Article I

Name

This Society shall be known as the Israel Cantor Family Society as long as the Society is in existence. This name shall never be changed.

Article II

Identity

As a Jewish family society, we celebrate our shared and diverse Jewish heritage in our communal activities. All Society activities shall be consistent with Jewish traditions, culture, or values. This article may not be changed or repealed without a supermajority of 75% of the members voting.

Article III

Object

The aims of the Society shall be:

1. To foster the welfare of the members.
2. To be the medium of extending help to those in need.
3. To promote social activities so that the generations to come may be bound by the same ties that hold us now.

Article IV

Membership

1. All direct descendants of Yechiel Michel Cantor and legal spouses (“Spouses”) of those descendants are eligible for membership.
2. There are two types of Membership available to all eligible Members:
   1. General Membership: Available to any direct descendant. General Members are granted voting rights on all issues before the Israel Cantor Family Society. General Memberships are available as a Single (Descendant) or Family (Descendant, Spouse, and any children under 21).
   2. Social Membership: Available to any direct descendant. Social Members are identical to General Members with two exceptions: they do not receive burial benefits and they cannot vote on matters pertaining to the cemetery. Social Memberships are available as a Single (Descendant) or Family (Descendant, Spouse, and any children under 21).
3. When a member resigns or is expelled from the Society that member may not be readmitted unless such re-entry is approved by a 2/3rds majority at a regular meeting.
4. When a direct descendant arrives at the age of 21 years and applies immediately for membership, such descendant shall be accepted into the Society upon payment of the necessary fees without a vote.
5. If a descendant does not exercise the privilege of becoming a member upon reaching the age of 21 years, then the Society shall vote on the question of admission. A majority vote along with payment of necessary fees is necessary for admission to membership.

Article V

Burial Benefits

1. A General Member, in good standing at the time of death, is entitled to burial benefits. A General Member otherwise entitled to burial benefits is only entitled to such benefits if the Society owns a vacant burial plot, and the General Member is eligible for that plot according to the rules of the cemetery in which the burial plot is located. If the Society does not own such a plot at the time of the member’s death, that member’s burial benefits are forfeit. Social Members are not entitled to burial benefits.
2. All burial plots owned by the Society must be in a Jewish cemetery or a Jewish portion of a cemetery.
3. These burial benefits shall be extended to the unmarried Jewish children of family members until their 21st birthday.
4. Within one year after the death of a member who receives burial benefits, the surviving Spouse has the right to reserve the Spouse’s own grave in the nearest possible vacant plot to the grave of the deceased. For such privilege, the surviving Spouse may be required to pay a reasonable amount as determined by the bylaws.

Article VI

Survivor’s Rights

1. Upon the death of a member, the surviving Spouse may assume the membership of the deceased.
2. Should a non-descendant surviving Spouse remarry outside the family, the surviving Spouse’s membership may continue. Membership and its benefits shall not accrue to the new spouse nor to issue of their union.
3. Unmarried children of the deceased and survivor are entitled to burial benefits as long as the surviving Spouse maintains membership. This burial benefit ceases upon their 21st birthday. In any case, children are entitled to membership when they come of age.
4. In the event of the death of a surviving Spouse, children of the deceased are entitled to burial benefits without further dues until they are 21.

Article VII

Appropriations

Appropriations must be approved at a regular meeting in advance of their expenditure.

Article VIII

Voting

A member must be present to vote. Votes by proxy shall not be recognized. One member cannot vote for any other member (including one’s spouse) who is not at the meeting.

Article IX

Amendments

Amendments to this constitution except Article I, shall be submitted in writing at a meeting and may not be voted upon until the next meeting. Special mention shall be made in the meeting notices of the intent to vote on such amendments. Two-thirds of the members voting shall be necessary to pass the amendment, except for amendments amending or repealing Article II (“Identity”), which require a supermajority of 75% of all members voting in order to pass.

Changes in the by-laws shall be made in the same manner except that a majority vote shall be necessary.

Section I

Initiation and Proposal Fee

1. A proposal fee of $1.00 per person shall be charged. When a single member marries and his or her spouse is proposed for membership, such member is to pay $1.00 proposal fee.
2. An initiation fee of $2.50 per person shall be charged upon acceptance into membership.
3. Former single or family members who rejoin the Society shall pay a reinstatement fee of $25.00 in addition to the regular entry fee.
4. An additional charge of $2.00 shall be added to the initiation fee of direct descendants of Yechiel Michel Cantor for each year over the age of 25 years at which the members join the Society. This penalty to be in effect and collectible beginning with the year 1937.
5. Social members shall not pay any of the above fees.

Section II

Burial Benefits

In the event of death, the Society shall pay the following expenses:

1. Cost of transporting the body within a distance of 25 miles from New York.
2. Cost of a hearse, two passenger cars, a pine box and shroud.
3. Cost of opening a grave.
4. Contribute $10 toward the cost of a chapel and $5.00 for a night attendant for the body.
5. Pay any other incidental expense or sum up to $5.00.

Section III

Meetings

1. Meetings shall be held regularly once every month as soon after the first of the month as possible; except in July and August when either or both meetings may be eliminated.
2. Fifteen per cent of the enrolled members shall constitute a quorum for the opening of a meeting and the transaction of all business.
3. When a member does not conduct himself in a proper manner at meetings, the Society may, by a 2/3 majority vote, deprive such member of his privilege of addressing the organization for a period up to three months. Serious misconduct may be the basis of permanent expulsion. To expel a member for misconduct a 2/3 majority vote is necessary.

Section IV

Dues

Dues shall be as follows:

1. Family membership $40.00 per year.
2. Single membership $20.00 per year.
3. Social and Associate membership per person $10.00 per year.

Widows and widowers of members shall assume the status of single membership for purpose of dues at age 65.

Members in arrears of dues, for a period of one-half year or whose assessments or other charges are not paid within one half year are subject to expulsion after due notice of such arrears. A 2/3 majority vote is necessary to expel a member for such reason.

Section V

Officers

1. The elective officers of the Society and their duties shall be as follows:
   1. Financial secretary — whose duty it shall be to keep all financial records and accounts of the Society and shall receive an annual fee equal to the sum of family membership.
   2. Recording secretary — whose duties shall be to keep a record of the minutes and activities of the meetings and to attend to the correspondence of the Society and shall receive $6.00 per year.
   3. Treasurer — whose duty it shall be to safeguard and handle all the monies, securities, and other assets of the Society.
      1. Trustee — whose duty it shall be to assist the relief treasurer.
      2. Relief Treasurer to be responsible for relief funds.
   4. Hospitaler — whose duty it shall be to report to the Society on the state of health of the members.
2. All of the above officers shall hold office for one year. Elections shall be held on the last meeting of the year.
3. There shall be appointed a custodian whose duty it shall be to keep and preserve the charter, all valuable old records, documents and other items of interest to the Society. The office of custodian shall be given to the member whose age and years of membership shall total to the greatest number.
4. A Chairman shall be elected at the beginning of each meeting whose duty it shall be to conduct the meeting in an orderly manner. Should he fail to do so, he may be replaced by a majority vote.

Section VI

Committees

1. At the last meeting of the year, the Chairman shall appoint the following committees:
   1. Finance Committee consisting of at least two members who shall examine the books and records of the Society and report their findings as soon as possible.
   2. Entertainment Committee whose duty it shall be to provide special entertainment both at meetings and at the various functions of the Society.

AMENDMENTS

(Section 4 of the By-Laws)

1. No dues shall be paid by any member of the Society who enlists or is drafted into the armed forces of the U. S. during the period of such service.

ADDENDUM

RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING BLOCK RESERVATIONS AT THE BETH ISRAEL CEMETERY AS CREATED BY A CEMETERY COMMITTEE

1. The committee recommends, under certain rules and regulations, that the concept of block reservations be accepted.
2. That 72 graves on the left-hand side of cemetery, designated on the map as sections #3 through #l I and rows A through H, be set aside as available for block reservations.
3. That the maximum number of graves that can be reserved be limited to eight.
4. That for the privilege of selecting and reserving certain specific grave locations, the member reserving pay $100.00 per grave.
5. That the member requesting the reservation specify the names of all living members for whom the reservation is intended.
6. That no perimeter markings separating the reserved plots be permitted.
7. That if the reserved grave is not used by the holder of the reservation for any reason, then the grave reverts back to the Society.
8. That the selection of the reserved plots be approved by the general membership at a regularly scheduled meeting. 9. That the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society pertaining to membership and burial benefits shall apply to all matters of reservation.