Why and How : a hand-book for the use of the W.C.T. unions in Canada Part 6

(LOCAL.)

ARTICLE I.--NAME.

This a.s.sociation shall be known as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of ----, auxiliary to the W.C.T.U. of the Province of ----.

ARTICLE II.--OBJECTS.

The objects of the Union shall be to meet together for prayer and conference, to educate public sentiment up to the standard of total abstinence, train the young, save the inebriate, and secure the legal prohibition and complete banishment of the liquor traffic.

ARTICLE III.

Any woman may become a member of this a.s.sociation by signing the Pledge and Const.i.tution, and by the payment of fifty cents per year into the Treasury.

Any woman, practically a total abstainer, but having an objection to signing the Pledge, may become an "a.s.sociate member" of this a.s.sociation, by the payment of the regular fee.

Gentlemen may become honorary members of this a.s.sociation by signing the pledge and by the payment of the regular fee.

Honorary and a.s.sociate members are ent.i.tled to all the privileges of members, except the vote.

PLEDGE.

I hereby promise, G.o.d helping me, to abstain from all distilled, fermented and malt liquors, including wine and cider, as a beverage, and to employ all proper means to discourage the use of and traffic in the same.

ARTICLE, IV.--OFFICERS

The officers of this a.s.sociation shall be a President, Vice- Presidents, one from each church, when practicable, a Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and Auditor. These officers (excepting the Auditor), with the Superintendents of the different departments, shall const.i.tute the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE V.--AUXILIARYs.h.i.+P.

Each Local Union shall pay to the funds of Provincial Union a sum equal to six and a quarter cents per member, quarterly, this amount to be taken from the fifty cents members.h.i.+p fee.

ARTICLE VI.--ANNUAL MEETING.

An Annual Meeting shall be held in the month of September of each year, at which reports of Secretary and Treasurer shall be presented, which, if possible, shall be published afterwards in the daily newspapers. At this meeting, officers and committees and superintendents shall be elected for the ensuing year, and such services held as may tend to promote the objects of the a.s.sociation.

BY-LAWS.

ARTICLE I.--DUTIES OF OFFICERS.

Section 1. President.--It shall be the duty of the President to preside at meetings of the organization, and supervise its general interests, and she may with any three members of the Union call special meetings, due notice being given to the members.

Section 2. Vice-Presidents.--It shall be the duty of each Vice- President to preside in her turn in the absence of the President, and to enlist women of her own church in the work.

Section 3.--It shall be the duty of the Corresponding Secretary to conduct the correspondence of the Union, and report to the Corresponding Secretary of the Provincial Union quarterly, on receipt of blank forms (having first submitted her report to the local Union), giving such items of general interest as will enable said Secretary to judge correctly of the condition of the Union. She shall also prepare the report for the Annual Meeting of the local Union.

The Corresponding Secretary shall also prepare a short report for the Provincial Convention in October (first submitting it to the local Union), and sending it with the delegate to the Annual Meeting, or forwarding it to the Provincial Secretary two weeks before the date of meeting.

Section 4.--It shall be the duty of the Recording Secretary to keep a record of the proceedings of the Union, and notify members and the public of its meetings.

Section 5.--It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to collect all members.h.i.+p dues, and to devise ways and means to increase the funds of the a.s.sociation. She shall receive and hold all money collected for the use of the Union, keeping an exact book account and making a monthly report of the same. She shall pay no bills, except on an order signed by the President and Recording Secretary. She shall forward regularly the quarterly fee to the Treasurer of Provincial Union.

ARTICLE II.--ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

The officers shall be elected by nomination and ballot. Nominations may be made either by a committee appointed for that purpose, or on motion of any member.

If there be more than one person nominated for any office, a ballot shall be taken, tellers having been appointed for that purpose. The one having a full majority of all the ballots cast shall be declared elected.

[If there be more than two persons balloted for, and the one having the highest number of votes, has not a majority of all the votes given, then the one having the lowest number of votes shall be struck off before proceeding to the next ballot. More than one name may be struck off, provided that the sum of all the vote--so struck off is not equal to, or greater than, the number of votes given to the lowest remaining one.]

ARTICLE III.--DEPARTMENTS OF WORK.

If the demands of the work justify it there shall be the following departments of work: Juvenile Work, Temperance Literature, Influencing the Press, Evangelistic Work, Parlor Meetings, Heredity and Hygiene, Scientific Temperance Instruction, Kitchen Garden, Flower Mission, Unfermented Wine, Inducing Physicians not to Prescribe Alcoholic Stimulants, Relation of Intemperance to Capital and Labor, Prison and Gaol Work, Young Woman's Work, Work among Railroad Employees, Work among Soldiers and Sailors, Legislation and Pet.i.tions and such others as the needs of the locality seem to call for and recommended by the Provincial Union.

ARTICLE IV.--MEETINGS.

The regular meeting of the Union shall be held weekly, fortnightly or monthly, as the Union may decide. The first meeting in the month shall be a devotional meeting. If possible, ma.s.s meetings shall be held quarterly.

The Executive and other Committees shall meet as often as may be deemed advisable.

ARTICLE V.--QUORUM.

A quorum shall consist of such members as shall be present at a regular or special meeting, due notice of such meeting being given to the members.

ARTICLE VI.--DELEGATES TO THE PROVINCIAL UNION.

Delegates to the Provincial Union are received on the following basis: Two for each Union, and one additional delegate for every ten paying members of each Union. The expenses of general officers for postage, stationery, etc., shall be borne by the Union. Travelling expenses of delegates to Annual Convention, shall, where at all practicable, be borne by the Union sending those delegates.