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About Torch of reason. (Silverton, Oregon) 1896-1903 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1899)
3 THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, JANUARY 19. 1899. C O N S T IT U T IO N Of AND B Y -L A W S THE OREGON S T A T E SECULAR UN IO N . in c o r p o r a te d J a n . I s . 1893. R e in c o r * o r a t e d N ov la, isos article I — name . T h e n a m e o f t h is gon s o c ie ty e h a il be th e O re S tate S ecular U nion . A R T IC L E II.-O B J E C T S . F irst .—The prom otion of a higher state of society through the teaching of social p u rity , law -abiding citizenship, tem perance and m en tal liberty and by confining our work to things pertain in g to this life only. S econd .— T he eradication of superstition from the m inds of men by teaching the n a tu r al sciences and the history of ancient religions, showing their origin, sim ilarities and ab su rd ities. T h ir d .— For all m ankind freedom of thought and equal rig h ts and privileges in all m atters concerning religion, and to this end the repeal of all laws th a t exem pt church property from tax atio n ; th a t force the observance of Sunday as the S abbath; th a t appropriate public funds for sectarian in stitu tio n s; th a t tolerate any religious exercises, read in g s,d isp lay or prayer in any public school, body or institution m aintained wholly or in p art at public ex pense, and generally, to accomplish the total separation of church and state and effect the total secularization of governm ent—local,state and national. F ourth .— To ch arter, organize and assist au x iliary Secular organizations and Secular Sunday schools for the teaching of science and m orality th ro u g h o u t the state, and appoint and commission lecturers and teachers. F i f t h — To prescribe, adopt, publish, sell and distribute hooks, pam phlets, leaflets and papers advocating its objects and principles. S ix t h .— To protect, by every lawful m eans, any member whose equal religious or civil rights are infringed. S eventh .— G enerally, to do and encourage every act, proceeding and thing necessary or conducive to the attain m en t of its objects. sources of revenue and income . M em bership fees, ch arter fees, dues, d o n a tions. contributions, gifts, legacies, bequests and devices. A R T IC L E I I I .— M E M B E R SH IP. » S ection 1.— Any person in sym pathy with the objects of th is organization, who will m ake a statem ent in waiting of his or her w illing ness to live an honest, m oral life, to assist this Union and his or her local au x iliary Secular organization and do all in his or her power to advance the cause of Secularism , is eligible to m em bership in the Oregon State Secular Union, and m ay become a member by p ay ing into the T reasury the sum of twenty-five cents, which is to be regarded as full paym ent of dues to the beginning of the next quarter. S ec . 2.—All m em bers of au x iliary Secular organizations sh all be mem bers of the Oregon State Secular Union and be furnished with a certificate of m em bership signed by the Presi dent and Secretary, and sealed with the seal of the Union. A R T IC L E IV .— DUES. S ec . 1.— All m embers of the Oregon S tate Secular Union, who are not m embers of an au x iliary organization, shall pay q u arterly dues of twenty-five cents, payable in advance, to the Secretary of the state organization on or before the first Sunday in J a n u a ry , A pril, Ju ly and October. All auxiliary organiza tions shall m ake a report each q u arter, and shall pay to th e S ecretary of the O. S. S. U. a per capita tax of ten cents per q u a rte r on each and every member. S ec . 2.— Any member failing to pay dues at the expiration of th irty days from the date they become due shall be notified by the Sec retary, and if dues are not paid w ithin th irty day s from date of such notification, such mem ber’s nam e may be stricken from the roll. <* ec . 3t— Members stricken from th e roll on account of non-paym ent of dues, m ay be reinstated on the paym ent of one dollar and com plying with A rticle III., Sec. 1, of the Con stitution. A R T IC L E V .—O F F IC E R S . The officers of this organization shall be a P resident, four V ice-Presidents, a Secretary, T reasu rer and a S tate S u p erintendent of S u n day Schools, and these officers shall constitute the Executive Board. AU these officers shall he elected at the an n u al Congress, and shall hold their offices for one year, or untiL others are elected in th eir stead. I he num ber of V ice-Presidents may he increased at the op tion of the Union. A R T IC L E V I.— D U T IE S OF O F F IC E R S . Sec. L D uties of the P resident . — The P resident shall preside at all m eetings of the Union and of the E xecutive Board; shall countersign all orders upon the Treasurer, duly draw n bv the Secretary; counsel, suggest and devise ways, m eans and m ethods to carry out the objects of the Union, and to perform such other duties as usually pertain to the office of P resident of sim iliar organizations. S ec . 2. D uties of V ice -P residents .—The V ice-Presidents shall aid and assist the Presi- d en t.in prom oting the aims and objects of the U nion; shall be eligible to election to act as P resident at the an n u al Congress, special m eetings and m eetings of the Executive Board. And to do and perform the duties of Directors as required by law, in regard to be nevolent incorporations, and perform such other duties as may be assigned them , or each of them , at any meeting of the Executive Board. S ec . 3. D uties of S ecretary .—T he Secre tary shall keep correct records of the proceed ings of all meetings of the Union and of the E xecutive Board; shall keep a correct roll of all the members, th eir full nam es and post- office addresses,and an account with each mem ber of am ounts due and am ounts paid; shall receive all m em bership dues and pay the sam e over to the T reasurer, taking his receipt therefor; shall conduct and have charge of all correspondence of the Union, and perform such other duties com patible with the office as the Executive Board shall from tim e to tim e prescribe, in case of absence or disability of the Secretary, the President shall appoint one of the V ice-Presidents to act in his stead. The Secretary shall be paid such salary as. shall be decided by the E xecutive Board a t their first m eeting after th eir election. S ec . 4. D uties of T reasurer .—The Treas urer shall have charge of all money of the Union, receipting for all funds received by him , and keeping correct record of the same; and shall, on the first Sunday of each and ev ery m onth, deliver or m ail to the President (and a copy thereof to the Secretary) a full list of all money received from any and all sourc es, for or on account of the Union, giving nam e of p arty from whom received, am ount, and date of its receipt. T he T reasurer shall pay out no money of the Union except on the order of the Secretary, countersigned by the P resident—or in case of the absence or d isab il ity of the President, such order m ust he coun- tersigned by two of the V ice-Presidents — and he shall m ake full report of the financial con dition of the Union to th e Executive Board on th e first Sunday in M arch, June, Septem ber and December. The T reasurer shall t>e the custodian of all notes, securities, and all p a pers of value belonging to the Union, and shall deliver all such, together with all books, notes, bonds, securities and papers and money of the Union to his duly elected successor. The Sec retary and T reasurer shall each give bonds for the faithful perform ance of th eir duties in such am ounts as shall be decided by th e Executive Board, th e surities on such bonds to be a p proved by the President. S ec . 5. D uties of the E xecutive B oard .— The officers of this Union shall constitute the Executive Board, and shall meet on the first S unday in M arch, Ju n e, Septem ber and De cember, and at such other times as they m ay elect, or be convened by the order of the Pres ident or the call of the Vice-Presidents. The Executive Board shall au d it all bills, appoint com m ittees, and shall grant certificates, under ihe seal of the Union and signatures of th e President and Secretary, to such persons as, after due ex am in atio n , they shall consider worthy and com petent exponents of Secularism and the aim s and objects of this Union, to lec ture, teach, solicit mem bers and organize a u x iliary Secular organizations and Sunday schools; but no lecturer or teacher shall 1-e granted a certificate who is an habitual user of intoxicating or liquors tobacco, or who advo cates freelove, libertinage, or any other p rin ci ples or doctrines which are d etrim en tal to our members, our homes or our state, and contra ry to the teachings of Secularism . T he Exec utive Board shall have power to fill any office of the Union th a t may become vacant, before the m eeting of the A nnual Congress succeeding their election, and perform all d u ties as the laws of the state prescribe. The President, Secretary, S tate S uperintendent of Sunday Schools and T reasurer shall each m ake a full report in w riting of all their acts and doings for the Union during their term of office, and present the same at the first ses sion of th e A nnual Congress; and the Vice- P residents shall m ake reports separately or collectively, aH they m ay elect, but such re ports shall be m ade in w riting and presented to the Congress on the first day of its assem bling. S ec . 6. D uties of L ecturers .— I t shall he the duty of licensed L ecturers of the Oregon S tate Secular U nion to lecture, solicit mem bers, receive donations and organize auxiliary Secular organizations and Sunday scools, and m ust confine their work to things p ertain in g to this life only. Lecturers may retain their licenses un til revoked by the Executive Board. A R T IC L E V II.— AM ENDM ENTS. A m endm ents to this C onstitution m ay be made a t any an n u al Congress of the Union; but every proposed am endm ent m ust be p re sented in w riting and first read aloud by the Secretary, then by the member proposing the am endm ent and by the President before sub m itting it to vote, and a tw o-thirds vote of all the m em bers present shall be necessary for its adoption. A R T IC L E V I I I — BY-LAW S. By-laws not inconsistent with this Consti tution m ay b e m ade at anv annual Congress or special Convention by a tw o-thirds vote of such Congress or Convention. b y - law s . 1. A nnual C ongress .— The A nnual Con gress and special conventions shall be held at such tim e and place w ithin the state and with such sessions as the Executive Board m ay de term ine, or on petition of one third of the members. The call of the A nnual Congress or special conventions shall be published in the official organ of the Union or some other Lib eral paper of general circulation not less th an three successive issues preceding the first day of the m eeting of said congress or convention. 2. — A11 members of the Union in good sta n d ing shall he entitled to seats and votes in the annual Congress or special Conventions; but no person shall be entitled to voice or vote a t • any an n u a l Congress of the U nion unless such person shall have been a m em ber for three m onths preceding such Congress; unless by unanim ous consent of such Congress. No m em ber in arrears for dues shall have vote or voice in any Congress in the Union. 3. — All m eetings of this organization shall he governed by p arliam en tary law, and Rob- C o ntinued on 7th page.