ARTICLE I.

This Association shall be officially called THE NEW YORK CATHOLIC CLUB, but for convenience may hereinafter and elsewhere in its records and papers be designated as THE CATHOLIC CLUB.

ARTICLE II.

The Catholic Club, the outgrowth of an earlier society called the New York Catholic Club, is established to maintain, establish, defend, foster, and propagate, Catholic principles in faith and practice, in particular,

1. The defence of the Divine Constitution and supernatural powers of the Church against latitudinarian and rationalizing assaults upon them.

2. The defence of the Catholic claims of the Churches of the Anglican Communion against Roman denials of those claims.

3. The furtherance of the movement in the Church for the elimination of the words "Protestant Episcopal" from her title.

4. The giving of due prominence to the idea of Eucharistic worship in the public services of the Church; and to seek these ends by means of social intercourse and mutual sympathy and support, as well as by instruction and propaganda through lectures, conferences and publications.

ARTICLE III.

Any Minister of the religious body known as "The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America," may become a member of the Catholic Club by vote of the Association, on recommendation [2/3] of the Committee on Admissions, as hereinafter provided, and on subscribing to the following CREDENDA. A member in good standing of another branch of the Clerical Union for the Maintenance and Defence of Catholic Principles, upon his removal into the active zone, as provided in Article IV, may be transferred to the New York Catholic Club by the branch of which he is a member.

CREDENDA.

To be signed by all Members.

1. I believe that our Lord, really and objectively present in the Eucharist under the forms of bread and wine, is to be adored.

2. I believe the Priesthood received from Bishops in the Apostolic Succession to be necessary to the valid administration of all the Sacraments except Baptism and Matrimony.

3. I believe that to every human soul God gives during the time of this life sufficient grace to escape damnation: I believe that as Probation consists in the struggle of the soul against sin and Satan, it is limited to this life; and that at the hour of death every soul passes into "an endless and unchangeable state." (vide Form of Prayer for Visitation of Prisoners, Exhortation to a criminal under sentence of death.)

4. I believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be inspired by God in a manner wholly different from all other writings, and so that they are "the infallible and undeceivable Word of God, [Book of Homilies, Sermon "Of Obedience"] and whatever is contained in them is true.

ARTICLE IV.

Members residing in the City of New York or within fifty miles thereof shall be classified as "active members;" others as "non-active members." Non-active members shall be exempt from the payments of dues. Removal from or into the active zone shall automatically change the classification of a member.

[4] ARTICLE V.

The Catholic Club may, upon the recommendation of the Committee on Admissions, elect to honorary membership any Bishop or other Church dignitary, and such honorary members shall then be entitled to all the privileges except that of voting and shall be exempt from payment of fees and dues.

ARTICLE VI.

The officers of the Catholic Club shall be a President, one or more Vice-Presidents, one or more Secretaries, and a Treasurer, who shall perform the duties usually pertaining to these offices. They shall be elected for one year or until their successors are chosen.

ARTICLE VII.

There shall be an Executive Committee which shall consist of five members other than the officers named in Article IV, who shall be elected at the annual meeting. This Committee shall manage the affairs of the Catholic Club subject to the Constitution and By-laws. Any appropriation of the Club's funds must have the approval of, or be ordered by this Committee unless directly ordered by a two-thirds vote of the Club.

ARTICLE VIII.

There shall be a Committee on Admissions. No person shall be admitted to the Catholic Club unless he shall have been recommended by this Committee, pursuant to the By-laws.

ARTICLE IX.

The Catholic Club may elect any former President to be Honorary President for life.

ARTICLE X.

The By-laws may provide for such other standing committees as may be deemed necessary.

ARTICLE XI.

There shall be an annual meeting of the Catholic Club on the fourth Tuesday in January each year; [4/5] and there shall also be stated meetings on such days as may be appointed by the Executive Committee or by the previous meeting. Special meetings may be called at any time by the Executive Committee, and shall be called by the Secretary upon the written request of seven members, specifying the purpose of such call. At such special meeting only such business shall be transacted as shall have been specified in the call. At any meeting of the Association the presence of nine members shall be necessary to constitute a quorum, except for the purpose of amending these articles, and except that five members may order an adjournment not exceeding one week, of which the Secretary shall issue a three days special notice.

ARTICLE XII.

There shall be an initiation fee and annual dues of members in amounts as fixed in the By-laws. The By-laws may provide for the reduction or waiver of the initiation fee and for the reduction or increase of the annual dues in the manner and for the periods to be in such By-laws prescribed.

ARTICLE XIII.

Any member of the Catholic Club may be suspended or expelled for misconduct in his relations to the Club or the Church, on conviction thereof, in such manner as may be prescribed by the By-laws.

ARTICLE XIV.

All elections shall be by ballot. A vacancy in any office may be filled at any stated meeting.

ARTICLE XV.

Members of the Clerical Union for the Maintenance and Defense of Catholic Principles in good standing wherever resident shall be regarded as affiliated members of the New York Catholic Club with the status of honorary members.

[6] ARTICLE XVI.

This Constitution may be amended, but only by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any meeting where fifteen members are present and voting, and provided notice of the proposed amendment subscribed by five members be given at a previous stated meeting.

BY- LAWS

I.

At all meetings the President, or in his absence, one of the Vice-Presidents, or in the absence of all of them, any member selected without ballot, shall preside.

II.

The order of business for each meeting shall be as follows:

1. Reading of Minutes of preceding meeting.

2. Report of Executive Committee.

3. Report of Treasurer.

4. Report of Committee on Admissions.

5. Elections.

6. Reports of other Standing Committees.

7. Reports of Special Committees.

8. Miscellaneous business.

This order of business may be changed by a vote of the majority of the members present. The usual parliamentary rules of order shall govern except as otherwise provided by the Constitution and By-laws.

III.

The Secretary shall record the proceedings of all meetings and any other matters which shall be ordered by the Catholic Club. He shall notify officers and members of Committees of their election or appointment, and shall issue notices of all meetings. He shall keep the roll of membership and furnish to the Treasurer the names of all new members as elected. He shall notify new members of their election, and conduct and keep the correspondence [6/7] of the Catholic Club with the concurrence of the President.

IV.

The Treasurer shall keep a complete roll of the members. He shall collect, and, under the direction of the Executive Committee, disburse all funds of the Catholic Club. He shall keep regular accounts in books belonging to the Club which shall be open to inspection by any member of the Executive Committee. He shall report in writing the financial condition of the Club at each stated meeting and at the annual meeting. The Club at any stated meeting may order an audit of his accounts by a Committee chosen or appointed for that purpose.

V.

The Executive Committee shall have the general management of the Catholic Club's affairs. They shall meet at the call of the Chairman, and upon the written request of three members, such a call must be issued. Three members shall constitute a quorum. They shall keep a record of their proceedings which may be called for by the Club at any stated meeting.

VI.

The Executive Committee may appoint a Library Committee, a House Committee, an Entertainment Committee and such other standing Committees as it may deem advisable and shall define their duties and powers.

VII.

The Committee on Admissions shall meet on the days of the stated meetings. Candidates for membership must be proposed in writing by two members. The Committee may, but shall, not be obliged to, report its recommendation regarding any person so proposed for action at the stated meeting to be held on the day on which the Committee has received the proposal. The Committee's recommendation shall be by a majority vote of the whole Committee. But no person shall be recommended by the Committee on Admissions until he shall have signed the Credenda.

[8] VIII.

The persons recommended for election to membership shall be voted upon in open meeting of the Club, and one negative vote in every five shall exclude the candidate. No candidate so excluded shall be again recommended within one year.

IX.

If any member fails for ninety days to pay all fees or dues, the Executive Committee shall have power to strike the name of such member from the roll of the Catholic Club and he shall thereupon cease to be a member; provided that the Executive Committee may extend this time for satisfactory reason shown, and may remit dues at its discretion.

X.

The initiation fee shall be one dollar, payable on election, and the annual dues shall be one dollar, payable in advance at the date of the annual meeting. Upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee the Catholic Club may, at any annual meeting, increase or reduce the annual dues.

XI.

The disciplinary power provided for in Article XIII of the Constitution shall be vested in the Executive Committee with authority to determine its own procedure. Its decision shall be by a four-fifths' vote, and its action in each instance shall become effective only after the approval, by a two-thirds vote of the qualified members present at a regular meeting of the Catholic Club, the action and the proposed presentation for approval having been set forth in a notice to all members at least three days prior to the meeting.

XII.

These By-laws may be amended at any stated meeting by a majority vote of the members present.

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