Constitution

(Adopted June 29th, 1906.)

ARTICLE I.-NAME.

This body shall be called "The National Speech Arts Association."

ARICLE II.-OBJECT.

To promote the advancement of the speech arts and to unite in closer professional and personal relationship all who are working for this advancement.

ARTICLE III.—MEMBERSHIP.

SECTION 1. Active Membership.-Any teacher of the speech arts (oratory, elocution, debate, dramatic expression, voice culture for speech, physical culture), or any author of works upon these subjects; any public reader, public speaker, or professional actor shall be eligible for active membership.

SEC. 2. Requirements.-For active membership the applicant shall have a general education equivalent to graduation from a high school, and in addition shall be graduated from some recognized school of speech arts, or shall have had the equivalent of such training in private under a teacher of recognized ability; and furthermore, shall have had at least two years' professional experience as artist or teacher subsequent to graduation or the completion of the equivalent private course, or shall be a person of recognized professional standing.

SEC. 3. Associate Membership.-All persons not eligible to active membership shall be eligible to associate membership. Associate members shall not be entitled to vote or to hold office, but may speak on the floor of the convention upon invitation of the presiding officer.

SEC. 4. Honorary Membership.-Persons of eminence in the profession, or such as may have rendered con

spicuous service to the speech arts, may be elected to honorary membership.

SEC. 5. Membership Fee.-The fee for active membership shall be $5.00 for the first year, payable on application for membership, and $2.00 for each succeeding year.

The fee for associate membership shall be $2.00 for the first and for each succeeding year. Non-payment of dues for two successive years shall entail loss of membership. Active members who entail loss of membership by nonpayment of dues may be reinstated by the payment of arreas in full or by payment of $5.00.

SEC. 6. Election.-Members shall be elected by the Board of Directors. The name of each applicant recommended by the Committee on Credentials and Extension shall be posted in some conspicuous part of the hall of meeting at least twelve hours previous to election.

ARTICLE IV. THE OFFICIAL BODY.

SECTION I. Officers.-The officers shall be a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Secretary and a Treasurer, elected annually; and twenty-one Directors, seven of whom shall be elected each year, and whose term of office shall be three years. The President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be ex-officio members of the Board of Directors. The President shall be a member ex-officio of all standing committees. All officers and directors. shall be elected by ballot.

SEC. 2. Committees.-There shall be three standing committees: Ways and Means Committee, Literary Committee and Committee on Credentials and Extension, who shall be elected annually. The Ways and Means Committee shall have charge of and be responsible for the financial management of the Association for the current year. The Literary Committee shall have charge of the literary program. The Credentials and Extension Committee shall have charge of membership and extension.

ARTICLE V.-BILLS.

The chairman of the Board of Directors shall approve all bills presented to the Treasurer for payment.

ARTICLE VI.-BALLOT BY MAIL.

In case of business of an immediate nature the Board of Directors may vote by mail upon questions submitted by the President.

ARTICLE VII.-MEETINGS.

The annual conventions of the Association shall be held at such times and places as the Board of Directors may suggest and the Association may determine.

ARTICLE VIII.—ALTERATIONS.

Alterations of this Constitution may be made by a twothirds vote of the members present at any annual meeting, provided notice of the same shall have been given through the official organ in the issue of the month previous to the month of the annual meeting, said notice having the signature of the President of the Association or of three active members.

BY-LAWS

RULES OF ORDER.

Robert's "Rules of Order" shall be the authority governing the deliberations of this Association, the Board of Directors and all committees.

QUORUM.

Seven shall constitute a quorum in the Board of Directors. A quorum of the Association for business purposes shall consist of twenty-one active members.

RULES DEFINING DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES. [Adopted 1907.]

DUTIES OF OFFICERS.

The President of the Association shall be the executor, administrator and literary head of the organization. He shall have power to appoint all regular committees not appointed by the board, such as Interpretation, Teaching, Pronunciation, Necrology, and others. He shall preside at annual conventions, may conduct a vote by mail, and attend to all ordinary duties devolving on the presiding officer.

The Vice-Presidents, first and second, the Secretary and Treasurer, shall attend to those duties which fall to such offices.

DUTIES OF CHAIRMEN.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors shall be the business head of the Association, shall preside at board meetings, shall throughout the year have charge of all business matters relative to the convention, let all contracts for printing and stationery, authorize all expenditures of money, shall O. K. all bills.

The Chairman of Board of Directors shall keep on file reports of all committees of the board, and transfer the same to his successor, together with a statement of his actual duties, while in office, and any other information that may serve to establish and maintain a stable policy for the Association. All committees of the Board of Directors shall be under the immediate supervision of the board and President of the Association.

The chairman of each committee shall report to the chairman of the Board of Directors, a summary of work done and progress made the first of each month beginning the fourth month after the convention.

DUTIES OF THE LITERARY COMMITTEE.

The Literary Committee shall arrange the regular convention program. The section committees of the Association, such as the Committee on Interpretation, and Teaching, shall be appointed by the President of the Association, but they shall arrange their own program and be responsible for the same to the Chairman of the Literary Committee.

Only active members of the Association shall appear on the actual program of the convention, except by the consent of the President.

A tentative program shall be issued not later than sixty days before the date of the annual convention, and material for same shall be in the hands of the Chairman of Credentials and Extension Committee at least seventyfive days before the date of the convention, and in the hands of the editors of the official organ in time to be published in the May issue.

DUTIES OF THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE.

The Ways and Means Committee shall have charge of all details relating to the entertainment of the annual convention such as securing hall of meeting, appointing and directing local committees (music, press, reception, hotel and others); appointing door-keepers, ticket-takers, messengers, etc.; nominating, for the Literary Committee, local speakers for the opening day's program; placing placards and other necessary bulletins at hotels and halls;