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The Rules |
       
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. . . What Rules ! ?
Today the Society operates on the basis of tradition, with no formalised rules. The majority of activities are decided at the annual meeting simply by popular acclamation of the members.
However a copy of a book of rules, thought to date from the 1920s, does survive. It belonged to H D (Horace) Poole, who was a former Secretary of the Society and prominent local citizen, being General Manager of all Lord Dudley's coal mines.
Note the special provision in the Rules for ladies, yet it is not known whether there have ever actually been any lady members!
There were two categories of member - Town members, who lived in and close to Dudley, and Country members, who lived further afield but usually had their place of business in the Dudley area. This distinction survived until 1995.
RULES.
1. Every Member upon his admission shall pay Ten Shillings and Sixpence towards a fund for the use of the Society.
2. A Secretary shall be appointed to receive the money and transact the general business of the Society.
3. The members of the Society shall meet on the third Tuesday evening in every month at 8 o'clock; every member who is not present at half-past eight o'clock shall forfeit sixpence, unless prevented by sickness, or by being twenty miles from home, of which he shall give written notice to the Secretary. The Secretary shall, in the course of the day of the meeting, send a notice thereof to every town member.
4. When a new member is to be proposed, the Secretary shall announce it at a monthly meeting, and on the notices of the next meeting of the Society. -Such new member to be proposed and balloted for at such last mentioned meeting, and rejected if two be against his admission.
5. No book shall be admitted into the Society except by ballot at the monthly meetings, the majority of the members present deciding in favour of its being admitted. No book shall be balloted for, unless its correct title has been previously given to the Secretary in writing, with the price and the publisher's name, and all publications shall be balloted for in the order in which they are proposed to the Secretary.
6. The Secretary may purchase for the Society, at his discretion, any publication not exceeding Two Shillings and Sixpence in value.
7. The proposer of any publication, consisting of one or more volumes admitted in the Society above the value of One Pound. Eleven Shillings and Sixpence, shall, at the sale, be obliged to take it at half the original price, if no one offer more for it.
8.. Every member shall enter legibly, in ink, the exact day on which he receives and that on which he delivers each book (both first and second circulation) opposite to his name in the circulation list annexed to each. book, or forfeit sixpence.
9. The time of keeping each book shall be fixed by the Secretary. Every member shall forfeit Twopence for each day which he keeps a book beyond the time appointed, unless the forfeiture amount to more than One Shilling and Sixpence; in that case he shall forfeit the One Shilling and Sixpence and be obliged to take the book at the price which it cost; if, however, he circulate the book within the current year of its circulation, he shall be released from the obligation of taking it.
10. Books falling due on a Sunday may be forwarded the following day without incurring a forfeit, the Sunday's date being marked in the blank column in the circulation list thus-- " 6th November, a Sunday."
11. Any member wishing to have a book a second time must enter his name when he has it for first circulation, opposite his number in the blank column in the circulation list. It will then be forwarded to him after the first circulation.
12. At the conclusion of the first circulation, all books must be immediately sent to the Secretary, who will affix a fresh number and time for keeping the same, to such as are wished for second circulation, and forward them to the member who first put his name down for such second circulation.
13. The forfeits for keeping a book beyond the time appointed for the second circulation are the same as those for the first circulation.
14. Any member (except the Secretary) who shall alter the time of keeping a book, as fixed by the Secretary, or who shall unnecessarily write in or otherwise deface or damage the circulation lists, notices, rules, or memorandums respectively placed in any book belonging to the Society by the Secretary, shall for the first of either of such offences, forfeit and pay a fine of Five Shillings, and for a second offence of the kind, be forthwith expelled from the Society and thereupon be required and become immediately liable to pay a proportion of the annual subscription for the current year of his or her membership, together with such fines or forfeits as may have been incurred by him or her in the meantime.
15. Any member may borrow a book after it has gone through its first and second circulation, being liable to the same forfeitures on account of it as when it was regularly circulating.
16. If any member apply to the Secretary to lend him a book previously to its first or second circulation, he shall forfeit for each application Two Shillings and Sixpence.
17. If any member lend a book out of his own family to any person who is not a member of the society, he shall for each offence forfeit One Shilling.
18. No books, excepting magazines and the publications of the day, shall be balloted for, when, upon a report from the Secretary, it shall appear that there are as many books on hand as can be conveniently circulated within two months, and all books, magazines, and the publications of the day shall he circulated in such manner as the Secretary may determine.
19. Country members shall be allowed for each book double the time granted to the town members.
20. Any member who shall write in a book or deface it shall be obliged to take the book, and forfeit the original value of it.
21. If any member lose a book he shall supply its place with one of the same edition and value; and if the book lost, be part of a set, he shall take the remaining volumes and buy a new set for the Society.
22. The books shall be disposed of at a general meeting on such day as the majority of the members shall judge most convenient in every year. Of this meeting, the Secretary shall give a week's notice by circular to each member. Every member not attending such general meeting, or not being present at the dinner, to be then provided by the Secretary, unless prevented by sickness, of which he shall give written notice to the Secretary, shall forfeit five shillings.
23. Every member who does not, within one calendar month next after the first written demand thereof .by the Secretary, pay the amount due from him as a member under the rules of the Society, shall be forthwith expelled from the Society, forfeit all right to a share in the books belonging to it, and to money that may be in its fund, and be thereupon required and become immediately liable to pay the amount so due from him as aforesaid.
24. Any member choosing to withdraw himself from the Society, except at an annual meeting, shall give six months' notice of his intention to the Secretary in writing, and shall at the expiration of such notice, both pay a proportion of the annual subscription, according to the period of his continuing to be a member, and be subject to the payment of such forfeitures as he may in the meantime incur.
25. Every member shall keep a register of the date when he receives and delivers each book, and shall produce such register at the general meeting or forfeit Two Shillings and Sixpence.
26. Every member shall purchase a book or books at the General Meeting to the value of Two Shillings and Six-pence, or forfeit Two Shillings and Sixpence, Any absent member may commission a member who attends to purchase a book or books in his name.
27. Country members shall pay Two Shillings and Sixpence per annum in lieu of forfeits for not attending the monthly meetings.
28. Lady members shall not be subject to any forfeitures for non-attendance at the monthly and general meetings.
29. All monies due to the Society at its Annual General Meeting shall be collected as early as practicable thereafter and be appropriated to the general fund of the Society.
30. When it is intended to make any alteration in these rules, a written notice, embodying the terms of such alteration, shall be given to the Society at a monthly meeting. At the next meeting the proposed alteration shall be subject to ballot, and two-thirds of the members present shall be necessary to carry it.
WILLIAMS BROS. PRINTERS & BOOKBINDERS, DUDLEY.
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