The name of this corporation shall be the "PARISH OF THE ADVENT;" and its objects are to secure to a portion of the City of Boston the ministrations of the Holy Catholic Church, and more especially to secure the same to the poor and needy, in a manner free from unnecessary expense and all ungracious circumstances; and for this purpose it is in connexion with the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States, and with the Diocese in which the Parish is situated, and with the Convention of the same.

ARTICLE II.

The members of this corporation shall be the Rector of the Parish, ex officio, the Assistant Rector if there be any, and the following persons and their successors, to be elected in the manner hereinafter provided:--Wm Foster Otis, R. H. Dana, Jr., Ch. P. Gordon, R. M. Copeland, Robert Farley, Henry Burroughs, R. H. Salter, G. C. Shattuck, Jr., Thomas D. Morris, T. M. J. Dehon, William J. Dale, J. H. Adams, Jr., Wm. Ed. Coale, Theodore Metcalf, I. C. Bates, Jr., John Codman, Ch. R. Bond, Theron Metcalf, R. H. Dana, Sen., Alex. Wood.

ARTICLE III.

No person shall be a member of this corporation who has not either his residence or place of business in the City of Boston, or within ten miles of the State House; or who is a member of any other communion than that to which this Parish is attached.

ARTICLE IV.

The members of this corporation shall be, exclusive of those members who are members ex officio, not less than twelve nor more than twenty in number; and vacancies shall be filled by a vote of the majority of members present at the annual meeting, hereinafter provided for, or at any meeting specially notified in the manner set forth in the following section, and such vote shall be by ballot.

ARTICLE V.

There shall be an annual meeting of this corporation on Easter Monday, at which meeting the standing officers of the Parish shall be chosen, and all necessary business transacted. Special meetings of the Parish may be called by the Rector, or either of the Wardens, or five of the members; at which meetings no business shall be done but such as is set forth in the notice of the meeting.

ARTICLE VI.

No special meeting shall be held without a written or printed notice served upon each member of the Parish, personally, or by leaving the same at his last and usual place of abode, or at his place of business, four days at least before the time of the meeting.

ARTICLE VII.

The standing officers of the Parish shall be two Wardens, not less than five nor more than nine Vestrymen, and a Treasurer and a Clerk; and the two latter officers may be united in one person, who may be a vestryman, but not so ex officio. These shall hold their offices for one year, and until their successors are chosen.

ARTICLE VIII.

The presiding officer at all meetings, both of this corporation and of the vestry, shall be the Rector; in his absence, the Assistant Rector, if there be any; in their absence, the senior Warden present; and in their absence, a President shall be chosen pro tempore; and the Rector and his Assistant shall have no other than a casting vote.

ARTICLE IX.

No votes shall be given by proxy.

ARTICLE X.

Records of all Parish and Vestry meetings shall be made and kept by the Clerk, and shall be open to inspection by all the members of the corporation, and of such vestrymen as may not be of the corporation.

ARTICLE XI.

The delegates from this Parish to the Diocesan Convention shall be chosen by the corporation by ballot.

ARTICLE XII.

At all meetings nine shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may adjourn. No adjournment shall be for a longer time than one month.

ARTICLE XIII.

The Wardens and a majority of the Vestrymen shall be chosen from the members of the corporation. The Clerk, Treasurer, and Delegates to the Diocesan Convention may or may not be members of the corporation. One-half of the members of the corporation shall be stated worshippers at the Parish church, and whenever this is not the case, the vacancy shall be in the place of such member as earliest ceased to be a regular worshipper.

ARTICLE XIV.

Any person who is absent from four consecutive meetings, (other than adjourned meetings) may be dismissed from the corporation by a vote of the majority of the members present at such fourth meeting, if his excuse is not deemed satisfactory to that majority.

ARTICLE XV.

The Wardens and Vestry shall have all the powers given them by statute, canons, or ecclesiastical usage, in the United States; and shall have power to regulate the manner of calling their own meetings, transacting business at the same, and power to fill vacancies in their own body, between the two annual meetings.

ARTICLE XVI.

No alteration shall be made in the By-Laws of this corporation, unless the proposed alteration be set forth in the notice for the meeting to which it is to be submitted.

ARTICLE XVII.

No alteration shall be made in this Constitution, unless the proposed alteration is set forth in the notice of the meeting to which it is submitted, and the subject be postponed at that meeting to another meeting to be held at a period of at least one month therefrom, and adopted by a vote of two-thirds of the members present, given by yeas and nays. And one of these meetings shall be the annual meeting.

Project Canterbury