1
EX-99.B.2 By-Laws, as amended to March 19, 1987
2
BY-LAWS
OF
VARIABLE INVESTORS SERIES TRUST
As Amended to March 19, 1987
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 Variable Investors Series Trust, a Massachusetts
business trust established by the Declaration of Trust (the "Trust").
1.2 Principal Office of the Trust. The principal office of the Trust shall be
located in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Section 2. Shareholders
2.1 Shareholder Meetings. A meeting of the shareholders of the Trust or of any
one or more series of shares or classes of shares 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 10% of all outstanding
shares of the Trust, if shareholders of all series are required under the
Declaration of Trust to vote in the aggregate and not by individual series at
such meeting, or of any series or class of shares, if shareholders of such
series or class are entitled under the Declaration of Trust to vote by
individual series or class at such meeting, then such shareholders may call such
meeting. If the meeting is a meeting of the shareholders of one or more series
or classes of shares, but not a meeting of all shareholders of the Trust, then
only the shareholders of such one or more series or classes shall be entitled to
notice of and to vote at the 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
there at 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 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. 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.
3
Section 3. Trustees
3.1 Committees and Advisory Board. The Trustees may appoint from their number an
executive committee and other committees. Except as the Trustees may otherwise
determine, any such committee may make rules for 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 next meeting of the shareholders and until his successor is
elected 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.
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
president or the treasurer 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 forty-eight hours 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 shall not be less
than two, unless there are fewer than two Trustees then in office. 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.
3.6 Number of Independent Directors. For the period until May 2, 1989, no person
shall be elected to serve as a Trustee of the Trust unless immediately following
such election the composition of the Board of Trustees shall comply with
Sections 15(f)(1)(A) and 16(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Notwithstanding any other provision of these By-Laws, this Section 3.6 may not
be amended, modified, or repealed without the approval of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Trust. This Section 3.6 shall be void and
of no effect, without any action by the Trustees or Shareholders of the Trust,
at all times following May 1, 1989.
Section 4. Officers and Agents
4.1 Enumeration; Qualification. The officers of the Trust shall be 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
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 such other duties and powers as the Trustees may from time to time
designate, including without limitation the power to make purchases and sales of
portfolio securities of the Trust pursuant to recommendations of the Trust's
investment adviser in accordance with the policies and objectives of the Trust
set forth in its prospectus and with such general or specific instructions as
the Trustees may from time to time have issued.
4.3 Election. The president, the treasurer and the secretary shall be elected
annually by the Trustees. Other officers, if any, may be elected or appointed by
the Trustees at said meeting or at any other time.
4.4 Tenure. The president, the treasurer and the secretary shall hold office
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 at the pleasure of the Trustees. Each agent
shall retain his or her authority at the pleasure of the Trustees.
4.5 President and Vice Presidents. The president shall be the chief executive
officer of the Trust. The president shall preside at all meetings of the
shareholders and of the Trustees at which he or she is present, except as
otherwise voted by the Trustees. Any vice president shall have such duties and
powers as shall be designated from time to time by the Trustees.
4.6 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
duties and powers as shall be designated from time to time by the Trustees or by
the president. Any assistant treasurer shall have such duties and powers as
shall be designated from time to time by the Trustees.
The Controller shall be the chief accounting officer of the Trust and shall be
in charge of its books of 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.
4.7 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 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, officer or advisory board member may resign at any time by
delivering his or her resignation in writing to the president, the treasurer or
the secretary or to a meeting of the Trustees. The Trustees may remove any
officer elected 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
5
A vacancy in any office may be filled at any time. Each successor 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 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 or an assistant treasurer. Such
signatures may be facsimiles if the certificate is signed by a transfer 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, such certificate 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
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 and Closing Transfer Books
The Trustees may fix in advance a time, which shall not be more than 60 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; or without fixing such record date the
Trustees may for any of such purposes close the transfer books for all or any
part of such period.
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 and the year of its organization, 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.
6
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 all 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 whosoever 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
Except as from time to time otherwise provided by the Trustees, the fiscal year
of the Trust shall end on December 31.
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 a majority.