B.C. Society of Fine Arts - Constitution And By-Laws
Vancouver, B.C., 1910
Name
The name of the Society is "The British Columbia Society of Fine Arts."
Objects.
The objects of the Society are:
(a) To bring together artists and those interested in art.
(b) The formation and maintenance of a Fine Art Society.
(c) The holding of public and private exhibitions of art work.
(d) The enrollment of members in accordance with, and subject to, the By-laws of the Society.
(e) To acquire and hold, sell, let, deal with and turn to account in any way, real and
personal properties for the purposes and beneft of the Society, as the Society may think fit.
(f) To do all such other things as the Society may from time to time think incidental or
conducive to the attainment and carrying out of any of the objects of the Society and the
futherance of fine arts.
Head Office
The Head Office of the Society shall be in the City of Vancouver, British Columbia.
By-Laws
Membership
1. The Society shall be composed of not more than forty (40) members and of annual
subscribers. Members shall be painters, sculptors, architects, artistic engravers, and
draftman-designers, residing in British Columbia. No applicant shall be nominated for
membership who has not exhibited original work at a regular exhibition of the Society, and
who has not been a bona fide resident of British Columbia for a period of six (6) months.
Officers
2. The officers of the Society shall be the following: President, two Vice-Presidents,
a Secretary, a Treasurer and an Executive Committee composed of five (5) members.
3. There shall also be seven (7) patrons, who, with the above officers, shall be elected
annually at the annual meeting of the Society.
4. It shall be the duty of one of the Vice-Presidents to preside at all meetings, whether
of the Executive or of members, and if both be absent, a Chairman shall be chosen from
among the members present.
5. The Vice Presidents shall (unless excluded by resolution) be ex-officio members of
all committees.
6. The Treasurer shall be custodian of the funds of the Society, which are to be deposited
to the credit of the Society in a chartered bank, and such funds shall only be paid out on
cheques signed by the Treasurer and one of the Vice-Presidents.
7. The Secretary shall perform all the duties usual to his office.
Executive Committee
8. The Executive Committee shall have power to appoint sub-committees.
9. They shall also be empowered to fill any vacancy on the Executive Committee, and
members so appointed shall hold office until the next annual meeting of members.
10. They shall also have power to hold meetings and to conduct all business in connection
with the Society's work and objects.
11. They shall pass accounts and give instruction for the payment of same.
12. They shall draw up rules and regulations for conducting exhibitions.
Auditors
13. Two auditors shall be elected, who shall audit the accounts and report thereon on
the first day of March of each year.
Meetings
14. An annual meeting of the Society for the election of officers, reading of reports
and the transactions of other business of the Society, shall be held during the first
week of the month of April in every year.
15. One Vice-President shall call an extra-ordinary general meeting of the Society
at any time upon written request signed by five (5) members of the Society in
good standing.
16. The Secretary shall call a meeting of the Executive Committee at any time upon the
written and signed request of any three (3) members of the Committee.
17. Meetings of sub-committees shall be called by the Secretary on the signed request
of any one of the Vice-Presidents.
Election of Officers
18. All officers shall be elected by ballot at the annual meeting of the Society.
Nominations for these officers shall be made up to the hour appointed for the meeting.
Election of Members
19. The members of the Society are those persons who are already on the roll of members
and such other persons as may from time to time be admitted to membership, as hereinafter
provided, and whose names shall be on the roll of members.
20. Nominations for the election of new members must be signed by the proposer and
seconder, who must be members of the Society, and such nominations must be sent to the
Secretary not later than ten (10) days before the mmeting at which teh elections are held.
21. The election of members shall be at the general annual meeting, and by ballot. Three
black balls shall negative an election.
Members' Fees
22. Members shall pay an annual membership fee of Five Dollars ($5.00), due and payable
on the First day of January in every year.
23. Any member whose fees are two (2) years in arrears, or who has failed to submit
exhibits at the Society's exhibitions for two (2) years in succession, shall thereupon
cease to be a member, and his or her name shall be taken off the roll.
24. In case of any conduct on the part of any member of the Society who, in the opinion
of the members of the Society, may endanger the good order, welfare, or character of the
Society, his or her name shall be erased from the roll of membership on a vote of two-thirds
of the members present at a special meeting of members called for that purpose, due notice
of which shall have been sent to members one month at least before the said meeting.
Exhibitions
25. Exhibitions shall be held at least once in every year, at such time and times and at
such place or places as the Executive Committee may from time to time determine.
Exhibitions shall consist of original works by members and non-members, but no exhibit
shall be accepted which has been publicly exhibited at any previous time in the City
of Vancouver.
Subscribers
26. A subscriber of five dollars ($5.00) per annum shall be entitled to a season
ticket, admitting the subscriber to all exhibitions of the Society and to all subsidiary
functions, such as musicales and conversaziones, that may take place under the
auspices of the Society within one (1) year from the date of his or her ticket, and to
such other benefits as the Society may from time to time determine.
Notices
27. Written notices shall be sent of the time and place of every meeting, whether
of the committee or members, to those entitled to attend such meetings, and seven (7)
days' notice at the least shall be deemed sufficient.
Order of Business
28. The order of business at meetings shall be as follows, subject to the rule of
the Chairman:
(1) Signing of names by members present in the book kept for that purpose.
(2) Reading of minute of previous meeting.
(3) Reading of minutes of Executive Committee.
(4) Correspondence read and considered.
(5) Accounts.
(6) New members proposed.
(7) Reports of committees.
(8) Unfinished business.
(9) New business.
(10) General Business.
(11) Election of officers.
(12) Election of members.
Quorum
29. At meetings of members of the Society, seven (7) members shall form a quorum.
30. At meetings of the Executive Committee five (5) shall form a quorum.
31. At meetings of sub-committees three (3) shall form a quorum.
Resolutions
32. All resolutions to be proposed must be in writing, with the names of the mover
and a seconder. The passing of resolutions must be decided by a majority of members
present, ascertained by a show of hands. The Chairman of the meeting shall have a
casting vote. This rule shall not apply to preceedings under by-law 43.
Question of Order
33. All questions of order shall be decided by the Chairman at the meeting, but any
member present may appeal from his ruling, in which case the question shall be put
without debate: "Shall the ruling of the Chairman be sustained?" and decided in
favor of the majority.
Admission
34. The Secretary shall notify each candidate of his or her admission as a member of the
Society, sending a copy of the Constitution and By-laws, and on receipt of the fee
for the current year, the name of the candidate shall be placed on the roll of members.
Defaulting Members
35. The Secretary shall, if possible, notify any member who has not sent pictures to the
annual exhibition or paid his annual fee when due, calling his attention to By-law 23.
Exhibitions
36. No member shall be entitled to submit or exhibit more than ten (10) exhibits at any
one exhibition (miniatures excepted). Not more than five (5) portrait pictures shall be
exhibited by one artist (miniatures excepted).
37. Non-members shall not submit more than five (5) exhibits for exhibiting, and the same
shall be subject to the selection of the Selection Committee.
38. The Selection and Hanging Committee shall be composed of five (5) members of the
Society, to be elected each year at the annual meeting of the members.
39. A commission of fifteen per cent (15%) shall be paid to the Society on the catalogue
price of all exhibits sold by non-members at exhibitions.
40. All exhibits intended for exhibition must be sent to such place as the Executive
Committee shall from time to time appoint, unpacked and free of any expense to the Society.
At the conclusion of exhibitions such exhibits must be removed by and at the expense
of the exhibitor.
41. At the back of the frame of each picture and on some convenient place on other exhibits,
the name and address of the artist must be written; the subject of the picture; and if for
sale, the price. This information, with the exception of the address, must also be repeated
with great distinctness and accuracy on a label attached by a string on the top of the frame
of each picture, and made to hang over the front and at some convenient place on other
exhibits. These labels are to be had on application to the Secretary.
42. The Society shall not be held responsible for any injury which may happen to exhibits
accidentally or otherwise sustained or by fire or otherwise, while the exhibit is in the
Society's possession or care.
Alterations of Constitution or By-laws.
43. The Constitution and By-laws of the Society may be altered at a special meeting of
the members of the Society called for that purpose, to which at least one (1) month's
notice shall have been given to the members of the Society.
44. No resolution for the alteration of the Constitution or By-laws of the Society shall
be passed excepting on a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at the meeting
called for that purpose, and no notice of such proposed alterations shall be sent out unless
approved at a previous meeting of the Executive Committee specially called for that purpose.
Vancouver, B.C., May 12, 1910.
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