SERVICE PLAN AND AGREEMENT
Between
Xxxxxxxxxxx Gold & Special Minerals Fund and
OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.
For Class A Shares
Service Plan and Agreement dated the 20th day of June, 1994, by and between
Xxxxxxxxxxx Gold & Special Minerals Fund (the "Fund") and OppenheimerFunds
Distributor, Inc. (the "Distributor").
1. The Plan. This Plan is the Fund's written service plan for its Class A Shares
described in the Fund's registration statement as of the date this Plan takes
effect, contemplated by and to comply with Rule 2830 of the Conduct Rules of the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. pursuant to which the Fund will
reimburse the Distributor for a portion of its costs incurred in connection with
the personal service and the maintenance of shareholder accounts ("Accounts")
that hold Class A Shares (the "Shares") of such series and class of the Fund.
The Fund may be deemed to be acting as distributor of securities of which it is
the issuer, pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the
"1940 Act"), according to the terms of this Plan. The Distributor is authorized
under the Plan to pay "Recipients," as hereinafter defined, for rendering
services and for the maintenance of Accounts. Such Recipients are intended to
have certain rights as third-party beneficiaries under this Plan.
2. Definitions. As used in this Plan, the following terms shall have the
following meanings:
(a) "Recipient" shall mean any broker, dealer, bank or other financial
institution which: (i) has rendered services in connection with the
personal service and maintenance of Accounts; (ii) shall furnish
the Distributor (on behalf of the Fund) with such information as
the Distributor shall reasonably request to answer such questions
as may arise concerning such service; and (iii) has been selected
by the Distributor to receive payments under the Plan.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a majority of the Fund's Board of
Trustees (the "Board") who are not "interested persons" (as defined
in the 0000 Xxx) and who have no direct or indirect financial
interest in the operation of this Plan or in any agreements
relating to this Plan (the "Independent Trustees") may remove any
broker, dealer, bank or other institution as a Recipient, whereupon
such entity's rights as a third party beneficiary hereof shall
terminate.
(b) "Qualified Holdings" shall mean, as to any Recipient, all Shares
owned beneficially or of record by: (i) such Recipient, or (ii)
such customers, clients and/or accounts as to which such Recipient
is a fiduciary or custodian or co-fiduciary or co-custodian
(collectively, the "Customers"), but in no event shall any such
Shares be deemed owned by more than one Recipient for purposes of
this Plan. In the event that two entities would otherwise qualify
as Recipients as to the same Shares, the Recipient which is the
dealer of record on the Fund's books shall be deemed the Recipient
as to such Shares for purposes of this Plan.
3. Payments.
(a) Under the Plan, the Fund will make payments to the Distributor,
within forty-five (45) days of the end of each calendar quarter, in
the amount of the lesser of: (i) .0625% (.25% on an annual basis)
of the average during the calendar quarter of the aggregate net
asset value of the Shares computed as of the close of each business
day, or (ii) the Distributor's actual expenses under the Plan for
that quarter of the type approved by the Board. The Distributor
will use such fee received from the Fund in its entirety to
reimburse itself for payments to Recipients and for its other
expenditures and costs of the type approved by the Board incurred
in connection with the personal service and maintenance of Accounts
including, but not limited to, the services described in the
following paragraph. The Distributor may make Plan payments to any
"affiliated person" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Distributor
if such affiliated person qualifies as a Recipient.
The services to be rendered by the Distributor and Recipients in
connection with the personal service and the maintenance of Accounts
may include, but shall not be limited to, the following: answering
routine inquiries from the Recipient's customers concerning the Fund,
providing such customers with information on their investment in
shares, assisting in the establishment and maintenance of accounts or
sub-accounts in the Fund, making the Fund's investment plans and
dividend payment options available, and providing such other
information and customer liaison services and the maintenance of
Accounts as the Distributor or the Fund may reasonably request. It may
be presumed that a Recipient has provided services qualifying for
compensation under the Plan if it has Qualified Holdings of Shares to
entitle it to payments under the Plan. In the event that either the
Distributor or the Board should have reason to believe that,
notwithstanding the level of Qualified Holdings, a Recipient may not
be rendering appropriate services, then the Distributor, at the
request of the Board, shall require the Recipient to provide a written
report or other information to verify that said Recipient is providing
appropriate services in this regard. If the Distributor still is not
satisfied, it may take appropriate steps to terminate the Recipient's
status as such under the Plan, whereupon such entity's rights as a
third-party beneficiary hereunder shall terminate.
Payments received by the Distributor from the Fund under the Plan will
not be used to pay any interest expense, carrying charge or other
financial costs, or allocation of overhead of the Distributor, or for
any other purpose other than for the payments described in this
Section 3. The amount payable to the Distributor each quarter will be
reduced to the extent that reimbursement payments otherwise
permissible under the Plan have not been authorized by the Board of
Trustees for that quarter. Any unreimbursed expenses incurred for any
quarter by the Distributor may not be recovered in later periods.
(b) The Distributor shall make payments to any Recipient quarterly,
within forty-five (45) days of the end of each calendar quarter, at
a rate not to exceed .0625% (.25% on an annual basis) of the
average during the calendar quarter of the aggregate net asset
value of the Shares computed as of the close of each business day
of Qualified Holdings (excluding Shares acquired in reorganizations
with investment companies for which Xxxxxxxxxxx Management
Corporation or an affiliate acts as investment adviser and which
have not adopted a distribution plan at the time of reorganization
with the Fund). However, no such payments shall be made to any
Recipient for any such quarter in which its Qualified Holdings do
not equal or exceed, at the end of such quarter, the minimum amount
("Minimum Qualified Holdings"), if any, to be set from time to time
by a majority of the Independent Trustees. A majority of the
Independent Trustees may at any time or from time to time increase
or decrease and thereafter adjust the rate of fees to be paid to
the Distributor or to any Recipient, but not to exceed the rate set
forth above, and/or increase or decrease the number of shares
constituting Minimum Qualified Holdings. The Distributor shall
notify all Recipients of the Minimum Qualified Holdings and the
rate of payments hereunder applicable to Recipients, and shall
provide each such Recipient with written notice within thirty (30)
days after any change in these provisions. Inclusion of such
provisions or a change in such provisions in a revised current
prospectus shall be sufficient notice.
(c) Under the Plan, payments may be made to Recipients: (i) by Xxxxxxxxxxx
Management Corporation ("OMC") from its own resources (which may
include profits derived from the advisory fee it receives from the
Fund), or (ii) by the Distributor (a subsidiary of OMC), from its own
resources.
4. Selection and Nomination of Trustees. While this Plan is in effect, the
selection or replacement of Independent Trustees and the nomination of those
persons to be Trustees of the Fund who are not "interested persons" of the Fund
shall be committed to the discretion of the Independent Trustees. Nothing herein
shall prevent the Independent Trustees from soliciting the views or the
involvement of others in such selection or nomination if the final decision on
any such selection and nomination is approved by a majority of the incumbent
Independent Trustees.
5. Reports. While this Plan is in effect, the Treasurer of the Fund shall
provide at least quarterly a written report to the Fund's Board for its review,
detailing the amount of all payments made pursuant to this Plan, the identity of
the Recipient of each such payment, and the purposes for which the payments were
made. The report shall state whether all provisions of Section 3 of this Plan
have been complied with. The Distributor shall annually certify to the Board the
amount of its total expenses incurred that year with respect to the personal
service and maintenance of Accounts in conjunction with the Board's annual
review of the continuation of the Plan.
6. Related Agreements. Any agreement related to this Plan shall be in writing
and shall provide that: (i) such agreement may be terminated at any time,
without payment of any penalty, by vote of a majority of the Independent
Trustees or by a vote of the holders of a "majority" (as defined in the 0000
Xxx) of the Fund's outstanding Shares of the Class, on not more than sixty days
written notice to any other party to the agreement; (ii) such agreement shall
automatically terminate in the event of its "assignment" (as defined in the 1940
Act); (iii) it shall go into effect when approved by a vote of the Board and its
Independent Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such agreement; and (iv) it shall, unless terminated as herein
provided, continue in effect from year to year only so long as such continuance
is specifically approved at least annually by the Board and its Independent
Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such
continuance.
7. Effectiveness, Continuation, Termination and Amendment. This Plan has been
approved by a vote of the Board and its Independent Trustees cast in person at a
meeting called on February 10, 1994 for the purpose of voting on this Plan, and
was approved by a "majority" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund's
outstanding voting securities of the Class at a meeting held June 20, 1994. It
takes effect as of July 1, 1994. Unless terminated as hereinafter provided, it
shall continue in effect until December 31, 1994 and from year to year
thereafter or as the Board may otherwise determine only so long as such
continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Board and its
Independent Trustees cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of
voting on such continuance. This Plan may be terminated at any time by vote of a
majority of the Independent Trustees or by the vote of the holders of a
"majority" (as defined in the 0000 Xxx) of the Fund's outstanding voting
securities of the Class. This Plan may not be amended to increase materially the
amount of payments to be made without approval of the Class A Shareholders, in
the manner described above, and all material amendments must be approved by a
vote of the Board and of the Independent Trustees.
8. Shareholder and Trustee Liability Disclaimer. The Distributor understands and
agrees that the obligations of the Fund under this Plan are not binding upon any
shareholder or Trustee of the Fund personally, but only the Fund and the Fund's
property. The Distributor represents that it has notice of the provisions of the
Declaration of Trust of the Fund disclaiming shareholder and Trustee liability
for acts or obligations of the Fund.
Xxxxxxxxxxx Gold & Special Minerals
Fund
/s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
by:
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Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Secretary
OppenheimerFunds Distributor, Inc.
/s/ Xxxxxxxxx X. Xxxx
by:
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Xxxxxxxxx X. Xxxx
Vice President and Secretary
