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Co-operative housekeeping

Convention.[1] The first two shall be called, respectively, Directress and Vice-directress, and the last two Assistant-directresses.

Article XIX.Functions of Directresses, and Functions reserved to Committee.

The committee shall intrust to the boards of directresses the practical management of the different departments of co-operative housekeeping, but shall reserve to itself the final decision in, 1. The expulsion of housekeepers, which shall require a unanimous vote; 2. Receipts and expenditures of over £50; 3. Unfulfilled contracts; and, 4. The methods of keeping the books of the society.

Article XX.Further Functions of the Committee.

The executive committee shall exercise superintendence over the boards of directresses, and decide all appeals from them. It can at any time institute an investigation of all business operations, and is empowered to remove directresses from office, subject to the decision of a convention to be immediately called and to appoint members from its own body for the occasional performance of current business. In the decision of matters not herein mentioned the committee shall take no part.

Article XXI.Special Duties of Directresses.

The boards of directresses shall meet twice a week in the counting-room of their several departments, and shall decide, by majority of votes, on the receiving and distribution of goods, on all receipts and expenditures arising, not already determined or brought before the convention and committee; on the admission of housekeepers, and the carrying out the details of their respective departments, whether by themselves or by persons appointed by them for the purpose; subject, however, in case of the higher officers, to the decision of the executive committee.

Article XXII.Legal Signature of the Association.

The legal signature of the association shall consist of the signatures of the Directress and Vice-directress, or of one of these with that of one of the Assistant-directresses.

  1. I have imitated this manner of choosing the directresses from the constitution of the Co-operative Store Society. But I am doubtful as to whether the directresses should go out annually with the executive committee.