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EXHIBIT 99.B2
BY-LAWS OF
▇▇▇▇▇▇ U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES FUND
Section 1. Agreement and Declaration of
Trust and Principal Office
1.1 Agreement and Declaration of Trust. These By-Laws shall be
subject to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as from time
to time in effect (the "Declaration of Trust"), of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ U.S.
Government Securities Fund, the Massachusetts business trust
established by the Declaration of Trust (the "Trust").
1.2 Principal Office of the Trust; Resident Agent. The
principal office of the Trust shall be located in Chicago,
Illinois. Its resident agent in Massachusetts shall be CT
Corporation System, ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ or
such other person as the Trustees may from time to time select.
Section 2. Shareholders
2.1 Shareholder Meetings. Meetings of the shareholders may be
called at any time by the Trustees, by the President or, if the
Trustees and the President shall fail to call any meeting of
shareholders for a period of 30 days after written application of
one or more shareholders who hold at least 25% of all shares
issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting (or
10% if the purpose of the meeting is to determine if a Trustee
shall be removed from office), then such shareholders may call
such meeting. Each call of a meeting shall state the place,
date, hour and purposes of the meeting.
2.2 Place of Meetings. All meetings of the shareholders shall
be held at the principal office of the Trust, or, to the extent
permitted by the Declaration of Trust, at such other place within
the United States as shall be designated by the Trustees or the
President of the Trust.
2.3 Notice of Meetings. A written notice of each meeting of
shareholders, stating the place, date and hour and the purposes
of the meeting, shall be given at least seven days before the
meeting to each shareholder entitled to vote thereat by leaving
such notice with him or at his residence or usual place of
business or by mailing it, postage prepaid, and addressed to such
shareholder at his address as it appears in the records of the
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Trust. Such notice shall be given by the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary or by an officer designated by the Trustees.
No notice of any meeting of shareholders need be given to a
shareholder if a written waiver of notice, executed before or
after the meeting by such shareholder or his attorney thereunto
duly authorized, is filed with the records of the meeting.
2.4 Ballots. No ballot shall be required for any election
unless requested by a shareholder present or represented at the
meeting and entitled to vote in the election.
2.5 Proxies and Voting. Shareholders entitled to vote may vote
either in person or by proxy in writing dated not more than six
months before the meeting named therein, which proxies shall be
filed with the Secretary or other person responsible to record
the proceedings of the meeting before being voted. Unless
otherwise specifically limited by their terms, such proxies shall
entitle the holders thereof to vote at any adjournment of such
meeting but shall not be valid after the final adjournment of
such meeting. At all meetings of shareholders, unless the voting
is conducted by inspectors, all questions relating to the
qualification of voters, the validity of proxies and the
acceptance or rejection of votes shall be decided by the chairman
of the meeting.
Section 3. Trustees
3.1 Committees and Advisory Board. The Trustees may appoint
from their number an executive committee and other committees.
Any such committee may be abolished and reconstituted at any time
and from time to time by the Trustees. Except as the Trustees
may otherwise determine, any such committee may make rules for
the conduct of its business. The Trustees may appoint an
advisory board to consist of not less than two nor more than five
members. The members of the advisory board shall be compensated
in such manner as the Trustees may determine and shall confer
with and advise the Trustees regarding the investments and other
affairs of the Trust. Each member of the advisory board shall
hold office until the first meeting of the Trustees following the
meeting of the shareholders, if any, next following his
appointment and until his successor is appointed and qualified,
or until he sooner dies, resigns, is removed, or becomes
disqualified, or until the advisory board is sooner abolished by
the Trustees.
3.2 Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Trustees may be
held without call or notice at such places and at such times as
the Trustees may from time to time determine, provided that
notice of the first regular meeting following any such
determination shall be given to absent Trustees. A regular
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meeting of the Trustees may be held without call or notice
immediately after and at the same place as any meeting of the
shareholders.
3.3 Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Trustees may be
held at any time and at any place designated in the call of the
meeting, when called by the Chairman of the Board or by two or
more Trustees, sufficient notice thereof being given to each
Trustee by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or by the
officer or one of the Trustees calling the meeting.
3.4 Notice. It shall be sufficient notice to a Trustee to send
notice by mail at least three days or by telegram at least
twenty-four hours before the meeting addressed to the Trustee at
his or her usual or last known business or residence address or
to give notice to him or her in person or by telephone at least
twenty-four hours before the meeting. Notice of a meeting need
not be given to any Trustee if a written waiver of notice,
executed by him or her before or after the meeting, is filed with
the records of the meeting, or to any Trustee who attends the
meeting without protesting prior thereto or at its commencement
the lack of notice to him or her. Neither notice of a meeting
nor a waiver of a notice need specify the purposes of the
meeting.
3.5 Quorum. At any meeting of the Trustees, one-third of the
Trustees then in office shall constitute a quorum; provided,
however, a quorum (unless the Board of Trustees consists of two
or fewer persons) shall not be less than two. Any meeting may be
adjourned from time to time by a majority of the votes cast upon
the question, whether or not a quorum is present, and the meeting
may be held as adjourned without further notice.
Section 4. Officers and Agents
4.1 Enumeration; Qualification. The officers of the Trust shall
be a President, a Treasurer, a Secretary and such other officers,
if any, as the Trustees from time to time may in their discretion
elect or appoint. The Trust may also have such agents, if any,
as the Trustees from time to time may in their discretion
appoint. Any officer may be but none need be a Trustee or
shareholder. Any two or more offices may be held by the same
person.
4.2 Powers. Subject to the other provisions of these By-Laws,
each officer shall have, in addition to the duties and powers
herein and in the Declaration of Trust set forth, such duties and
powers as are commonly incident to his or her office as if the
Trust were organized as a Massachusetts business corporation and
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such other duties and powers as the Trustees may from time to
time designate.
4.3 Election. The President, the Treasurer and the Secretary
shall be elected annually by the Trustees at their first meeting
in each calendar year or at such later meeting in such year as
the Trustees shall determine. Other officers or agents, if any,
may be elected or appointed by the Trustees at said meeting or at
any other time.
4.4 Tenure. The President, Treasurer and Secretary shall hold
office until the first meeting of Trustees in each calendar year
and until their respective successors are chosen and qualified,
or in each case until he or she sooner dies, resigns, is removed
or becomes disqualified. Each other officer shall hold office
and each agent shall retain his or her authority at the pleasure
of the Trustees.
4.5 Chairman of the Board. The Chairman of the Board of
Trustees, if one is so appointed, shall be chosen from among the
Trustees and may hold office only so long as he continues to be a
Trustee. The Chairman of the Board, if any is so appointed,
shall preside at all meetings of the shareholders and of the
Trustees at which he is present; and shall have such other duties
and powers as specified herein and as may be assigned to him by
the Trustee.
4.6 President and Vice Presidents. The President shall be the
chief executive officer of the Trust. The President shall,
subject to the control of the Trustees, have general charge and
supervision of the Trust and shall perform such other duties and
have such other powers as the Trustees shall prescribe from time
to time. Any Vice President shall at the request or in the
absence or disability of the President exercise the powers of the
President and perform such other duties and have such other
powers as shall be designated from time to time by the Trustees.
4.7 Treasurer and Controller. The Treasurer shall be the chief
financial officer of the Trust and, subject to any arrangement
made by the Trustees with a bank or trust company or other
organization as custodian or transfer or shareholder services
agent, shall be in charge of its valuable papers and shall have
such other duties and powers as may be designated from time to
time by the Trustees or by the President. If at any time there
shall be no Controller, the Treasurer shall also be the chief
accounting officer of the Trust and shall have the duties and
power prescribed herein for the Controller. Any Assistant
Treasurer shall have such duties and powers as shall be
designated from time to time by the Trustees.
The Controller, if any be elected, shall be the chief accounting
officer of the Trust and shall be in charge of its books of
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account and accounting records. The Controller shall be
responsible for preparation of financial statements of the Trust
and shall have such other duties and powers as may be designated
from time to time by the Trustees or the President.
4.8 Secretary and Assistant Secretaries. The Secretary shall
record all proceedings of the shareholders and the Trustees in
books to be kept therefor, which books shall be kept at the
principal office of the Trust. In the absence of the Secretary
from any meeting of shareholders or Trustees, an Assistant
Secretary, or if there be none or if he or she is absent, a
temporary clerk chosen at the meeting shall record the
proceedings thereof in the aforesaid books.
Section 5. Resignations and Removals
Any Trustee may resign his trust or retire as a Trustee in
accordance with procedures set forth in the Declaration of Trust.
Any officer or advisory board member may resign at any time by
delivering his or her resignation in writing to the Chairman of
the Board, the President or the Secretary or to a meeting of the
Trustees. The Trustees may remove any officer or advisory board
member elected or appointed by them with or without cause by the
vote of a majority of the Trustees then in office. Except to the
extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust,
no Trustee, officer, or advisory board member resigning, and no
officer or advisory board member removed shall have any right to
any compensation for any period following his or her resignation
or removal, or any right to damages on account of such removal.
Section 6. Vacancies
A vacancy in the office of Trustee shall be filed in accordance
with the Declaration of Trust. Vacancies resulting from the
death, resignation, incapacity or removal of any officer may be
filled by the Trustees. Each successor of any such officer shall
hold office for the unexpired term, and in the case of the
President, the Treasurer and the Secretary, until his or her
successor is chosen and qualified, or in each case until he or
she sooner dies, resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified.
Section 7. Shares of Beneficial Interest
7.1 Share Certificates. No certificates certifying the
ownership of shares shall be issued except as the Trustees may
otherwise authorize. In the event that the Trustees authorize
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the issuance of share certificates, subject to the provisions of
Section 7.3, each shareholder shall be entitled to a certificate
stating the number of shares owned by him or her, in such form as
shall be prescribed from time to time by the Trustees. Such
certificate shall be signed by the President or a Vice President
and by the Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Secretary or Assistant
Secretary. Such signatures may be facsimiles if the certificate
is signed by a transfer or shareholder services agent or by a
registrar, other than a Trustee, officer or employee of the
Trust. In case any officer who has signed or whose facsimile
signature has been placed on such certificate shall have ceased
to be such officer before such certificate is issued, it may be
issued by the Trust with the same effect as if he or she were
such officer at the time of its issue.
In lieu of issuing certificates for shares, the Trustees or the
transfer or shareholder services agent may either issue receipts
therefor or may keep accounts upon the books of the Trust for the
record holders of such shares, who shall in either case be
deemed, for all purposes hereunder, to be the holders of
certificates for such shares as if they had accepted such
certificates and shall be held to have expressly assented and
agreed to the terms hereof.
7.2 Loss of Certificates. In the case of the alleged loss or
destruction or the mutilation of a share certificate, a duplicate
certificate may be issued in place thereof, upon such terms as
the Trustees may prescribe.
7.3 Discontinuance of Issuance of Certificates. The Trustees
may at any time discontinue the issuance of share certificates
and may, by written notice to each shareholder, require the
surrender of share certificates to the Trust for cancellation.
Such surrender and cancellation shall not affect the ownership of
shares in the Trust.
Section 8. Record Date
The Trustees may fix in advance a time, which shall not be more
than 90 days before the date of any meeting of shareholders or
the date for the payment of any dividend or making of any other
distribution to shareholders, as the record date for determining
the shareholders having the right to notice and to vote at such
meeting and any adjournment thereof or the right to receive such
dividend or distribution, and in such case only shareholders of
record on such record date shall have such right, notwithstanding
any transfer of shares on the books of the Trust after the record
date.
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Section 9. Seal
The seal of the Trust shall, subject to alteration by the
Trustees, consist of a flat-faced circular die with the word
"Massachusetts" together with the name of the Trust, cut or
engraved thereon; but, unless otherwise required by the Trustees,
the seal shall not be necessary to be placed on, and its absence
shall not impair the validity of, any document, instrument, or
other paper executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Trust.
Section 10. Execution of Papers
Except as the Trustees may generally or in particular cases
authorize the execution thereof in some other manner, all deeds,
leases, transfers, contracts, bonds, notes, checks, drafts and
other obligations made, accepted or endorsed by the Trust shall
be signed, and any transfers of securities standing in the name
of the Trust shall be executed, by the President or by one of the
Vice Presidents or by the Treasurer or by whomsoever else shall
be designated for that purpose by the vote of the Trustees and
need not bear the seal of the Trust.
Section 11. Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Trust shall end on such date in each year
as the Trustees shall from time to time determine.
Section 12. Amendments
These By-Laws may be amended or repealed, in whole or in part, by
a majority of the Trustees then in office at any meeting of the
Trustees, or by one or more writings signed by such majority.
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