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.