THE C OLONIAL DAMES OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK REGISTER O F THE COLONIAL DAMES OFHE T STATE OF NEW YORK 1893 - 1 913- * "> '■ 5 ORGANIZED A PRIL 29th, 1893 INCORPORATED APRIL 29th, 1893 PUBLISHED B Y THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD OF MANAGERS NEW Y ORK MCMXIII THEEW N YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 646? 1 9 ASTOR, L ENOX AND TILOeN FOUNDATIONS R 1 9'5 L. Printedy b Frederick H. Hitchcock 105 West 40th Street New York CERTIFICATE O F INCORPORATION '"aiantaiwiokiTih ( -r-^iKsmtssaittlot'.Kl CERTIFICATE O F INCORPORATION HEOF T Colonial D ames of the State of New York We, t he undersigned women, citizens of the United States and of the State of New York, all being of full age, do hereby asso ciate and form ourselves into a Society by the name, style and title of : "The C olonial Dames of the State of New York," andn i order that the said Society shall be a body corporate and politic under and in pursuance of the Act of the Legislature of the State of New York (Chapter 267), passed May 12, 1875, en~ titled "An Act for the incorporation of societies or clubs for cer tain lawful purposes," and of the several Acts of the Legislature of said State amendatory thereof, we do hereby certify : First. — T hat the name or title by which the said Society shall be known in law, shall be "The Colonial Dames of the State of New York." Second. — T hat the particular business and objects of the said Society shall be patriotic, historical, literary, benevolent and so cial, and for the purposes of perpetuating the memory of those honored men whose sacrifices and labors, in colonial times and until national independence was assured, potentially aided in lay ing the foundations of a great empire; of collecting and pre serving the records of their services, and of undertaking or as sisting in the erection of proper memorials thereof ; of inspiring among the members the patriotic spirit of their forefathers in colonial times ; of inculcating in the community in general, senti ments of nationality and patriotism, and respect for law, order and constituted authority; of promoting social intercourse and friendship among the members; of undertaking or assisting in the proper commemorative celebration of important events in the history of the Colonies, and of other patriotic events of national 7 importance; o f affiliating and uniting with other State Societies of Colonial Dames in such manner as may not be inconsistent with law, in order to concert and take such measures, patriotic, his torical, literary, benevolent and social, as may conduce to the gen eral intendment of this Society, and better accomplish the objects hereinbefore set forth. Third. — T hat the number of managers, trustees or directors who shall have the control and management of the affairs of said Society shall be six, and the names of the managers for the first year are: Eleanor V an Rensselaer Fairfax Mary Van Wyck Church, Katherine E. Turnbull, Ruth Lawrence, Maria Duane Bleecker Miller, Matilda Oakley Rhinelander. Fourth. — That the principal office of said Society, "The Co lonial Dames of the State of New York," shall be located in the City, County and State of New York. In w itness thereof, we have hereunto and to the duplicate hereof set our hands and seals at the City of New York, the twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord One Thou sand Eight Hundred and Ninety-three. Signed and sealed in the presence of JOHN G. DAVIS. (Signed) E leanor Van Rensselaer Fairfax, [seal] Mary Van Wyck Church, [seal] Katherine E. Turnbull, [seal] " Ruth Lawrence, [seal] Maria Duane Bleecker Miller, [seal] " Matilda Oakley Rhinelander. [seal] City and County of New York, ss Statef o New York, ' } On this 25th day of April, One Thousand Eight Hundred and 'hree hefore me personally appeared, Eleanor Van merit, a nd they severally acknowledged that they executed the same. (Signed) J OHN G. DAVIS, [seal.]ss. : N. Y. Co. Statef o New York, "1 City and County of New York, j I, H enry D. Purroy, Clerk of the City and County of New York, and also Clerk of the Supreme Court for the said City and County, the same being a Court of Record, do hereby certify, that John G. Davis, whose name is subscribed to the certificate of the proof or acknowledgment of the annexed instrument, and thereon written, was, at the time of taking such proof or acknowledgment, a Notary Public in and for the City and County of New York, dwelling in the said City, commissioned and sworn, and duly authorized to take the same. And further, that I am well ac quainted with the handwriting of such Notary, and verily believe that the signature to the said Certificate of proof or acknowledg ment is genuine. In t estimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of said Court and County, the 28th day of April, 1893. (Signed) ' H ENRY D. PURROY, ( E ndorsed ) Clerk. Certificate o f Incorporation of the Society of "The Colonial Dames of the State of New York." Supreme Court, Special Term, City a nd County of New York. I h ereby consent to and approve of the incorporation of the within named society. EDWARD P ATTERSON, Justice S upreme Court. Dated A pril 26, 1893. State of New York, Office of Secretary of State. Filed a nd recorded, April 29, 1893, 11 A. M. .TH. E BENEDICT, Deputy S ecretary of State. City a nd County of New York, Office of the County Clerk. Filed and recorded, April 29, 1893, 11 x>5 A. M. 9 "Virtutes M ajorum Filiae Conservant." Constitution a nd By-Laws OF THE C OLONIAL DAMES OFHE T STATE OF NEW YORK 'vsr i mtekwwtaatt oi "4 1 stptuu « wtai » WW I i 2 wto; Wist tot S*»«v 1 V'w.'Ss i ta acttss m to M tt f asip t A jfo cm* uniei 1 f '■'Haiti 4i afas AiU ™ CONSTITUTION THE C OLONIAL DAMES OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WHICH IS THE CONSTITUTION OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY As A mended by the Council of 1910 PREAMBLE Whereas, H istory shows that the remembrance of a nation's glory in the past stimulates to national greatness in the future, and that successive generations are awakened to truer patriotism and aroused to nobler endeavor by the contemplation of the heroic deeds of their forefathers: therefore the Society of Colonial Dames of America has been formed, that the descendants of those men who in the Colonial period by their rectitude, courage, and self-denial prepared the way for success in that struggle which gained for the country its liberty and constitution, may associate themselves together to do honor to the virtues of their fore fathers, and to encourage in all who come under their influence, true patriotism, built on a knowledge of the self-sacrifice and heroism of those men of the colonies who laid the foundation of this great nation. ARTICLE I TITLE Name a nd Organization. — This Society shall be known by the name, style, and title of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, and shall be composed of Corporate Soci eties of which there are: the Societies of the Thirteen Colonial States, or the Ancestral Societies; the Society of the District of Columbia, or the Domicile or Charter Society ; and the Societies of the Non-Colonial States, or the Associate Societies. Every m ember of every State Society shall be a Dame of one of the Thirteen Ancestral Societies. 13 ARTICLE I I OBJECTS The o bjects of this Society shall be to collect and preserve man uscripts, traditions, relics, and memontos of by-gone days, to pre serve and restore buildings connected with the early history of our country, to diffuse healthful and intelligent information con cerning the past, to create a popular interest in our Colonial his tory, to stimulate a spirit of true patriotism and a genuine love of country, and to impress upon the young the sacred obligation of honoring the memory of those heroic ancestors whose ability, valor, sufferings, and achievements are beyond all praise. ARTICLE I II ELIGIBILITY O F MEMBERS 1. M embership. — The Corporate Societies shall be composed entirely of women who are descended in their own right from some ancestor of worthy life who came to reside in an American colony prior to 1750, which ancestor or some one of his descend ants, being a lineal ascendant of the applicant, shall have rendered efficient service to his country during the Colonial period, either in the founding of a commonwealth, or of an institution which has survived and developed into importance, or who shall have held an important position in a Colonial government, or who, by distinguished services, shall have contributed to the founding of this great and powerful nation. 2. D ate of Ancestor's Services. — All services which consti tute a claim to membership must have been rendered before July 5, 1776, but this date shall be held to include all the signers of the Declaration of Independence. ARTICLEV I COUNCILS I. M eetings. — The regular meeting of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America shall be held every two years in Washington, D. C. Special meetings may be held upon the order of the National President or upon a request of not less 2. M embers. — Such meetings shall consist of the National Officers, and representatives from the Corporate Societies, as pro vided in the Covenant ratified at the Council of 1910.