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Exhibit (a)
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Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust
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AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT
AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
BB&T FUNDS
(formerly the BB&T Mutual Funds Group)
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This Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust made as of May 17, 1999,
hereby amends and restates in its entirety the Declaration of Trust dated
October 1, 1987 (as amended June 25, 1992 and August 18, 1992), by the Trustees
hereunder (the "Trustees").
WITNESSETH that
WHEREAS, this Trust has been formed to carry on the business of an
investment company; and
WHEREAS, the Trustees have agreed to manage all property coming into
their hands as Trustees of a Massachusetts voluntary association with
transferable Shares in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS, the Trustees have agreed to amend and restate the Agreement
and Declaration of Trust prior to the sale of Shares pursuant to Section 7 on
Article IX hereof.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees hereby declare that they will hold all
cash, securities and other assets, which they may from time to time acquire in
any manner as Trustees hereunder IN TRUST to manage and dispose of the same upon
the following terms and conditions as hereinafter set forth.
ARTICLE I
Name and Definitions
Name
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Section 1. This Trust shall be known as "BB&T Funds," and the Trustees
shall conduct the business of the Trust under that name or any other name as
they may from time to time determine.
Definitions
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Section 2. Whenever used herein, unless otherwise required by the
context or specifically provided:
(a) The "Trust" refers to the Massachusetts business Trust
established by this Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended
from time to time;
(b) "Trustees" refers to the Trustees of the Trust named herein
or elected in accordance with Article IV;
(c) "Shares" means the equal proportionate transferable units of
interest into which the beneficial interest in the Trust shall be
divided from time to time or, if more than one series or class of
Shares is authorized by the Trustees, the equal proportionate
transferable units into which each series of Shares shall be divided
from time to time;
(d) "Shareholder" means a record owner of Shares of the Trust or
of any series or class of the Trust;
(e) The "1940 Act" refers to the Investment Company Act of 1940
and the Rules and Regulations thereunder, all as amended from time to
time;
(f) The terms "Affiliated Person", "Assignment", "Commission",
"Interested Person", "Principal Underwriter" and "Majority Shareholder
Vote" (the 67% or 50% requirement of the third sentence of Section
2(a)(42) of the 1940 Act, whichever may be applicable) shall have the
meanings given them in the 1940 Act;
(g) "Declaration of Trust" shall mean this Agreement and
Declaration of Trust as amended or restated from time to time; and
(h) "Bylaws" shall mean the Bylaws of the Trust as amended from
time to time;
(i) The terms "series" or "series of Shares" refers to one or
more separate investment portfolio of the Trust into which the assets
and liabilities of the Trust may be divided and the Shares of the
Trust representing the beneficial interest of shareholders in such
respective portfolios; and
(j) The terms "class" or "class of Shares" refers to the Shares
representing the division of any series into two or more classes as
provided in Article III Section 1 hereof.
ARTICLE II
Purpose of Trust
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The purpose of the Trust is to provide investors a managed investment
primarily in securities and debt instruments and to carry on such other business
as the Trustees may from time to time determine pursuant to their authority
under this Declaration of Trust.
ARTICLE III
Shares
Division of Beneficial Interest
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Section 1. The Shares of the Trust shall be issued in one or more
series as the Trustees may, without shareholder approval, authorize. Each series
may be divided into two or more classes. Each series or class shall be preferred
over all other series or classes in respect of the asset allocated to that
series or class. The beneficial interest in each series or class shall be
divided into Shares, with a par value of $0.00001, each of which shall represent
an equal proportionate interest in the series or class with each other Share of
the same series or class, none having priority or preference over another. The
number of Shares authorized shall be unlimited. The Trustees may from time to
time divide or combine the Shares into a greater or lesser number without
thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interests in the series or class.
Ownership of Shares
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Section 2. The ownership of Shares shall be recorded on the books of
the Trust or a transfer or similar agent. No certificates certifying the
ownership of Shares shall be issued except as the Trustees may otherwise
determine from time to time. The Trustees may make such rules as they consider
appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates, the transfer of Shares and
similar matters. The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust or any
transfer or similar agent, as the case may be, shall be conclusive as to who are
the Shareholders of each series or class and as to the number of Shares of each
series or class held from time to time by each Shareholder.
Investment in the Trust
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Section 3. The Trustees shall accept investments in the Trust from such
persons and on such terms and for such consideration, which may consist of cash
or tangible or intangible property or a combination thereof, as they from time
to time authorize.
All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares
of each series or class, together with all income, earnings, profits, and
proceeds thereof, including any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or
liquidation thereof, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of
such proceeds in whatever form the same may be, shall irrevocably belong to the
series or class of Shares with respect to which the same were received by the
Trust for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors, and shall be so
handled upon the books of account of the Trust and are herein referred to as
"assets of" such series or class.
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No Preemptive Rights
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Section 4. Shareholders shall have no preemptive or other right to
subscribe to any additional Shares or other securities issued by the Trust.
Status of Shares and Limitation of Personal Liability
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Section 5. Shares shall be deemed to be personal property giving only
the rights provided in this instrument. Every Shareholder by virtue of having
become a Shareholder shall be held to have expressly assented and agreed to the
terms hereof and to have become a party hereto. The death of a Shareholder
during the continuance of the Trust shall not operate to terminate the same nor
entitle the representative of any deceased Shareholder to an accounting or to
take any action in court or elsewhere against the Trust or the Trustees, but
only to the rights of said decedent under this Trust. Ownership of Shares shall
not entitle the Shareholder to any title in or to the whole or any part of the
Trust property or right to call for a partition or division of the same or for
an accounting, nor shall the ownership of Shares constitute the Shareholders
partners. Neither the Trust nor the Trustees, nor any officer, employee or agent
of the Trust shall have any power to bind personally any Shareholder, nor except
as specifically provided herein to call upon any Shareholder for the payment of
any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other than such as the Shareholder may
at any time personally agree to pay.
ARTICLE IV
The Trustees
Election
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Section 1. The number of Trustees shall be as provided in the Bylaws or
as fixed from to time by the Trustees. The shareholders may elect Trustees at
any meeting of Shareholders called by the Trustees for that purpose. Each
Trustee shall serve during the continued lifetime of the Trust until he dies,
resigns or is removed, or, if sooner, until the next meeting of Shareholders
called for the purpose of electing Trustees and the election and qualification
of his successor. Any Trustee may resign at any time by written instrument
signed by him and delivered to any officer of the Trust, to each other Trustee
or to a meeting of the Trustees. Such resignation shall be effective upon
receipt unless specified to be effective at some other time. Except to the
extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee
resigning and no Trustee removed shall have any right to any compensation for
any period following his resignation or removal, or any right to damages on
account of such removal.
Effect of Death, Resignation, etc. of a Trustee
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Section 2. The death, declination, resignation, retirement, removal or
incapacity of the Trustees, or any one of them, shall not operate to annul the
Trust or to revoke any existing agency created pursuant to the terms of this
Declaration of Trust.
Powers
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Section 3. Subject to the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the
business of the Trust shall be managed by the Trustees, and they shall have all
powers necessary or convenient to carry out that responsibility. Without
limiting the foregoing, the Trustees may adopt Bylaws not inconsistent with this
Declaration of Trust providing for the conduct of the business of the Trust and
may amend and repeal them to the extent that such Bylaws do not reserve that
right to the Shareholders; they may enlarge or reduce their number, may fill
vacancies in their number, including vacancies caused by enlargement of their
number, and may remove Trustees with or without cause; they may elect and
remove, with or without cause, such officers and appoint and terminate such
agents as they consider appropriate; they may appoint from their own number, and
terminate, any one or more committees consisting of two or more Trustees,
including an executive committee which may, when the Trustees are not in
session, exercise some or all of the power and authority of the Trustees as the
Trustees may determine; they may employ one or more custodians of the assets of
the Trust and may authorize such custodians to employ subcustodians and to
deposit all or any part of such assets in a system or systems for the central
handling of securities, retain a transfer agent or a Shareholder servicing
agent, or both, provide for the distribution of Shares by the Trust, through one
or more principal underwriters or otherwise, set record dates for the
determination of Shareholders with respect to various matters, and in general
delegate such authority as they consider desirable to any officer of the Trust,
to any committee of the Trustees and to any agent or employee of the Trust or to
any such custodian or underwriter.
Without limiting the foregoing, the Trustees shall have power and authority:
(a) To invest and reinvest cash, and to hold cash uninvested;
(b) To sell, exchange, lend, pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, write
options on and lease any or all of the assets of the Trust;
(c) To act as a distributor of shares and as underwriter of, or
broker or dealer in, securities or other property;
(d) To vote or give assent, or exercise any rights of ownership,
with respect to stock or other securities or property; and to execute
and deliver proxies or powers of attorney to such person or persons as
the Trustees shall deem proper, granting to such person or persons
such power and discretion with relation to securities or property as
the Trustees shall deem proper;
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(e) To exercise powers and rights of subscription or otherwise
which in any manner arise out of ownership of securities;
(f) To hold any security or property in a form not indicating any
trust, whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form, or in
the name of the Trustees or of the Trust or in the name of a
custodian, subcustodian or other depository or a nominee or nominees
or otherwise;
(g) To allocate assets, liabilities and expenses of the Trust to
a particular series or class of Shares or to apportion the same among
two or more series or class, provided that any liabilities or expenses
incurred by a particular series of Shares shall be payable solely out
of the assets of that series or class.
(h) To consent to or participate in any plan for the
reorganization, consolidation or merger of any corporation or issuer,
any security of which is or was held in the Trust; to consent to any
contract, lease, mortgage, purchase or sale of property by such
corporation or issuer, and to pay calls or subscriptions with respect
to any security held in the Trust;
(i) To join with other security holders in acting through a
committee depositary, voting trustee or otherwise, and in that
connection to deposit any security with, or transfer any security to,
any such committee, depositary or trustee, and to delegate to them
such power and authority with relation to any security (whether or not
so deposited or transferred) as the Trustees shall deem proper, and to
agree to pay, and to pay, such portion of the expenses and
compensation of such committee, depositary or trustee as the Trustees
shall deem proper;
(j) To compromise, arbitrate or otherwise adjust claims in favor
of or against the Trust or any matter in controversy, including but
not limited to claims for taxes; (k) To enter into joint ventures,
general or limited partnerships and any other combinations or
associations;
(l) To borrow funds;
(m) To endorse or guarantee the payment of any notes or other
obligations of any person; to make contracts of guaranty or
suretyship, or otherwise assume liability for payment thereof; and to
mortgage and pledge the Trust property or any part thereof to secure
any of or all such obligations;
(n) To purchase and pay for entirely out of Trust property such
insurance as they may deem necessary or appropriate for the conduct of
the business, including without limitation, insurance policies
insuring the assets of the Trust and payment of distributions and
principal on its portfolio investments, and insurance policies
insuring the Shareholders, Trustees, officers, employees, agents,
investment advisers or managers,
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principal underwriters, or independent contractors of the Trust
individually against all claims and liabilities of every nature
arising by reason of holding, being or having held any such office or
position, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or
omitted by any such person as Shareholder, Trustee, officer, employee,
agent, investment adviser or manager, principal underwriter, or
independent contractor, including any action taken or omitted that may
be determined to constitute negligence, whether or not the Trust would
have the power to indemnify such person against such liability;
(o) To pay pensions for faithful service, as deemed appropriate
by the Trustees, and to adopt, establish and carry out pension,
profit-sharing, share bonus, share purchase, savings, thrift and other
retirement, incentive and benefit plans, trusts and provisions,
including the purchasing of life insurance and annuity contracts as a
means of providing such retirement and other benefits, for any or all
of the Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust; and
(p) To engage in any other lawful act or activity in which
corporations organized under the Massachusetts Business Corporation
Law may engage. The Trustees shall not in any way be bound or limited
by any present or future law or custom in regard to investments by
trustees.
Except as otherwise provided herein or from time to time in the Bylaws,
any action to be taken by the Trustees may be taken by a majority of the
Trustees present at a meeting of Trustees (a quorum being present), within or
without Massachusetts, including any meeting held by means of a conference
telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time and
participation by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting, or
by written consents of a majority of the Trustees then in office.
Payment of Expenses by Trust
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Section 4. The Trustees are authorized to pay or to cause to be paid
out of the principal or income of the Trust, or partly out of principal and
partly out of income, as they deem fair, all expenses, fees, charges, taxes and
liabilities incurred or arising in connection with the Trust, in connection with
the management thereof, or in connection with the financing of the sale of
Shares, including, but not limited to, the Trustees' compensation and such
expenses and charges for the services of the Trust's officers, employees, any
investment adviser, sub-adviser, principal underwriter, auditor, counsel,
custodian, sub-custodian, transfer agent, administrator, sub-administrator,
distributor, shareholder servicing agent, and such other agents or independent
contractors and such other expenses and charges as the Trustees may deem
necessary or proper to incur, provided, however, that all expenses, fees,
charges, taxes and liabilities incurred or arising in connection with a
particular series or class of Shares as determined by the Trustees, shall be
payable solely out of the assets of that series or class.
Ownership of Assets of the Trust
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Section 5. Title to all of the assets of each series or class of Shares
and of the Trust shall at all times be considered as vested in the Trustees.
Advisory, Management and Distribution
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Section 6. The Trustees may, at any time and from time to time,
contract for exclusive or nonexclusive advisory and/or management services with
any corporation, trust, association or other organization (the "Manager"), every
such contract to comply with such requirements and restrictions as may be set
forth in the Bylaws; and any such contract may provide for one or more
Sub-advisers who shall perform all or part of the obligations of the Manager
under such Contract and may contain such other terms interpretive of or in
addition to said requirements and restrictions as the Trustees may determine,
including, without limitation, authority to determine from time to time what
investments shall be purchased, held, sold or exchanged and what portion, if
any, of the assets of the Trust shall be held uninvested and to make changes in
the Trust's investments. The Trustees may also, at any time and from time to
time, contract with the Manager or any other corporation, trust, association or
other organization, appointing it exclusive or nonexclusive distributor or
principal underwriter for the Shares, every such contract to comply with such
requirements and restrictions as may be set forth in the Bylaws; and any such
contract may contain such other terms interpretive of or in addition to said
requirements and restrictions as the Trustees may determine.
The fact that
(i) any of the Shareholders, Trustees or officers of the Trust is
a shareholder, director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, manager,
adviser, principal underwriter or distributor or agent of or for any
corporation, trust, association, or other organization, or of or for
any parent or affiliate of any organization, with which an advisory or
management contract, or principal underwriter's or distributor's
contract, or transfer, shareholder servicing or other agency contract
may have been or may hereafter be made, or that any such organization,
or any parent or affiliate thereof, is a Shareholder or has an
interest in the Trust, or that
(ii) any corporation, trust, association or other organization
with which an advisory or management contract or principal
underwriter's or distributor's contract, or transfer, shareholder
servicing or other agency contract may have been or may hereafter be
made also has an advisory or management contract, or principal
underwriter's or distributor's contract, or transfer, Shareholder
servicing or other agency contract with one or more other
corporations, trusts, associations, or other organizations, or has
other business or interests shall not affect the validity of any such
contract or disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee or officer of the
Trust from voting upon or executing the same or create any liability
or accountability to the Trust or its Shareholders.
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ARTICLE V
Shareholders' Voting Powers and Meetings
Shareholders shall have such power to vote as is provided for in, and
may hold meetings and take actions pursuant to the provisions of the Bylaws.
ARTICLE VI
Distributions, Redemptions and Repurchases
Distributions
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Section 1. The Trustees may each year, or more frequently if they so
determine, distribute to the Shareholders of each series such income and capital
gains, accrued or realized, as the Trustees may determine, after providing for
actual and accrued expenses and liabilities (including such reserves as the
Trustees may establish) determined in accordance with good accounting practices.
The trustees shall have full discretion to determine which items shall be
treated as income and which items as capital and their determination shall be
binding upon the Shareholders. Distributions of each year's income of each
series or class shall be distributed pro rata to Shareholders in proportion to
the number of Shares of each series or class held by each of them. Such
distributions shall be made in case or Shares or a combination thereof as
determined by the Trustees. Any such distribution paid in Shares will be paid at
the net asset value thereof as determined in accordance with the Bylaws.
Redemptions and Repurchases
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Section 2. The Trust shall purchase such Shares as are offered by any
Shareholder for redemption, upon the presentation of any certificate for the
Shares to be purchased, a proper instrument of transfer and a request directed
to the Trust or a person designated by the Trust that the Trust purchase such
Shares, or in accordance with such other procedures for redemption as the
Trustees may from time to time authorize; and the Trust will pay therefor the
net asset value thereof, as next determined in accordance with the Bylaws, less
such redemption charge or fee as the Trustees may determine from time to time.
Payment for said Shares shall be made by the Trust to the Shareholder within
seven days after the date on which the request is made. The obligation set forth
in this Section 2 is subject to the provision that in the event that any time
the New York Stock Exchange is closed for other than customary weekends or
holidays, or, if permitted by rules of the Commission, during periods when
trading on the Exchange is restricted or during any emergency which makes it
impractical for the Trust to dispose of its investments or to determine fairly
the value of its net assets, or during any other period permitted by order of
the Commission for the protection of investors, such obligation may be suspended
or postponed by the Trustees. The Trust may also purchase or repurchase Shares
at a price not exceeding the net asset value of such Shares in effect when the
purchase or repurchase or any contract to purchase or repurchase is made. The
Trust may refuse to honor a request by a Shareholder for redemption
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of his Shares for a specified time after such Shareholder's purchase of such
Shares, such specified time, if any, to be set forth in the Bylaws.
Redemptions at the Option of the Trust
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Section 3. The Trust shall have the right at its option and at any time
to redeem Shares of any Shareholder at the net asset value thereof as determined
in accordance with the Bylaws: (i) if at such time such Shareholder owns fewer
Shares than, or Shares having an aggregate net asset value of less than, an
amount determined from time to time by the Trustees; or (ii) to the extend that
such Shareholder owns Shares of a particular series or class or Shares equal to
or in excess of a percentage of the outstanding Shares of that series or class
determine from time to time by the Trustees; or (iii) to the extent that such
Shareholder owns Shares of the Trust representing a percentage equal to or in
excess of such percentage of the aggregate number of outstanding Shares of the
Trust or the aggregate net asset value of the Trust determined from time to time
by the Trustees.
Dividends, Distributions, Redemptions and Repurchases
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Section 4. No dividend or distribution (including, without limitation,
any distribution paid upon termination of the Trust or of any series or class)
with respect to, nor any redemption or repurchase of, the Shares of any series
or class shall be effected by the Trust other than from the assets of such
series or class.
ARTICLE VII
Compensation and Limitation of Liability of Trustees
Compensation
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Section 1. The Trustees as such shall be entitled to reasonable
compensation from the Trust; they may fix the amount of their compensation.
Nothing herein shall in any way prevent the employment of any Trustee for
advisory, management, legal, accounting, investment banking, underwriting,
brokerage, or investment dealer or other services and payment for the same by
the Trust.
Limitation of Liability
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Section 2. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event
for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, manager or
principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the
act or omission of any other Trustee, but nothing herein contained shall protect
any Trustee against any liability to which he or she would otherwise be subject
by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
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Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and
every other act or thing whatsoever executed or done by or on behalf of the
Trust or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be
conclusively deemed to have been executed or done only in or with respect to
their or his or her capacity as Trustees or Trustee, and such Trustees or
Trustee shall not be personally liable thereon.
ARTICLE VIII
Indemnification
Trustees, Officers, etc.
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Section 1. The Trust shall indemnify each of its Trustees and officers
(including persons who serve at the Trust's request as directors, officers or
trustees of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a
shareholder, creditor or otherwise) (hereinafter referred to as a "Covered
Person") against all liabilities and expenses, including but not limited to
amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines and
penalties, and counsel fees reasonably incurred by any Covered Person in
connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other
proceeding, whether civil or criminal, before any court or administrative or
legislative body, in which such Covered Person may be or may have been involved
as a party or otherwise or with which such Covered Person may be or may have
been threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of being or having
been such a Covered Person except with respect to any matter as to which such
Covered Person shall have been finally adjudicated in any such action, suit or
other proceeding to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of
wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the
duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's office. Expenses,
including counsel fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but excluding
amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or
penalties), shall be paid from time to time by the Trust in advance of the final
disposition of any such action, suit or proceeding upon receipt of an
undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person to repay amounts so paid to
the Trust if it is ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses
is not authorized under this Article, provided, however, that either (a) such
Covered Person shall have provided appropriate security for such undertaking,
(b) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising from any such advance
payments or (c) either a majority of the disinterested Trustees acting on the
matter (provided that a majority of the disinterested Trustees then in office
act on the matter), or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall
have determined, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a
full trial type inquiry) that there is reason to believe that such Covered
Person will be found entitled to indemnification under this Article.
Compromise Payment
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Section 2. As to any matter disposed of (whether by a compromise
payment, pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise) without an adjudication by a
court, or by any other body before which the proceeding was brought, that such
Covered Person either (a) did not act in good faith in the reasonable belief
that his action was in the best interests of the Trust or (b) is liable to the
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Trust or its Shareholders by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or
her office, indemnification shall be provided if (a) approved as in the best
interests of the Trust, after notice that it involved such indemnification, by
at least a majority of the disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided
that a majority of the disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter)
upon a determination, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed
to a full trial type inquiry) that such Covered Person acted in good faith in
the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interests of the Trust and
is not liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reasons of wilful misfeasance,
bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the
conduct of his or her office, or (b) there has been obtained an opinion in
writing of independent legal counsel, based upon a review of readily available
facts (as opposed to a full trial type inquiry) to the effect that such Covered
Person appears to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his
action was in the best interests of the Trust and that such indemnification
would not protect such Person against any liability to the Trust to which he
would otherwise be subject by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his
office. Any approval pursuant to this Section shall not prevent the recovery
from any Covered Person of any amount paid to such Covered Person in accordance
with this Section as indemnification if such Covered Person is subsequently
adjudicated by a court of competent jurisdiction not to have acted in good faith
in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action was in the best
interests of the Trust or to have been liable to the Trust or its Shareholders
by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's office.
Indemnification Not Exclusive
-----------------------------
Section 3. The right of indemnification hereby provided shall not be
exclusive of or affect any other rights to which such Covered Person may be
entitled. As used in this Article VIII, the term "Covered Person" shall include
such person's heirs, executors and administrators and a "disinterested Trustee"
is a Trustee who is not an "interested person" of the Trust as defined in
Section 2 (a)(19) of 1940 Act (or who has been exempted from being an
"interested person" by any rule, regulation or order of the Commission) and
against whom one of such actions, suits or other proceedings or another action,
suit or other proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then or has been
pending. Nothing contained in this Article shall affect any rights to
indemnification to which personnel of the Trust, other than Trustees or
officers, and other persons may be entitled by contract or otherwise under law,
nor the power of the Trust to purchase and maintain liability insurance on
behalf of any such person; provided, however, that the Trust shall not purchase
or maintain any such liability insurance in contravention of applicable law,
including without limitation the 1940 Act.
Shareholders
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Section 4. In case any Shareholder or former Shareholder shall be held
to be personally liable solely by reason of his or her being or having been a
Shareholder and not because of his or
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her acts or omissions or for some other reason, the Shareholder or former
Shareholder (or his or her heirs, executors, administrators or other legal
representatives or in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate
or other general successor) shall be entitled to be held harmless from and
indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability, but only
out of the assets of the particular series of Shares of which he or she is or
was a Shareholder.
ARTICLE IX
Miscellaneous
Trustees, Shareholders, etc. Not Personally Liable; Notice
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Section 1. All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having
any claim against the Trust or a particular series of Shares shall look only to
the assets of the Trust or the assets of that particular series of Shares for
payment under such credit, contract or claim; and neither the Shareholders nor
the Trustees, nor any of the Trust's officers, employees or agents, whether
past, present or future, shall be personally liable therefor. Nothing in this
Declaration of Trust shall protect any Trustee against any liability to which
such Trustee would otherwise be subject by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad
faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the
conduct of the office of Trustee.
Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made
or issued by the Trustees or by any officer or officers shall give notice that
this Declaration of Trust is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and shall recite that the same was executed or made by or on
behalf of the Trust or by them as Trustee or Trustees or as officers or officer
and not individually and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding
upon any of them or the Shareholders individually but are binding only upon the
assets and property of the Trust, and may contain such further recital as he or
she or they may deem appropriate, but the omission thereof shall not operate to
bind any Trustee or Trustees or officer or officers or Shareholder or
Shareholders individually.
Trustee's Good Faith Action, Expert Advice, No Bond or Surety
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Section 2. The exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretions
hereunder shall be binding upon everyone interested. A Trustee shall be liable
for his or her own wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless
disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and
for nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of
fact or law. The Trustees may take advice of counsel or other experts with
respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust, and shall be
under no liability for any act or omission in accordance with such advice or for
failing to follow such advice. The Trustees shall not be required to give any
bond as such, nor any surety if a bond is required.
Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees
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Section 3. No person dealing with the Trustees shall be bound to make
any inquiry concerning the validity of any transaction made or to be made by the
Trustees or to see to the application of any payments made or property
transferred to the Trust or upon its order.
Duration and Termination of Trust
---------------------------------
Section 4. Unless terminated as provided herein, the Trust shall
continue without limitation of time. The Trust may be terminated at any time by
the vote of Shareholders holding at least a majority of the Shares of each
series entitled to vote or by the Trustees by written notice to the
Shareholders. Any series or class of Shares may be terminated at any time by
vote of Shareholders holding at least a majority of the Shares of such series
entitled to vote or by the Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders of
such series or class.
Upon termination of the Trust or of any one or more series of Shares,
after paying or otherwise providing for all charges, taxes, expenses and
liabilities, whether due or accrued or anticipated, of the Trust or of the
particular series as may be determined by the Trustees, the Trust shall, in
accordance with such procedures as the Trustees consider appropriate, reduce the
remaining assets to distributable form in cash or shares or other securities, or
any combination thereof, and distribute the proceeds to the Shareholders of the
series involved, ratably according to the number of Shares of such series held
by the several Shareholders of such series on the date of termination.
Filing of Copies, References, Headings
--------------------------------------
Section 5. The original or a copy of this instrument and of each
amendment hereto shall be kept at the office of the Trust where it may be
inspected by any Shareholder. A copy
of this instrument and of each amendment hereto shall be filed by the Trust with
the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and with the Boston City
Clerk, as well as any other governmental office where such filing may from time
to time be required. Anyone dealing with the Trust may rely on a certificate by
an officer of the Trust as to whether or not any such amendments have been made
and as to any matters in connection with the Trust hereunder, and, with the same
effect as if it were the original, may rely on a copy certified by an officer of
the Trust to be a copy of this instrument or of any such amendments. In this
instrument and in any such amendment, references to this instrument, and all
expressions like "herein", "hereof" and "hereunder" shall be deemed to refer to
this instrument as amended or affected by any such amendments. Headings are
placed herein for convenience of reference only and shall not be taken as a part
hereof or control or affect the meaning, construction or effect of this
instrument. This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts each
of which shall be deemed an original.
Applicable Law
--------------
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Section 6. This Declaration of Trust is made in The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, and it is created under and is to be governed by and construed
and administered according to the laws of said Commonwealth. The Trust shall be
of the type commonly called a Massachusetts business trust, and without limiting
the provisions hereof, the Trust may exercise all powers which are ordinarily
exercised by such a trust.
Amendments
----------
Section 7. This Declaration of Trust may be amended at any time by an
instrument in writing signed by a majority of the then Trustees when authorized
to do so by vote of Shareholders holding a majority of the Shares of each series
entitled to vote, except that an amendment which shall affect the holders of one
or more series or class of Shares but not the holders of all outstanding series
or class shall be authorized by vote of the Shareholders holding a majority of
the Shares entitled to vote of each series or class affected and no vote of
Shareholders of a series or class not affected shall be required. Amendments
having the purpose of changing the name of the Trust, of establishing, changing,
or eliminating the par value of the shares or of supplying any omission, curing
any ambiguity or curing, correcting or supplementing any defective or
inconsistent provision contained herein shall not require authorization by
Shareholder vote.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the Undersigned has set forth his hand for
himself and his assigns, as of this 17th day of May, 1999.
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
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▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Chairman
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
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▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Trustee
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Trustee
/s/ W. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
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W. ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
Trustee
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
-----------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Trustee
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