ARTICLE I. OF THE SOCIETY.

Sect. 1. THIS Society shall be denomi­nated the "ASSOCIATION OF THE MECHANICS OF BOSTON."

[Page 4] Sect. 2. The primary objects of this As­sociation are—To promote the happiness of the Associates, as mechanics and as men:— To encourage the Mechanic Arts of every country:—To encrease the Mechanic Inter­est in this town, and in the United States:— To raise funds to assist poor and ingenious Mechanics in prosecuting the discovery and invention of new and useful machines, tools and instruments;—to grant premiums there­for:—And to assist poor and decayed Me­chanics, their Widows, and Orphans.

ARTICLE II. OF MEMBERS.

Sect. 1. THE Society shall be composed of none but Mechanics.

Sect. 2. Until the sixth day of April, next ensuing, every Master-Workman who served an Apprenticeship at a mechanical profes­sion; who has lived in the town of Boston one year; who is a person of good moral character; who signs these Regulations, and pays to the person who shall be regularly authorized to receive the same, a sum, not [Page 5] less than One Dollar, shall be considered as a Member.

Sect. 3. After the sixth day of April, aforesaid, it shall be requisite to admission as a Member, that the Candidate stand proposed as such, at least one month, either before the Board of Trustees, or the Association, at a regular meeting—that he obtain the votes of two thirds of the Members present—sign these Regulations, and pay a sum, not less than One Dollar.

Sect. 4. After the expiration of seven years from the adoption of these Regula­tions, it shall also be requisite to admission as a Member, in addition to the requisites in the preceding article, that the Candidate pro­posed, produce his Indentures, and a Certifi­cate signed by the person he served his Ap­prenticeship with, (if residing within this Commonwealth) or by two creditable Citi­zens of the town wherein he lived, that he has served a regular Apprenticeship to some mechanic business, and that he be a person of good moral character.

Sect. 5. No person shall become a Mem­ber of this Society until he has attained the age of twenty-one years.

ARTICLE III. OF OFFICERS.

Sect. 1. THE Officers of this Associa­tion shall be, a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and nine Trustees, who shall constitute a Board of Trustees. The four first shall be voted for singly, the other nine may be voted for on one list; but all by written votes; seven of whom shall con­stitute a quorum.

Sect. 2. The duty of the President shall be, to preside at all meetings of the Society, and Board of Trustees. He shall call special meetings of the Society, when a quorum of the Trustees shall deem it necessary; or when application shall be made therefor, in writing, by fifteen Members of the Society— each applicant signing his name: He shall also have power to appoint the place of meetings of the Society, and the special meetings of the Board of Trustees.

Sect. 3. The duty of the Vice-President, in the absence or demise of the President, shall be the same as that of the President: In the absence or demise of the President and Vice-President, a President shall be chosen from the Trustees, at every meeting until the choice of Officers.

[Page 7] Sect. 4. The duties of the Secretary shall be to keep a fair and accurate Journal of the proceedings, correspondence, and other bu­siness of the Association—to publish such communications or proceedings, as the Asso­ciation, or Board of Trustees, may direct— to collect all monies, and to pay the same to the Treasurer, taking his receipt therefor.

The compensation to the Secretary for his services shall be voted at the annual meeting of the Association.

Sect. 5. The duty of the Treasurer shall be to receive all monies from the Secretary —to pay them out, on a warrant signed by the President, and two, at least, of the board of Trustees, and to keep accurate accounts of all the fiscal concerns of the Association. He shall give bonds to the satisfaction of the Trustees, for the faithful discharge of his trust; and when the monies in his hands shall amount to Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars, he shall acquaint the Trustees thereof.

The Treasurer shall not be eligible to that office, more than three years successively.

Sect. 6. The Board of Trustees shall su­perintend the prudential concerns of the As­sociation—They, or a part of them, not less than three, shall form a Court of Equity, to hear and settle any differences between Mem­bers [Page 8] of this Association, and between Mem­bers and their Apprentices. The Board shall have power to grant monies and warrants therefor, for the purpose of the Institution; and when the Treasurer shall inform them that he has in his possession Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars, they shall invest Two Hundred Dollars thereof, in the name of the Society, in the public Funds.—They shall keep a regular and accurate account of all their transactions, which shall be laid before the Society at every regular meeting, for the inspection of the Members, which transac­tions shall be read aloud by the Secretary. They may correspond with any Society of Mechanics in the United States; but they shall lay such correspondence before the So­ciety, at the next quarterly meeting. They shall meet once in each month, at each oth­ers' houses, for the benefit of the Association, the expenses of which meetings shall not be chargeable to the Society.

ARTICLE IV. GENERAL RULES.

Sect. 1. EACH Member of this Associa­tion, shall at every quarterly meeting, pay to [Page 9] the Secretary One Quarter of a Dollar, the principal of which, together with the monies paid at the entrance and admission of Mem­bers, and all fines accruing to the Society, shall forever remain a fund to effect the pur­poses of the Association.

Sect. 2. The Meetings of this Society shall be four times a year, viz.—On the sec­ond Thursday in December, March, June and September. The time and place of each meeting, shall be notified in one or more of the newspapers, by the Secretary, at least one week before each meeting.

Sect. 3. The Annual Meeting of the As­sociation shall be on the second Thursday in December, when the Officers shall be chosen.

Sect. 4. The Trustees, at their monthly meeting next preceding the second Thursday of December, shall settle the Treasurer's ac­counts, and lay an accurate statement of them before the Association, at the Annual Meeting.

At the Quarterly Meeting next preceding the Annual one, the question shall be taken, Whether the Society, at said Annual Meet­ing, will have a Public Festival?

Sect. 5. Every Member shall stand when [Page 10] he addresses the President, and no Member shall interrupt another, while speaking, unless to call him to order, or to set him right. No member shall speak more than twice to the same question, unless to explain himself, with­out leave from the Society; and it shall be the duty of Members, on all occasions of rude or disorderly behaviour, to assist the President in effectually suppressing the same.

Sect. 6. No Member of this Association shall take any lad of fourteen years of age, or upwards, as an Apprentice, without hav­ing him bound by legal Indentures, within twelve months, under penalty of paying Ten Dollars; which sum shall be paid annually, so long as the Apprentice remains unbound, which fine shall be added to the stock of the Society.

Sect. 7. Any Member who shall entertain, or employ, any bound Apprentice, who shall have left the person he was bound to, with­out said person's consent, shall forfeit Thirty Dollars monthly, so long as he continues to entertain or employ such Apprentice.

Sect. 8. After the expiration of seven years from the said sixth day of April, any Member of this Society, who shall employ any Journeyman, who has not served a reg­ular Apprenticeship to the Trade he profes­ses; [Page 11] which shall be evidenced by his Inden­tures, or a Certificate, signed by the person with whom he served his Apprenticeship, or by two creditable citizens of the town where­in he lived (except such Journeyman be a foreigner) shall forfeit and pay to the Society, Ten Dollars, for every month he shall so em­ploy such Journeyman. Provided neverthe­less, that nothing in this section shall be con­strued to prevent any Member from hiring and employing Labourers.

Sect. 9. In case any dispute should arise between a Member of this Association and his Apprentice or Apprentices, it shall be the duty of the Member first to lay his case be­fore three, or more, of the Trustees for their advice; and should said Trustees advise him to refer his case to men, and he refuses so to do, and applies for remedy to the laws, he shall forfeit all his privileges and immunities as a Member of this Association. In like cases of difference between Members of this Association, a similar mode of settlement shall be resorted to; and in case of non-com­pliance to the advice given, a similar forfeit­ure shall take place: Except, however, that the cases of Members shall be adjudged by a majority of the Board of Trustees.

Sect. 10. Should any profession of Me­chanics [Page 12] agree upon, and sign Regulations for the government of their craft, and should any Member of this Association, who has signed those Regulations, violate or contra­vene them:—on complaint and due proof thereof, being given the Trustees, he shall forfeit his privileges and immunities as a Member.

Sect. 11. Should complaint be made, in writing, to the Board of Trustees, by any Merchant, Trader, or other person, that any Member of this Society has defrauded him, by selling him unmerchantable Wares, by not completing contracts in a workmanlike manner, or by extravagant charges, they shall immediately appoint a suitable Committee to examine into the facts, and use their endeav­ours that justice be done to the parties, and the award of said Committee shall be consid­ered as binding on the Member complained of, on forfeiture of his immunities and priv­ileges as such▪ But should any Merchant, Trader, or other person, give employment to any person, living in the town of Boston, who does not belong to this Association, and should suffer any injury therefrom, this So­ciety will not hold itself obliged to interfere in the case, or give any advice or assistance therein.

[Page 13] Sect. 12. Any person refusing to pay the fines and assessments, imposed by these Reg­ulations, after being regularly applied to therefor, shall forfeit his immunities and privileges as a Member, unless he can make it appear to the satisfaction of the Trustees, that he is unable to pay them.

Sect. 13. Whenever a breach of any of these Regulations shall come to the knowl­edge of any Member, he shall acquaint the President or Vice-President thereof; stating the evidence he has of it, and the circum­stances attending it; and it shall be the duty of the President to lay the same before the Trustees at their next meeting, a majority of whom shall hear and determine on the sub­ject, in all cases wherein provision is not made therefor in these Regulations.

Sect. 14. Whenever it shall appear to the Board of Trustees that any Member or Mem­bers has incurred Fines which have been regularly called for, or in any other manner subjected himself to forfeiture of his privileg­es and immunities, it shall be the duty of the Trustees to lay the same briefly before the Association at their next Quarterly Meeting, a majority of whom shall finally determine, so far as it respects the expelling of such Member or Members.

[Page 14] Sect. 15. Any Member who wishes an alteration of these Regulations, or to in­troduce any new ones, shall make his pro­position therefor in writing, and shall lay the same before the Association, at a Quarterly Meeting, which the Secretary shall enter on the Journal, for the consideration of the As­sociation, at their next Quarterly Meeting; when it shall be debated, and if two thirds of the Members present, vote in favour of such alteration or addition, it shall become a Reg­ulation; and shall be entered as such in an Appendix to these Regulations.