[I believe the following entity was the first “Board of Trade” established in Arkansas City. Mary Ann Wortman. September 11, 2000.]

BOARD OF TRADE, OF ARKANSAS CITY.

Arkansas City Republican, Saturday, November 28, 1885.

The Constitution and By-Laws Adopted.

PREAMBLE.

Believing in the necessity of an association of citizens to give tone and energy to their efforts in securing the advantages which the position of the city offers to commerce, trade, and manufacturers, as well as to promote unity of action and to cultivate a more intimate and friendly acquaintance among the businessmen of the city, and to maintain a commercial exchange to promote uniformity in the customs and usages of merchants, and to inculcate principles of justice and equity in trade, and to facilitate the speedy adjustment of business dispute, to acquire and disseminate valuable commercial and economic information, and generally to secure to its numbers the benefits of co-operation in furtherance of their legitimate pursuits, and to use our influence, energies, and means for the furtherance of all enterprises that we believe will add to the prosperity of our city, and that these ends may be obtained by the establishment of a board of trade; we, the citizens of Arkansas City, do therefore agree to form such an association, and to be governed by the following constitution and code of by-laws.

CONSTITUTION.

OFFICERS.

ARTICLE 1. The officers of this Board of Trade shall consist of a president, two vice-presidents, ten directors, two secretaries, and a treasurer, who shall constitute its board of managers. They shall be chosen semi-annually, on the second Monday of January and July of each year. Their election shall be by ballot and they shall hold their office until their successors are duly elected and qualified.

ANNUAL AND SPECIAL MEETINGS.

ARTICLE 2. This association shall hold semi-annual meetings on the second Mondays of January and July at half past 7 o’clock, p.m. But special meetings may be called by order of a majority of the managers whenever they may deem it proper, and upon the written application of not less than ten members, the managers shall call said meeting at the time so requested.

MONTHLY MEETINGS OF MANAGERS.

ARTICLE 3. The managers shall meet steadily on the first Thursday or every month for the transaction of such business as may come before them and at the annual meeting shall present to the association a report of the proceedings of the past year.

COMMITTEE OF ARBITRATION.

ARTICLE 4. There shall be appointed semi-annually, by the managers, a committee of arbitration to consist of five members, two of whom may be rejected by the parties submitting the case and their places supplied by two other members to be appointed by the managers. The chairman of said committee shall be designated by the managers at the time of its appointment.

DUTIES OF COMMITTEE OF ARBITRATION.

ARTICLE 5. The duties of the committee of arbitration shall be to arbitrate and decide all disputed accounts and contracts and all controversies of a mercantile character which may be brought before them by the members, the parties having previously signed a bond for such an amount as the committee may require to abide by the decision of the same. The assistant secretary shall serve as clerk of the committee of arbitration. Any member who does not abide by, and comply with, the decision of the committee, shall be expelled from this association by order of the managers.

COMMITTEE ON RAILROADS AND STEAMBOATS.

ARTICLE 6. There shall also be appointed by the managers, at the regular semi-annual meetings, a standing committee on railroads and steamboats, to consist of five members, to whom shall be referred all matters relating to the transportation of merchandise and passengers to and from the city. They shall semi-annually and whenever they deem it expedient make reports to the managers or board all such subjects relating to the various railroad and steamboat lines connected with our city, with such recommendations for the action of the managers or board as they may deem advisable.

MANUFACTURERS COMMITTEE.

ARTICLE 7. There shall be appointed by the managers at their regular semi-annual meetings a standing committee on manufactories, whose duties it shall be to look to the interests and welfare of the city at all times, with the view of securing any and all manufacturing interests possible within our city, and to whom shall be referred any matters tending in that direction that may come to the knowledge of any member of the board, and said committee shall make out and submit at least once during their term of office, a full and detailed report of their labors, and submit the same to a regular meeting of the board.

DUTIES OF THE SECRETARIES.

ARTICLE 8. The secretary shall keep a list of all the members of the association and also an accurate report of the transactions of the managers at their monthly meetings and of the annual meeting of the members. The assistant secretary shall attend the sittings of the committee of arbitration, record their decisions, give notice to said committee when their services are required, render a copy of their verdict to the parties in the case, collect the fees of arbitration and all other moneys due the board, and pay the same over to the treasurer, read the minutes of the last meeting at the monthly meetings of the directors and annual meetings of the directors, and report the proceedings of the committee of arbitration at each meeting of the managers.

DUTIES OF TREASURER.

ARTICLE 9. The treasurer shall receive from the secretary all moneys belonging to the board, shall disburse the same upon order of the secretary when approved by the president or one of the vice-presidents, and shall report the receipts and expenditures at each monthly meeting of the managers and annual meetings of the association.

FUNDS AND ASSESSMENTS.

ARTICLE 10. The funds of the association shall at all times be subject to the control of managers.

ADMISSION OF MEMBERS.

ARTICLE 11. Any individual a resident of Arkansas City, Kansas, may become a member of this association on payment of five dollars in advance. Annual assessments, not exceeding $5.00, may be made and any refusal to pay such assessments for 60 days, upon written notice, shall be considered as a withdrawal from the association and the name of the party shall be stricken from the same.

BY-LAWS AND CONSTITUTION—HOW AMENDED.

ARTICLE 12. The by-laws and constitution of this association shall not be altered or amended, except at a special meeting called for that purpose by order of a majority of the managers, a written or printed notice of which meeting and the proposed alteration shall be transmitted by the secretary to each member of the association.

BY-LAWS.

ARTICLE 1. This association shall be known as the Board of Trade, of Arkansas City, Cowley County, Kansas.

ARTICLE 2. Its place of business shall be Arkansas City.

QUORUM.

ARTICLE 3. The president, or one of the vice-presidents, shall preside at all meetings of the board and also of the managers. A quorum of the board shall consist of not less than fifteen members and a quorum of the managers of not less than four directors together with the presiding officer, but in the absence of the president and all the vice-presidents, a president protem may be chosen.

SPECIAL MEETINGS.

ARTICLE 4. The president, or, in his absence, either of the vice-presidents, shall have the power, on any emergency, to call a special meeting of the board, but the business to be acted upon at such special meeting, shall be given in the notice of said meeting, and no other acted upon but by unanimous consent.

ADMISSION OF MEMBERS.

ARTICLE 5. Every person desirous of becoming a member of this association shall be proposed at a stated meeting; and if five or more negative votes shall appear against any candidate, he shall not be admitted as a member. Nor shall his name again appear before the board for membership until after the expiration of six months from the date of such rejection. On becoming a member, he shall sign the constitution and by-laws. No application to be acted upon less accompanied by a membership fee of five dollars.

REGULAR MEETINGS.

ARTICLE 6. The monthly meetings of the managers shall be held on the first Thursday of every month at the chambers of the board, at such hour as may be ordered by the president, written notice of which meeting shall be given to each member of the board.

EXPULSION OF MEMBERS.

ARTICLE 7. Any member who shall refuse or neglect to sign the constitution and by-laws of the association, may be expelled by the vote of three-fourths of the members present. But a notice of said motion shall be served on him, by the secretary, previous to said meeting. Any members failing to attend any regular meeting, having been notified of such meeting being called in writing by the secretary, may be expelled upon a majority vote of all members present. And any member failing to attend for three consecutive meetings of said board, after having been notified as required, shall be declared expelled from the association, Provided that sickness or wholly unavoidable causes of his absence, may work a reasonable excuse.

WITHDRAWAL OF MEMBERS.

ARTICLE 8. Any member who may wish to withdraw from the association shall give written notice thereof, together with his reasons therefor. But no member shall be permitted to withdraw, unless he shall have paid his yearly subscription.

FEES AND ASSESSMENTS.

ARTICLE 9. In addition to the admission fee of five dollars, an annual assessment, to be fixed by the managers, shall be collected by the secretary, and by him deposited with the treasurer.

OFFICERS.

A. J. PYBURN, President.

H. D. KELLOGG, 1st Vice-President.

WM. M. SLEETH, 2nd Vice-President.

M. N. SINNOTT, Secretary.

N. T. SNYDER, Assistant Secretary.

A. D. MOWRY, Treasurer.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

A. J. PYBURN, Chairman.

W. M. SLEETH.

H. D. KELLOGG.

T. H. McLAUGHLIN.

F. P. SCHIFFBAUER.

JAMES HILL.

C. S. BURROUGHS.

G. W. CUNNINGHAM.

AMOS WALTON.

N. T. SNYDER.

W. D. MOWRY.

A. D. PRESCOTT.

J. L. HUEY.

A. A. NEWMAN.