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EXHIBIT 1(a)
XXX XXXXXX AMERICAN CAPITAL EQUITY TRUST
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
May 10, 1995
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XXX XXXXXX AMERICAN CAPITAL EQUITY TRUST
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
Index
RECITALS 1
ARTICLE I THE TRUST 2
SECTION 1.1 Name 2
SECTION 1.2. Location 2
SECTION 1.3. Nature of Trust 2
SECTION 1.4. Definitions 2
SECTION 1.5. Real Property to be Converted into Personal Property 5
ARTICLE 2 PURPOSE OF THE TRUST 5
ARTICLE 3 POWERS OF THE TRUSTEES 6
SECTION 3.1. Powers in General 6
(a) Investments 6
(b) Disposition of Assets 7
(c) Ownership Powers 7
(d) Form of Holding 7
(e) Reorganization, etc. 7
(f) Voting Trusts, etc. 7
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(g) Contracts, etc. 7
(h) Guarantees, etc. 7
(i) Partnerships, etc. 8
(j) Insurance 8
(k) Pensions, etc 8
(I) Power of Collection and Litigation 8
(m) Issuance and Repurchase of Shares 8
(n) Offices 8
(o) Expenses 8
(p) Agents, etc. 9
(q) Accounts 9
(r) Valuation 9
(s) Indemnification 9
(t) General 9
SECTION 3.2. Borrowings; Financings; Issuance of Securities 9
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SECTION 3.3. Deposits 9
SECTION 3.4. Allocations 10
SECTION 3.5. Further Powers; Limitations 10
ARTICLE 4 TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS 10
SECTION 4.1. Number, Designation, Election, Term, etc 10
(a) Initial Trustee 10
(b) Number 10
(c) Election and Xxxx 00
(x) Resignation and Retirement 11
(e) Removal 11
(f) Vacancies 11
(g) Acceptance of Trusts 11
(h) Effect of Death, Resignation, etc. 12
(i) Conveyance 12
(j) No Accounting 12
SECTION 4.2. Trustees' Meetings; Participation by Telephone, etc. 12
SECTION 4.3. Committees; Delegation 12
SECTION 4.4. Officers 13
SECTION 4.5. Compensation of Trustees and Officers 13
SECTION 4.6. Ownership of Shares and Securities of the Trust 13
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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 13
SECTION 4.8. Reliance on Experts 13
SECTION 4.9. Surety Bonds 14
SECTION 4.10. Apparent Authority of Trustees and Officers 14
SECTION 4.11. Other Relationships Not Prohibited 14
SECTION 4.12. Payment of Trust Expenses 14
SECTION 4.13. 0wnership of the Trust Property 15
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SECTION 4.14. By-Laws 15
ARTICLE 5 DELEGATION OF MANAGERIAL RESPONSIBILITIES 15
SECTION 5.1. Appointment; Action by Less than All Trustees 15
SECTION 5.2. Certain Contracts 15
(a) Advisory 16
(b) Administration 16
(c) Underwriting 16
(d) Custodian 16
(e) Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent 17
(f) Shareholder Servicing 17
(g) Accounting 17
Section 5.3. Distribution Arrangements 17
Section 5.4. Service Arrangements 17
ARTICLE 6 SERIES AND SHARES 17
SECTION 6.1. Description of Series and Shares 17
(a) General 17
(b) Establishment, etc. of Series; Authorization of Shares 18
(c) Character of Separate Series and Shares Thereof 18
(d) Consideration for Shares 18
(e) Assets Belonging to Series 19
(f) Liabilities of Series 19
(g) Dividends 19
(h) Liquidation 20
(i) Voting 20
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(j) Redemption by Shareholder 20
(k) Redemption at the Option of the Trust 21
(I) Net Asset Value 21
(m) Transfer 21
(n) Equality 21
(o) Rights of Fractional Shares 22
(p) Conversion Rights 22
SECTION 6.2. Ownership of Shares 22
SECTION 6.3. Investments in the Trust 23
SECTION 6.4. No Pre-emptive Rights 23
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SECTION 6.5. Status of Shares 23
ARTICLE 7 SHAREHOLDERS' VOTING POWERS AND MEETINGS 23
SECTION 7.1. Voting Powers 23
SECTION 7.2. Number of Votes and Manner of Voting; Proxies 24
SECTION 7.3. Meetings 24
SECTION 7.4. Record Dates 24
SECTION 7.5. Quorum and Required Vote 25
SECTION 7.6. Action by Written Consent 25
SECTION 7.7. Inspection of Records 25
SECTION 7.8. Additional Provisions 25
ARTICLE 8 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION 25
SECTION 8.1. Trustees, Shareholders, etc. Not Personally
Liable; Notice 25
SECTION 8.2. Trustees' Good Faith Action; Expert Advice; No
Bond or Surety 26
SECTION 8.3. Indemnification of Shareholders 26
SECTION 8.4. Indemnification of Trustees, Officers, etc. 27
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SECTION 8.5. Compromise Payment 27
SECTION 8.6. Indemnification Not Exclusive, etc. 28
SECTION 8.7. Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees 28
ARTICLE 9 DURATION; REORGANIZATION; INCORPORATION;
AMENDMENTS 28
SECTION 9.1. Duration of Trust 28
SECTION 9.2. Termination of Trust 28
SECTION 9.3. Reorganization 29
SECTION 9.4. Incorporation 29
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SECTION 9.5. Amendments; etc. 29
SECTION 9.6. Filing of Copies of Declaration and Amendments 30
ARTICLE 10 MISCELLANEOUS 30
SECTION 10.1. Notices 30
SECTION 10.2. Governing Law 30
SECTION 10.3. Counterparts 30
SECTION 10.4. Reliance by Third Parties 30
SECTION 10.5. References; Headings 31
SECTION 10.6. Provisions in Conflict With Law or Regulation 31
SECTION 10.7. Use of the Name "Xxx Xxxxxx American Capital" 31
Signature 32
Acknowledgments 33
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AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
OF
XXX XXXXXX AMERICAN CAPITAL EQUITY TRUST
This AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST, made at this 10th
day of May, 1995, by and between Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, an
individual residing in Naperville, Illinois (the "Settlor"), and the
Trustee whose signature is set forth below (the "Initial Trustee"),
W I T N E S S E T H T H A T:
WHEREAS, 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 individuals 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 or otherwise dealing
in and with stocks, bonds, debentures, warrants and other
securities and interests therein, financial futures contracts,
or options with respect to securities or financial futures
contracts, and 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, the beneficial interest in the assets held by the
Trustees shall be divided into transferable Shares, all in
accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth; and
WHEREAS, it is desired that the trust established hereby
be managed and operated as a trust with transferable shares
under the laws of Delaware with respect to Delaware business
trusts 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 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 being issued and to be issued hereunder and in the
manner and subject to the provisions hereof, to wit:
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ARTICLE I
THE TRUST
SECTION 1.1 Name. The name of the Trust shall be
"XXX XXXXXX AMERICAN CAPITAL EQUITY TRUST"
and so far as may be practicable, the Trustees shall conduct the
Trust's activities, execute all documents and xxx 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 or 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 10.7 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 maintain a
registered office in the State of Delaware and 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 State of
Delaware, of the type defined in Title 12, Chapter 38, Section
3801 of the Delaware Code as a 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 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:
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"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.
"Class" or "Classes" shall mean, with respect to any
Series, any unissued Shares of such Series in respect of which
the Trustees shall from time to time fix and determine any
special provisions relating to sales charges, any 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 such Class shall have separate voting rights or
no voting rights.
"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.
"Conversion Date" shall mean with respect to Shares of any
Class that are convertible automatically into Shares of any
other Class of a Series the date fixed by the Trustees for such
conversion.
"Covered Person" shall have the meaning designated in
Section 8.4 hereof.
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"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. This
Agreement and Declaration of Trust is the "governing instrument"
of the Trust within the meaning of the laws of the State of
Delaware with respect to Delaware business trusts. 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.
"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 Advisor" shall have the meaning defined 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 (a)
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
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By-Laws) is present, (b) 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 Series, "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 Series) 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 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 the Trust (or the
Shares of a particular Series), shall mean the prospectus
relating to the Trust (or such 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 have the same meaning ascribed to that term
in the Securities Act of 1993.
"Series" shall mean one or more of the series of Shares
authorized by the Trustees to represent the beneficial interest
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in one or more 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.
"Settlor" shall have the meaning defined in the preamble
hereto.
"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.
"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 Series 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 Class shall be deemed to
apply to outstanding Shares without regard to Series or Class.
"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 or Class of a
Series, and all outstanding Shares of all Series vote as a
single class.
"Statement of Additional Information," as used with
respect to the Trust (or any Series), shall mean the statement
of additional information relating to the Trust (or such 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 mean the trust named in Section 1.1 hereof.
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"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 Series 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 (I) Trustee in
office, such term shall mean such single Trustee.
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 (a) manage, conduct,
operate and carry on the business of an investment company; (b)
subscribe for, invest in, reinvest in, purchase or otherwise
acquire, hold, pledge, sell, assign, transfer, exchange,
distribute or otherwise deal in or dispose of any and all sorts
of property, tangible or intangible, including but not limited
to Securities of any type whatsoever, whether equity or
nonequity, of any issuer, evidences of indebtedness of any
person and any other rights, interest, instruments or property
of any sort to exercise any and all rights, powers and
privileges of ownership or interest in respect of any and all
such investment of every kind and description, including without
limitation, the right to consent and otherwise act with respect
thereto, with power to designate one or more Persons to exercise
any of said rights, powers and privileges in respect of any of
said investments. The Trustees shall not be limited by any law
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limiting the investments which may be made by fiduciaries.
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 Declaration 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; 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 Series to
which they may allocate such of the Trust Property, subject to
such liabilities, as they shall deem appropriate, each such
Series 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 such service provider to employ one or more other
service providers 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
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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:
(a) Investments. To subscribe for, invest in, reinvest
in, purchase or otherwise acquire, hold, pledge, sell, assign,
transfer, exchange, distribute or otherwise deal in or dispose
of any and all sorts of property, tangible or intangible,
including but not limited to Securities of any type whatsoever,
whether equity or nonequity, of any issuer, evidences of
indebtedness of any person and any other rights, interest,
instruments or property of any sort, to exercise any and all
rights, powers and privileges of ownership or interest in
respect of any and all such investments of every kind and
description, including without limitation the right to consent
and otherwise act with respect thereto, with power to designate
one or more Persons to exercise any of said rights, powers and
privileges in respect of any of said investments, in every case
without being limited by any law limiting the investments which
may be made by fiduciaries;
(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
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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 Series 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) Reorganizations 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 Series; 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;
(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;
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(i) Partnerships, etc. To enter into joint ventures,
general or limited partnerships and any other combinations or
association;
(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, whether or
not the Trust would have the power to indemnify such Person
against such liability;
(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, deferred compensation 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;
(I) Power of Collection and Litigation. To collect, xxx
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. Except to the extent required for a Delaware business
trust, the Shareholders shall have no power to vote as to
whether or not a court action, legal proceeding or claim should
or should not be brought or maintained derivatively or as a
class action on behalf of the Trust or the Shareholders.
(m) Issuance and Repurchase of Shares. To authorize,
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
23
acquisition of Shares of any Series, any of the assets belonging
to the Series to which such Shares relate, 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,
custodians, agents for collection, insurers, banks and officers,
as they think best for the business of the Trust or any Series,
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 or any
Series 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
24
(t) General. Subject to the fundamental policies in effect
from time to time with respect to the Trust, 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 Series 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 Series, 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 Series, or
otherwise to carry out the provisions of this Declaration.
SECTION 3.2. Borrowings; Financings: Issuance of
Securities. The Trustees have power, subject to the fundamental
policies in effect from time to time with respect to the Trust,
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 nonnegotiable 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 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, except as provided in Section
8.2 hereof.
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
25
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 surplus with respect to the Series to which such
Shares relate and to allocate the balance thereof to paid-in
capital of that Series, 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 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
26
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).
(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. Upon incapacity or
death of any Trustee, his legal representative shall execute and
deliver on his behalf such documents as the remaining Trustees
shall require in order to effect the purpose of this Paragraph.
(f) Vacancies. Any vacancy or anticipated vacancy
27
resulting from any reason, including an increase in the number
of Trustees, may (but need not unless required by the 0000 Xxx)
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 Majority Shareholders Vote. 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. Whenever any conditions to the
appointment or election of any individual as a Trustee hereunder
who was not, immediately prior to such appointment or election,
acting as a Trustee shall have been satisfied, such individual
shall become a Trustee and the Trust estate shall vest in the
new Trustee, together with the continuing Trustees, without any
further act or conveyance. Such new Trustee shall accept such
appointment or election in writing and agree in such writing to
be bound by the provisions hereof, but the execution of such
writing shall not be requisite to the effectiveness of the
appointment or election of a new Trustee.
(h) Effect of Death. Resignation, etc. No vacancy, whether
resulting from the death, resignation, retirement, bankruptcy,
adjudicated incompetency, incapacity, or removal of any Trustee,
an increase in the 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.
(i) Convevance. 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
28
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.
SECTION 4.2. Trustees' Meetings: Participation by
Telephone. etc. Annual and special meetings may be held from
time to time, in each case, upon the call of such officers as
may be thereunto authorized by the By-Laws or vote of the
Trustees, or by any three (3) 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. Any such meeting may be held within or without the
state of Delaware. 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 Delaware. 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 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
29
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 (except where a right to receive
compensation for a definite future period shall be expressly
provided in a written agreement with the Trust, duly approved by
the Trustees) and 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, or 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 Delaware 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.
30
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 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:
(i) 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 Series, or that
(ii) any Contracting Party may have a contract providing
for the rendering of any similar services to one or more other
31
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 the holders of Shares of any
Series; provided that, in the case of any relationship or
interest referred to in the preceding clause (i) 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 a particular
Series and Class made by them pursuant to Section 6.1(f) 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 Series, 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
Series 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
32
shall be effective whether or not conveyancing documents have
been executed and delivered pursuant to Section 4.1(i) hereof.
SECTION 4.14. By-Laws. The Trustees may adopt and from
time to time amend or repeal By-Laws for the conduct of the
business of the Trust.
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 Series, and/or the Trustees, and to provide
for the performance and assumption of such other services,
33
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 agent shall undertake to furnish each
Series of the Trust such management, investment advisory or
supervisory, 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
provisions of the 1940 Act or any applicable provisions of the
By-Laws (any such agent being herein referred to as an
"Investment Adviser"). To the extent required by the 1940 Act,
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 applicable Series
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 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 of the applicable Series of
Trust at such meeting the approval of continuance of any such
investment advisory or management agreement.
(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 Series, will supervise all or
any part of the operations of the Trust and each Series, 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 Series (any such agent being herein referred
to as an "Administrator").
(c) Underwriting. 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(l)
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).
34
(d) Custodian. The appointment of an agent meeting the
requirements for a custodian for the assets of Investment
Companies contained in the 1940 Act as custodian of the
Securities and cash of the Trust and of each Series and of the
accounting records in connection therewith (any such agent being
herein referred to as a "Custodian").
(e) Transfer and Dividend Disbursing Agent. 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").
In addition, the Trustees may from time to time cause the Trust
or any Series thereof to enter into agreements with respect to
such other services and upon such other terms and conditions as
they may deem necessary, appropriate or desirable. 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 subcontractual arrangements relative to any of the matters
referred to in subsections (a) through (g) of this Section 5.2.
Section 5.3. Distribution Arrangements. Subject to
compliance with the 1940 Act, the Trustees may adopt and amend
or repeal from time to time and implement one or more plans of
distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act which
plan(s) will provide for the payment of specified marketing,
distribution and shareholder relations expenses of the Trust and
35
any or all Series and their agents and the agents of such agents.
Section 5.4. Service Arrangements. Subject to
compliance with the 1940 Act, the Trustees may adopt and amend
or repeal from time to time and implement one or more service
plans which plans will provide for the payment of ongoing
services to holders of the shares of such Trust or any Series
thereof and in connection with the maintanence of such
shareholders' accounts.
ARTICLE 6
SERIES AND SHARES
SECTION 6.1. Description of Series and Shares.
(a) General. The beneficial interest in the Trust shall be
divided into Shares (either full or fractional) having $ 0.01
par value per Share, 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 Series of Shares (each of which Series, including
without limitation each Series authorized in Section 6.2 hereof,
shall represent interests only in the asset attributed by the
Trustees to such Series), and to authorize separate Classes of
Shares of any such Series, as they deem necessary or desirable.
All Shares shall be of one class, provided that the Trustees
shall have the power to classify or reclassify any unissued
Shares of any Series into any number of additional Classes of
such Series as set forth in Section 6.2.
(b) Establishment. etc. of Series; Authorization of
Shares. The establishment and designation of any Series 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 Series
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 Series previously established and
designated, 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 Series
and the establishment and designation thereof and the
authorization of its Shares (a "Certificate of Termination").
Each Certificate of Designation, Certificate of Termination and
36
any instrument amending a Certificate of Designation shall have
the status of an amendment to this Declaration of Trust.
(c) Character of Separate Series and Shares Thereof. Each
Series established hereunder shall represent beneficial
interests in a separate component of the assets of the Trust.
Holders of Shares of a Series shall be considered Shareholders
of such Series, 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 Series, 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 approval
to establish and designate such separate and distinct Series,
and to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences as
between the shares of the respective Series, and as between the
Classes of any Series, 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 Series or the
several Classes of any Series of Shares shall have separate
voting rights or no voting rights. Except as otherwise provided
as to a particular Series 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 Series and the assets and affairs thereof
as they have under this Declaration with respect to the Trust
and the Trust Property in general. Separate and distinct
records shall be maintained for each Series of Shares and the
assets and liabilities attributable thereto.
(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 nonassessable (but may
be subject to mandatory contribution back to the Trust as
provided in Section 6.1(l) 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 Series that may be established and designated
from time to time.
(e) Assets Belonging to Series. Any portion of the Trust
Property allocated to a particular Series, and all consideration
received by the Trust for the issue or sale of Shares of such
Series, 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
37
may be, shall be held by the Trustees in trust for the benefit
of the holders of Shares of that Series and shall irrevocably
belong to that Series for all purposes, and shall be so recorded
upon the books of account of the Trust, and the Shareholders of
such Series shall not have, and shall be conclusively deemed to
have waived, any claims to the assets of any Series 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 Series as
provided in the following sentence, are herein referred to
collectively as assets "belonging to" that Series. 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 Series
(collectively, "General Items"), the Trustees shall allocate
such General Items to and among any one or more of the Series
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
Series shall belong to and be part of the assets belonging to
that Series. Each such allocation by the Trustees shall be
conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders of all Series for
all purposes.
(f) Liabilities of Series. The assets belonging to each
particular Series shall be charged with the liabilities in
respect of that Series and all expenses, costs, charges and
reserves attributable to that Series, and any general
liabilities, expenses, costs, charges or reserves of the Trust
which are not readily identifiable as pertaining to any
particular Series shall be allocated and charged by the Trustees
to and among any one or more of the Series 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 Series are herein
referred to as "liabilities of" that Series. Each allocation of
liabilities, expenses, costs, charges and reserves by the
Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders
of all Series for all purposes. Any creditor of any Series may
look only to the assets belonging to that Series to satisfy such
creditor's debt.
(g) Dividends. Dividends and distributions on Shares of a
particular Series 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 Series, from such of the income, accrued or
realized, and capital gains, realized or unrealized, and out of
the assets belonging to that Series, as the Trustees may
determine, after providing for actual and accrued liabilities of
that Series. All dividends and distributions on Shares of a
particular Series shall be distributed pro rata to the
Shareholders of that Series in proportion to the number of such
Shares held by such holders at the date and time of record
established for the payment of such dividends or distributions,
except that the dividends and distributions of investment income
and capital gains with respect to each Class of Shares of a
38
particular Series shall be in such amount as may be declared
from time to time by the Trustees, and such dividends and
distributions may vary as between such Classes to reflect
differing allocations of the expenses of the Series between the
Shareholders of such several Classes and any resultant
differences between the net asset value of such several Classes
to such extent and for such purposes as the Trustees may deem
appropriate and further 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, property or Shares of any
Class of that Series 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 (l) of this Section 6.1.
(h) Liquidation. In the event of the liquidation or
dissolution of the Trust, the Shareholders of each Series of
which Shares are outstanding shall be entitled to receive, when
and as declared by the Trustees, the excess of the assets
belonging to that Series over the liabilities of such Series.
The assets so distributable to the Shareholders of any
particular Series shall be distributed among such Shareholders
in proportion to the number of Shares of that Series held by
them and recorded on the books of the Trust. The liquidation of
any particular Series 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 Series, 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.
(i) Voting. The Shareholders shall have the voting rights
set forth in or determined under Article 7 hereof.
(j) Redemption by Shareholder. Each holder of Shares of a
particular Series shall have the right at such times as may be
permitted by the Trust, but no less frequently than required by
the 1940 Act, to require the Series to redeem all or any part of
his Shares of that Series at a redemption price equal to the net
asset value per Share of that Series next determined in
accordance with subsection (l) of this Section 6.1 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 and that the proceeds of
the redemption of Shares (including a fractional Share) of any
Class of a particular Series shall be reduced by the amount of
39
any applicable contingent deferred sales charge or other sales
charge, if any, payable on such redemption to the distributor of
Shares of such Class pursuant to the terms of the initial
issuance of the Shares of such Class (to the extent consistent
with the 1940 Act or regulations or exemptions thereunder) and
the Trust shall promptly pay to such distributor the amount of
such deferred sales charge. 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 wholly in cash unwise or
undesirable, the Trust may make payment wholly or partly in
Securities or other assets belonging to such Series 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 Series to require the
Trust to redeem Shares of that Series during any period or at
any time when and to the extent permissible under the 1940 Act.
(k) Redemption at the Option of the Trust. The Trustees
shall have the power to redeem Shares of any Series at a
redemption price determined in accordance with Section 6.1(j),
if at any time (i) the total investment in such account does not
have a value of at least such minimum amount as may be specified
in the Prospectus for such Series from time to time (ii) the
number of Shares held in such account is equal to or in excess
of a specified percentage of Shares of the Trust or any Series
as set forth from time to time in the applicable Prospectus. In
the event the Trustees determine to exercise their power to
redeem Shares provided in this Section 6.1(k), the Shareholder
shall be notified that the value of his account is less than the
applicable minimum amount and shall be allowed 30 days to make
an appropriate investment before redemption is processed.
(I) Net Asset Value. The net asset value per Share of any
Series at any time shall be the quotient obtained by dividing
the value of the net assets of such Series at such time (being
the current value of the assets belonging to such Series, less
its then existing liabilities) by the total number of Shares of
that Series 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 in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act. The
net asset value of the several Classes of a particular Series
shall be separately computed, and may vary from one another. The
Trustees shall establish procedures for the allocation of
investment income or capital gains and expenses and liabilities
of a particular Series between the several Classes of such
Series. The Trustees may determine to maintain the net asset
value per Share of any Series 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 Series as dividends payable in
additional Shares of that Series at the designated constant
dollar amount and for the handling of any losses attributable to
that Series. 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 Series his pro
rata portion of the total number of Shares required to be
40
canceled in order to permit the net asset value per Share of
that Series 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 Series 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.
(m) Transfer. All Shares of each particular Series shall
be transferable, but transfers of Shares of a particular Series
will be recorded on the Share transfer records of the Trust
applicable to that Series only at such times as Shareholders
shall have the right to require the Trust to redeem Shares of
that Series and at such other times as may be permitted by the
Trustees.
(n) Equality. All Shares of each particular Series shall
represent an equal proportionate interest in the assets
belonging to that Series (subject to the liabilities of that
Series), and each Share of any particular Series shall be equal
to each other Share thereof; but the provisions of this sentence
shall not restrict any distinctions between the several Classes
of a Series permissible under this Section 6.1 or under Section
7.1 hereof nor any distinctions permissible under subsection
(g) of this Section 6.1 that may exist with respect to dividends
and distributions on Shares of the same Series. The Trustees may
from time to time divide or combine the Shares of any class of
particular Series into a greater or lesser number of Shares of
that class of a Series without thereby changing the
proportionate beneficial interest in the assets belonging to
that Series or in any way affecting the rights of the holders of
Shares of any other Series.
(o) 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 Series to which they pertain.
(p) Conversion Rights. (i) Subject to compliance with the
requirements of the 1940 Act, the Trustees shall have the
authority to provide that holders of Shares of any Series shall
have the right to convert said Shares into Shares of one or more
other Series, that holders of any Class of a Series of Shares
shall have the right to convert said Shares of such Class into
Shares of one or more other Classes of such Series, and that
Shares of any Class of a Series shall be automatically converted
into Shares of another Class of such Series, in each case in
accordance with such requirements and procedures as the Trustees
may establish.
(ii) The number of Shares of into which a convertible Share
41
shall convert shall equal the number (including for this purpose
fractions of a Share) obtained by dividing the net asset value
per Share for purposes of sales and redemptions of the
converting Share on the Conversion Date by the net asset value
per Share for purposes of sales and redemptions of the Class of
Shares into which it is converting on the Conversion Date.
(iii) On the Conversion Date, the Share converting into
another share will cease to accrue dividends and will no longer
be deemed outstanding and the rights of the holders thereof
(except the right to receive the number of target Shares into
which the converting Shares have been converted and declared but
unpaid dividends to the Conversion Date) will cease.
Certificates representing Shares resulting from the conversion
need not be issued until certificates representing Shares
converted, if issued, have been received by the Trust or its
agent duly endorsed for transfer.
(vi) The Trust will appropriately reflect the conversion
of Shares of one Class of a Series into Shares of another Class
of such Series on the first periodic statements of account sent
to Shareholders of record affected which provide account
information with respect to a reporting period which includes
the date such conversion occured.
SECTION 6.2. 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 Series held from time to time by each
such Shareholder.
The holders of Shares of each Series shall upon demand
disclose to the Trustees in writing such information with
respect to their direct and indirect ownership of Shares of such
Series 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 6.3. Investments in the Trust. The Trustees may
accept investments in any Series 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
42
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 6.4. No Preemptive Rights. No Shareholder, by
virtue of holding Shares of any Series, shall have any
preemptive or other right to subscribe to any additional Shares
of that Series, or to any shares of any other Series, or any
other Securities issued by the Trust.
SECTION 6.5. 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
Series, 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 required by the
1940 Act, (iii) with respect to any termination or
reorganization of the Trust or any Series to the extent and as
provided in Sections 9.2, 9.3 and 9.4 hereof, (iv) with respect
to any amendment of this Declaration of Trust to the extent and
as provided in Section 9.5 hereof, (v) to the same extent as the
stockholders of a Delaware 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 Series, or the Shareholders of any of
them (provided. however, that a Shareholder of a particular
Series shall not in any event be entitled to maintain a
derivative or class action on behalf of any other Series or the
Shareholders thereof), and (vi) with respect to such additional
43
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 or by this
Declaration, 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 Series entitled to vote thereon;
provided, that (i) when expressly required by the 1940 Act or by
other law, actions of Shareholders shall be taken by Single
Class Voting of all outstanding Shares 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 Series or of one or more but not all Classes of
a single Series (including without limitation any distribution
plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act applicable to such
Class), then only the Shareholders of the Series or Classes so
affected shall be entitled to vote thereon. Any matter required
to be submitted to shareholders and affecting one or more Series
shall require separate approval by the required vote of
Shareholders of each affected Series; provided, however, that to
the extent required by the 1940 Act, there shall be no separate
Series votes on the election or removal of Trustees, the
selection of auditors for the Trust and its Series or approval
of any agreement or contract entered into by the Trust or any
Series. Shareholders of a particular Series shall not be
entitled to vote on any matter that affects only one or more
other Series.
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 or removal 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 of 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
44
the Shareholder's 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. Any meetings may be held within or without The State
of Delaware. Shareholders may only act with respect to matters
set forth in the notice to Shareholders.
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 ninety (90) 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
45
provisions of the 1940 Act and other applicable law, any action
taken by Shareholders may be taken without a meeting if a
majority of Shareholders entitled to vote on the matter (or such
larger proportion thereof 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 Delaware business
corporation under the Delaware 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, officers, employees and agents 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, officers, employees or agents 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 Series, 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
Series, 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 Series, that Series) 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 Series in tort, contract or otherwise in
connection with the assets or the affairs of the Trust or such
Series, and all Persons dealing with the Trust or any Series
46
shall be deemed to have agreed that resort shall be had solely
to the Trust Property of the Trust or the Series Assets of such
Series, as the case may be, for the payment or performance
thereof.
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 a Certificate of Trust, referring
to the Declaration of Trust, is on file with the Secretary of
the state of Delaware 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 Series 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 Series Assets of any Series to
the obligations of any other Series.
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
47
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) may assume the defense
against such charge and satisfy any judgment thereon or may
reimburse the Shareholders for expenses, and the Shareholder or
former 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 Series 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, if applicable, hereinafter set forth
in this Section 8.4, the Trust shall indemnify (from the assets
of the Series or Series to which the conduct in question
relates) each of its Trustees, officers, employees and agents
(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; (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 (iii) for a criminal proceeding,
had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful
(the conduct described in (i), (ii) and (iii) 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 (the "Disinterested Trustees"), 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
48
from time to time by one or more Series to which the conduct in
question related in advance of the final disposition of any such
action, suit or proceeding; provided that the Covered Person
shall have undertaken to repay the amounts so paid to such
Series 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 the 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 or shareholder 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.
49
ARTICLE 9
DURATION: REORGANIZATION: INCORPORATION; AMENDMENTS
SECTION 9.1. Duration of Trust. Unless terminated as
provided herein, the Trust shall have perpetual existence.
SECTION 9.2. Termination of 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 Series 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
6.1(h) hereof. After termination of the Trust or any Series and
distribution to the Shareholders as herein provided, a majority
of the Trustees shall execute and lodge among the records of the
Trust an instrument in writing setting forth the fact of such
termination. Upon termination of the Trust, the Trustees shall
thereupon, be discharged from all further liabilities and duties
hereunder, and the rights and interests of all Shareholders
shall thereupon cease. Upon termination of any Series, the
Trustees shall thereupon be discharged from all further
liabilities and duties with respect to such Series, and the
rights and interests of all Shareholders of such Series shall
thereupon cease.
SECTION 9.3. 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 Series, to
another trust, partnership, association, corporation or other
entity organized under the laws of any state of the United
States, or may transfer such assets to another Series of the
Trust, in exchange for cash, Shares or other Securities
(including, in the case of a transfer to another Series of the
Trust, Shares of such other Series), or to the extent permitted
by law then in effect may merge or consolidate the Trust or any
Series 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
50
vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the Shares
outstanding and entitled to vote of each Series 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
Series of which the assets have so been transferred) among the
Shareholders of the Series of which the assets have been so
transferred; and if all of the assets of the Trust have been so
transferred, the Trust shall be terminated. Nothing in this
Section 9.3 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 Series to such organizations or
entities.
SECTION 9.4. Incorporation. Upon approval by Majority
Shareholder Vote, the Trustees may cause to be organized or
assist in organizing a corporation or corporations under the
laws of any jurisdiction or any other trust, partnership,
association or other organization to take over all of the Trust
Property or to carry on any business in which the Trust shall
directly or indirectly have any interest, and to sell, convey
and transfer the Trust Property to any such corporation, trust,
association or organization, in exchange for the shares or
securities thereof, or otherwise, and to lend money to,
subscribe for the shares of securities of, and enter into any
contracts with any such corporation, trust, partnership,
association or organization in which the Trust holds or is about
to acquire shares or any other interests. The Trustees may also
cause a merger or consolidation between the Trust or any
successor thereto and any such corporation, trust, partnership,
association or other organization if and to the extent permitted
by law, as provided under the law then in effect. Nothing
contained herein shall be construed as requiring approval of
Shareholders for the Trustees to organize or assist in
organizing one or more corporation, trusts, partnerships,
associations or other organizations and selling, conveying or
transferring a portion of the Trust Property to such
organizations or entities.
SECTION 9.5. 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 6.1(l)) 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
51
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 Series, by the vote of the
holders of a majority of all the Shares entitled to vote of each
Series so affected.
SECTION 9.6. 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) shall be kept at the office of
the Trust where it may be inspected by any Shareholder. A
restated Declaration, integrating into a single instrument all
of the provisions of this Declaration which are then in effect
and operative, may be executed from time to time by a Majority
of the Trustees and shall, upon execution, 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. A Certificate of Trust shall be
filed in the office of the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware.
ARTICLE 10
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 10.1. Notices. Any and all notices to which any
Shareholder hereunder may be entitled and any and all
communications shall be deemed duly served or given if mailed,
postage prepaid, addressed to any Shareholder of record at his
last known address as recorded on the applicable register of the
Trust.
SECTION 10.2. Governing Law. This Declaration of Trust is,
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 The State of Delaware.
52
SECTION 10.3. 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 10.4. Reliance by Third Parties. Any certificate
executed by an individual who, according to the records of the
Trust is 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 at 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, (f) the existence or nonexistence of any fact or facts
which in any manner relate to the affairs of the Trust, or (g)
the name of the Trust or the establishment of a Series 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 10.5. 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 10.6. Provisions in Conflict With Law or
Regulation. (a) The provisions of this Declaration are
severable, and if the Trustees shall determine, with the advice
of counsel, that any of such provisions is in conflict with the
1940 Act, the regulated investment company provisions of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or with other applicable laws and
regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed never to
have constituted a part of this Declaration; provided, however,
that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining
provisions of this Declaration or render invalid or improper any
action taken or omitted prior to such determination.
(b) If any provision of this Declaration shall be held
invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, such invalidity or
unenforceability shall attach only to such provision in such
jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provision
in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this
Declaration in any jurisdiction.
SECTION 10.7. Use of the Name "Xxx Xxxxxx American
Capital". Xxx Xxxxxx American Capital, Inc. ("Xxx Xxxxxx
American Capital") has consented to the use by the Trust and by
each Series and each Series thereof to the identifying words
53
"Xxx Xxxxxx" or "Van Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx" or any combination thereof
in the name of the Trust and of each Series and Series thereof.
Such consent is conditioned upon the Trust's employment of Xxx
Xxxxxx American Capital, its successors or a subsidiary or
affiliate thereof as investment adviser to the Trust and to each
Series and each Series thereof. As between Xxx Xxxxxx American
Capital and the Trust, Xxx Xxxxxx American Capital shall control
the use of such name insofar as such name contains the
identifying words "Xxx Xxxxxx" or "Van Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx". Xxx
Xxxxxx American Capital may from time to time use the
identifying words "American Capital," "Xxx Xxxxxx" or "Van
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx" in other connections and for other purposes,
including without limitation in the names of other investment
companies, corporations or businesses that it may manage,
advise, sponsor or own or in which it may have a financial
interest. Xxx Xxxxxx American Capital may require the Trust or
any Series or Series thereof to cease using the identifying
words "Xxx Xxxxxx" or "Van Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx" in the name of the
Trust or any Series or any Series thereof if the Trust or any
Series or Series thereof ceases to employ Xxx Xxxxxx American
Capital, its successors or a subsidiary or affiliate thereof as
investment adviser.
54
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being the initial
Trustee, has set his hand and seal, for himself and his assigns,
unto this Declaration of Trust of Xxx Xxxxxx American Capital
Equity Trust, all as of the day and year first above written.
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
------------------------
Initial Trustee
55
A C K N O W L E D G M E N T
STATE OF ILLINOIS)
) ss
COUNTY OF DUPAGE)
May 10, 1995
Then personally appeared the above named Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx and
acknowledged the foregoing instrument to be his free act and
deed.
Before me,
/s/ Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
----------------------
(Notary Public)
My commission expires:01/13/99
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