BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I
Name
The name of this corporation shall be The Chicago Literary Club.
ARTICLE II
Object
The object of the Club shall be literary culture.
ARTICLE III
Members
Section 1. There shall be two classes of members: Resident and Non-resident.
Section 2. Resident members shall be limited to two hundred and fifty in number, unless
temporarily increased by transfers from the Non-resident list.
Section 3. Proposals for membership shall be in writing and signed by three members of the
Club. Each proposal shall state, in the blank form furnished for the purpose, the candidate's
place of birth, age, occupation, general qualifications and, if a graduate of a college, the name
of the college and the year of graduation; and that the proposers believe that the candidate
desires to become a member of the Club.
Section 4. If the proposal is approved by the Committee on Officers and Members, the
candidate's name, with the names of such candidate's proposers, shall be conspicuously posted
in the Club rooms during two regular meetings, after which the Electoral Committee shall
consider the application and vote thereon by secret ballot. Two blackballs shall prevent the
election of a candidate. No rejected candidate shall be again proposed for membership within
six months of rejection.
Section 5. Before admission to the Club, the candidate so elected shall qualify by (1)
signifying his or her acceptance in writing to the Secretary and (2) paying to the Treasurer the
following amount in full payment of dues for the year ending the thirty-first day of May next
following his or her election, namely:
If elected during the months of October, November, or December, the full amount of dues as
set by the Board of Directors.
If elected during the months of January, February, or March, sixty percent of the dues as set
by the Board of Directors.
If elected during the months of April or May, forty percent of the dues as set by the Board of
Directors.
If the candidate fails to signify acceptance and pay the required amount of dues within two
months after being notified of his or her election by the Secretary, such election shall be void.
In addition, as soon as practicable after his or her election, such candidate shall appear at a
regular meeting of the Club, accompanied by a proposer who shall present him or her to the
presiding officer, who in turn shall present such candidate to the members.
Section 6. The annual dues of Resident and Non-resident members shall be set by the Board
of Directors not later than the month of October annually. Dues shall be set at an amount
consistent with anticipated expenses and fiscal responsibility. No increase in the dues greater
than ten percent in any year will be made without prior ratification by the members. Such
ratification of a greater dues increase shall be considered and voted upon at the second
regular meeting of members following announcement of the increase, notification having been
sent by mail to all members at least ten days prior to such meeting, a simple majority of
those present deciding the matter.
Payment of dues by members who have been enrolled for an aggregate of twenty years or
more and are in good standing and have reached the age of sixty-five years shall be optional
on their part. The bill for dues shall contain a statement calling the attention of members to
the above set forth provision regarding optional payment of dues.
Section 7. A Resident member moving from the city of Chicago or vicinity who is in good
standing and whose dues and other obligations have been paid in full may, upon giving notice
to the Secretary and Treasurer, be transferred to the Non-resident list of members, provided
that such member shall be required to pay Resident-member dues for any year in which he or
she attends five or more regular meetings. A Non-resident member becoming a resident of
Chicago or vicinity shall promptly notify the Secretary and Treasurer in that regard and shall
be transferred to Resident membership in the following year. The word "year" as used in this
section means the period between October first and May thirty-first.
Section 8. Membership may be terminated as follows:
1. By voluntary resignation, provided the member resigning has paid all his or her
indebtedness to the Club, and is in good standing.
2. When the dues of any member shall remain unpaid for a period of three months, the
Treasurer shall notify the member by mail that, unless all dues in arrears are paid within
thirty days from the date of mailing, their membership shall cease, unless the non-payment of
such dues is accounted for to the satisfaction of the Board of Directors.
3. By the vote of three-fourths of the members of the Electoral Committee present at a
meeting at which a quorum is present, provided that (1) a motion be regularly made and
seconded at the previous meeting of the Committee that the name of the designated member
be dropped from the rolls, setting forth the reason or reasons therefor, and (2) the Secretary
shall have promptly notified the designated member by mail that such a motion is pending
and that he or she may appear before the Committee and be heard, if such member so
desires.
ARTICLE IV
Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Club shall be a President, four Vice-Presidents, a Secretary, a
Treasurer, a Historian, and a Webmaster. The President, Secretary, or any Vice-President
may also be Treasurer. The Historian and Webmaster may also hold any other office except
President. Each Vice-President shall be the chairman of a standing committee provided in
ARTICLE V, Section 1.
Section 2. The officers and members of the standing committees shall be annually elected by
ballot, on the second Monday in March, or, in case of a failure then to elect, as soon
thereafter as shall be practicable. Their respective terms of office shall begin immediately
upon the adjournment of the last meeting of the season except that the term of office of the
members of the Committee on Arrangements and Exercises shall commence immediately
upon election and shall continue until the adjournment of the last meeting of the full season
for which it was elected. At the second meeting next preceding, the Committee on Officers
and Members shall submit their regular nominations for all the offices to be filled; and
thereupon any member or members of the Club may make one or more nominations in
opposition to those of the Committee.
At the time of making such nominations, the Committee, or the member or members making
any such nomination as aforesaid, shall state that each of the persons so nominated has
affirmatively consented to serve in the office for which nominated. The candidates for whom
the highest number of votes shall be cast, respectively, shall be declared elected. A vacancy
may be filled by the Board of Directors and the member selected to fill such vacancy shall
continue in office until the adjournment of the last meeting of the full season for which the
member was so selected.
Section 3. The officers of the Club shall perform such duties as are implied by their
respective titles, and as shall be prescribed by these By-laws. The duties of each such officer
shall include the following:
1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the members of the Club and of the Board
of Directors; shall call meetings of the Board of Directors from time to time or as may be
requested by any director; shall coordinate the operations of the respective officers and
committees; and shall generally be responsible for the effective operation of the Club. The
President shall be ex officio a member of each of the standing committees.
2. Each Vice-President shall be responsible for the performance of the duties of the standing
committee of which he or she is chairman. In the event of the death, resignation or other
disability of the President, the duties of the President shall be performed by the senior
Vice-President, such seniority to be determined in the order in which the committees of which
the Vice-Presidents are chairmen are set forth in ARTICLE V, Section 1.
3. The Secretary shall perform the statutory duties of secretary to the Club; shall serve as
secretary of all meetings of the members and of the Board of Directors; and shall be
responsible for maintaining the roster of members of the Club, for mailing all notices to
members, for preparation and mailing of the Year Book and for sending to members any
papers printed by the Club. In the event the President is not present at any meeting of the
members, the Secretary shall appoint a member of the Club to preside at such meeting.
4. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of dues from members and all other
amounts due and owing to the Club; shall collect all income from the investments of the
Club; shall pay the obligations of the Club incurred from time to time; and shall invest and
reinvest the funds of the Club as directed from time to time in writing by the Committee on
Rooms and Finances. The Treasurer shall also report to the President, the Chairman of the
Committee on Rooms and Finances, and the Board of Directors from time to time as
requested, with respect to the finances of the Club, and shall, promptly after the end of each
fiscal year of the Club, furnish to the Secretary for distribution to the members a report on
the finances of the Club prepared by an accounting firm selected by the Board of Directors,
showing the income and disbursements for such year and a balance sheet as of the close of
each year, in each case compared with the preceding fiscal year. The Treasurer shall be ex
officio a member of the Committee on Rooms and Finances.
5. The Historian shall be responsible for preserving, interpreting, and transmitting the history
and traditions of the Club, its documents and literary exercises. The Historian shall perform
the duties of Secretary in the event of the death, resignation or disability of the Secretary.
The Historian shall ordinarily be a past president.
6. The Webmaster shall be responsible for the conduct of the electronic business of the Club,
in particular for maintaining a presence for the Club on the Internet and preparing papers,
publications, and other materials provided by the members and the officers of the Club for
presentation electronically. The Webmaster shall also be responsible for dissemination of
papers, publications, and other materials to libraries, educational institutions and other
repositories.
Each officer shall perform such further duties not inconsistent with the foregoing as shall
from time to time be requested by the President or by the Board of Directors.
Section 4. The officers of the Club shall constitute its Board of Directors, and as such shall
be responsible for the control and management of its affairs and funds. They shall be
entrusted with all business not committed to the Electoral Committee or to any standing or
special committee, and shall have the power to fill vacancies in any of the standing
committees. Five directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
The Board of Directors may appoint a person, who need not be a member, as Administrative
Secretary of the Club and may appoint such a person or any entity as Administrative Agent
of the Club. The administrative duties and responsibilities of any such Administrative
Secretary or Administrative Agent shall be determined from time to time by the Board of
Directors or by officers referred to in Sections 1 and 3 of this ARTICLE IV. Appointment of
a person or entity as Administrative Secretary or Administrative Agent shall not result in any
such person's becoming a director or in any such person or entity's obtaining authority not
conferred by the Board of Directors or by any of such officers.
ARTICLE V
Standing Committees and Electoral Committee
Section 1. The standing committees of the Club shall be as follows:
1. On Officers and Members.
2. On Arrangements and Exercises.
3. On Rooms and Finances.
4. On Publications.
Section 2. In addition to the ex officio member or members, each standing committee shall
consist of a chairman, who shall serve for one year, and four other members, two of whom
shall be elected each year to serve for two years. At least three of the members of the
Committee on Officers and Members shall be past presidents of the Club.
Section 3. The several standing committees shall perform the duties implied by their
respective titles, and as shall be prescribed by these By-laws. The duties of each such
standing committee shall include the following:
1. The Committee on Officers and Members shall make nominations of officers of the Club
and members of standing committees as prescribed in ARTICLE IV, Section 2. No member
of the Committee shall be considered for nomination to any office of the Club. It shall take
action with respect to proposals for membership as prescribed in ARTICLE III, Sections 3
and 4. It shall recommend to the President the person to be appointed from time to time as
The Arthur Baer Fellow or to any other fellowship. It shall take appropriate action to
encourage the maintenance and increase of the membership within the limitations imposed by
ARTICLE III, Section 2.
2. The Committee on Arrangements and Exercises shall be responsible for the selection of
members to present Literary Exercises at the meetings in accordance with ARTICLE VII,
including the making of substitute arrangements when a scheduled essayist for any reason
fails to present a paper. It shall furnish to the Secretary the Scheme of Exercises prescribed
in ARTICLE VII, Section 4, in time that it may be printed in the Year Book.
3. The Committee on Rooms and Finances shall have jurisdiction over the finances of the
Club, and shall advise the President, the Treasurer, the Committee on Publications, and others
with respect to costs and expenses. The Committee shall determine how the Club shall invest
its funds, subject to review by the Board of Directors, and shall have charge of the Club
rooms and its physical property. It shall be responsible for making arrangements for suitable
rooms for each meeting of the members of the Club and shall make all arrangements for the
conduct of the Annual Reunion and Dinner, Closing Meeting and other special meetings and
occasions of the Club.
4. The Committee on Publications shall be responsible for the selection and printing of all
papers to be published by the Club, in accordance with the Regulations set forth in
ARTICLE X of these By-laws, and shall cause the printed papers to be delivered to the
Secretary for distribution to the members.
The Committee shall consider for publication all papers delivered during the Club year
preceding the year for which the Committee serves; it shall not consider any paper presented
by a current member of the Committee, but any such member may request that a paper not
considered for this reason be considered by the Committee serving for the first subsequent
year in which he or she is not a member of the Committee.
5. Each standing committee shall perform such further duties not inconsistent with the
foregoing as shall from time to time be requested of it by the President or the Board of
Directors.
Section 4. Four members of the Committee on Rooms and Finances or three members of
each other standing committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 5. Each standing committee shall keep proper minutes of any action taken by such
committee and such minutes shall be filed with the Secretary promptly after the meeting at
which such action was taken.
Section 6. The members of the four standing committees, together with the President,
Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and Webmaster, shall constitute the Electoral Committee. It
shall be the duty of the Electoral Committee to consider and vote upon proposals for
membership submitted by the Committee on Officers and Members. It shall meet promptly
upon the submission of such proposals, six members constituting a quorum for the transaction
of business.
In case a quorum of the Electoral Committee shall not be present when called to meet on the
evening of a regular meeting of the Club, the presiding officer may appoint one or more
members of the Club, not exceeding three in number, to make up a quorum and act as
members of the Committee for that meeting only; provided, however, that no member who
has signed a proposal for membership to be considered at such meeting shall be eligible to
vote upon such proposal.
Section 7. The President and the four Vice Presidents shall serve as a Committee
of the Board of Directors responsible for making recommendations to the Board of Directors
as to whether and to what extent the Club should in any season itself engage, or make
donations to other organizations that engage, in literary activities (in addition to Club
activities expressly referred to in these By-Laws) or in other charitable, educational, or
community activities. The final decision of the Board of Directors as to what donations, if
any, the Club shall make in any season to any such other organizations shall be reported to
members at a Monday meeting promptly after such decision is made.
ARTICLE VI
Meetings of Members
Section 1. Regular meetings of the members of the Club shall be held every Monday evening
from the first Monday in October to the last Monday in May, inclusive, except that the
Committee on Arrangements and Exercises may (1) in its discretion suspend meetings on any
one or more of (a) the first Monday in October, (b) any one or more of the last two Mondays
in December and the first Monday in January, and (c) either or both of the last two Mondays
in May, and (2) with the consent of the President and the Vice President who chairs the
Standing Committee On Rooms and Finances, schedule the meeting to be held in any week
for a day other than Monday, except that the aggregate number of meetings in any season that
shall be scheduled for a night other than Monday shall in no event exceed four.
Section 2. Special meetings of the members of the Club may be called by the President from
time to time and shall be called by the President upon the written request of ten or more
members of the Club.
Section 3. The order of proceedings at the regular meetings, and any special meeting, of the
members of the Club, unless otherwise specifically provided by the Board of Directors, shall
be under the direction of the President.
Section 4. Each meeting of the members of the Club shall be held at such place and at such
time as shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of
the meeting.
ARTICLE VII
Literary Exercises
Section 1. Literary Exercises in general shall not continue more than one hour.
Section 2. Each essayist shall select his or her own subject and be free to express any
opinions whatsoever thereon.
Section 3. The Club, as such, shall express no opinions on religion, politics, social science,
political economy, or any other subject. It shall not, by vote, endorse or condemn any paper
that may be read, or views that may be expressed, by any member. No paper, at the time it
is read, shall be open to adverse criticism in the Club.
Section 4. The Committee on Arrangements and Exercises shall, on or before the first
meeting of the Club in each year, prepare a Scheme of Exercises, with the dates and the
names of the essayists, for the whole season. The title selected by each essayist shall be
announced at the meeting next preceding.
ARTICLE VIII
Quorum
Twenty Resident members of the Club shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of
business at any regular or special meeting of the members of the Club; but a lesser number
shall have power to adjourn the meeting from time to time.
ARTICLE IX
Amendments
These By-laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the members of the Club at which
a quorum is present by the vote of not less than two-thirds of the members present in person
at such meeting, provided that notice of such meeting, accompanied by a copy of the
proposed amendment or amendments, shall be mailed to the members of the Club by the
Secretary at least thirty days prior to such meeting.
ARTICLE X
Regulations for Selecting and Printing Papers
The following regulations shall govern the selection and printing of papers to be published by
the Club, and the activities of the Committee on Publications.
Section 1. All papers selected for publication by the Club shall be printed separately in small
volumes, or booklets, uniform in size and in the very best style so far as paper, presswork,
and the general make-up are concerned. The books in their outward appearance, as well as
their subject matter, must be creditable to the Club and such as to please book-lovers.
Section 2. One copy of every paper printed shall be sent to each member whose dues to the
Club are fully paid; and an opportunity shall be given in advance of publication to subscribe
for additional copies at the cost of manufacture and delivery.
Section 3. The author of any paper printed by the Club shall be entitled to ten copies without
charge.
Section 4. The selection of papers to be printed shall be made by the Committee on
Publications.
Section 5. Recognizing the fact that many of the papers read before the Club are on themes
of transient interest, or such as to interest but few of the members; and that others are
prepared in such haste that their authors would not care to have them printed; and that it is
desirable to make the standard of papers printed by the Club as high as possible, the
Committee on Publications shall not authorize the printing of more than three in any one
year, unless the conspicuous merit of a larger number and the abundant subscriptions
received shall make it appear unquestionably wise to do so. The committee shall be under no
obligation to authorize the printing of any greater number than it sees fit.
Section 6. In making its selections the Committee shall be guided by the expressed wishes of
the members present when the papers are read before the Club, but shall be free to disregard
such expressions concerning any paper it may deem unworthy of the imprint of the Club.
Slips shall be provided upon which the members present at any meeting of the Club may vote
in favor of printing the paper to which they have just listened; but they must sign their ballots
and indicate the number of copies they will subscribe for in case the Committee decides
favorably. A locked box or boxes shall be provided in the Club rooms in which these ballots
may be deposited; or they may be sent to the Chairman of the Committee after the meeting.
The result of the ballot shall in all cases be kept secret by the Committee.
Section 7. In form the ballots shall be substantially as follows:
THE CHICAGO LITERARY CLUB
__________
To the Committee on Publications:
In my opinion the paper by
___________________________
which was read at the meeting on
___________________________
at which I was present, should be
printed by the Club.
If it should be decided to print it, I
hereby subscribe for ___ copy(ies),
it being understood that the price will
not exceed fifty cents per copy.
___________________________
(Print name)
Dated: ___________, 20___
Section 8. When any paper has been selected by the Committee and approved for printing,
an announcement circular shall be sent to the members of the Club inviting subscriptions in
addition to these already made upon the ballots, provided, however, that before the circular is
issued, the expenditure of the funds of the Club which the printing would entail shall have
been authorized by the Committee on Rooms and Finances.
Section 9. After selecting one or more papers for publication, the Committee shall have file
cards typed for all papers turned in by the previous season's essayists in the precise form
prescribed by The Newberry Library. All papers and file cards shall then be delivered to the
Special Collections Section of The Newberry Library, 60 West Walton Place, Chicago IL
60610.
________________
THE ARTHUR BAER FELLOWSHIP
The Arthur Baer Fellowship, established April 26, 1976, provides a one-year membership for
a person accomplished in any field of endeavor who would contribute to the interest of our
meetings and be stimulating company.