THE
BOOK CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

FOUNDED 1912

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

COMMITTEES

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

LIST OF CHARTER
MEMBERS

SAN FRANCISCO
THE PHELAN BUILDING
MDCCCCXIII

# CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

## ARTICLE I

### NAME AND OBJECT

**SECTION 1.** This Club is called *The Book Club of California*.

**SECTION 2.** Its objects are: The study of letters and the promotion of the arts pertaining to the production of books. These objects shall comprehend the occasional publication of books designed to illustrate, promote and encourage letters and book production, the acquisition and maintenance of proper quarters for the safe-keeping of the properties of the Club and for the holding of meetings, lectures, exhibitions and entertainments of whatever kind falling within the purposes of the Club.

## ARTICLE II

### GOVERNMENT

**SECTION 1.** The affairs of this Club shall be managed and controlled by a Board of Directors composed of seven (7) members.

**SECTION 2.** The Board of Directors shall

7

## THE BOOK CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

hold office for one (1) year from the date of their election and until the election and qualification of their successors in office.

**SECTION 3.** The annual meeting of the members of the Club shall be held on the 24th day of March, at which meeting the Board of Directors shall be elected. A majority of all the votes cast shall be necessary to the election of a member of the Board of Directors.

**SECTION 4.** Vacancies in the Board of Directors shall be filled by a majority vote of the members thereof, and the persons so chosen shall hold office until the next annual election.

**SECTION 5.** No member shall be eligible to the Board of Directors unless his name shall have been posted as a candidate in a conspicuous place in the Club quarters for at least ten (10) days before the election.

## ARTICLE III

### POWERS OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

**SECTION 1.** The Board of Directors shall annually elect from its own number a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Librarian, who shall hold office during the pleasure of the Board of Directors. A Vice-President shall be elected by the members of the Club.

8

## CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

**SECTION 2.** The Board of Directors shall appoint from its own number an Auditing Committee of three (3), whose duty it shall be to audit and report on the accounts of the Treasurer from time to time as the Board may order. The Board of Directors also shall have power to appoint such other committees as may be deemed necessary and proper.

**SECTION 3.** The Board of Directors shall have power to admit applicants for membership. No candidate for membership shall be admitted except by the affirmative vote of five (5) members of the Board of Directors.

**SECTION 4.** The Board of Directors shall have power to expel or suspend any member of the Club upon written charges of misconduct. But no member shall be removed except after trial upon said charges. At least fifteen (15) days' notice in writing from the Board of Directors shall be given of the intended hearing by said Board of such charges. A vote of not less than five (5) members of the Board shall be necessary for the expulsion or suspension of such member.

**SECTION 5.** The Board of Directors shall prescribe rules for the reception and entertainment of guests.

9

THE BOOK CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

## ARTICLE IV

### THE PRESIDENT

SECTION 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the members or of the Board of Directors. He shall certify to the correctness of all bills and demands and shall sign all drafts and checks and Treasury warrants.

## ARTICLE V

### THE VICE-PRESIDENT

SECTION 1. The Vice-President shall, in the absence or on the disability of the President, exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the President.

## ARTICLE VI

### THE TREASURER

SECTION 1. The Treasurer shall collect all dues and shall keep the accounts of the Club and report thereon at each regular meeting of the Board of Directors. He shall pay bills only on the certificate of the Auditing Committee and the President. He shall not be a member of the House Committee nor of the Auditing Committee.

10

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

SECTION 2. The Treasurer shall report at each annual meeting the financial condition of the Club, such report, etc., for the current year. Each report and estimate shall be distributed by mail to the members at least seven (7) days before the annual meeting.

## ARTICLE VII

### THE SECRETARY

SECTION 1. The Secretary shall give all notices of meetings of the members and of the Board of Directors, and shall keep the minutes of such meetings. He shall have charge of the correspondence and records of the Club, and he shall furnish to the Treasurer the names of all persons admitted to membership and shall notify such persons of their admittance.

## ARTICLE VIII

### MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1. Any person of good, moral character over the age of twenty-one years, and interested in the objects of the Club, shall be eligible to membership. He must be proposed and seconded by two members who at least ten (10) days before action by the Board of Directors

11

shall enter his candidacy in their own handwriting in a book kept for that purpose. The name of such candidate must likewise be posted in a conspicuous place in the Club quarters for the same length of time.

## ARTICLE IX

### ENTRANCE FEES AND YEARLY DUES

**SECTION 1.** The yearly dues shall be ten (10) dollars, payable within thirty (30) days after the election of the member.

## ARTICLE X

### MEETINGS OF THE CLUB

**SECTION 1.** The annual meetings of the Club on the 24th day of March shall be at such hour as the Board of Directors shall designate.

**SECTION 2.** Upon the written request of five (5) members of the Club the President shall call a special meeting of the Club to consider any special matter. Notice of such meeting and of the matter to be considered thereat shall be given to members at least ten (10) days before it is held.

**SECTION 3.** At all meetings of members of the Club ten (10) members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business.

12

## CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

### ARTICLE XI

#### MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

**SECTION 1.** The Board of Directors shall meet once a month at such hour and place as it may designate. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by a majority thereof.

**SECTION 2.** Five (5) of the members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The absence of a member of the Board of Directors from three (3) consecutive meetings of such Board shall ipso facto constitute his resignation.

## ARTICLE XII

### STANDING COMMITTEES

**SECTION 1.** *House Committee.* Three (3) of its members shall be elected by the Board of Directors as a House Committee. The duty of this Committee shall be to receive and act upon complaints and suggestions of members concerning the management and control of the quarters of the Club. The House Committee shall manage the Club quarters and prescribe and regulate all charges that shall be made for service of any kind in the Club. It shall contract monthly for the Club debts in the aggre-

13

THE BOOK CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

gate not to exceed a sum to be determined by
the Board of Directors. It shall have power to
hear and redress complaints of whatsoever na-
ture concerning the management of the Club's
quarters and of the service of such quarters, and
it shall hire and dismiss all employees. It shall
exercise its powers always subject to the general
supervision of the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2. *Committee on Programme and Publication.* There shall be a Committee, consisting of three (3) members, on Programme and Publication which shall be elected by the Board of Directors. The duty of said Committee shall be the supervision of all publications of the Club and the arrangement of all programmes.

SECTION 3. *Library Committee.* Three (3) of its members shall be elected by the Board of Directors as a Library Committee. Said Committee shall have charge of and provide for the safe-keeping, arrangement and classification of the books, manuscripts and works of art of the Club, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. It shall appoint a Librarian, whose duties shall be prescribed by said Committee and whose salary shall be fixed by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 4. No Committee shall have au-
thority to contract debts or obligations of any

14

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

kind except with the consent of the Board of
Directors.

ARTICLE XIII

AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1. The By-laws of this Club may be amended at any meeting of the members by a majority vote of the members present thereat.

ARTICLE XIV

NOTICES

SECTION 1. All notices shall be addressed to the members at their known places of residence. If their addresses be not known, such notices shall be enclosed in an envelope addressed to the members at the Club quarters and deposited in a letter-box to be maintained at the quarters of the Club for such purpose.

ARTICLE XV

PENALTIES

SECTION 1. Any member who shall fail to pay any money that may be due from him to the Club one (1) month after written notice of such indebtedness shall be subject to expulsion or suspension by the Board of Directors.

15

**SECTION 2.** Any member who shall fail to pay the yearly dues for two (2) months after the same shall be payable shall be suspended from membership. If such dues still remain unpaid for one (1) month after such suspension, or for three (3) months in all from the date of their maturity, he shall thereupon cease to be a member of the Club.

## ARTICLE XVI

### CONSTRUCTION OF RULES

**SECTION 1.** If a question shall arise regarding the construction of any provision of the By-laws, such question shall be determined by the Board of Directors, whose decision shall be binding and conclusive.

16

## LIST OF CHARTER MEMBERS

### LLOYD ACKERMAN

Nevada National Bank Building, San Francisco

### L. B. ARCHER

Corner Sutter and Grant Avenue, San Francisco

### JOHN D. BARRY

767 Market Street, San Francisco

### EUGENE J. BATES

1981 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco

### ALBERT M. BENDER

311 California Street, San Francisco

### JAMES D. BLAKE

1433 Clay Street, San Francisco

### H. B. BLATCHLY

53 Third Street, San Francisco

### H. U. BRANDENSTEIN

Mills Building, San Francisco

### MILTON A. BREMER

312 Montgomery Street, San Francisco

### EDMUND D. BROOKS

Minneapolis, Minn.

17

THE BOOK CLUB OF CALIFORNIA

A. F. MORRISON

2022 California Street, San Francisco

FRED MYRTLE

Bohemian Club, San Francisco

JOHN HENRY NASH

412 Mission Street, San Francisco

MISS JOSEPHINE NEELEY

625 Bush Street, San Francisco

JOHN J. NEWBEGIN

315 Sutter Street, San Francisco

D. C. NORCROSS

430 California Street, San Francisco

EDWARD F. O'DEA

557 Duboce Avenue, San Francisco

RICARDO J. OROZCO

ROBERT C. OWENS

San Francisco Law Library, San Francisco

JAMES WALTER SCOTT

GRANT H. SMITH

Mills Building, San Francisco

WILL SPARKS

Bohemian Club, San Francisco

20

LIST OF CHARTER MEMBERS

ALFRED SUTRO

Kohl Building, San Francisco

OSCAR SUTRO

Kohl Building, San Francisco

EDWARD DEWITT TAYLOR

DR. EDWARD ROBSON TAYLOR

2326 California Street, San Francisco

HENRY H. TAYLOR

29 Winthrop Hall, Cambridge, Mass.

E. H. TORDHOFF

2132 Oxford Street, Berkeley, Cal.

ISAAC O. UPHAM

104 Battery Street, San Francisco

WALLACE W. WACHOB

EDGAR WALTER

2231 Clay Street, San Francisco

JOHN I. WALTER

MISS MARIAN WALTER

1803 Franklin Street, San Francisco

W. R. K. YOUNG

254 California Street, San Francisco

21