Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1859 — AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. [ARTICLE]

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The following Constitution and By-Laws of the Jasper county Agricultural Society are published by request: PREAMBLE AND CONSTITUTION. Whereas, We, the undersigned, citizens of Jasper county and State of Indiana, are desirous of promoting the pros"erity and encouragement of agricultural and mechanical pursuits in all its various branches, the improvement of mechanism and arts —the improvement of the race of all useful domestic animals and the dissemination of useful information on all the above-named subjects, and believing from past experience that an organization on the same principle as heretofore practiced in this county, is inadequate to the carrying out of the above objects so full as is desired. Therefore, Be it known that we, whose names are hereunto annexed, or subscribed, propose and agree to form a Joint Stock Company, under the name and style of the Jasper County Agricultural Society; the capital stock of ine c mpany not to be less than SSOO, and to be divided into shares of $5 each, and to be divided as near as practicable equally among the several townships of this county, in ratio to the population of the several townships respectively, and the company proposes to organize, in all respects, in strict compliance with all the laws of the State of Indiana in force for the encouragement of agriculture, and in subordination to all rules and regulations of the Indiana State Board of Agriculture, and that the stock shall be used by the company in aid of all purposes properly connected with the State and County Societies, and of the object above specified, and to attain the above named objects we adopt the following constitution: Art. 1. The said company shall be governed by the following officers: A President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, also one Director for each civil township in eaid county, who must be elected from among the stockholders of said company. Art. 2. Said company agree to hold a fair annually, at, or near, the county seat, on such grounds as may be hereafter selected by said company, and offer and pay premiums on various articles or products exhibited, in accordance with the advertised list each year. Art. 3. Stockholders and their families shall enter the gates free of charge. A stockholder’s family shall consist of all who reside with him, under twenty-one years of a o-e, and all females of any age whatever. B Akt. 4. All tolls, rents and profits that may arise from said fairs, and grounds, and propety, owned by said company shall be owned by, and be under the control of the stockholders. Art. 5. A stockholder shall have one vote for each dollar of the stock taken in said company, and annual members shall have one vote each in the election of officers, provided they have paid into the treasury one dollar, prior to said election. Art. 6. The stock of said society shall be transferred, but no one person shall be entitled to hold more than two shares of stock except by consent of two-thirds of the Board of Directors. Art. 7. That a suitable committee be appointed, as soon as practicable, to draft ByLaws for the government of said society. Art. 8. Whenever there shall be a surplus in the treasury, alter paying all debts of said society, the Board may declare a dividend to be made to the stockholders of the company. Art. 9. This constitution may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at any annual meeting.

BY-LAWS. I. This Society shall be styled and called the Jasper County Agricultural and Mechanical .Association. president's duties. l.He shall preside at all the meetings of the Board, and in his absence the Vice President shall preside, and in the abscence of both a Chairman pro tern, shall be appointed.

secretary’s duties. 1. He shall attend all meetings of the Society and of the Board, and keep accurate minutes of all the transactions of the Board, and record the same in a book kept for that purpose; and shall be ready at all times to furnish copies, or a portion thereof, on the request of the presiding officers or Board. 2 All documents andwecords, or reports, and other papers of the Society, except such as belong to the Treasurer’s Department, shall be securely kept by him, and shall, at all times, be ready for inspection by any member of the Board. 3. He shall register in a book, kept for that purpose, the name and account of every stockholder of the Society. 4. He shall give time, by notice, of the time and place for holding all the meetings ot the Society, and to the Board when the meetings are called. r. jjo shall register m a separate book tho’ name of every person competing for premiums, and the kind of an article exhibited therefor; ami in , tbe same book ’ record the decisions of the ju^^ res ’ . 6. He shall make an annual report J. *• 10 transactions of the Society to the State Board of Agriculture, according to the laws governing such cases. 7. He shall deliver to his successor in office all books, papers, &c., that may be in his hands, belonging to the Society. 8. He shall hold his office for one year, or until his successor is elected; but he may be removed at any time by a vote of the majority of the Board. 9. lie shall receive a salary of twenty dollars a year for his services, and be furnished with suitable books and stationery for transacting the business of the Society. treasurer’s duties. 1 He shall receive all monies due the Society and be kept safe by him; and he shall pay the same out on an order signed by the President and attested by the Secretary, and •hall keep accurate accounts of all the receipts and disbursments of the same, and shall be ready at all times to make an exhibit of the financial condition of the Society. 2. He shall keep separate accounts of all moneys paid in by life members from that of annual members, the amount paid in by life members, or stockholders, to be subject to all expenses incurred in purchasing and improving the Fair grounds of the Society; and the amount paid in by annual members to be considered as a general fund of the Society, in purchasing premiums, &cc.

3. He shall hold his office for one year, or until his successor is elected and qualified: and he shall deliver over to his successor all moneys or valuables belonging to the Society; and he shall be required to give bond and security in the sum of twenty-five hundred dollars for his faithful performance of the above duties, and he shall receive twenty dollars per year for his services. He may be removed at any time by a vote of a majority of the Board.

GENERAL LAWS. 1. No member shall withdraw from the Society until all arrearages are paid, except by consent of the Board; and no one in arrears shall compete for a premium. 2. The Board may experil any member from the Society for disorderly or ungentlemanly conduct, at any of its Fairs or meetings. 3. Spirituous liquors shall not be sold or drank on the grounds of the Society. 4. The Board shall appoint all subordinate officers that they, in their judgment, may think sufficient to carry on the Fair, together with a sufficient number of police to maintain order and promote ’he general interest of the Society; also, the Board shall fix and regulate the admission fees and terms at any of its Fairs. 5. Every article or animal upon the grounds of the Fair, shall be under the control of the Executive Committee during the Fair, and no loose ani al shall be admitted on the Fair grounds of the Society during the days of exhibition, except by consent of the Executive Committee. G. No article, or animal shall compete for a premium, unless a regular entry of such articles shall have been made on the Secretary’s books, by ten o’clock A. M., on the day of exhibition. 7. No barren animal shall compete against brood stock, and no premium will be awarded on articles or animals in the absence of competition, unless the Judges deem such as worthy of a premium. 8. No one who is related to a competator for premiums, or is a partner in an article or animal competing, shall act as a Judge on the same animal or article. 9. Judges shall be appointed by the Board at least two months previous to each Fair, who shall be notified of their appointment by the Secretary, immediately. 10. The decisions of the Judges shall be In writing, and delivered to the Secretary, who shall record the same the appropriate book. 11. When the decision of the Judges has been made known to the Secretary, he shall have the same proclaimed aloud,, by the cryer, from the stand. 12. All articles or animals shall be entered by numbers and shall be exhibited according to their number; and every article or stock on exhibition shall have a card attached, with the number and age of the said article or stock, corresponding with the entry on the Secretary’s book. 13. Whenever the Judges shall be dissatisfied as to to the regularity of their entry, they shall apply to the Secretary for information. 14. Any oiie attempting to influence the Judges, or misrepresent their articles or animals, w9’l a view to deceive, shall be ruled out of the exhibition. 15. So soon as the Society shall, in their judgment, think proper, they shall cause to be erected a number of booths and stalls for the sale of refreshments, which shall be rented out during the days of the Fair, to persons who may desire them, at a fair consideration. 16. All shows, confectionrey wagons, melon wagons, &c., or anything calculated to attract a crowd outside the Fair ground, shall not be allowed during the Fair; but the same shall be admitted inside of the enclosure by paying a reasonable consideration for the same. 17. A majority of the members of the Board being present at any meeting of tiie Society, shall constitute a quorum to transact business, and the Board shall have the power to fill vacancies when any officer elected shall resign, or refuse to act. 18. The Board may select, or appoint annually, some one to deliver an address to the assembly at some time during the Fair. 19. At annua] elections for officers for this Society the voting shall be done by ballot; but any member, being authorized by the stockholders of his township, may cast the vote for his own township. 20. The President may call a meeting of the Board at any time the interest of the Society may seem to demand it.