EXHIBIT 1(a)
THE ▇▇▇▇▇ VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND
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AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
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Dated: April 6, 1988
THE ▇▇▇▇▇ VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
Table of Contents
Page
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RECITALS ................................................................ 1
ARTICLE 1 THE TRUST..................................................... 2
Section 1.1 Name......................................................... 2
Section 1.2 Location..................................................... 2
Section 1.3 Nature of Trust.............................................. 2
Section 1.4 Definitions.................................................. 3
Section 1.5 Real Property to be Converted into Personal Property......... 7
ARTICLE 2 PURPOSE OF THE TRUST.......................................... 7
ARTICLE 3 POWERS OF THE TRUSTEES........................................ 7
Section 3.1 Powers in General............................................ 7
(a) Investments.............................................. 9
(b) Disposition of Assets.................................... 9
(c) Ownership Powers......................................... 9
(d) Form of Holding.......................................... 9
(e) Reorganization, etc...................................... 9
(f) Voting Trusts, etc....................................... 10
(g) Contracts, etc........................................... 10
(h) Guarantees, etc.......................................... 10
(i) Partnerships, etc........................................ 10
(j) Insurance................................................ 10
(k) Pensions, etc............................................ 11
(l) Power of Collection and Litigation....................... 11
(m) Issuance and Repurchase of Shares........................ 11
(n) Offices.................................................. 11
(o) Expenses................................................. 11
(p) Agents, etc.............................................. 11
(q) Accounts................................................. 12
(r) Valuation................................................ 12
(s) Indemnification.......................................... 12
(t) General.................................................. 12
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Section 3.2 Borrowings; Financings; Issuance of Securities.............. 12
Section 3.3 Deposits.................................................... 13
Section 3.4 Allocations................................................. 13
Section 3.5 Further Powers; Limitations................................. 13
ARTICLE 4 TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS......................................... 14
Section 4.1 Number, Designation, Election, Term, etc.................... 14
(a) Initial Trustee.......................................... 14
(b) Number................................................... 14
(c) Election and Term........................................ 14
(d) Resignation and Retirement............................... 9
(e) Removal.................................................. 15
(f) Vacancies................................................ 15
(g) Acceptance of Trusts..................................... 15
(h) Effect of Death, Resignation, etc........................ 15
(i) Conveyance............................................... 16
(j) No Accounting............................................ 16
(k) Filings.................................................. 16
Section 4.2 Trustees' Meetings; Participation by Telephone, etc......... 16
Section 4.3 Committees; Delegation...................................... 17
Section 4.4 Officers ................................................... 17
Section 4.5 Compensation of Trustees and Officers....................... 17
Section 4.6 Ownership of Shares and Securities of the Trust............. 18
Section 4.7 Right of Trustees and Officers to Own Property
or to Engage in Business; Authority of Trustees
to Permit Others to Do Likewise........................... 18
Section 4.8 Reliance on Experts......................................... 18
Section 4.9 Surety Bonds................................................ 19
Section 4.10 Apparent Authority of Trustees and Officers................. 19
Section 4.11 Other Relationships Not Prohibited.......................... 19
Section 4.12 Payment of Trust Expenses................................... 20
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Section 4.13 Ownership of the Trust Property............................. 20
ARTICLE 5 DELEGATION OF MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES..................... 21
Section 5.1 Appointment; Action by Less than All Trustees................ 21
Section 5.2 Certain Contracts............................................ 21
(a) Advisory................................................. 21
(b) Administration........................................... 22
(c) Distribution............................................. 22
(d) Custodian................................................ 22
(e) Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agency.................. 23
(f) Shareholder Servicing.................................... 23
(g) Accounting............................................... 23
ARTICLE 6 PORTFOLIOS AND SHARES......................................... 23
Section 6.1 Description of Portfolios and Shares......................... 23
(a) Shares; Portfolios; Series of Shares..................... 23
(b) Establishment, etc. of Portfolios;
Authorization of Shares................................ 24
(c) Character of Separate Portfolios and Shares Thereof...... 24
(d) Consideration for Shares................................. 25
Section 6.2 Establishment and Designation of Certain Portfolios;
General Provisions for All Portfolios...................... 25
(a) Assets Belonging to Portfolios........................... 25
(b) Liabilities of Portfolios................................ 26
(c) Dividends................................................ 26
(d) Liquidation.............................................. 27
(e) Voting................................................... 27
(f) Redemption by Shareholder................................ 27
(g) Redemption at the Option of the Trust.................... 28
(h) Net Asset Value.......................................... 28
(i) Transfer................................................. 29
(j) Equality................................................. 29
(k) Rights of Fractional Shares.............................. 29
(l) Conversion Rights........................................ 29
Section 6.3 Ownership of Shares.......................................... 29
Section 6.4 Investments in the Trust..................................... 30
Section 6.5 No Pre-emptive Rights........................................ 30
Section 6.6 Status of Shares............................................. 30
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ARTICLE 7 SHAREHOLDERS' VOTING POWERS AND MEETINGS....................... 30
Section 7.1 Voting Powers................................................ 30
Section 7.2 Number of Votes and Manner of Voting; Proxies................ 31
Section 7.3 Meetings..................................................... 31
Section 7.4 Record Dates................................................. 32
Section 7.5 Quorum and Required Vote..................................... 32
Section 7.6 Action by Written Consent.................................... 32
Section 7.7 Inspection of Records........................................ 33
Section 7.8 Additional Provisions........................................ 33
ARTICLE 8 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION...................... 33
Section 8.1 Trustees, Shareholders, etc. Not Personally Liable; Notice... 33
Section 8.2 Trustees' Good Faith Action; Expert Advice;
No Bond or Surety.......................................... 34
Section 8.3 Indemnification of Shareholders.............................. 34
Section 8.4 Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, etc................... 35
Section 8.5 Compromise Payment........................................... 36
Section 8.6 Indemnification Not Exclusive, etc........................... 36
Section 8.7 Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees............. 36
ARTICLE 9 DURATION; REORGANIZATION; AMENDMENTS.......................... 37
Section 9.1 Duration and Termination of Trust............................ 37
Section 9.2 Reorganization............................................... 37
Section 9.3 Amendments; etc.............................................. 38
Section 9.4 Filing of Copies of Declaration and Amendments............... 38
ARTICLE 10 MISCELLANEOUS................................................ 39
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Section 10.1 Governing Law............................................... 39
Section 10.2 Counterparts................................................ 39
Section 10.3 Reliance by Third Parties................................... 39
Section 10.4 References; Headings........................................ 39
Section 10.5 Use of the Name "▇▇▇▇▇"..................................... 39
Signatures............................................................... 40
Acknowledgments.......................................................... 41
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
OF
THE ▇▇▇▇▇ VARIABLE INSURANCE PRODUCTS FUND
This AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST, made at Boston, Massachusetts
this sixth day of April, 1988, by and between the Settlor and the Trustee whose
signature is set forth below (the "Initial Trustee"),
WITNESSETH THAT:
WHEREAS, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇, an individual residing in Natick, Massachusetts
(the "Settlor"), proposes to deliver to the Initial Trustee the sum of one
hundred dollars ($100.00) lawful money of the United States of America in trust
hereunder and to authorize the Initial Trustee and all other Persons acting as
Trustees hereunder to employ such funds, and any other funds coming into their
hands or the hands of their successor or successors as such Trustees, to carry
on the business of an investment company, and as such of buying, selling,
investing in or otherwise dealing in and with stocks, bonds, debentures,
warrants, options, futures contracts and other securities and interests therein,
or calls or puts with respect to any of the same, or such other and further
investment media and other property as the Trustees may deem advisable, which
are not prohibited by law or the terms of this Declaration; and
WHEREAS, the Initial Trustee is willing to accept such sum, together with
any and all additions thereto and the income or increments thereof, upon the
terms, conditions and trusts hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS, it is proposed that the assets held by the Trustees be divided
into separate portfolios, each with its own separate investment assets,
investment objectives, policies and purposes, and that the beneficial interest
in each such fund shall be divided into transferable Shares of Beneficial
Interest, a separate Series of Shares for each fund, all in accordance with the
provisions hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS, it is desired that the trust established hereby (the "Trust") be
managed and operated as a trust with transferable shares under the laws of
Massachusetts, of the type commonly known as and referred to as a Massachusetts
business trust, in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth,
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NOW, THEREFORE, the Initial Trustee, for himself and his successors as
Trustees, hereby declares, and agrees with the Settlor, for himself and for all
Persons who shall hereafter become holders of Shares of Beneficial Interest of
the Trust, of any Series, that the Trustees will hold the sum delivered to them
upon the execution hereof, and all other and further cash, securities and other
property of every type and description which they may in any way acquire in
their capacity as such Trustees, together with the income therefrom and the
proceeds thereof, IN TRUST NEVERTHELESS, to manage and dispose of the same for
the benefit of the holders from time to time of the Shares of Beneficial
Interest of the several Series being issued and to be issued hereunder and in
the manner and subject to the provisions hereof, to wit:
ARTICLE 1
THE TRUST
SECTION 1.1. Name. The name of the Trust shall be
"The ▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Fund",
and so far as may be practicable the Trustees shall conduct the Trust's
activities, execute all documents and ▇▇▇ or be sued under that name, which name
(and the word "Trust" wherever used in this Agreement and Declaration of Trust,
except where the context otherwise requires) shall refer to the Trustees in
their capacity as Trustees, and not individually or personally, and shall not
refer to the officers, agents or employees of the Trust or of such Trustees, or
to the holders of the Shares of Beneficial Interest of the Trust, of any Series.
If the Trustees determine that the use of such name is not practicable, legal or
convenient at any time or in any jurisdiction, or if the Trust is required to
discontinue the use of such name pursuant to Section 10.5 hereof, then subject
to that Section, the Trustees may use such other designation, or they may adopt
such other name for the Trust as they deem proper, and the Trust may hold
property and conduct its activities under such designation or name.
SECTION 1.2. Location. The Trust shall have an office in Boston,
Massachusetts, unless changed by the Trustees to another location in
Massachusetts or elsewhere, but such office need not be the sole or principal
office of the Trust. The Trust may have such other offices or places of business
as the Trustees may from time to time determine to be necessary or expedient.
SECTION 1.3. Nature of Trust. The Trust shall be a trust with transferable
shares under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, of the type referred
to in Section 1 of Chapter 182 of the Massachusetts General Laws and commonly
termed a Massachusetts business trust. The Trust is not intended to be, shall
not be deemed to be, and shall not be treated as, a general partnership, limited
partnership, joint venture, corporation or
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joint stock company. The Shareholders shall be beneficiaries and their
relationship to the Trustees shall be solely in that capacity in accordance with
the rights conferred upon them hereunder.
SECTION 1.4. Definitions. As used in this Agreement and Declaration of
Trust, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below unless the
context thereof otherwise requires:
"Accounting Agent" shall have the meaning designated in Section 5.2(g)
hereof.
"Administrator" shall have the meaning designated in Section 5.2(b)
hereof.
"Affiliated Person" shall have the meaning assigned to it in the 1940 Act.
"By-Laws" shall mean the By-Laws of the Trust, as amended from time to
time.
"Certificate of Designation" shall have the meaning designated in Section
6.1 hereof.
"Certificate of Termination" shall have the meaning designated in Section
6.1 hereof.
"Commission" shall have the same meaning as in the 1940 Act.
"Contracting Party" shall have the meaning designated in the preamble to
Section 5.2 hereof.
"Covered Person" shall have the meaning designated in Section 8.4 hereof.
"Custodian" shall have the meaning designated in Section 5.2(d) hereof.
"Declaration" and "Declaration of Trust" shall mean this Agreement and
Declaration of Trust and all amendments or modifications thereof as from time to
time in effect. References in this Agreement and Declaration of Trust to
"hereof", "herein" and "hereunder" shall be deemed to refer to the Declaration
of Trust generally, and shall not be limited to the particular text, Article or
Section in which such words appear.
"Disabling Conduct" shall have the meaning designated in Section 8.4
hereof.
"Distributor" shall have the meaning designated in Section 5.2(c) hereof.
"Dividend Disbursing Agent" shall have the meaning designated in Section
5.2(e) hereof.
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"Portfolio" or "Portfolios" shall mean one or more of the separate
components of the assets of the Trust which are now or hereafter established and
designated under or in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 hereof.
"Portfolio Assets" shall have the meaning defined in Section 6.2(a)
hereof.
"General Items" shall have the meaning defined in Section 6.2(a) hereof.
"Initial Trustee" shall have the meaning defined in the preamble hereto.
"Investment Adviser" shall have the meaning stated in Section 5.2(a)
hereof.
"Majority of the Trustees" shall mean a majority of the Trustees in office
at the time in question. At any time at which there shall be only one (1)
Trustee in office, such term shall mean such Trustee.
"Majority Shareholder Vote," as used with respect to the election of any
Trustee at a meeting of Shareholders, shall mean the vote for the election of
such Trustee of a plurality of all outstanding Shares of the Trust, without
regard to Series, represented in person or by proxy and entitled to vote
thereon, provided that a quorum (as determined in accordance with the By-Laws)
is present, and as used with respect to any other action required or permitted
to be taken by Shareholders, shall mean the vote for such action of the holders
of that majority of all outstanding Shares (or, where a separate vote of Shares
of any particular Series is to be taken, the affirmative vote of that majority
of the outstanding Shares of that Series) of the Trust which consists of: (i) a
majority of all Shares (or of Shares of the particular Series) represented in
person or by proxy and entitled to vote on such action at the meeting of
Shareholders at which such action is to be taken, provided that a quorum (as
determined in accordance with the By-Laws) is present; or (ii) if such action is
to be taken by written consent of Shareholders, a majority of all Shares (or of
Shares of the particular Series) issued and outstanding and entitled to vote on
such action; provided, that (iii) as used with respect to any action requiring
the affirmative vote of "a majority of the outstanding voting securities", as
the quoted phrase is defined in the 1940 Act, of the Trust or of any Portfolio,
"Majority Shareholder Vote" means the vote for such action at a meeting of
Shareholders of the smallest majority of all outstanding Shares of the Trust (or
of Shares of the particular Portfolio) entitled to vote on such action which
satisfies such 1940 Act voting requirement.
"1940 Act" shall mean the provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940
and the rules and regulations thereunder, both
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as amended from time to time, and any order or orders thereunder which may from
time to time be applicable to the Trust.
"Person" shall mean and include individuals, as well as corporations,
limited partnerships, general partnerships, joint stock companies, joint
ventures, associations, banks, trust companies, land trusts, business trusts or
other organizations established under the laws of any jurisdiction, whether or
not considered to be legal entities, and governments and agencies and political
subdivisions thereof.
"Principal Underwriter" shall have the meaning designated in Section
5.2(c) hereof.
"Prospectus," as used with respect to any Portfolio or Series of Shares,
shall mean the prospectus relating to such Portfolio or Series which constitutes
part of the currently effective Registration Statement of the Trust under the
Securities Act of 1933, as such prospectus may be amended or supplemented from
time to time.
"Securities" shall mean any and all bills, notes, bonds, debentures or
other obligations or evidences of indebtedness, certificates of deposit,
bankers' acceptances, commercial paper, repurchase agreements or other money
market instruments; stocks, shares or other equity ownership interests; and
warrants, options or other instruments representing rights to subscribe for,
purchase, receive or otherwise acquire or to sell, transfer, assign or otherwise
dispose of, and scrip, certificates, receipts or other instruments evidencing
any ownership rights or interests in, any of the foregoing and "when issued" and
"delayed delivery" contracts for securities, issued, guaranteed or sponsored by
any governments, political subdivisions or governmental authorities, agencies or
instrumentalities, by any individuals, firms, companies, corporations,
syndicates, associations or trusts, or by any other organizations or entities
whatsoever, irrespective of their forms or the names by which they may be
described, whether or not they be organized and operated for profit, and whether
they be domestic or foreign with respect to The Commonwealth of Massachusetts or
the United States of America.
"Securities of the Trust" shall mean any Securities issued by the Trust.
"Series" shall mean one or more of the series of Shares authorized by the
Trustees to represent the beneficial interest in one or more of the Portfolios.
"Settlor" shall have the meaning stated in the first "Whereas" clause set
forth above.
"Shareholder" shall mean as of any particular time any Person shown of
record at such time on the books of the Trust as a holder of outstanding Shares
of any Series, and shall include a pledgee into whose name any such Shares are
transferred in pledge.
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"Shareholder Servicing Agent" shall have the meaning designated in Section
5.2(f) hereof.
"Shares" shall mean the transferable units into which the beneficial
interest in the Trust and each Portfolio of the Trust (as the context may
require) shall be divided from time to time, and includes fractions of Shares as
well as whole Shares. All references herein to "Shares" which are not
accompanied by a reference to any particular Series or Portfolio shall be deemed
to apply to outstanding Shares without regard to Series.
"Single Class Voting," as used with respect to any matter to be acted upon
at a meeting or by written consent of Shareholders, shall mean a style of voting
in which each holder of one or more Shares shall be entitled to one vote on the
matter in question for each Share standing in his name on the records of the
Trust, irrespective of Series, and all outstanding Shares of all Series vote as
a single class.
"Statement of Additional Information," as used with respect to any
Portfolio or Series of Shares, shall mean the statement of additional
information relating to such Portfolio or Series, which constitutes part of the
currently effective Registration Statement of the Trust under the Securities Act
of 1933, as such statement of additional information may be amended or
supplemented from time to time.
"Transfer Agent" shall have the meaning defined in Section 5.2(e) hereof.
"Trust" shall have the meaning stated in the fourth "Whereas" clause set
forth above.
"Trust Property" shall mean, as of any particular time, any and all
property which shall have been transferred, conveyed or paid to the Trust or the
Trustees, and all interest, dividends, income, earnings, profits and gains
therefrom, 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, and which at
such time is owned or held by, or for the account of, the Trust or the Trustees,
without regard to the Portfolio to which such property is allocated.
"Trustees" shall mean, collectively, the Initial Trustee, so long as he
shall continue in office, and all other individuals who at the time in question
have been duly elected or appointed as Trustees of the Trust in accordance with
the provisions hereof and who have qualified and are then in office. At any time
at which there shall be only one (l) Trustee in office, such term shall mean
such single Trustee.
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SECTION 1.5. Real Property to be Converted into Personal Property.
Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, any real property at any time
forming part of the Trust Property shall be held in trust for sale and
conversion into personal property at such time or times and in such manner and
upon such terms as the Trustees shall approve, but the Trustees shall have power
until the termination of this Trust to postpone such conversion as long as they
in their uncontrolled discretion shall think fit, and for the purpose of
determining the nature of the interest of the Shareholders therein, all such
real property shall at all times be considered as personal property.
ARTICLE 2
PURPOSE OF THE TRUST
The purpose of the Trust shall be to engage in the business of being an
investment company, and as such of subscribing for, purchasing or otherwise
acquiring, holding for investment or trading in, borrowing, lending and selling
short, selling, assigning, negotiating or exchanging and otherwise disposing of,
and turning to account, realizing upon and generally dealing in and with, in any
manner, (a) Securities of all kinds, (b) precious metals and other minerals,
contracts to purchase and sell, and other interests of every nature and kind in,
such metals or minerals, and (c) rare coins and other numismatic items, and all
as the Trustees in their discretion shall determine to be necessary, desirable
or appropriate, and to exercise and perform any and every act, thing or power
necessary, suitable or desirable for the accomplishment of such purpose, the
attainment of any of the objects or the furtherance of any of the powers given
hereby which are lawful purposes, objects or powers of a trust with transferable
shares of the type commonly termed a Massachusetts business trust; and to do
every other act or acts or thing or things incidental or appurtenant to or
growing out of or in connection with the aforesaid objects, purposes or powers,
or any of them, which a trust of the type commonly termed a Massachusetts
business trust is not now or hereafter prohibited from doing, exercising or
performing.
ARTICLE 3
POWERS OF THE TRUSTEES
SECTION 3.1. Powers in General. The Trustees shall have, without other or
further authorization, full, entire, exclusive and absolute power, control and
authority over, and management of, the business of the Trust and over the Trust
Property, to the same extent as if the Trustees were the sole owners of the
business and property of the Trust in their own right, and with such powers of
delegation as may be permitted by this Declaration, subject only to such
limitations as may be expressly imposed by this Declara-
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tion of Trust or by applicable law. The enumeration of any specific power or
authority herein shall not be construed as limiting the aforesaid power or
authority or any specific power or authority. Without limiting the foregoing,
the Trustees may adopt By-Laws not inconsistent with this Declaration of Trust
providing for the conduct of the business and affairs of the Trust and may amend
and repeal them to the extent that such By-Laws do not reserve that right to the
Shareholders; they may select, and from time to time change, the fiscal year of
the Trust; they may adopt and use a seal for the Trust, provided, that unless
otherwise required by the Trustees, it shall not be necessary to place the seal
upon, 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; they may
from time to time in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.1 hereof
establish one or more Portfolios to which they may allocate such of the Trust
Property, subject to such liabilities, as they shall deem appropriate, each such
Portfolio to be operated by the Trustees as a separate and distinct investment
medium and with separately defined investment objectives and policies and
distinct investment purposes, all as established by the Trustees, or from time
to time changed by them; they may as they consider appropriate elect and remove
officers and appoint and terminate agents and consultants and hire and terminate
employees, any one or more of the foregoing of whom may be a Trustee; they may
appoint from their own number, and terminate, any one or more committees
consisting of one or more Trustees, including without implied limitation an
Executive Committee, which may, when the Trustees are not in session and subject
to the 1940 Act, exercise some or all of the power and authority of the Trustees
as the Trustees may determine; in accordance with Section 5.2 they may employ
one or more Investment Advisers, Administrators and Custodians and may authorize
any Custodian to employ subcustodians or agents and to deposit all or any part
of such assets in a system or systems for the central handling of Securities,
retain Transfer, Dividend Disbursing, Accounting or Shareholder Servicing Agents
or any of the foregoing, provide for the distribution of Shares by the Trust
through one or more Distributors, Principal Underwriters or otherwise, set
record dates or times for the determination of Shareholders entitled to
participate in, benefit from or act with respect to various matters; and in
general they may delegate to any officer of the Trust, to any Committee of the
Trustees and to any employee, Investment Adviser, Administrator, Distributor,
Custodian, Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing Agent, or any other agent or
consultant of the Trust, such authority, powers, functions and duties as they
consider desirable or appropriate for the conduct of the business and affairs of
the Trust, including without implied limitation the power and authority to act
in the name of the Trust and of the Trustees, to sign documents and to act as
attorney-in-fact for the Trustees. Without limiting the foregoing and to the
extent not inconsistent with the 1940 Act or other applicable law, the Trustees
shall have power and authority:
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(a) Investments. To invest and reinvest cash and other property; to
buy, for cash or on margin, and otherwise acquire and hold, Securities
created or issued by any Persons, including Securities maturing after the
possible termination of the Trust; to make payment therefor in any lawful
manner in exchange for any of the Trust Property; and to hold cash or
other property uninvested without in any event being bound or limited by
any present or future law or custom in regard to investments by trustees;
(b) Disposition of Assets. Upon such terms and conditions as they
deem best, to lend, sell, exchange, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, grant
security interests in, encumber, negotiate, convey, transfer or otherwise
dispose of, and to trade in, any and all of the Trust Property, free and
clear of all trusts, for cash or on terms, with or without advertisement,
and on such terms as to payment, security or otherwise, all as they shall
deem necessary or expedient;
(c) Ownership Powers. To vote or give assent, or exercise any and
all other rights, powers and privileges of ownership with respect to, and
to perform any and all duties and obligations as owners of, any Securities
or other property forming part of the Trust Property, the same as any
individual might do; to exercise powers and rights of subscription or
otherwise which in any manner arise out of ownership of Securities, and to
receive powers of attorney from, and to execute and deliver proxies or
powers of attorney to, such Person or Persons as the Trustees shall deem
proper, receiving from or granting to such Person or Persons such power
and discretion with relation to Securities or other property of the Trust,
all as the Trustees shall deem proper;
(d) Form of Holding. To hold any Security or other 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 of the
Portfolio to which such Securities or property belong, or in the name of a
Custodian, subcustodian or other nominee or nominees, or otherwise, upon
such terms, in such manner or with such powers, as the Trustees may
determine, and with or without indicating any trust or the interest of the
Trustees therein;
(e) Reorganization, etc. 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 or any
Portfolio; 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 forming part of the Trust
Property;
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(f) Voting Trusts, etc. To join with other holders of any Securities
in acting through a committee, depository, voting trustee or otherwise,
and in that connection to deposit any Security with, or transfer any
Security to, any such committee, depository 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, depository or trustee as the Trustees shall deem proper;
(g) Contracts, etc. To enter into, make and perform all such
obligations, contracts, agreements and undertakings of every kind and
description, with any Person or Persons, as the Trustees shall in their
discretion deem expedient in the conduct of the business of the Trust, for
such terms as they shall see fit, whether or not extending beyond the term
of office of the Trustees, or beyond the possible expiration of the Trust;
to amend, extend, release or cancel any such obligations, contracts,
agreements or understandings; and to execute, acknowledge, deliver and
record all written instruments which they may deem necessary or expedient
in the exercise of their powers;
(h) Guarantees, etc. 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;
(i) Partnerships, etc. To enter into joint ventures, general or
limited partnerships and any other combinations or associations;
(j) Insurance. 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, consultants,
Investment Advisers, managers, Administrators, Distributors, Principal
Underwriters, or other independent contractors, or any thereof (or any
Person connected therewith), 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 in any such
capacity, 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;
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(k) Pensions, etc. 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;
(l) Power of Collection and Litigation. To collect, ▇▇▇ for and
receive all sums of money coming due to the Trust, to employ counsel, and
to commence, engage in, prosecute, intervene in, join, defend, compound,
compromise, adjust or abandon, in the name of the Trust, any and all
actions, suits, proceedings, disputes, claims, controversies, demands or
other litigation or legal proceedings relating to the Trust, the business
of the Trust, the Trust Property, or the Trustees, officers, employees,
agents and other independent contractors of the Trust, in their capacity
as such, at law or in equity, or before any other bodies or tribunals, and
to compromise, arbitrate or otherwise adjust any dispute to which the
Trust may be a party, whether or not any suit is commenced or any claim
shall have been made or asserted;
(m) Issuance and Repurchase of Shares. To issue, sell, repurchase,
redeem, retire, cancel, acquire, hold, resell, reissue, dispose of,
transfer, and otherwise deal in Shares of any Series, and, subject to
Article 6 hereof, to apply to any such repurchase, redemption, retirement,
cancellation or acquisition of Shares of any Series, any of the Portfolio
Assets belonging to the Portfolio to which such Series relates, whether
constituting capital or surplus or otherwise, to the full extent now or
hereafter permitted by applicable law; provided, that any Shares belonging
to the Trust shall not be voted, directly or indirectly;
(n) Offices. To have one or more offices, and to carry on all or any
of the operations and business of the Trust, in any of the States,
Districts or Territories of the United States, and in any and all foreign
countries, subject to the laws of such State, District, Territory or
country;
(o) Expenses. To incur and pay any and all such expenses and charges
as they may deem advisable (including without limitation appropriate fees
to themselves as Trustees), and to pay all such sums of money for which
they may be held liable by way of damages, penalty, fine or otherwise;
(p) Agents, etc. To retain and employ any and all such servants,
agents, employees, attorneys, brokers, investment advisers, accountants,
architects, engineers, builders, escrow agents, depositories, consultants,
ancillary trustees,
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custodians, agents for collection, insurers, banks and officers, as they
think best for the business of the Trust or any Portfolio, to supervise
and direct the acts of any of the same, and to fix and pay their
compensation and define their duties;
(q) Accounts. To determine, and from time to time change, the method
or form in which the accounts of the Trust shall be kept;
(r) Valuation. Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to
determine from time to time the value of all or any part of the Trust
Property and of any services, Securities, property or other consideration
to be furnished to or acquired by the Trust, and from time to time to
revalue all or any part of the Trust Property in accordance with such
appraisals or other information as is, in the Trustees' sole judgment,
necessary and satisfactory;
(s) Indemnification. In addition to the mandatory indemnification
provided for in Article 8 hereof and to the extent permitted by law, to
indemnify or enter into agreements with respect to indemnification with
any Person with whom this Trust has dealings, including, without
limitation, any independent contractor, to such extent as the Trustees
shall determine; and
(t) General. To do all such other acts and things and to conduct,
operate, carry on and engage in such other lawful businesses or business
activities as they shall in their sole and absolute discretion consider to
be incidental to the business of the Trust or any Portfolio as an
investment company, and to exercise all powers which they shall in their
discretion consider necessary, useful or appropriate to carry on the
business of the Trust or any Portfolio, to promote any of the purposes for
which the Trust is formed, whether or not such things are specifically
mentioned herein, in order to protect or promote the interests of the
Trust or any Portfolio, or otherwise to carry out the provisions of this
Declaration.
SECTION 3.2. Borrowings; Financings; Issuance of Securities. The Trustees
have power to borrow or in any other manner raise such sum or sums of money, and
to incur such other indebtedness for goods or services, or for or in connection
with the purchase or other acquisition of property, as they shall deem advisable
for the purposes of the Trust, in any manner and on any terms, and to evidence
the same by negotiable or non-negotiable Securities which may mature at any time
or times, even beyond the possible date of termination of the Trust; to issue
Securities of any type for such cash, property, services or other
considerations, and at such time or times and upon such terms, as they may deem
advisable; and to reacquire any such Securities. Any such Securities of the
Trust may, at the discretion of the Trustees, be made convertible into
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Shares of any Series, or may evidence the right to purchase, subscribe for or
otherwise acquire Shares of any Series, at such times and on such terms as the
Trustees may prescribe.
SECTION 3.3. Deposits. Subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, the
Trustees shall have power to deposit any moneys or Securities included in the
Trust Property with any one or more banks, trust companies or other banking
institutions, whether or not such deposits will draw interest. Such deposits are
to be subject to withdrawal in such manner as the Trustees may determine, and
the Trustees shall have no responsibility for any loss which may occur by reason
of the failure of the bank, trust company or other banking institution with
which any such moneys or Securities have been deposited, other than liability
based on their gross negligence or willful fault.
SECTION 3.4. Allocations. The Trustees shall have power to determine
whether moneys or other assets received by the Trust shall be charged or
credited to income or capital, or allocated between income and capital,
including the power to amortize or fail to amortize any part or all of any
premium or discount, to treat any part or all of the profit resulting from the
maturity or sale of any asset, whether purchased at a premium or at a discount,
as income or capital, or to apportion the same between income and capital, to
apportion the sale price of any asset between income and capital, and to
determine in what manner any expenses or disbursements are to be borne as
between income and capital, whether or not in the absence of the power and
authority conferred by this Section 3.4 such assets would be regarded as income
or as capital or such expense or disbursement would be charged to income or to
capital; to treat any dividend or other distribution on any investment as income
or capital, or to apportion the same between income and capital; to provide or
fail to provide reserves, including reserves for depreciation, amortization or
obsolescence in respect of any Trust Property in such amounts and by such
methods as they shall determine; to allocate less than all of the consideration
paid for Shares of any Series to the shares of beneficial interest account of
the Portfolio to which such Shares relate and to allocate the balance thereof to
paid-in capital of that Portfolio, and to reallocate such amounts from time to
time; all as the Trustees may reasonably deem proper.
SECTION 3.5. Further Powers; Limitations. The Trustees shall have power to
do all such other matters and things, and to execute all such instruments, as
they deem necessary, proper or desirable in order to carry out, promote or
advance the interests of the Trust, although such matters or things are not
herein specifically mentioned. Any determination as to what is in the interests
of the Trust made by the Trustees in good faith shall be conclusive. In
construing the provisions of this Declaration of Trust, the presumption shall be
in favor of a grant of power to the Trustees. The Trustees shall not be required
to obtain any court order to deal with the Trust Property. The Trustees may
limit their right to exercise any of their powers through express
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restrictive provisions in the instruments evidencing or providing the terms for
any Securities of the Trust or in other contractual instruments adopted on
behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE 4
TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
SECTION 4.1. Number, Designation, Election, Term, etc.
(a) Initial Trustee. Upon his execution of this Declaration of Trust
or a counterpart hereof or some other writing in which he accepts such
Trusteeship and agrees to the provisions hereof, the individual whose
signature is affixed hereto as Initial Trustee shall become the Initial
Trustee hereof.
(b) Number. The Trustees serving as such, whether named above or
hereafter becoming Trustees, may increase (to not more than twenty (20))
or decrease the number of Trustees to a number other than the number
theretofore determined by a written instrument signed by a Majority of the
Trustees (or by an officer of the Trust pursuant to the vote of a Majority
of the Trustees). No decrease in the number of Trustees shall have the
effect of removing any Trustee from office prior to the expiration of his
term, but the number of Trustees may be decreased in conjunction with the
removal of a Trustee pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section 4.1.
(c) Election and Term. The Trustees shall be elected by the
Shareholders of the Trust at the first meeting of Shareholders immediately
prior to the initial public offering of Shares of the Trust, and the term
of office of any Trustees in office before such election shall terminate
at the time of such election. Subject to Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act and
to the preceding sentence of this subsection (c), the Trustees shall have
the power to set and alter the terms of office of the Trustees, and at any
time to lengthen or shorten their own terms or make their terms of
unlimited duration, to elect their own successors and, pursuant to
subsection (f) of this Section 4.1, to appoint Trustees to fill vacancies;
provided, that Trustees shall be elected by a Majority Shareholder Vote at
any such time or times as the Trustees shall determine that such action is
required under Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act or, if not so required, that
such action is advisable; and further provided, that, after the initial
election of Trustees by the Shareholders, the term of office of any
incumbent Trustee shall continue until the termination of this Trust or
his earlier death, resignation, retirement, bankruptcy, adjudicated
incompetency or other incapacity or removal, or if not so terminated,
until the election of such Trustee's successor in office has become
effective in accordance with this subsection (c).
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(d) Resignation and Retirement. Any Trustee may resign his trust or
retire as a Trustee, by a written instrument signed by him and delivered
to the other Trustees or to any officer of the Trust, and such resignation
or retirement shall take effect upon such delivery or upon such later date
as is specified in such instrument.
(e) Removal. Any Trustee may be removed with or without cause at any
time: (i) by written instrument, signed by at least two-thirds (2/3) of
the number of Trustees prior to such removal, specifying the date upon
which such removal shall become effective; or (ii) by vote of Shareholders
holding not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the Shares of each Series then
outstanding, cast in person or by proxy at any meeting called for the
purpose; or (iii) by a written declaration signed by Shareholders holding
not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the Shares of each Series then
outstanding and filed with the Trust's Custodian.
(f) Vacancies. Any vacancy or anticipated vacancy resulting from any
reason, including an increase in the number of Trustees, may (but need not
unless required by the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇) be filled by a Majority of the Trustees,
subject to the provisions of Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act, through the
appointment in writing of such other individual as such remaining Trustees
in their discretion shall determine; provided, that if there shall be no
Trustees in office, such vacancy or vacancies shall be filled by vote of
the Shareholders. Any such appointment or election shall be effective upon
such individual's written acceptance of his appointment as a Trustee and
his agreement to be bound by the provisions of this Declaration of Trust,
except that any such appointment in anticipation of a vacancy to occur by
reason of retirement, resignation or increase in the number of Trustees to
be effective at a later date shall become effective only at or after the
effective date of said retirement, resignation or increase in the number
of Trustees.
(g) Acceptance of Trusts. Any individual appointed as a Trustee
under subsection (f), and any individual elected as a Trustee under
subsection (c), of this Section 4.1 who was not, immediately prior to such
election, acting as a Trustee, shall accept such appointment or election
in writing and agree in such writing to be bound by the provisions hereof,
and whenever such individual shall have executed such writing and any
conditions to such appointment or election shall have been satisfied, such
individual shall become a Trustee and the Trust Property shall vest in the
new Trustee, together with the continuing Trustees, without any further
act or conveyance.
(h) Effect of Death, Resignation, etc. No vacancy, whether resulting
from the death, resignation, retirement, removal or incapacity of any
Trustee, an increase in the
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number of Trustees or otherwise, shall operate to annul or terminate the
Trust hereunder or to revoke or terminate any existing agency or contract
created or entered into pursuant to the terms of this Declaration of
Trust. Until such vacancy is filled as provided in this Section 4.1, the
Trustees in office (if any), regardless of their number, shall have all
the powers granted to the Trustees and shall discharge all the duties
imposed upon the Trustees by this Declaration. A written instrument
certifying the existence of such vacancy signed by a Majority of the
Trustees shall be conclusive evidence of the existence of such vacancy.
(i) Conveyance. In the event of the resignation or removal of a
Trustee or his otherwise ceasing to be a Trustee, such former Trustee or
his legal representative shall, upon request of the continuing Trustees,
execute and deliver such documents as may be required for the purpose of
consummating or evidencing the conveyance to the Trust or the remaining
Trustees of any Trust Property held in such former Trustee's name, but the
execution and delivery of such documents shall not be requisite to the
vesting of title to the Trust Property in the remaining Trustees, as
provided in subsection (g) of this Section 4.1 and in Section 4.13 hereof.
(j) No Accounting. Except to the extent required by the 1940 Act or
under circumstances which would justify his removal for cause, no Person
ceasing to be a Trustee (nor the estate of any such Person) shall be
required to make an accounting to the Shareholders or remaining Trustees
upon such cessation.
(k) Filings. Whenever there shall be a change in the composition of
the Trustees, the Trust shall cause to be filed in the office of the
Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in each other place
where the Trust is required to file amendments to this Declaration a copy
of (i) the instrument by which (in the case of the appointment of a new
Trustee, or the election of an individual who was not theretofore a
Trustee) the new Trustee accepted his appointment or election and agreed
to be bound by the terms of this Declaration, or (in the case of a
resignation) by which the former Trustee resigned as such, together in
either case with a certificate of one of the other Trustees as to the
circumstances of such election, appointment or resignation, or (ii) in the
case of the removal or death of a Trustee, a certificate of one of the
Trustees as to the circumstances of such removal or resignation.
SECTION 4.2. Trustees' Meetings; Participation by Telephone, etc. An
annual meeting of Trustees shall be held not later than the last day of the
fourth month after the end of each fiscal year of the Trust and special
meetings may be held from time to time, in each case, upon the call of such
officers as may be thereunto
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authorized by the By-Laws or vote of the Trustees, or by any two (2) Trustees,
or pursuant to a vote of the Trustees adopted at a duly constituted meeting of
the Trustees, and upon such notice as shall be provided in the By-Laws. The
Trustees may act with or without a meeting, and a written consent to any matter,
signed by a Majority of the Trustees, shall be equivalent to action duly taken
at a meeting of the Trustees, duly called and held. Except as otherwise provided
by the 1940 Act or other applicable law, or by this Declaration of Trust or the
By-Laws, 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, consisting of at least
a Majority of the Trustees, being present), within or without Massachusetts. If
authorized by the By-Laws, all or any one or more Trustees may participate in a
meeting of the Trustees or any Committee thereof by means of conference
telephone or similar means of communication by means of which all Persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting
pursuant to such means of communication shall constitute presence in person at
such meeting. The minutes of any meeting thus held shall be prepared in the same
manner as a meeting at which all participants were present in person.
SECTION 4.3. Committees; Delegation. The Trustees shall have power,
consistent with their ultimate responsibility to supervise the affairs of the
Trust, to delegate from time to time to an Executive Committee, and to one or
more other Committees, or to any single Trustee, the doing of such things and
the execution of such deeds or other instruments, either in the name of the
Trust or the names of the Trustees or as their attorney or attorneys in fact, or
otherwise as the Trustees may from time to time deem expedient, and any
agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other instrument or writing executed by the
Trustee or Trustees or other Person to whom such delegation was made shall be
valid and binding upon the Trustees and upon the Trust.
SECTION 4.4. Officers. The Trustees shall annually elect such officers or
agents, who shall have such powers, duties and responsibilities as the Trustees
may deem to be advisable, and as they shall specify by resolution or in the
By-Laws. Except as may be provided in the By-Laws, any officer elected by the
Trustees may be removed at any time with or without cause. Any two (2) or more
offices may be held by the same individual.
SECTION 4.5. Compensation of Trustees and Officers. The Trustees shall fix
the compensation of all officers and Trustees. Without limiting the generality
of any of the provisions hereof, the Trustees shall be entitled to receive
reasonable compensation for their general services as such, and to fix the
amount of such compensation, and to pay themselves or any one or more of
themselves such compensation for special services, including legal, accounting,
or other professional services, as they in good faith may deem reasonable. No
Trustee or officer resigning and (except where a right to receive compensation
for a definite future period shall be expressly provided in a written agreement
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with the Trust, duly approved by the Trustees) no Trustee or officer removed
shall have any right to any compensation as such Trustee or officer for any
period following his resignation or removal, or any right to damages on account
of his removal, whether his compensation be by the month, by the year or
otherwise.
SECTION 4.6. Ownership of Shares and Securities of the Trust. Any Trustee,
and any officer, employee or agent of the Trust, and any organization in which
any such Person is interested, may acquire, own, hold and dispose of Shares of
any Series and other Securities of the Trust for his or its individual account,
and may exercise all rights of a holder of such Shares or Securities to the same
extent and in the same manner as if such Person were not such a Trustee,
officer, employee or agent of the Trust; subject, in the case of Trustees and
officers, to the same limitations as directors or officers (as the case may be)
of a Massachusetts business corporation; and the Trust may issue and sell or
cause to be issued and sold and may purchase any such Shares or other Securities
from any such Person or any such organization, subject only to the general
limitations, restrictions or other provisions applicable to the sale or purchase
of Shares of such Series or other Securities of the Trust generally.
SECTION 4.7. Right of Trustees and Officers to Own Property or to Engage
in Business; Authority of Trustees to Permit Others to Do Likewise. The
Trustees, in their capacity as Trustees, and (unless otherwise specifically
directed by vote of the Trustees) the officers of the Trust in their capacity as
such, shall not be required to devote their entire time to the business and
affairs of the Trust. Except as otherwise specifically provided by vote of the
Trustees, or by agreement in any particular case, any Trustee or officer of the
Trust may acquire, own, hold and dispose of, for his own individual account, any
property, and acquire, own, hold, carry on and dispose of, for his own
individual account, any business entity or business activity, whether similar or
dissimilar to any property or business entity or business activity invested in
or carried on by the Trust, and without first offering the same as an investment
opportunity to the Trust, and may exercise all rights in respect thereof as if
he were not a Trustee or officer of the Trust. The Trustees shall also have
power, generally or in specific cases, to permit employees or agents of the
Trust to have the same rights (or lesser rights) to acquire, hold, own and
dispose of property and businesses, to carry on businesses, and to accept
investment opportunities without offering them to the Trust, as the Trustees
have by virtue of this Section 4.7.
SECTION 4.8. Reliance on Experts. The Trustees and officers may consult
with counsel, engineers, brokers, appraisers, auctioneers, accountants,
investment bankers, securities analysts or other Persons (any of which may be a
firm in which one or more of the Trustees or officers is or are members or
otherwise interested) whose profession gives authority to a statement made
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by them on the subject in question, and who are reasonably deemed by the
Trustees or officers in question to be competent, and the advice or opinion of
such Persons shall be full and complete personal protection to all of the
Trustees and officers in respect of any action taken or suffered by them in good
faith and in reliance on or in accordance with such advice or opinion. In
discharging their duties, Trustees and officers, when acting in good faith, may
rely upon financial statements of the Trust represented to them to be correct by
any officer of the Trust having charge of its books of account, or stated in a
written report by an independent certified public accountant fairly to present
the financial position of the Trust. The Trustees and officers may rely, and
shall be personally protected in acting, upon any instrument or other document
believed by them to be genuine.
SECTION 4.9. Surety Bonds. No Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the
Trust shall, as such, be obligated to give any bond or surety or other security
for the performance of any of his duties, unless required by applicable law or
regulation, or unless the Trustees shall otherwise determine in any particular
case.
SECTION 4.10. Apparent Authority of Trustees and Officers. No purchaser,
lender, transfer agent or other Person dealing with the Trustees or any officer
of the Trust shall be bound to make any inquiry concerning the validity of any
transaction purporting to be made by the Trustees or by such officer, or to make
inquiry concerning or be liable for the application of money or property paid,
loaned or delivered to or on the order of the Trustees or of such officer.
SECTION 4.11. Other Relationships Not Prohibited. The fact that:
(a) 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
Contracting Party (as defined in Section 5.2 hereof), or of or for any
parent or affiliate of any Contracting Party, or that the Contracting
Party or any parent or affiliate thereof is a Shareholder or has an
interest in the Trust or any Portfolio, or that
(b) any Contracting Party may have a contract providing for the rendering
of any similar services to one or more other corporations, trusts,
associations, partnerships, limited partnerships or other organizations,
or have other business or interests,
shall not affect the validity of any contract for the performance and assumption
of services, duties and responsibilities to, for or of the Trust and/or the
Trustees 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 to
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the holders of Shares of any Series; provided, that, in the case of any
relationship or interest referred to in the preceding clause (a) on the part of
any Trustee or officer of the Trust, either (x) the material facts as to such
relationship or interest have been disclosed to or are known by the Trustees not
having any such relationship or interest and the contract involved is approved
in good faith by a majority of such Trustees not having any such relationship or
interest (even though such unrelated or disinterested Trustees are less than a
quorum of all of the Trustees), (y) the material facts as to such relationship
or interest and as to the contract have been disclosed to or are known by the
Shareholders entitled to vote thereon and the contract involved is specifically
approved in good faith by vote of the Shareholders, or (z) the specific contract
involved is fair to the Trust as of the time it is authorized, approved or
ratified by the Trustees or by the Shareholders.
SECTION 4.12. Payment of Trust Expenses. 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, and according to any
allocation to particular Portfolios made by them pursuant to Section 6.2(b)
hereof, all expenses, fees, charges, taxes and liabilities incurred or arising
in connection with the business and affairs of the Trust or in connection with
the management thereof, including, but not limited to, the Trustees'
compensation and such expenses and charges for the services of the Trust's
officers, employees, Investment Adviser, Administrator, Distributor, Principal
Underwriter, auditor, counsel, Custodian, Transfer Agent, Dividend Disbursing
Agent, Accounting Agent, Shareholder Servicing Agent, and such other agents,
consultants, and independent contractors and such other expenses and charges as
the Trustees may deem necessary or proper to incur.
SECTION 4.13. Ownership of the Trust Property. Legal title to all the
Trust Property shall be vested in the Trustees as joint tenants, except that the
Trustees shall have power to cause legal title to any Trust Property to be held
by or in the name of one or more of the Trustees, or in the name of the Trust,
or of any particular Portfolio, or in the name of any other Person as nominee,
on such terms as the Trustees may determine; provided, that the interest of the
Trust and of the respective Portfolio therein is appropriately protected. The
right, title and interest of the Trustees in the Trust Property shall vest
automatically in each Person who may hereafter become a Trustee. Upon the
termination of the term of office of a Trustee as provided in Section 4.1(c),
(d) or (e) hereof, such Trustee shall automatically cease to have any right,
title or interest in any of the Trust Property, and the right, title and
interest of such Trustee in the Trust Property shall vest automatically in the
remaining Trustees. Such vesting and cessation of title shall be effective
whether or not conveyancing documents have been executed and delivered pursuant
to Section 4.1(i) hereof.
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ARTICLE 5
DELEGATION OF MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
SECTION 5.1. Appointment; Action by Less than All Trustees. The Trustees
shall be responsible for the general operating policy of the Trust and for the
general supervision of the business of the Trust conducted by officers, agents,
employees or advisers of the Trust or by independent contractors, but the
Trustees shall not be required personally to conduct all the business of the
Trust and, consistent with their ultimate responsibility as stated herein, the
Trustees may appoint, employ or contract with one or more officers, employees
and agents to conduct, manage and/or supervise the operations of the Trust, and
may grant or delegate such authority to such officers, employees and/or agents
as the Trustees may, in their sole discretion, deem to be necessary or
desirable, without regard to whether such authority is normally granted or
delegated by trustees. With respect to those matters of the operation and
business of the Trust which they shall elect to conduct themselves, except as
otherwise provided by this Declaration or the By-Laws, if any, the Trustees may
authorize any single Trustee or defined group of Trustees, or any committee
consisting of a number of Trustees less than the whole number of Trustees then
in office without specification of the particular Trustees required to be
included therein, to act for and to bind the Trust, to the same extent as the
whole number of Trustees could do, either with respect to one or more particular
matters or classes of matters, or generally.
SECTION 5.2. Certain Contracts. Subject to compliance with the provisions
of the 1940 Act, but notwithstanding any limitations of present and future law
or custom in regard to delegation of powers by trustees generally, the Trustees
may, at any time and from time to time in their discretion and without limiting
the generality of their powers and authority otherwise set forth herein, enter
into one or more contracts with any one or more corporations, trusts,
associations, partnerships, limited partnerships or other types of
organizations, or individuals ("Contracting Party"), to provide for the
performance and assumption of some or all of the following services, duties and
responsibilities to, for or on behalf of the Trust and/or any Portfolio, and/or
the Trustees, and to provide for the performance and assumption of such other
services, duties and responsibilities in addition to those set forth below, as
the Trustees may deem appropriate:
(a) Advisory. An investment advisory or management agreement whereby
the Investment Adviser shall undertake to furnish the Trust such
management, investment advisory or supervisory, administrative,
accounting, legal, statistical and research facilities and services, and
such other facilities and services, if any, as the Trustees shall from
time to time consider desirable, all upon such terms and conditions as the
Trustees may in their discretion determine to be not inconsistent with
this Declaration, the applicable
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provisions of the 1940 Act or any applicable provisions of the By-Laws.
Any such advisory or management agreement and any amendment thereto shall
be subject to approval by a Majority Shareholder Vote at a meeting of the
Shareholders of the Trust. Notwithstanding any provisions of this
Declaration, the Trustees may authorize the Investment Adviser (subject to
such general or specific instructions as the Trustees may from time to
time adopt) to effect purchases, sales, loans or exchanges of portfolio
securities of the Trust on behalf of the Trustees or may authorize any
officer or employee of the Trust or any Trustee to effect such purchases,
sales, loans or exchanges pursuant to recommendations of the Investment
Adviser (and all without further action by the Trustees). Any such
purchases, sales, loans and exchanges shall be deemed to have been
authorized by all of the Trustees. The Trustees may, in their sole
discretion, call a meeting of Shareholders in order to submit to a vote of
Shareholders at such meeting the approval of continuance of any such
investment advisory or management agreement. If the Shareholders of any
Portfolio should fail to approve any such investment advisory or
management agreement, the Investment Adviser may nonetheless serve as
Investment Adviser with respect to any other Portfolio whose Shareholders
shall have approved such contract.
(b) Administration. An agreement whereby the agent, subject to the
general supervision of the Trustees and in conformity with any policies of
the Trustees with respect to the operations of the Trust and each
Portfolio, will supervise all or any part of the operations of the Trust
and each Portfolio, and will provide all or any part of the administrative
and clerical personnel, office space and office equipment and services
appropriate for the efficient administration and operations of the Trust
and each Portfolio (any such agent being herein referred to as an
"Administrator").
(c) Distribution. An agreement providing for the sale of Shares of
any one or more Series to net the Trust not less than the net asset value
per Share (as described in Section 6.2(h) hereof) and pursuant to which
the Trust may appoint the other party to such agreement as its principal
underwriter or sales agent for the distribution of such Shares. The
agreement shall contain such terms and conditions as the Trustees may in
their discretion determine to be not inconsistent with this Declaration,
the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act and any applicable provisions of
the By-Laws (any such agent being herein referred to as a "Distributor" or
a "Principal Underwriter", as the case may be).
(d) Custodian. The appointment of a bank or trust company having an
aggregate capital, surplus and undivided profits (as shown in its last
published report) of at least
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two million dollars ($2,000,000) as custodian of the Securities and cash
of the Trust and of each Portfolio and of the accounting records in
connection therewith (any such agent being herein referred to as a
"Custodian").
(e) Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agency. An agreement with an
agent to maintain records of the ownership of outstanding Shares, the
issuance and redemption and the transfer thereof (any such agent being
herein referred to as a "Transfer Agent"), and to disburse any dividends
declared by the Trustees and in accordance with the policies of the
Trustees and/or the instructions of any particular Shareholder to reinvest
any such dividends (any such agent being herein referred to as a "Dividend
Disbursing Agent").
(f) Shareholder Servicing. An agreement with an agent to provide
service with respect to the relationship of the Trust and its
Shareholders, records with respect to Shareholders and their Shares, and
similar matters (any such agent being herein referred to as a "Shareholder
Servicing Agent").
(g) Accounting. An agreement with an agent to handle all or any part
of the accounting responsibilities, whether with respect to the Trust's
properties, Shareholders or otherwise (any such agent being herein
referred to as an "Accounting Agent").
The same Person may be the Contracting Party for some or all of the services,
duties and responsibilities to, for and of the Trust and/or the Trustees, and
the contracts with respect thereto may contain such terms interpretive of or in
addition to the delineation of the services, duties and responsibilities
provided for, including provisions that are not inconsistent with the 1940 Act
relating to the standard of duty of and the rights to indemnification of the
Contracting Party and others, as the Trustees may determine. Nothing herein
shall preclude, prevent or limit the Trust or a Contracting Party from entering
into sub-contractual arrangements relative to any of the matters referred to in
subsections (a) through (g) of this Section 5.2.
ARTICLE 6
PORTFOLIOS AND SHARES
SECTION 6.1. Description of Portfolios and Shares.
(a) Shares; Portfolios; Series of Shares. The beneficial interest in
the Trust shall be divided into Shares having a nominal or par value of
one mill ($.001) per Share, and all of one class, of which an unlimited
number may be issued. The Trustees shall have the authority from time to
time to establish and designate one or more separate, distinct and
independent Portfolios into which the assets of
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the Trust shall be divided, and to authorize a separate Series of Shares
for each such Portfolio (each of which Series, including without
limitation each Series authorized in Section 6.2 hereof, shall represent
interests only in the Portfolio with respect to which such Series was
authorized), as they deem necessary or desirable. Except as otherwise
provided as to a particular Portfolio herein, or in the Certificate of
Designation therefor, the Trustees shall have all the rights and powers,
and be subject to all the duties and obligations, with respect to each
such Portfolio and the assets and affairs thereof as they have under this
Declaration with respect to the Trust and the Trust Property in general.
(b) Establishment, etc. of Portfolios; Authorization of Shares. The
establishment and designation of any Portfolio in addition to the
Portfolios established and designated in Section 6.2 hereof and the
authorization of the Shares thereof shall be effective upon the execution
by a Majority of the Trustees (or by an officer of the Trust pursuant to
the vote of a Majority of the Trustees) of an instrument setting forth
such establishment and designation and the relative rights and preferences
of the Shares of such Portfolio and the manner in which the same may be
amended (a "Certificate of Designation"), and may provide that the number
of Shares of such Series which may be issued is unlimited, or may limit
the number issuable. At any time that there are no Shares outstanding of
any particular Portfolio previously established and designated, including
any Portfolio established and designated in Section 6.2 hereof, the
Trustees may by an instrument executed by a Majority of the Trustees (or
by an officer of the Trust pursuant to the vote of a Majority of the
Trustees) terminate such Portfolio and the establishment and designation
thereof and the authorization of its Shares (a "Certificate of
Termination"). Each Certificate of Designation, Certificate of Termination
and any instrument amending a Certificate of Designation shall have the
status of an amendment to this Declaration of Trust, and shall be filed
and become effective as provided in Section 9.4 hereof.
(c) Character of Separate Portfolios and Shares Thereof. Each
Portfolio established hereunder shall be a separate component of the
assets of the Trust, and the holders of Shares of the Series representing
the beneficial interest in the assets of that Portfolio shall be
considered Shareholders of such Portfolio, but such Shareholders shall
also be considered Shareholders of the Trust for purposes of receiving
reports and notices and, except as otherwise provided herein or in the
Certificate of Designation of a particular Portfolio as to such Portfolio,
or as required by the 1940 Act or other applicable law, the right to vote,
all without distinction by Series. The Trustees shall have exclusive power
without the requirement of Shareholder
-25-
approval to establish and designate such separate and distinct Portfolios,
and to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences as between
the shares of the respective Portfolios as to rights of redemption and the
price, terms and manner of redemption, special and relative rights as to
dividends and other distributions and on liquidation, sinking or purchase
fund provisions, conversion rights, and conditions under which the
Shareholders of the several Portfolios shall have separate voting rights
or no voting rights.
(d) Consideration for Shares. The Trustees may issue Shares of any
Series for such consideration (which may include property subject to, or
acquired in connection with the assumption of, liabilities) and on such
terms as they may determine (or for no consideration if pursuant to a
Share dividend or split up), all without action or approval of the
Shareholders. All Shares when so issued on the terms determined by the
Trustees shall be fully paid and non-assessable (but may be subject to
mandatory contribution back to the Trust as provided in Section 6.2(h)
hereof). The Trustees may classify or reclassify any unissued Shares, or
any Shares of any Series previously issued and reacquired by the Trust,
into Shares of one or more other Portfolios that may be established and
designated from time to time.
SECTION 6.2. Establishment and Designation of Certain Portfolios; General
Provisions for All Portfolios. Without limiting the authority of the Trustees
set forth in Section 6.1(a) hereof to establish and designate further
Portfolios, there are hereby established and designated the following six (6)
Portfolios: the ▇▇▇▇▇ VIP Money Market Portfolio, the ▇▇▇▇▇ VIP Fixed Income
Portfolio, the ▇▇▇▇▇ VIP High Yield Portfolio, the ▇▇▇▇▇ VIP Income and Growth
Portfolio, the ▇▇▇▇▇ VIP Small Capitalization Portfolio and the ▇▇▇▇▇ VIP Growth
Portfolio. The Shares of such Portfolios, and the Shares of any further
Portfolios that may from time to time be established and designated by the
Trustees shall (unless the Trustees otherwise determine with respect to some
further Portfolio at the time of establishing and designating the same) have the
following relative rights and preferences:
(a) Assets Belonging to Portfolios. Any portion of the Trust
Property allocated to a particular Portfolio, and all consideration
received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of such Portfolio,
together with all assets in which such consideration is invested or
reinvested, all interest, dividends, income, earnings, profits and gains
therefrom, and proceeds thereof, including any proceeds derived from the
sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets, and any funds or payments
derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the same
may be, shall be held by the Trustees in trust for the benefit of the
holders of Shares of that Portfolio and shall irrevocably belong to that
Portfolio for all purposes, and shall be so recorded upon the books of
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account of the Trust, and the Shareholders of such Portfolio shall not
have, and shall be conclusively deemed to have waived, any claims to the
assets of any Portfolio of which they are not Shareholders. Such
consideration, assets, interest, dividends, income, earnings, profits,
gains and proceeds, together with any General Items allocated to that
Portfolio as provided in the following sentence, are herein referred to
collectively as "Portfolio Assets" of such Portfolio, and as assets
"belonging to" that Portfolio. In the event that there are any assets,
income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof, funds, or payments which
are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular Portfolio
(collectively "General Items"), the Trustees shall allocate such General
Items to and among any one or more of the Portfolios established and
designated from time to time in such manner and on such basis as they, in
their sole discretion, deem fair and equitable; and any General Items so
allocated to a particular Portfolio shall belong to and be part of the
Portfolio Assets of that Portfolio. Each such allocation by the Trustees
shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Portfolios
for all purposes.
(b) Liabilities of Portfolios. The assets belonging to each
particular Portfolio shall be charged with the liabilities in respect of
that Portfolio and all expenses, costs, charges and reserves attributable
to that Portfolio, and any general liabilities, expenses, costs, charges
or reserves of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as pertaining
to any particular Portfolio shall be allocated and charged by the Trustees
to and among any one or more of the Portfolios established and designated
from time to time in such manner and on such basis as the Trustees in
their sole discretion deem fair and equitable. The indebtedness, expenses,
costs, charges and reserves allocated and so charged to a particular
Portfolio are herein referred to as "liabilities of" that Portfolio. Each
allocation of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves by the
Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all
Portfolios for all purposes. Any creditor of any Portfolio may look only
to the assets of that Portfolio to satisfy such creditor's debt.
(c) Dividends. Dividends and distributions on Shares of a particular
Portfolio may be paid with such frequency as the Trustees may determine,
which may be daily or otherwise pursuant to a standing resolution or
resolutions adopted only once or with such frequency as the Trustees may
determine, to the Shareholders of that Portfolio, from such of the income,
accrued or realized, and capital gains, realized or unrealized, and out of
the assets belonging to that Portfolio, as the Trustees may determine,
after providing for actual and accrued liabilities of that Portfolio. All
dividends and distributions on Shares of a particular Portfolio shall be
distributed pro rata to the Shareholders of that Portfolio proportion to
the number of such Shares held by such holders
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at the date and time of record established for the payment of such
dividends or distributions, except that in connection with any dividend or
distribution program or procedure the Trustees may determine that no
dividend or distribution shall be payable on Shares as to which the
Shareholder's purchase order and/or payment have not been received by the
time or times established by the Trustees under such program or procedure,
or that dividends or distributions shall be payable on Shares which have
been tendered by the holder thereof for redemption or repurchase, but the
redemption or repurchase proceeds of which have not yet been paid to such
Shareholder. Such dividends and distributions may be made in cash or
Shares of that Portfolio or a combination thereof as determined by the
Trustees, or pursuant to any program that the Trustees may have in effect
at the time for the election by each Shareholder of the mode of the making
of such dividend or distribution to that Shareholder. Any such dividend or
distribution paid in Shares will be paid at the net asset value thereof as
determined in accordance with subsection (h) of this Section 6.2.
(d) Liquidation. In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of
the Trust, the Shareholders of each Portfolio of which Shares are
outstanding shall be entitled to receive, when and as declared by the
Trustees, the excess of the Portfolio Assets over the liabilities of such
Portfolio. The assets so distributable to the Shareholders of any
particular Portfolio shall be distributed among such Shareholders in
proportion to the number of Shares of that Portfolio held by them and
recorded on the books of the Trust. The liquidation of any particular
Portfolio may be authorized by vote of a Majority of the Trustees, subject
to the affirmative vote of "a majority of the outstanding voting
securities" of that Portfolio, as the quoted phrase is defined in the 1940
Act, determined in accordance with clause (iii) of the definition of
"Majority Shareholder Vote" in Section 1.4 hereof.
(e) Voting. The Shareholders shall have the voting rights set forth
in or determined under Article 7 hereof.
(f) Redemption by Shareholder. Each holder of Shares of a particular
Portfolio shall have the right at such times as may be permitted by the
Trust, but no less frequently than once each week, to require the Trust to
redeem all or any part of his Shares of that Portfolio at a redemption
price equal to the net asset value per Share of that Portfolio next
determined in accordance with subsection (h) of this Section 6.2 after the
Shares are properly tendered for redemption; provided, that the Trustees
may from time to time, in their discretion, determine and impose a fee for
such redemption. Payment of the redemption price shall be in cash;
provided, however, that if the Trustees determine, which determination
shall be conclusive, that conditions exist which make payment
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wholly in cash unwise or undesirable, the Trust may make payment wholly or
partly in Securities or other assets belonging to such Portfolio at the
value of such Securities or assets used in such determination of net asset
value. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may postpone payment of
the redemption price and may suspend the right of the holders of Shares of
any Portfolio to require the Trust to redeem Shares of that Portfolio
during any period or at any time when and to the extent permissible under
the ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇.
(g) Redemption at the Option of the Trust. Each Share of any
Portfolio shall be subject to redemption at the option of the Trust at the
redemption price which would be applicable if such Share were then being
redeemed by the Shareholder pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section
6.2: (i) at any time, if the Trustees determine in their sole discretion
that failure to so redeem may have materially adverse consequences to the
holders of the Shares of the Trust or of any Portfolio, or (ii) upon such
other conditions with respect to maintenance of Shareholder accounts of a
minimum amount as may from time to time be determined by the Trustees and
set forth in the then current Prospectus of such Portfolio. Upon such
redemption the holders of the Shares so redeemed shall have no further
right with respect thereto other than to receive payment of such
redemption price.
(h) Net Asset Value. The net asset value per Share of any Portfolio
at any time shall be the quotient obtained by dividing the value of the
net assets of such Portfolio at such time (being the current value of the
assets belonging to such Portfolio, less its then existing liabilities) by
the total number of Shares of that Portfolio then outstanding, all
determined in accordance with the methods and procedures, including
without limitation those with respect to rounding, established by the
Trustees from time to time. The Trustees may determine to maintain the net
asset value per Share of any Portfolio at a designated constant dollar
amount and in connection therewith may adopt procedures not inconsistent
with the 1940 Act for the continuing declaration of income attributable to
that Portfolio as dividends payable in additional Shares of that Portfolio
at the designated constant dollar amount and for the handling of any
losses attributable to that Portfolio. Such procedures may provide that in
the event of any loss each Shareholder shall be deemed to have contributed
to the shares of beneficial interest account of that Portfolio his pro
rata portion of the total number of Shares required to be canceled in
order to permit the net asset value per Share of that Portfolio to be
maintained, after reflecting such loss, at the designated constant dollar
amount. Each Shareholder of the Trust shall be deemed to have expressly
agreed, by his investment in any Portfolio with respect to which the
Trustees shall have adopted any such procedure, to make the contribution
referred to in the preceding sentence in the event of any such loss.
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(i) Transfer. All Shares of each particular Portfolio shall be
transferable, but transfers of Shares of a particular Portfolio will be
recorded on the Share transfer records of the Trust applicable to that
Portfolio only at such times as Shareholders shall have the right to
require the Trust to redeem Shares of that Portfolio and at such other
times as may be permitted by the Trustees.
(j) Equality. All Shares of each particular Portfolio shall
represent an equal proportionate interest in the assets belonging to that
Portfolio (subject to the liabilities of that Portfolio), and each Share
of any particular Portfolio shall be equal to each other Share thereof;
but the provisions of this sentence shall not restrict any distinctions
permissible under subsection (c) of this Section 6.2 that may exist with
respect to dividends and distributions on Shares of the same Portfolio.
The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of any
particular Portfolio into a greater or lesser number of Shares of that
Portfolio without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial interest
in the assets belonging to that Portfolio or in any way affecting the
rights of the holders of Shares of any other Portfolio.
(k) Rights of Fractional Shares. Any fractional Share of any Series
shall carry proportionately all the rights and obligations of a whole
Share of that Series, including rights and obligations with respect to
voting, receipt of dividends and distributions, redemption of Shares, and
liquidation of the Trust or of the Portfolio to which they pertain.
(l) Conversion Rights. Subject to compliance with the requirements
of the 1940 Act, the Trustees shall have the authority to provide that
holders of Shares of any Portfolio shall have the right to convert said
Shares into Shares of one or more other Portfolios in accordance with such
requirements and procedures as the Trustees may establish.
SECTION 6.3. Ownership of Shares. The ownership of Shares shall be
recorded on the books of the Trust or of a Transfer Agent or similar agent for
the Trust, which books shall be maintained separately for the Shares of each
Series that has been authorized. Certificates evidencing the ownership of Shares
need not be issued except as the Trustees may otherwise determine from time to
time, and the Trustees shall have power to call outstanding Share certificates
and to replace them with book entries. The Trustees may make such rules as they
consider appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates, the use of
facsimile signatures, the transfer of Shares and similar matters. The record
books of the Trust as kept by the Trust or any Transfer Agent or similar agent,
as the case may be, shall be conclusive as to who are the Shareholders and as to
the number of Shares of each Portfolio held from time to time by each such
Shareholder.
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The holders of Shares of each Portfolio shall upon demand disclose to the
Trustees in writing such information with respect to their direct and indirect
ownership of Shares of such Portfolio as the Trustees deem necessary to comply
with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, or to comply with the
requirements of any other authority.
SECTION 6.4. Investments in the Trust. The Trustees may accept investments
in any Portfolio of the Trust from such Persons and on such terms and for such
consideration, not inconsistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act, as they
from time to time authorize. The Trustees may authorize any Distributor,
Principal Underwriter, Custodian, Transfer Agent or other Person to accept
orders for the purchase of Shares that conform to such authorized terms and to
reject any purchase orders for Shares, whether or not conforming to such
authorized terms.
SECTION 6.5. No Pre-emptive Rights. No Shareholder, by virtue of holding
Shares of any Portfolio, shall have any pre-emptive or other right to subscribe
to any additional Shares of that Portfolio, or to any shares of any other
Portfolio, or any other Securities issued by the Trust.
SECTION 6.6. Status of Shares. 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. Shares shall be deemed to be
personal property, giving only the rights provided herein. 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. The death of a Shareholder during the continuance of the Trust shall
not operate to terminate the Trust or any Portfolio, 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 Declaration of Trust.
ARTICLE 7
SHAREHOLDERS' VOTING POWERS AND MEETINGS
SECTION 7.1. Voting Powers. The Shareholders shall have power to vote only
(i) for the election or removal of Trustees as provided in Sections 4.1(c) and
(e) hereof, (ii) with respect to the approval or termination in accordance with
the 1940 Act of any contract with a Contracting Party as provided in Section 5.2
hereof as to which Shareholder approval is as required by the 1940 Act, (iii)
with respect to any termination or reorganization of the Trust or any Portfolio
to the extent and as provided in Sections 9.1 and 9.2 hereof, (iv) with respect
to any amendment of this Declaration of Trust to the extent and as provided in
Section
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9.3 hereof, (v) 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 any Portfolio, or the Shareholders of any of them
(provided, however, that a Shareholder of a particular Portfolio shall not in
any event be entitled to maintain a derivative or class action on behalf of any
other Portfolio or the Shareholders thereof), and (vi) with respect to such
additional matters relating to the Trust as may be required by the 1940 Act,
this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws or any registration of the Trust with the
Commission (or any successor agency) or any State, or as the Trustees may
consider necessary or desirable. If and to the extent that the Trustees shall
determine that such action is required by law, they shall cause each matter
required or permitted to be voted upon at a meeting or by written consent of
Shareholders to be submitted to a separate vote of the outstanding Shares of
each Portfolio entitled to vote thereon; provided, that (i) when expressly
required by this Declaration or by the 1940 Act, actions of Shareholders shall
be taken by Single Class Voting of all outstanding Shares of each Series whose
holders are entitled to vote thereon; and (ii) when the Trustees determine that
any matter to be submitted to a vote of Shareholders affects only the rights or
interests of Shareholders of one or more but not all Portfolios, then only the
Shareholders of the Portfolios so affected shall be entitled to vote thereon.
SECTION 7.2. Number of Votes and Manner of Voting; Proxies. On each matter
submitted to a vote of the Shareholders, each holder of Shares of any Series
shall be entitled to a number of votes equal to the number of Shares of such
Series standing in his name on the books of the Trust. 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 (2) 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 are issued, the Trustees may exercise all rights of Shareholders
and may take any action required by law, this Declaration of Trust or the
By-Laws to be taken by Shareholders.
SECTION 7.3. Meetings. Meetings of Shareholders 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 as herein provided, or upon
any other matter deemed by the Trustees to be necessary or desirable. Written
notice or any meeting of Shareholders shall be given or caused to be given by
the Trustees by mailing such notice at least seven (7) days before such meeting,
postage prepaid, stating the time, place and purpose of the meeting, to each
Shareholder at the Shareholder's
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address as it appears on the records of the Trust. The Trustees shall promptly
call and give notice of a meeting of Shareholders for the purpose of voting upon
removal of any Trustee of the Trust when requested to do so in writing by
Shareholders holding not less than ten percent (10%) of the Shares then
outstanding. If the Trustees shall fail to call or give notice of any meeting of
Shareholders for a period of thirty (30) days after written application by
Shareholders holding at least ten percent (10%) of the Shares then outstanding
requesting that a meeting be called for any other purpose requiring action by
the Shareholders as provided herein or in the By-Laws, then Shareholders holding
at least ten percent (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.
SECTION 7.4. Record Dates. For the purpose of determining the Shareholders
who are entitled to vote or act at any meeting or any adjournment thereof, or
who are entitled to participate in any dividend or distribution, or for the
purpose of any other action, the Trustees may from time to time close the
transfer books for such period, not exceeding thirty (30) days (except at or in
connection with the termination of the Trust), as the Trustees may determine; or
without closing the transfer books the Trustees may fix a date and time not more
than sixty (60) days prior to the date of any meeting of Shareholders or other
action as the date and time of record for the determination of Shareholders
entitled to vote at such meeting or any adjournment thereof or to be treated as
Shareholders of record for purposes of such other action, and any Shareholder
who was a Shareholder at the date and time so fixed shall be entitled to vote at
such meeting or any adjournment thereof or to be treated as a Shareholder of
record for purposes of such other action, even though he has since that date and
time disposed of his Shares, and no Shareholder becoming such after that date
and time shall be so entitled to vote at such meeting or any adjournment thereof
or to be treated as a Shareholder of record for purposes of such other action.
SECTION 7.5. Quorum and Required Vote. A majority of the Shares entitled
to vote shall be a quorum for the transaction of business at a Shareholders'
meeting, but 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. A
Majority Shareholder Vote at a meeting of which a quorum is present shall decide
any question, except when a different vote is required or permitted by any
provision of the 1940 Act or other applicable law or by this Declaration of
Trust or the By-Laws, or when the Trustees shall in their discretion require a
larger vote or the vote of a majority or larger fraction of the Shares of one or
more particular Series.
SECTION 7.6. Action by Written Consent. Subject to the provisions of the
1940 Act and other applicable law, any action
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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
or of the Shares of any particular Series as shall be required by the 1940 Act
or by any express provision of this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws or as
shall be permitted by the Trustees) consent to the action in writing and if the
writings in which such consent is given are filed with the records of the
meetings of Shareholders, to the same extent and for the same period as proxies
given in connection with a Shareholders' meeting. Such consent shall be treated
for all purposes as a vote taken at a meeting of Shareholders.
SECTION 7.7. Inspection of Records. The records of the Trust shall be open
to inspection by Shareholders to the same extent as is permitted stockholders of
a Massachusetts business corporation under the Massachusetts Business
Corporation Law.
SECTION 7.8. Additional Provisions. The By-Laws may include further
provisions for Shareholders' votes and meetings and related matters not
inconsistent with the provisions hereof.
ARTICLE 8
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 8.1. Trustees, Shareholders, etc. Not Personally Liable; Notice.
The Trustees and officers of the Trust, in incurring any debts, liabilities or
obligations, or in limiting or omitting any other actions for or in connection
with the Trust, are or shall be deemed to be acting as Trustees or officers of
the Trust and not in their own capacities. No Shareholder shall be subject to
any personal liability whatsoever in tort, contract or otherwise to any other
Person or Persons in connection with the assets or the affairs of the Trust or
of any Portfolio, and subject to Section 8.4 hereof, no Trustee, officer,
employee or agent of the Trust shall be subject to any personal liability
whatsoever in tort, contract, or otherwise, to any other Person or Persons in
connection with the assets or affairs of the Trust or of any Portfolio, save
only that arising from his own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence
or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office or the
discharge of his functions. The Trust (or if the matter relates only to a
particular Portfolio, that Portfolio) shall be solely liable for any and all
debts, claims, demands, judgments, decrees, liabilities or obligations of any
and every kind, against or with respect to the Trust or such Portfolio in tort,
contract or otherwise in connection with the assets or the affairs of the Trust
or such Portfolio, and all Persons dealing with the Trust or any Portfolio shall
be deemed to have agreed that resort shall be had solely to the Trust Property
of the Trust or the Portfolio Assets of such Portfolio, as the case may be, for
the payment or performance thereof.
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The Trustees shall use their best efforts to ensure that every note, bond,
contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking made or issued by the Trustees
or by any officers or officer shall give notice that this Declaration of Trust
is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and shall
recite to the effect that the same was executed or made by or on behalf of the
Trust or by them as Trustees or Trustee 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, or the particular Portfolio in question, as
the case may be, but the omission thereof shall not operate to bind any Trustees
or Trustee or officers or officer or Shareholders or Shareholder individually,
or to subject the Portfolio Assets of any Portfolio to the obligations of any
other Portfolio.
SECTION 8.2. Trustees' Good Faith Action; Expert Advice; No Bond or
Surety. The exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretions hereunder
shall be binding upon everyone interested. Subject to Section 8.4 hereof, a
Trustee shall be liable for his own willful 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. Subject to the foregoing, (i) the Trustees
shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of
any officer, agent, employee, consultant, Investment Adviser, Administrator,
Distributor or Principal Underwriter, Custodian or Transfer Agent, Dividend
Disbursing Agent, Shareholder Servicing Agent or Accounting Agent of the Trust,
nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other
Trustee; (ii) the Trustees may take advice of counsel or other experts with
respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust and their
duties as Trustees, and shall be under no liability for any act or omission in
accordance with such advice or for failing to follow such advice; and (iii) in
discharging their duties, the Trustees, when acting in good faith, shall be
entitled to rely upon the books of account of the Trust and upon written reports
made to the Trustees by any officer appointed by them, any independent public
accountant, and (with respect to the subject matter of the contract involved)
any officer, partner or responsible employee of a Contracting Party appointed by
the Trustees pursuant to Section 5.2 hereof. The Trustees as such shall not be
required to give any bond or surety or any other security for the performance of
their duties.
SECTION 8.3. Indemnification of Shareholders. If any Shareholder (or
former Shareholder) of the Trust shall be charged or held to be personally
liable for any obligation or liability of the Trust solely by reason of being or
having been a Shareholder and not because of such Shareholder's acts or
omissions or for some other reason, the Trust (upon proper and timely request by
the Shareholder) shall assume the defense against such charge and satisfy any
judgment thereon, and the Shareholder or former
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Shareholder (or the heirs, executors, administrators or other legal
representatives thereof, or in the case of a corporation or other entity, its
corporate or other general successor) shall be entitled (but solely out of the
assets of the Portfolio of which such Shareholder or former Shareholder is or
was the holder of Shares) to be held harmless from and indemnified against all
loss and expense arising from such liability.
SECTION 8.4. Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, etc. Subject to the
limitations set forth hereinafter in this Section 8.4, the Trust shall indemnify
(from the assets of the Portfolio or Portfolios to which the conduct in question
relates) 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, together with such Person's heirs, executors, administrators or
personal representative, referred to as a "Covered Person"]) against all
liabilities, including but not limited to amounts paid in satisfaction of
judgments, in compromise or as fines and penalties, and expenses, including
reasonable accountants' and counsel fees, 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 Trustee or officer, director or trustee, except with respect to any
matter as to which it has been determined that such Covered Person (i) did not
act in good faith in the reasonable belief that such Covered Person's action was
in or not opposed to the best interests of the Trust or (ii) had acted with
willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the
duties involved in the conduct of such Covered Person's office (either and both
of the conduct described in (i) and (ii) being referred to hereafter as
"Disabling Conduct"). A determination that the Covered Person is entitled to
indemnification may be made by (i) a final decision on the merits by a court or
other body before whom the proceeding was brought that the Covered Person to be
indemnified was not liable by reason of Disabling Conduct, (ii) dismissal of a
court action or an administrative proceeding against a Covered Person for
insufficiency of evidence of Disabling Conduct, or (iii) a reasonable
determination, based upon a review of the facts, that the indemnitee was not
liable by reason of Disabling Conduct by (a) a vote of a majority of a quorum of
Trustees who are neither "interested persons" of the Trust as defined in Section
2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act nor parties to the proceeding, or (b) an independent
legal counsel in a written opinion. Expenses, including accountants' and counsel
fees so incurred by any such Covered Person (but excluding amounts paid in
satisfaction of judgments, in compromise or as fines or penalties), may be paid
from time to time by the Portfolio or Portfolios to which the conduct in
question related in advance of the final disposition of any such
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action, suit or proceeding; provided, that the Covered Person shall have
undertaken to repay the amounts so paid to such Portfolio or Portfolios if it is
ultimately determined that indemnification of such expenses is not authorized
under this Article 8 and (i) the Covered Person shall have provided security for
such undertaking, (ii) the Trust shall be insured against losses arising by
reason of any lawful advances, or (iii) a majority of a quorum of the
disinterested Trustees, or an independent legal counsel in a written opinion,
shall have determined, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed
to a full trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that the Covered
Person ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification.
SECTION 8.5. Compromise Payment. As to any matter disposed of by a
compromise payment by any such Covered Person referred to in Section 8.4 hereof,
pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise, no such indemnification either for
said payment or for any other expenses shall be provided unless such
indemnification shall be approved (i) by a majority of a quorum of the
disinterested Trustees or (ii) by an independent legal counsel in a written
opinion. Approval by the Trustees pursuant to clause (i) or by independent legal
counsel pursuant to clause (ii) shall not prevent the recovery from any Covered
Person of any amount paid to such Covered Person in accordance with either of
such clauses 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 or not opposed
to the best interests of the Trust or to have been liable to the Trust or its
Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or
reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such Covered
Person's office.
SECTION 8.6. Indemnification Not Exclusive, etc. The right of
indemnification provided by this Article 8 shall not be exclusive of or affect
any other rights to which any such Covered Person may be entitled. As used in
this Article 8, a "disinterested" Person is one against whom none of the
actions, suits or other proceedings in question, and no other action, suit or
other proceeding on the same or similar grounds is then or has been pending or
threatened. Nothing contained in this Article 8 shall affect any rights to
indemnification to which personnel of the Trust, other than Trustees and
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.
SECTION 8.7. Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees. 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.
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ARTICLE 9
DURATION; REORGANIZATION; AMENDMENTS
SECTION 9.1. Duration and Termination of Trust. Unless terminated as
provided herein, the Trust shall continue without limitation of time and,
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no change, alteration or
modification with respect to any Portfolio or Series of Shares shall operate to
terminate the Trust. The Trust may be terminated at any time by a Majority of
the Trustees, subject to the favorable vote of the holders of not less than a
majority of the Shares outstanding and entitled to vote of each Portfolio of the
Trust, or by an instrument or instruments in writing without a meeting,
consented to by the holders of not less than a majority of such Shares, or by
such greater or different vote of Shareholders of any Series as may be
established by the Certificate of Designation by which such Series was
authorized. Upon termination, after paying or otherwise providing for all
charges, taxes, expenses and liabilities, whether due or accrued or anticipated
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, Securities or other property, or any combination
thereof, and distribute the proceeds to the Shareholders, in conformity with the
provisions of Section 6.2(d) hereof.
SECTION 9.2. Reorganization. The Trustees may sell, convey and transfer
all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust, or the assets belonging to
any one or more Portfolios, to another trust, partnership, association or
corporation organized under the laws of any state of the United States, or may
transfer such assets to another Portfolio of the Trust, in exchange for cash,
Shares or other Securities (including, in the case of a transfer to another
Portfolio of the Trust, Shares of such other Portfolio), or to the extent
permitted by law then in effect may merge or consolidate the Trust or any
Portfolio with any other Trust or any corporation, partnership, or association
organized under the laws of any state of the United States, all upon such terms
and conditions and for such consideration when and as authorized by vote or
written consent of a Majority of the Trustees and approved by the affirmative
vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the Shares outstanding and
entitled to vote of each Portfolio whose assets are affected by such
transaction, or by an instrument or instruments in writing without a meeting,
consented to by the holders of not less than a majority of such Shares, and/or
by such other vote of any Series as may be established by the Certificate of
Designation with respect to such Series. Following such transfer, the Trustees
shall distribute the cash, Shares or other Securities or other consideration
received in such transaction (giving due effect to the assets belonging to and
indebtedness of, and any other differences among, the various Portfolios of
which the assets have so been transferred) among the Shareholders of the
Portfolio of which the assets have been so transferred; and if all of the assets
of the Trust have been so transferred, the Trust
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shall be terminated. Nothing in this Section 9.2 shall be construed as requiring
approval of Shareholders for the Trustees to organize or assist in organizing
one or more corporations, trusts, partnerships, associations or other
organizations, and to sell, convey or transfer less than substantially all of
the Trust Property or the assets belonging to any Portfolio to such
organizations or entities.
SECTION 9.3. Amendments; etc. All rights granted to the Shareholders under
this Declaration of Trust are granted subject to the reservation of the right to
amend this Declaration of Trust as herein provided, except that no amendment
shall repeal the limitations on personal liability of any Shareholder or Trustee
or the prohibition of assessment upon the Shareholders (otherwise than as
permitted under Section 6.2(h)) without the express consent of each Shareholder
or Trustee involved. Subject to the foregoing, the provisions of this
Declaration of Trust (whether or not related to the rights of Shareholders) may
be amended at any time, so long as such amendment does not adversely affect the
rights of any Shareholder with respect to which such amendment is or purports to
be applicable and so long as such amendment is not in contravention of
applicable law, including the 1940 Act, by an instrument in writing signed by a
Majority of the Trustees (or by an officer of the Trust pursuant to the vote of
a Majority of the Trustees). Any amendment to this Declaration of Trust that
adversely affects the rights of all Shareholders may be adopted at any time by
an instrument in writing signed by a Majority of the Trustees (or by an officer
of the Trust pursuant to a vote of a Majority of the Trustees) when authorized
to do so by the vote in accordance with Section 7.1 hereof of Shareholders
holding a majority of all the Shares outstanding and entitled to vote, without
regard to Series, or if said amendment adversely affects the rights of the
Shareholders of less than all of the Portfolios, by the vote of the holders of a
majority of all the Shares entitled to vote of each Portfolio so affected.
Subject to the foregoing, any such amendment shall be effective when the
instrument containing the terms thereof and a certificate (which may be a part
of such instrument) to the effect that such amendment has been duly adopted, and
setting forth the circumstances thereof, shall have been executed and
acknowledged by a Trustee or officer of the Trust and filed as provided in
Section 9.4 hereof.
SECTION 9.4. Filing of Copies of Declaration and Amendments. The original
or a copy of this Declaration and of each amendment hereto (including each
Certificate of Designation and Certificate of Termination), as well as the
certificates called for by Section 4.1(k) hereof as to changes in the Trustees,
shall be kept at the office of the Trust where it may be inspected by any
Shareholder, and one copy of each such instrument shall be filed with the
Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as with any other
governmental office where such filing may from time to time be required by the
laws of Massachusetts. A restated Declaration, integrating into a single
instrument all of the provisions of this Declaration which are then in effect
and
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operative, may be executed from time to time by a Majority of the Trustees and
shall, upon filing with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, be
conclusive evidence of all amendments contained therein and may thereafter be
referred to in lieu of the original Declaration and the various amendments
thereto.
ARTICLE 10
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 10.1. Governing Law. This Declaration of Trust is executed and
delivered in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and with reference to the laws
thereof, and the rights of all parties and the construction and effect of every
provision hereof shall be subject to and construed according to the laws of said
Commonwealth.
SECTION 10.2. Counterparts. This Declaration of Trust and any amendment
thereto may be simultaneously executed in several counterparts, each of which so
executed shall be deemed to be an original, and such counterparts, together,
shall constitute but one and the same instrument, which shall be sufficiently
evidenced by any such original counterpart.
SECTION 10.3. Reliance by Third Parties. Any certificate executed by an
individual who, according to the records in the office of the Secretary of The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts appears to be a Trustee hereunder, certifying to:
(a) the number or identity of Trustees or Shareholders, (b) the due
authorization of the execution of any instrument or writing, (c) the form of any
vote passed as a meeting of Trustees or Shareholders, (d) the fact that the
number of Trustees or Shareholders present at any meeting or executing any
written instrument satisfies the requirements of this Declaration of Trust, (e)
the form of any By-Law adopted, or the identity of any officers elected, by the
Trustees, or (f) the existence or non-existence of any fact or facts which in
any manner relate to the affairs of the Trust, shall be conclusive evidence as
to the matters so certified in favor of any Person dealing with the Trustees, or
any of them, and the successors of such Person.
SECTION 10.4. References; Headings. The masculine gender shall include the
feminine and neuter genders. Headings are placed herein for convenience of
reference only and shall not be taken as a part of this Declaration or control
or affect the meaning, construction or effect hereof.
SECTION 10.5. Use of the Name "▇▇▇▇▇". ▇▇▇▇▇ Associates, Inc. ("▇▇▇▇▇")
has consented to the use by the Trust of the identifying name "▇▇▇▇▇" which is a
property right of ▇▇▇▇▇. The Trust will only use the name "▇▇▇▇▇" as a component
of its name and for no other purpose, and will not purport to grant to any third
party the right to use the name "▇▇▇▇▇" for any purpose. ▇▇▇▇▇ or any corporate
affiliate of ▇▇▇▇▇ may use or grant to
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others the right to use the name "▇▇▇▇▇", as all or a portion of a corporate or
business name or for any commercial purpose, including a grant of such right to
any other investment company. At the request of ▇▇▇▇▇, the Trust will take such
action as may be required to provide its consent to the use of such name by
▇▇▇▇▇, or any corporate affiliate of ▇▇▇▇▇ or by any Person to whom ▇▇▇▇▇ or an
affiliate of ▇▇▇▇▇ shall have granted the right to the use of the name "▇▇▇▇▇".
Upon the termination of any investment advisory or management agreement into
which ▇▇▇▇▇ and the Trust may enter, the Trust shall, upon request by ▇▇▇▇▇,
cease to use the name "▇▇▇▇▇" as a component of its name, and shall not use such
name or initials as a part of its name or for any other commercial purpose, and
shall cause its officers and Trustees to take any and all actions which ▇▇▇▇▇
may request to effect the foregoing and to reconvey to ▇▇▇▇▇ or such corporate
affiliate any and all rights to such name.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set his hand and seal,
for himself and his assigns, and has thereby accepted the Trusteeship as the
Initial Trustee of The ▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Fund hereby granted and
agreed to the provisions hereof, all as of the day and year first above written.
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
----------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Initial Trustee
The undersigned Settlor of The ▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Fund
hereby accepts, approves and authorizes the foregoing Agreement and Declaration
of Trust of The ▇▇▇▇▇ Variable Insurance Products Fund.
Dated: April 6, 1988
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
----------------------------------
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
M A S S A C H U S E T T S
Suffolk, ss.: April 6, 1988
Then personally appeared the above named ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ and
acknowledged the foregoing instrument to be his free act and deed.
Before me,
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
-----------------------------
Notary Public
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
My commission expires: 12/28/90
M A S S A C H U S E T T S
Suffolk, ss.: April 6, 1988
Then personally appeared the above named ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ and acknowledged
the foregoing instrument to be his free act and deed.
Before me,
/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
-----------------------------
Notary Public
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇
My commission expires: 12/28/90