows and shall be exempt from all fees and assessments, and entitled to all publications of the Association issued after the date of their election. ART. 7. The name of any member or fellow two years in arrears for annual dues shall be erased from the list of the Association, provided that two notices of indebtedness, at an interval of at least three months, shall have been given; and no such person shall be restored until he has paid his arrearages or has been reëlected. The Council shall have power to exclude from the Association any member or fellow, on satisfactory evidence that said member or fellow is an improper person to be connected with the Association, or has in the estimation of the Council made improper use of his membership or fellowship. ART. 8. No member or fellow shall take part in the organization of, or hold office in, more than one section at any one meeting. OFFICERS. ART. 9. The Officers of the Association shall be elected by ballot in General Session from the fellows, and shall consist of a President, a Vice President from each section, a Permanent Secretary, a General Secretary, a Secretary of the Council, a Treasurer, and a Secretary of each Section; these, with the exception of the Permanent Secretary, shall be elected at each meeting for the following one, and, with the exception of the Treasurer and the Permanent Secretary, shall not be reëligible for the next two meetings. The term of office of Permanent Secretary shall be five years. ART. 10. The President, or, in his absence, the senior Vice President present, shall preside at all General Sessions of the Association and at all meetings of the Council. It shall also be the duty of the President to give an address at a General Session of the Association at the meeting following that over which he presided. ART. 11. The Vice Presidents shall be the chairmen of their respective Sections, and of their Sectional Committees, and it shall be part of their duty to give an address, each before his own section, at such time as the Council shall determine. The Vice Presidents may appoint temporary chairmen to preside over the sessions of their sections, but shall not delegate their other duties. The Vice Presidents shall have seniority in order of their continuous membership in the Association. ART. 12. The General Secretary shall be the Secretary of all General Sessions of the Association, and shall keep a record of the business of |