ART. IX. The General Association shall annually appoint a treasurer and an auditor of accounts; and the treasurer shall exhibit both to the General Association and to the trustees, the state of the treasury, whenever he shall be called upon for that purpose. ART. X. The trustees shall annually exhibit to the General Association a particular account of the missionaries employed by them; of the places to which they are sent; of the missions; of the state of the funds; of the receipts and expenditures: and of whatever relating to this institution the General Association shall require. ART. XI. The trustees and all officers of this society shall enter on their respective offices on the first Wednesday of August, annually; and shall continue in office for one year. ART. XII. The trustees shall hold their first meeting at the State House in Hartford, on the first Wednesday of August next, at 11 o'clock A, M., and in every year thereafter they shall meet at the same time and place, unless otherwise ordered by the General Association. ART. XIII. If on experience it shall be found necessary to alter the constitution, an alteration may be made by the General Association at their stated session; but not without having been drawn up in writing and lying under consideration one year; nor unless at least two thirds of the General Association shall adopt said alteration. The following additional article was adopted by vote of the society and approved by the legislature, in the year 1805: Voted, that it shall be the duty of the trustees of this society, to place the treasurer under bonds for the faithful discharge of his trust, and to such an amount as they shall think proper. And in case such treasurer shall refuse to give bonds as aforesaid, it shall be in their power to displace him, and appoint one in his place, who will qualify himself for the trust; who shall continue in office, till the next meeting of the General Association. This society was incorporated by the legislature of Connecticut in 1802; and, in conformity with the act of incorporation, the trustees make a report of their receipts and expenditures, to the legislature, annually. 2. The Domestic Missionary Society for Connecticut and its vicinity, was in like manner formed in 1816; the General Association itself being the society. For fourteen years the attention of its directors was confined to feeble congregations and waste places in Connecticut. In 1830, its plan was enlarged and its name was changed to "The Missionary Society of Connecticut, auxiliary to the American Home Missionary Society," by the adoption of the following revised constitution. CONSTITUTION OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY OF CONNECTICUT, AUXILIARY TO THE AMERICAN HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY. As amended and adopted, June, 1831. ART. I. This Society shall be known by the name of the Missionary Society of Connecticut, auxiliary to the American Home Missionary Society. ART. II. The General Association of Connecticut shall be said Society. ART. III. The object of the Society shall be to co-operate with the A. H. M. S. in building up the waste places of Connecticut, and in sending the Gospel to the destitute, and assisting feeble congregations in other and more destitute portions of the United States, according to the provisions of the 8th Article of the constitution of the parent society, with such stipulations as shall secure to this society the control of the raising and application of funds, the selection and appointment of missionaries, and the general designation of their fields of labor; the said stipulations to be mutually agreed upon by the directors of the society, and the executive committee of the A. H. M. S. ART. IV. The officers of the society shall be, a secretary, a treasurer, an auditor, and eighteen directors. The treasurer and auditor of the Missionary Society of Connecticut shall be, ex officio, treasurer and auditor of this society. The twelve trustees of the Missionary Society of Connecticut shall be ex officio, directors of this society. Six additional directors shall be annually chosen by ballot by the General Association. The secretary shall be chosen by the directors. Seven of the directors shall be laymen, and eleven clergy men. ART. V. The treasurer shall pay out the money of the society only as ordered by the directors, and shall exhibit a statement of his accounts to the board whenever called on for the purpose. ART. VI. It shall be the duty of the directors, five of whom shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for business, to pursue the object of the society by adopting such measures, from time to time, as they shall judge expedient, under the superintendence of the General Association, and subject to their special direction, should it, at any time, be thought proper to apply to the General Assembly for a brief. ART. VII. The directors shall have power to apply the funds of the society according to their discretion, in all cases in which they shall not be limited by the General Association, or the donors; to appoint and dismiss missionaries; to pay them; and generally, to transact all business necessary to attain the ends of the society. And no officer of the society, the treasurer excepted, shall receive any compensation for his services.* ART, VIII. The board of directors shall meet twice a year; on such day of the week of the state election, at Hartford, as they shall appoint, and on the first Wednesday of August. The board of directors shall annually report their doings to the General Association. ART. IX. A permanent fund may be formed, consisting of donations of individuals, if the donations are made with that particular view; but all other moneys of the society shall be appropriated, from year to year, to the attainment of the ends of the society. ART. X. No alterations shall be made in this Constitution, unless the same shall have been proposed at a previous annual meeting, or recommended by the directors and adopted by a vote of two thirds of the members of the General Association present. The last clause of this article was erased in June, 1832. |