Rules of the Kent Archaeological Society

1. The Society shall consist of Ordinary Members and Honorary Members. 2. The funds, securities, and propel'ty of the Society shall be held· in Trust for the Members by four Trustees, who shall be Mernb􀆟rs. Any vacancies shall be filled at the next Annmil Meeting. The affairs of the Society shall be conducted by a Council consisting of the President of the Society, the Vice-Presidents, t11e H onoriwy Treasurel', the Honomry Secretary, Honorary Librarian, the Honorary Financial Secretary, the Honorary Editors, and twenty-four Members elected out of the general body of the Subscribers : one-fourth of the lntter shall go out annually iu rotation, bnt shall nevertlieless be re-eligible; and such retiring and the new election shall take place at the Annual General Meeting: but any intermediate vacancy, by death or retirement, among the elected Council, slrnll be filled up either at the General Meeting or at the next Council Meeting, whichever shall first happen, and the Member so appointed shall hold office so long as he in whose place he shall be appointed would have held office. Five Members of the Oouncil to constitute a quorum. S. The Council shall meet to transact the business of the Society on the second Thursday in the month of March in Maidstone, in the month of June in London, in tl1e month of September in Rochester, and on some day in the month of December in Canterbury, and at any other time that the Honorary Secretary may deem it expedient to call them together. But the Council shall have power, if it shall deem it advisable, at the instance of tl1e Pl'esident, to hold its Meetings at other places within tbe county; and to alter tlie days of Meeting, or to omit a Quarterly Meeting if it shall be found convenient. 4. The Council shall appoint one of their Members to be the Hon. Financial Secretary. His duty shall be to keep an account of all Subscriptions and otl1er Receipts and Payments for the Society, and or1 the 3 l st December in every year to prepare the Balance Sheet for the past year, ar,d, after it has been approved by the Auditors, to lay it before the next Quarterly Meeting of the Council, accompanied by a Statement of all Subscriptions, etc., in arrear and due to the Society, and of all moneys due from them. And the Council are further empowered, at any time wlien they think it desirable, to employ and pay a Chartered Accountant to assist the Hon. Financial Secretary in making out such Balance Sheets and Account. 5. At every Meeting of tlie Society or Council, the President, or, in his absence, the Chairman, sball lrnve a casting vote, independently of his 11ote as a Member. 6. A Genernl Meeting of the Society shall be held annually, in July, August, or September, at some place rendered intel'esting by its antiquities or historical associations, in the eastem and western divisions of the county alternately, unless the Council, for some cause to be by them assigned, agree to vary this arrangement; the day and place of meeting to be appointed by the Council, who sliall have the power, at the instance of the President, to elect some Member of the Society connected with tl1e district in which the meeting shall be held, to act as Chairman of such RULES AND REGULATIONS. · xx'i Meeting.· At the said General Meeting, antiquities shall be exhibfted, and papel's read on subjects of archreologicnl interest. The accounts of the Society, having been previously allowed by the Auditors, shall be presented; the Council, through tlie Secretary, shall make a Report on the state of the Society; and the Auditors and the six new Members of · the Council for the ensuing year shall be elected. 7. The Annual General Meeting shall have power to make such alterations in the Rules as the majority of Members present may approve: provided that notice of any contemplated alterations be given, in writing, to the Honoral'y Secretary, befo1·e June the 1st in the then current year, to be laid by him before the Council at their next Meeting; provided, also, that the said contemplated alterations be specifically set out in the notices summoning the Meeting, at least one month befo1·e the day appointed for it. 8. A Special General Meeting may be summoned, on the w1·itten requisition of seven Members, or of the President, or two Vice-Presidents, which must specify the subject intended to be brought forward at such Meeting; and such subject alone can then be considered. 9. Candidates for admission must he proposed by one Member of the Society, and seconded by another, and be balloted for, if required, at any Meeting of the Council, or at a General Meeting, one black bail in five to exclude. 10. Each Ordinary Member shall pay an Annual Subscription of Ten Shillings, due in advance on the 1st of January in each year; or £10 may at any time be paid in lieu of future subscriptions, as a composition for life, provirled that anears (if any) of Annual Subscriptions are paid up. Any Ordinary Memb.er shall pay, on election, an entrance fee of Ten Shillings, in addition to his Subsc1·iption, whether Annual or Life. Every Member shall be entitled to a copy of the Society's Tmnsactions; but none will be issued to any Member whose Subscription is in arrear. The Council may remove from the List of Subscribers the name of any Member whose Subscription is two years in arrear, if it be certified to them that a written application for payment has been made by one of the Secretaries, and not attended to within a month from the time of application. Any Member intending to withd1·aw his name from the Society shall give notice; iu writing, to the Hon. Secretary of his intention to do so, on or before the 1st of January in any year, otherwise he shall he liable for the current year's Subscription. Institutions are only admitted to become Ordinary Members. 11. All Subscriptions and Donations are to be paid to the Bankers of the Society, to the Hon. Treasurer, or to one of the Secretaries. 12. All Life Compositions shall be vested in Government Securities, in the names of the Trustees. The interest only of such funds to be used for the ordinary purposes of the Society. 13. No cheque shall be drawn except by order of the Council, and every cheque shall be signed by two Members of the Council and the Honorary Financial Secretary. 14. The President, Secretaries, Editors, and Treasurer, on any vacancy, shall be elected by a General Meeting of the Subscl'ibe1·s. " 􀀄Xll KENT A.RCOOLOGICA.L SOOIETt. 15. Members of either House of Parliament, who are landed proprietors of the county or residents therein, shall, on becoming Members of the Society, be placed on the list of Vice-Presidents, and with them such other persons as the Society may elect to tliat office. 16. The Council sbal1 have power to elect, without ballot, on the nomination of two Members, any lady who may be desirous of becoming a :Member of the Society. 17. The Council shall have power to appoint as Honorary Member any person likely to p1·omote the interests of the Society. Such Honorary Member not to pny any subscription, nnd not to have the 1·ight of voting at any Meetings of the Society; but to hnve all the other privileges of Members. 18. The Council shnll have power to appoint any Member Honorary Local Secretary for the town or district wherein be may reside, in order to facilitate the collection of accurate information as to objects and discoveries of local interest, and for the receipt of subscriptions, and may at any time cancel such appointment. 19. Meetings for the purpose of reading papers, the exhibition of antiquities, or the discussion of subjects connected therewith, shall be held at such times and places as the Council may appoint. 20. The Society shall avoid all subjects of religious or political con• troversy. 21. The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Society, to be con:imunicated to the Members at the General Meetings.