USA > South Carolina > Charleston County > Charleston > The French Protestant (Huguenot) Church in the city of Charleston, South Carolina > Part 2
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The several services of this book may be used on any occasions of public worship, without regard to the day of the week for which they are designed, provided the Consistory authorize such use of them.
ARTICLE II.
There shall be two stated meetings of the Corporation an- nually viz. on the second Mondays of January and July.
Special meetings may be called by order of the President, or by the Secretary at request of any seven members of the Corporation, expressed to him in writing. The business for which special meetings are called must be stated in general terms in the notice; and at such meeting no other business shall be transacted.
1Ten members of the Corporation shall constitute a quorum.
Meetings of Corporation.
1 " Seven " now.
Quorum and adjournments
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If there be not a quorum, the members may adjourn to some other time, and from time to time. until there be a quorum.
Every adjournment shall be considered a continuance of the meeting held, or intended to be held.
Notice of the stated meetings shall be given in two news- papers of the city. not less than three times in each.
Notices.
Special meetings shall be called by notice in two newspapers of the city, three times in each, or by immediate written notice from the Secretary to each member.
One days notice in two newspapers shall be sufficient for any adjourned meeting. But if the adjournment be made by a meeting with a quorum for business, then the mode and length of notice may be determined by the meeting.
ARTICLE III.
Election by Corporation.
At the stated meeting in January, in every year, or if the election be not then made. at any subsequent meeting held in accordance with Article II .. a President, who shall be ex- officio an Elder, and Chairman of the Elders, and four other elder -. a Treasurer, a Secretary, and an executive Committee of three members, shall be elected by ballot. They shall continue in office until the annual election in January, or if it be not then made, until another election.
ARTICLE IV.
Temporal con-
The temporal affairs of the Church shall continue under the control of the Corporation. who shall have authority to direct in the management of the property, fix the pew rents, the Pastor's salary, and all other salaries, the term of services of the Pastor, and of all officers and determine the general expen- ditures.
Spiritual con- The spiritual concerns of the Church shall be managed by the Pastor and Elders, who shall form the Consistory.
ARTICLE V.
Minister, nomination of.
The Minister of this Church shall be one ordained in con- formity with the principles thereof. It shall be the office of
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the Elders to select and nominate a Minister approved for piety and doctrine, to the Corporators who shall have authority to approve or reject such nomination by ballot.
ARTICLE VI.
When the nomination of a Minister is to be submitted to Minister, the Corporators a meeting shall be called for the purpose by the President, or by the Elders, within 15 days after the nomination shall have been made. Such meetings may be adjourned from time to time.
ARTICLE VII.
In order that the holy influence of the pastoral office may Minister not be impaired by the collisions which sometimes arise in the meetings. transactions of business, but that it may be reserved to promote harmony and brotherly love, the Minister shall not be present at any meetings of the Corporation.
ARTICLE VIII.
During a vacancy of the pulpit, the Elders may make such Temporary temporary arrangements for Divine Service, as they shall ap- pit. supply of pul- prove, not to extend beyond the first meeting of the Corpor- ation thereafter.
ARTICLE IX.
No collection shall be made, but by consent of the Elder's Collection. except the alms of the Holy Communion.
ARTICLE X.
The Minister for the time being, shall keep a Register of Marriages, Births, Baptisms, Deaths and Burials, and give certificates therefrom when required.
Register and certificate.
This Register shall be kept in a book provided for the pur- pose, as the property of the Church. During. a vacancy of the pastoral office, the Register shall be kept by the Treasurer,
election of.
not to attend
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who in such case and during the absence of the Minister shall be authorized to give certificates therefrom.
ARTICLE XI.
Examine
The Executive Committee to be elected under Article III, shall be charged with the general supervision of the Church editice and other property, real and personal of the Church; and shall counsel and direct the Treasurer and other temporal officers in all matters with which they may be respectively charged under our rules, subject always to the direction of the Corporation.
ARTICLE XII.
The Treasurer shall let the pews or parts of pews when vacant. In case of dispute between two or more applicants, he shall refer the matter to the Executive Committee. He shall let the Houses and Lands, and shall always do so by written lease Ile shall not make a lease for more than one year, but by the consent of the Executive Committee, given in writing. He shall invest moneys, but only with the appro- bation of the Executive Committee, first obtained. He shall collect and deposit all moneys in bank, in the corporate name of the Church, and shall draw the same under power of attor- ney from the Executive Committee, revocable by a majority of them at pleasure: and all payments shall be made by checks. He shall take charge of all the deeds, securities for money, certificates of stock and other property, of which he shall exhibit a schedule at the stated meetings, and whensoever required by the Executive Committee or Corporation.
Heshall at those meetings, and also when required as above, exhibit an account of his receipts and payments, a list of the tenants of honses, and of pews and parts of pews, and the rent- in arrear. Hle shall keep such books as the Executive Committee may direct and ali the books kept by him are to be considered as Church property. He shall, before he shall enter upon the duties of his office, give bond to the Corpor-
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ation in the sum of $2000, with such security and condition as the Executive Committee shall approve. The bond to con- tinne in force so long as he shall continue in office under these rules and by virtue of his first or any succeeding elections, and until he shall have finally and fully accounted and settled, and fulfilled his trust. The Executive Committee may require additional security at any time. The compensation of the Compensation Treasurer for his services, shall be fixed by the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE XIII,
Pew-rents shall be paid semi-annually. The pews may be Pew Rents. rented to persons not members of the Corporation; provided that if there be any application for a pew by a member, such application shall always be preferred.
ARTICLE XIV.
The Elders shall have charge of the Communion Plate, and Communion direct by whom it shall be kept. plate.
ARTICLE XV.
The Secretary shall attend the meetings and keep a fair Secretary. journal of all proceedings of the Corporation, give notices of meetings in accordance with Article II, and record their pro- ceedings.
ARTICLE XVI.
A Clerk, Organist and Sexton may be appointed by the Clerk, Organ- Elders. The offices of Clerk and Sexton may be united, in ist, Sexton. the discretion of the Elders.
ARTICLE XVII.
Every white man of the age of twenty-one years, being a Membership citizen of South Carolina, a Protestant Christian, and a descen- of Corporation dant of the Huguenots, or a descendant of present or former members of this Corporation, or a Pew-holder in this Church
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shall be eligible as a member of this Corporation. He shall apply by letter. read at one meeting and be ballotted for at any subsequent meeting; and if two-thirds of the members present. ballot in his favor, he shall on paving to the Treas- urer, the sum of 85 be a member.
And every white man of the age of twenty-one years, who i- a Pew-holder in this Church, shall so long as he holds a pew in the said Church, be considered a Corporator, and entitled to all the Rights and privileges of the other Corporators under the preceeding part of this Rule.
Any member may be expelled upon motion made at one meeting, and determined at a subsequent meeting not less than a fortnight thereafter, by a vote of three-fourths of the members present.
No member shall be entitled to a vote, who shall be in arrears, for one year. for pew rent.
ARTICLE XVIII.
Sexton.
The Sexton shall have charge of the Church and Churchyard and the opening of graves. No horse or other animal shall be suffered to remain in the Churchyard.
Monuments.
No monument of any description, except Head and Foot stones, shall be erected in the yard.
ARTICLE XIX.
Interment.
Members of the Corporation and their families, may be interred in the Churchyard; but in every case, Twenty Dollars shall be paid the Treasurer. The widows and descendants of former members interred therein, who are not worshippers in this Church, and persons who are not members, who shall have worshipped in this Church, one year immediately pre- reeding their death, may be buried in the yard on the pay- ment of Thirty Dollars to the Treasurer on a written order from one of the Executive Committee. Worshippers in this Church, being the widows and descendants of members, may
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be buried upon the same terms as members. No other persons, but those above shall be buried in the yard.
ARTICLE XX.
Such fees shall be paid as are prescribed in the following Fees. table, viz:
To the Minister,
For searching the Register $0 50
For a certified copy from the same 1 00
To the Clerk and Sexton,
For a Horse and Hearse. 3 00 To the Clerk for attendance at funerals, when required 1 00 To the Sexton for opening a grave. 2 00
For attendance and opening yard for the purpose of
having a monument erected therein, per day. 1 00
ARTICLE XXI.
No part of this Constitution shall be altered or amended; unless the proposed alteration or amendment, shall have been proposed and read a first time at one meeting, and ordered to a second reading at a subsequent meeting and then adopted; provided, that the votes of two-thirds of the members present shall be necessary to such alteration or amendment.
Alteration of
these Rules.
ARTICLE XXII.
This Constitution shall be recorded in the book already pro- vided for that purpose, and in the same book shall be kept a register of the names of all persons who now are or who shall hereafter become members of the Corporation, in their proper signatures, if practicable; those hereafter to be admitted, setting the date of admission opposite their names.
Constitution to be recorded.
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