BY-LAWS
OF
▇▇▇▇▇▇ FUNDS
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
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Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as from time to time in effect (the
"Declaration of Trust"), of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Funds, 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
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located in Boston, Massachusetts.
SECTION 2. SHAREHOLDERS
2.1 Annual Meeting. The Trust will not hold annual meetings of the
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shareholders.
2.2 Special Meetings. A special meeting of the Shareholders of the Trust or of
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any series or class may be called at any time by the Trustees, by the
President or such other person or persons as may be specified in these By-
Laws, and held from time to time for the purpose of taking action upon any
matter requiring the vote or the authority of the Shareholders of the Trust
or any series or class as herein provided or upon any other matter deemed
by the Trustees to be necessary or desirable. Each call of a meeting shall
state the place, date, hour and purposes of the meeting. If the Trustees
shall fail to call or give notice of any meeting of Shareholders for a
period of thirty days after written application by Shareholders holding at
least 10% of the Shares then outstanding requesting a meeting to be called
for a purpose requiring action by the Shareholders as provided herein, then
Shareholders holding at least 10% of the Shares then outstanding 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.
2.3 Place of Meetings. All meetings of the shareholders shall be held at such
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place within the United States as shall be designated by the Trustees or
the president of the Trust.
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2.4 Notice of Meetings. A written notice of each meeting of shareholders,
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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 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.
2.5 Voting Power. Each whole Share held entitles the holder of record to one
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vote for each dollar (carried forward to two decimal places) of net asset
value of such Share as of the close of business on the record date for any
meeting of Shareholders (or written consent in lieu thereof) at which such
Share may be voted, and each fractional Share shall be entitled to a
proportionate fractional vote. 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 the
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.
2.6 Quorum and Required Vote. A majority in interest of the Shares entitled to
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vote shall be a quorum for the transaction of business at a Shareholders'
meeting, except that where any provision of law or of the Declaration of
Trust permits or requires that holders of any series or class shall vote as
a series or class, then a majority in interest of the 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,
however, 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 provisions of the Declaration
of Trust or these By-Laws, a majority in interest of the Shares voted on
any matter shall decide such matter and a plurality shall elect a Trustee,
provided that where any provision of law or of this Declaration of Trust
permits or requires that the holders of any series or class shall vote as a
series or class, then a majority in interest of the Shares of that series
or class voted on the matter shall decide that matter insofar as that
series or class is concerned.
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A majority in interest shall mean 50.1% or more of total votes represented
by all Shares entitled to vote and present at the meeting either in person
or by proxy.
2.7 Ballots. No ballot shall be required for any election unless requested by
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a shareholder present or represented at the meeting and entitled to vote in
the election.
2.8 Proxies. Shareholders entitled to vote may vote either in person or by
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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.
2.9 Action by Written Consent. Any action taken by Shareholders may be taken
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without a meeting if a majority of Shareholders entitled to vote on the
matter (or such larger vote as shall be required by any provision of the
Declaration of Trust or these By-Laws) 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.
SECTION 3. TRUSTEES
3.1 Committees and Advisory Board. The Trustees may appoint from their number
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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 annual
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
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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 meeting of the Trustees may be held without call or notice
immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of the
shareholders.
3.3 Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Trustees may be held at any time
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and at any place designated in the call of the meeting, when called by the
Chairman of the Board, the president or the treasurer or by two or more
Trustees, sufficient notice
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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
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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
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office shall constitute a quorum; provided, however, a quorum 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
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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
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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.
4.3 Election. The president, the treasurer and the secretary shall be elected
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annually by the Trustees. Other officers, if any, may be elected or
appointed by the Trustees at any time.
4.4 Tenure. The president, the treasurer and the secretary shall hold office
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for a one year term 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 agent shall retain his or her authority at
the pleasure of the Trustees.
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4.5 President and Vice Presidents. The president shall be the chief executive
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officer of the Trust. The president shall, subject to the control of the
Trustees, have general charge and supervision of the business of the Trust.
Any vice president shall have such duties and powers as shall be designated
from time to time by the Trustees.
4.6 Chairman of the Board. If a Chairman of the Board of Trustees is elected,
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he shall have the duties and powers specified in these By-Laws and, except
as the Trustees shall otherwise determine, preside at all meetings of the
shareholders and of the Trustees at which he or she is present and have
such other duties and powers as may be determined by the Trustees.
4.7 Treasurer and Controller. The treasurer shall be the chief financial
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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 powers prescribed the Trust and
shall have the duties and powers 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 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
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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. RESIGNATION AND REMOVALS
Any Trustee, 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, 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.
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SECTION 6. VACANCIES
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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. PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE CONDUCT OF THE TRUST'S BUSINESS
12.1 Dealings with Affiliates. No officer, Trustee or agent of the Trust and no
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officer, director or agent of any investment adviser shall deal for or on
behalf of the Trust with himself as principal or agent, or with any
partnership, association or corporation in which he has a material
financial interest; provided that the foregoing provisions shall not
prevent (a) officers and Trustees of the Trust from buying, holding or
selling shares in the Trust, or from being partners, officers or directors
of or financially inter ested in any investment adviser to the Trust or in
any corporation, firm or association which may at any time have a
distributor's or principal underwriter's contract with the Trust; (b)
purchases or sales of securities or other property if such transaction is
permitted by or is exempt or exempted from the provisions of the Investment
Company Act of 1940 or any Rule or Regulation thereunder and if such
transaction does not involve any commission or profit to any security
dealer who is, or one or more of whose partners, shareholders, officers or
directors is, an officer or Trustee of the Trust or an officer or director
of the investment adviser, administrator or principal underwriter of the
Trust; (c) employment of legal counsel, registrar, transfer agent,
shareholder services, dividend disbursing agent or custodian who is, or has
a partner, stockholder, officer or director who is, an officer or Trustee
of the Trust; or (d) shar ing statistical, research and management
expenses, including office hire and services, with any other company in
which an officer or Trustee of the Trust is an officer or director or
financially interested.
12.2 Dealing in Securities of the Trust. The Trust, the investment adviser, any
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corporation, firm or association which may at any time have an exclusive
distributor's or principal underwriter's contract with the Trust (the
"distributor") and the officers and Trustees of the Trust and officers and
directors of every investment adviser and distributor, shall not take long
or short positions in the securities of the Trust, except that:
(a) the distributor may place orders with the Trust for its shares
equivalent to orders received by the distributor;
(b) shares of the Trust may be purchased at not less than net asset value
for investment by the investment adviser and by officers and directors
of the distributor, investment adviser, or the Trust and by any trust,
pension, profit-sharing or other benefit plan for such persons, no
such purchase to be in contravention of any applicable state or
federal requirement.
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12.3 Limitation on Certain Loans. The Trust shall not make loans to any
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officer, Trustee or employee of the Trust or any investment adviser or
distributor or their respective officers, directors or partners or
employees.
12.4 Custodian. All securities and cash owned by the Trust shall be maintained
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in the custody of one or more banks or trust companies having (according to
its last published report) not less than two million dollars ($2,000,000)
aggregate capital, surplus and undivided profits (any such bank or trust
company is hereinafter referred to as the "custodian"); provided, however,
the custodian may deliver securities as collateral on borrowings effected
by the Trust, provided, that such delivery shall be conditioned upon
receipt of the borrowed funds by the custodian except where additional
collateral is being pledged on an outstanding loan and the custodian may
deliver securities lent by the Trust against receipt of initial collateral
specified by the Trust. Subject to such rules, regulations and orders, if
any, as the Securities and Exchange Commission may adopt, the Trust may, or
may permit any custodian to, deposit all or any part of the securities
owned by the Trust in a system for the central handling of securities
operated by the Federal Reserve Banks, or established by a national
securities exchange or national securities association registered with said
Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or such other person
as may be permitted by said Commission, pursuant to which system all
securities of any particular class or series of any issue deposited with
the system are treated as fungible and may be transferred or pledged by
bookkeeping entry, without physical delivery of such securities.
The Trust shall upon the resignation or inability to serve of its custodian
or upon change of the custodian:
(a) in the case of such resignation or inability to serve use its best
efforts to obtain a successor custodian;
(b) require that the cash and securities owned by this corporation be
delivered directly to the successor custodian; and
(c) in the event that no successor custodian can be found, submit to the
shareholders, before permitting delivery of the cash and securities
owned by this Trust otherwise than to a successor custodian, the
question whether or not this Trust shall be liquidated or shall
function without a custodian.
12.5 Limitations on Investment. Each series of shares may not invest in
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securities other than those described in the Trust's then current
prospectus as appropriate for the series of shares for which such
securities are being purchased.
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12.6 Determination of Net Asset Value. Determinations of net asset value made
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in good faith shall be binding on all parties concerned.
The term "net asset value" with respect to Shares of any series shall mean
that amount by which the assets of that series exceed its liabilities, all
as determined by or under the direction of the Trustees. Such value shall
be determined on such days and at such times as the Trustees may determine.
Such determination shall be made with respect to securities for which
market quotations are readily available, at the market value of such
securities; and with respect to other securities and assets, at the fair
value as determined in good faith by the Trustees, provided, however, that
the Trustees, without Shareholder approval, may alter the method of
appraising portfolio securities insofar as permitted under the 1940 Act and
interpretations thereof promulgated or issued by the Commission or insofar
as permitted by any order of the Commission. The Trustees may delegate any
powers and duties under this Section 12.6 with respect to appraisal of
assets and liabilities. At any time the Trustees may cause the value per
Share last determined to be determined again in similar manner and may fix
the time when such redetermined value shall become effective.
12.7 Reports to Shareholders; Distributions from Realized Gains. The Trust
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shall send to each shareholder of record at least annually a statement of
the condition of the Trust and of the results of its operation, containing
all information required by applicable laws or regulations.
SECTION 13. 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.
Adopted this 26
day of January 1996.
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