THE C OLONIAL DAMES OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK NEv. Y ORK PUBLIC LldRARY , A .vm , Lenox jaiid Til9«n Fiiuin|ati*n$. REGISTER O F THE ^COLONIAL DAMES HEOF T STATE OF NEW YORK 1893-1901 ORGANIZED A PRIL 29th, 1893 INCORPORATED APRIL 29th, 1893 PUBLISHED B Y THE AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD OF MANAGERS NEWYORK M CM1 CERTIFICATE O F INCORPORATION CERTIFICATE O F INCORPORATION OFHE 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 associate and form ourselves into a Society by the name, style and title of: "The C olon1al 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, entitled "An Act for the incorporation of societies or clubs for certain lawful purposes," and of the several Acts of the Legis lature of said State amendatory thereof, we do hereby certify: F1rst. — 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 importance; of affiliating and uniting with other State Societies of Colonial Dames in such manner as may not be inconsistent with 7 law,n i order to concert and take such measures, patriotic, his torical, literary, benevolent and social, as may conduce to the general intendment of this Society, and better accomplish the objects herein before set forth. Th1rd. — 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 Fa1rfax, Mary Van Wyck Church, Kather1ne E. Turnbull, Ruth Lawrence, Mar1a Duane Bleecker M1ller, Mat1lda Oakley Rh1nelander. Fourth. — T hat 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 a nd sealed in the presence of JOHN. G DAVIS. (Signed) E leanor Van Rensselaer Fa1rfax, [seal.] Mary V an Wyck Church, [seal.] Kather1ne E. Turnbull, [ seal.] Ruth Lawrence, [seal.] Mar1a Duane Bleecker M1ller, [seal.] Mat1lda Oakley Rh1nelander. [seal.] C1ty a nd County of New York, Statef o New York, > On t his 25th day of April, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Ninety-three, before me personally appeared, Eleanor Van Rensselaer Fairfax, Mary Van Wyck Church, Katherine E. Turnbull, Ruth Lawrence, Maria Duane Bleecker Miller, Ma tilda Oakley Rhinelander, to me known, and known to me to be the parties described in and who executed the foregoing instru- 8 ment, a nd they severally acknowledged that they executed the same. (Signed) J OHN G. DAVIS, [seal.]ss. : N. Y. Co. Statef o New York, i C1ty and County of New York. ) 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, (Endorsed) C lerk. Certificate o f Incorporation of the Society of "The Colonial Dames of the State of New York." Supreme Court, Spec1al 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. C1ty a nd County of New York, Office of the County Clerk. Filed and recorded, April 29, 1893, 11 :05 A. M. 9 CONSTITUTION THE I f NEW VOfiK [PUBLIC LIBRARY . A moi.Lmox jndTiHw CONSTITUTION o f The C olonial Dames of t he Statef o New York Which i s the CoTistitution of tlie National Society. 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 roused to nobler endeavor by the contemplation of the heroic deeds of their forefathers ; therefore, the Society of the Colonial Dames of America has been formed, that the descendants of those men who in the Colonial period, by their rectitude, cour age and self-denial, prepared the way for success in that struggle which gained for their country its liberty and constitution, may associate themselves together to do honor to the virtues of their forefathers, and to encourage in all who come under their influ ence, true patriotism, built on a knowledge of the self-sacrifice and heroism of those men of the Colonies who laid the founda tions of this great nation. ARTICLE I . This S ociety shall be known by the name, style, and title of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, and shall be composed of State Societies, of which there shall be one 13 in e ach of the thirteen original States, and one in the District of Columbia. There may be an Associate Society in any of the non-Colonial States by and through the consent of the National Society. ' ARTICLE I I. The o bjects of this Society shall be to collect and preserve manuscripts, traditions, relics and mementoes of by-gone days ; to restore and preserve buildings connected with the early history of our country ; to diffuse healthful and intelligent information concerning the past ; to create a popular interest in 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. The S tate 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 descendants, 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 serv ices, shall have contributed to the founding of this great and powerful nation. All s ervices which constitute a claim for membership must have been rendered before July 5th, 1776, but this date shall be held to include all the signers of the Declaration of Independ ence. ARTICLE I V. The r egular 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 Na tional President or upon a request of a majority of the State 14 Societies. S uch meetings shall consist of the National officers and a representation not exceeding five delegates from each Co lonial State Society, and the District of Columbia. Each Society in the non-Colonial States may send one delegate to the Biennial Council, with the right to vote on all questions except changes in the Constitution. The vote of each of the fourteen Societies now forming the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, however cast, shall count as five.