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Exhibit (c)(ii)
(PORTIONS OF AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
RELATING TO SHAREHOLDERS' RIGHTS)
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ SERIES TRUST
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
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ARTICLE I
Name and Definitions
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(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 or
class of Shares shall be divided from time to time;
(d) "Shareholder" means a record owner of Shares;
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(i) The term "series" or "series of Shares" refers to the one or more
separate investment portfolios 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 term "class" or "class of Shares" refers to the division of Shares
representing any series into two or more classes as provided in Article III,
Section 1 hereof.
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ARTICLE III
Shares
DIVISION OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST
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
shall be preferred over all other series in respect of the assets allocated to
that series within the meaning of the 1940 Act and shall represent a separate
investment portfolio of the Trust. The beneficial interest in each series shall
at all times be divided into Shares, without par value, each of which shall,
except as provided in the following sentence, represent an equal proportionate
interest in the series with each other Share of the same series, none having
priority or preference over another. The Trustees may, without Shareholder
approval, divide the Shares of any series into two or more classes, Shares of
each such class having such preferences and special or relative rights and
privileges (including conversion rights, if any) as the Trustees may determine
and as shall be set forth in the Bylaws. The number of Shares authorized shall
be unlimited. The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of
any series or class into a greater or lesser number without thereby changing the
proportionate beneficial interest in the series or class.
OWNERSHIP OF SHARES
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 and class and as to the number of Shares of each
series and class held from time to time by each Shareholder.
INVESTMENT IN THE TRUST
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 or the
Bylaws from time to time authorize.
All consideration received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares
of each series, 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
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may be, shall irrevocably belong to the series 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.
NO PREEMPTIVE RIGHTS
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
Section 5. Shares shall be deemed to be personal property giving only
the rights provided in this Declaration of Trust or the Bylaws. Every
Shareholder by virtue of having become a Shareholder shall be held to have
expressly assented and agreed to the terms of this Declaration of Trust and the
Bylaws and to have become a party thereto. 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.
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ARTICLE IV
The Trustees
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POWERS
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
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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 fill
vacancies in or add to their number, and may elect and remove 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.
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ARTICLE V
Shareholders' Voting Powers and Meetings
VOTING POWERS
Section 1. Subject to the voting powers of one or more classes of
Shares as set forth elsewhere in this Declaration of Trust or in the Bylaws, the
Shareholders shall have power to vote only (i) for the election of Trustees as
provided in Article IV, Section 1, (ii) for the removal of Trustees as provided
in Article IV, Section 1, (iii) with respect to any Manager as provided in
Article IV, Section 6, (iv) with respect to any termination of this Trust to the
extent and as provided in Article IX, Section 4, (v) with respect to any
amendment of this Declaration of Trust to the extent and as provided in Article
IX, Section 7, (vi) to the same extent as the stockholders of a Massachusetts
business corporation as to whether or not a court action, proceeding or claim
should or should not be brought or maintained derivatively or as a class action
on behalf of the Trust or the Shareholders, and (vii) with respect to such
additional matters relating to the Trust as may be required by this Declaration
of Trust, the Bylaws or any registration of the Trust with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (or any successor agency) or any state, or as the Trustees
may consider necessary or desirable. Each whole Share shall be entitled to one
vote as to any matter on which it is entitled to vote and each fractional Share
shall be entitled to a proportionate fractional vote on any matter submitted to
a vote of Shareholders, all Shares of the Trust then entitled to vote shall,
except as otherwise
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provided in the Bylaws, be voted in the aggregate as a single class without
regard to series or classes of shares, except (1) when required by the 1940 Act
or when the Trustees shall have determined that the matter affects one or more
series or classes of Shares materially differently, Shares shall be voted by
individual series or class; and (2) when the Trustees have determined that the
matter affects only the interests of one or more series or classes, then only
Shareholders of such series or classes shall be entitled to vote thereon. There
shall be no cumulative voting in the election of Trustees. Shares may be voted
in person or by proxy. A proxy with respect to Shares held in the name of two or
more persons shall be valid if executed by any one of them unless at or prior to
exercise of the proxy the Trust receives a specific written notice to the
contrary from any one of them. A proxy purporting to be executed by or on behalf
of a Shareholder shall be deemed valid unless challenged at or prior to its
exercise and the burden of proving invalidity shall rest on the challenger.
Until Shares of any series or class are issued, the Trustees may exercise all
rights of Shareholders and may take any action required by law, this Declaration
of Trust or the Bylaws to be taken by Shareholders as to such series or class.
VOTING POWER AND MEETINGS
Section 2. Meetings of Shareholders of any or all series or classes may
be called by the Trustees from time to time for the purpose of taking action
upon any matter requiring the vote or authority of the Shareholders of such
series or classes as herein provided or upon any other matter deemed by the
Trustees to be necessary or desirable. Written notice of any meeting of
Shareholders shall be given or caused to be given by the Trustees by mailing
such notice at least seven days before such meeting, postage prepaid, stating
the time, place and purpose of the meeting, to each Shareholder entitled to vote
at such meeting at the Shareholder's address as it appears on the records of the
Trust. If the Trustees shall fail to call or give notice of any meeting of
Shareholders for a period of 30 days after written application by Shareholders
holding at least 10% of the then outstanding shares of all series and classes
entitled to vote at such meeting requesting a meeting to be called for a purpose
requiring action by the Shareholders as provided herein or in the Bylaws, then
Shareholders holding at least 10% of the then outstanding Shares of all series
and classes entitled to vote at such meeting may call and give notice of such
meeting, and thereupon the meeting shall be held in the manner provided for
herein in case of call thereof by the Trustees. Notice of a meeting need not be
given to any Shareholder 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
Shareholder who attends the meeting without protesting prior thereto or at its
commencement the lack of notice to him or her.
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QUORUM AND REQUIRED VOTE
Section 3. Thirty percent of Shares entitled to vote on a particular
matter shall be a quorum for the transaction of business on that matter at a
Shareholders' meeting, except that where any provision of law or of this
Declaration of Trust or the Bylaws requires that holders of any series or class
shall vote as an individual series or class, then thirty percent of the
aggregate number of Shares of that series or class entitled to vote shall be
necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by that series
or class. Any lesser number shall be sufficient for adjournments. Any adjourned
session or sessions may be held, within a reasonable time after the date set for
the original meeting, without the necessity of further notice. Except when a
larger vote is required by any provision of law or of this Declaration of Trust
or the Bylaws, a majority of the Shares voted shall decide any questions and a
plurality shall elect a Trustee, provided that where any provision of law or of
this Declaration of Trust or the Bylaws requires that the holders of any series
or class shall vote as an individual series or class then a majority of the
Shares of that series or class voted on the matter (or a plurality with respect
to the election of a Trustee) shall decide that matter insofar as that series or
class is concerned.
ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT
Section 4. Any action taken by Shareholders may be taken without a
meeting if a majority of Shareholders entitled to vote on the matter (or such
larger proportion thereof as shall be required by any express provision of this
Declaration of Trust or the Bylaws) consent to the action in writing and such
written consents are filed with the records of the meetings of Shareholders.
Such consent shall be treated for all purposes as a vote taken at a meeting of
Shareholders.
ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS
Section 5. The Bylaws may include further provisions, not inconsistent
with this Declaration of Trust, regarding Shareholders' voting powers, the
conduct of meetings and related matters.
ARTICLE VI
Distributions, Redemptions and Repurchases
DISTRIBUTIONS
Section 1. The Trustees may each year, or more frequently if they so
determine, distribute to the Shareholders of each series out of the assets of
such series such amounts as the Trustees may determine. Any such distribution to
the Shareholders of a particular
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series shall be made to said Shareholders pro rata in proportion to the number
of Shares of such series held by each of them, except to the extent otherwise
required or permitted by the preferences and special or relative rights and
privileges of any classes of Shares of that Series, and any distribution to the
Shareholders of a particular class of Shares shall be made to such Shareholders
pro rata in proportion to the number of Shares of such class held by each of
them. Such distributions shall be made in cash, Shares or other property, 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
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
any redemption charge fixed by the Trustees. 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 Securities and Exchange 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 Securities and
Exchange 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.
REDEMPTION AT THE OPTION OF THE TRUST
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 extent that
such Shareholder owns Shares of a particular series of Shares equal to or in
excess of a percentage of the outstanding Shares of that series determined from
time to time by the Trustees; or (iii) to the extent that such
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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.
ARTICLE VIII
Indemnification
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SHAREHOLDERS
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 her acts or omissions or for some other
reason, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or his or her heirs, executors,
administrators or other legal representative 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
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 willful 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 State 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
officer or officers and not individually and that the obligations of such
instrument are not binding upon any of them or the Shareholders
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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.
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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
vote of Shareholders holding at least two-thirds of the Shares of each series
entitled to vote or by the Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders. Any
series of Shares may be terminated at any time by vote of Shareholders holding
at least two-thirds of the Shares of such series entitled to vote or by the
Trustees by written notice to the Shareholders of such series. 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 property, 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, except to the extent
otherwise required or permitted by the preferences and special or relative
rights and privileges of any classes of Shares of that series, provided that any
distribution to the Shareholders of a particular class of Shares shall be made
to such Shareholders pro rata in proportion to the number of Shares of such
class held by each of them.
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AMENDMENTS
Section 9. 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 entitled to
vote, except that an amendment which in the determination of the Trustees shall
affect the holders of one or more series or classes of Shares but not the
holders of all outstanding series and classes shall be authorized by vote of the
Shareholders holding a majority of the Shares entitled to vote of each series
and 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 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 Shareholders' vote.
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