# Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society/Volume 1/Rules of the Society

RULES
of the
Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
I.—Name and Objects.
1. The Name of the Society shall be "The Straits Asiatic Society."
2. The Objects of the Society shall be—
    a. The investigation of subjects connected with the Straits of Malacca and the neighbouring Countries.
    b. The publication of papers in a Journal.
    c. The formation of a Library of books bearing on the objects of the Society.
II.—Membership.
3. Members shall be classed as Ordinary and Honorary.
4. Ordinary Members shall pay an annual subscription of $6, payable in advance on the 1st January of each year.
5. Honorary Members shall pay no subscription.
6. On or about the 30th June of every year, the Hon. Treasurer shall prepare a list of those Members whose subscriptions for the current year remain unpaid, and such persons shall be deemed to have resigned their Membership. But the operation of this rule, in any particular case, may he suspended by a vote of the Council of the Society.
7. Candidates for Membership shall apply in writing to the Secretary, and if approved of by the Council shall be recommended by them to the Society at a General Meeting, and if accepted by two thirds of the members present, shall be deemed duly elected.
8. Honorary Members must be proposed for election by the Council at a General Meeting of the Society.
III.—Officers.
9. The Officers of the Society shall be—
    A President,
    2 Vice-President, one of whom shall be selected from amongst the members resident in Penang.
    An Honorary Secretary and Librarian.
    An Honorary Treasurer,
    And five Councillors.
Those officers shall hold Office until their successors are chosen.
10. Vacancies in the above offices shall be filled for the current year by a vote of the remaining Officers.
IV.—Council.
11. The Council of the Society shall be composed of the Officers for the current year, and its duties shall be—
    a. To administer the affairs, property and trusts of the Society.
    b. To recommend members for election by the Society.
    c. To decide on the eligibility of papers to be real before general meetings.
    d. To select papers for publication in the Journal, and to supervise the printing and distribution of the said Journal.
    e. To select and purchase books, for the Library,
    f. To accept or decline donations on behalf of the Society.
    g. To present to the Annual Meeting at the expiration of their term of office a Report of the proceedings and condition of the Society.
12. The Council shall meet for the transaction of business once a month, or oftener if necessary. At Council meetings five Officers shall constitute a quorum.
13. The Council shall have authority, subject to confirmation by a general meeting, to make and enforce such bye-laws and regulations for the proper conduct of the Society's affairs as may from time to time he expedient.
V.—Meetings.
14. The Annual General Meeting shall be held in January of each year.
15. General Meetings shall be held, when practicable, once in every month, and oftener if expedient, at such hour as the Council may appoint.
16. At Meetings of the Society eleven members shall form a quorum for the transaction of business.
17. At all Meetings, the Chairman shall, in case of an equality of votes, be entitled to a casting vote in addition to his own.
18. At the Annual General Meeting, the Council shall present a Report for the preceding year, and the Treasurer shall render an account of the financial con lition of the Society. Officers for the current year shall also be chosen.
19. The work of Ordinary General Meetings shall be the transaction of routine business, the reading of papers approved by the Council, and the discussion of topics connected with the general objects of the Society.
20. Notice of the subjects intended to be introduced for discussion by any member of the Society should be handed in to the Secretary before the Meeting.
Visitors may be admitted to the Meetings of the Society, but no one who is not a member shall be allowed to address the Meeting except by invitation or permission of the Chairman.
VI.—Publications of the Society.
21. A Journal shall be published, when practicable, every six months under the supervision of the Council. It shall comprise a selection of the papers read before the Society, the Report of the Council and Treasurer, and such other matter as the Council may deem it expedient to publish.
22. Every member of the Society shall be entitled to one copy of the Journal, deliverable at the place of publication. The Council shall have power to present copies to other Societies and to distinguished individuals, and the remaining copies shall be sold at such prices as the Council shall from time to time direct.
23. Twenty-four copies of each paper published in the Journal shall placed at the disposal of the Author.
​24. The Council shall have power to sanction the publication, in a separate form, of papers or documents laid before the Society, if in their opinion practicable and expedient.
VII.—Popular Lectures.
25. Occasional Popular Lectures upon literary or scientific subjects may be delivered, under the sanction of the Council, on evenings other than those appointed for General meetings of the Society.
VIII.—Amendments.
26. Amendments to these rules must be proposed in writing to the Council, who shall, after notice given, lay them before a general meeting of the Society. A committee of resident members shall thereupon be appointed, in conjunction with the Council, to report on the proposed Amendments to the general meeting next ensuing, when a decision may be taken.