RESTATED ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
OF
FIRST MANISTIQUE CORPORATION
The following Restated Articles of Incorporation
are executed by the undersigned corporation pursuant to
the provisions of Sections 641-651, Act 284, Public
Acts of 1972, as amended.
1. The present name of the corporation, and
its only name since its incorporation is
First Manistique Corporation.
2. The corporation identification number
(CID) assigned by the bureau is 063-316.
3. All of the former names of the corporation are: None
4. The date of filing the original Articles
of Incorporation was December 6, 1974.
5. The following Restated Articles of
Incorporation supersede the original
Articles of Incorporation, as heretofore
amended, and shall be the Articles of
Incorporation of the corporation.
ARTICLE I
The name of the corporation is First Manistique Corporation.
ARTICLE II
The purpose or purposes for which the
corporation is organized is to engage in any activity
within the purposes for which corporations may be
organized under the Business Corporation Act of
Michigan, as amended from time to time, and including
without limitation the power to act as a bank holding
company as permitted by the Federal Bank Holding
Company Act of 1956, as amended, or hereafter
supplemented or amended.
ARTICLE III
The total authorized shares:
1. Common Shares 2,000,000
----------
Preferred Shares 25,000
---------
2. A statement of all or any of the
relative rights, preferences and
limitations of the shares of each class
is as follows:
The Board of Directors may cause the
Corporation to issue Preferred Shares in
one or more series, each series to bear
a distinctive designation and to have
such relative rights and preferences as
shall be prescribed by resolution of the
Board. Such resolutions, when filed,
shall constitute amendments to these
Articles of Incorporation.
ARTICLE IV
1. The address of the current registered office
is: 130 South Cedar Street, P.O. Box 369,
Manistique, Michigan 49854, which is also the
mailing address of the current registered office.
2. The name of the current resident agent is: Ronald G. Ford
ARTICLE V
When a compromise or arrangement or a plan of
reorganization of this corporation is proposed between
this corporation and its creditors or any class of them
or between this corporation and its shareholders or any
class of them, a court of equity jurisdiction within
the state, on application of this corporation or of a
creditor or shareholder thereof, or on application of a
receiver appointed for the corporation, may order a
meeting of the creditors or class of creditors or of
the shareholders or class of shareholders to be
affected by the proposed compromise or arrangement or
reorganization, to be summoned in such manner as the
court directs. If a majority in number representing
3/4 in value of the creditors or class of creditors, or
of the shareholders or class of shareholders to be
affected by the proposed compromise or arrangement,
agree to a compromise or arrangement, or a
reorganization of this corporation as a consequence of
the compromise or arrangement, the compromise or
arrangement and the reorganization, if sanctioned by
the court to which the application has been made, shall
be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors,
or on all the shareholders or class of shareholders and
also on this corporation.
ARTICLE VI
A director of the Corporation shall not be
personally liable to the Corporation or its
shareholders for monetary damages for a breach of
fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability:
(a) for any breach of the director's duty of loyalty to
the Corporation or its shareholders; (b) for acts or
omissions not in good faith or which involve
intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;
(c) resulting from a violation Section 551(1) of the
Michigan Business Corporation Act; or (d) for any
transaction from which the director derived an improper
personal benefit. In the event the Michigan Business
Corporation Act is amended, after approval by the
shareholders of this Article VII, to authorize
corporate action further eliminating or
limiting the
personal liability of directors, then the liability of
a director of the Corporation shall be eliminated or
limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Michigan
Business Corporation Act, as so amended. Any repeal,
modification or adoption of any provision in these
Articles of Incorporation inconsistent with this Article VI
shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a
director of the Corporation existing at the time of
such repeal, modification or adoption.
These Restated Articles of incorporation were
duly adopted by the Board of Directors without a vote
of the shareholders in accordance with the provisions
of Section 642, Act 284, Public Acts of 1972, as
amended. These Restated Articles of Incorporation only
restate and integrate and do not further amend the
provisions of the Articles of Incorporation as
heretofore amended and there is no material discrepancy
between those provisions and the provisions of these
Restated Articles.
Signed this 28th day of December, 1995.
FIRST MANISTIQUE
CORPORATION
By: /s/ Ronald G. Ford
--------------------------
(Name)
Its: President & CEO
--------------------------
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
TO THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
Pursuant to the provisions of Act 284, Public
Acts of 1972, as amended, the undersigned corporation
executes the following Certificate:
1. The present name of the corporation is: First Manistique Corporation
2. The identification number assigned by the Bureau is: 063 316
3. The location of the registered office is:
130 South Cedar
P.O. Box 369
Manistique, MI 49854
4. The following amendments to the
Articles of Incorporation were duly
adopted on the 23rd day of April, 1996.
The amendments were duly adopted in
accordance with Section 611(2) of the
Act by the vote of the shareholders.
The necessary votes were cast in favor
of the amendments.
Article III of the Corporation's Articles of
Incorporation is hereby amended to read as follows:
ARTICLE III
The total number of shares of all classes of stock
which the corporation shall have authority to issue is
6,500,000 shares, of which 6,000,000 shares shall be of
a single class of common stock and 500,000 shares shall
be series preferred stock.
The authorized shares of common stock
are all of one class with equal voting power, and each
such share shall be equal to every other such share.
The Board of Directors of the corporation may cause the
corporation to issue preferred shares in one or more
series, each series to bear a distinctive designation
and to have such relative rights and preferences as
shall be prescribed by resolution of the Board. Such
resolutions, when filed, shall constitute amendments to
these Articles of Incorporation.
A new Article VII is added to the Corporation's
Articles of Incorporation and reads as follows:
ARTICLE VII
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. Authority and Size of Board.
The business and affairs of the corporation shall be
managed by or under the direction of the Board of
Directors. The number of directors of the
corporation that shall constitute the Board of
Directors shall be determined from time to time by
resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of:
A. At least eighty percent (80%) ofthe Board of Directors, and
B. A majority of the Continuing Directors (as hereinafter defined).
Section 2. Classification of Board and
Filling of Vacancies. Subject to applicable law, the
directors shall be divided into three (3) classes, each
class to be as nearly equal in number as possible.
At each annual meeting of shareholders, the successors
to the class of directors whose term shall then expire
shall be elected to hold office for a term expiring at
the third succeeding annual meeting and until their
successors shall be duly elected and qualified or their
resignation or removal. Any vacancies in the Board of
Directors for any reason, and any newly created
directorships resulting from any increase in the number
of directors, may be filled only by the Board of
Directors, acting by an affirmative vote of a majority
of the Continuing Directors (as hereinafter defined)
and an eighty percent (80%) majority of all of the
directors then in office, although less than a quorum,
and any director so chosen shall hold office until the
next election of the class for which the director was
chosen and until his successor shall be duly elected
and qualified or his resignation or removal. No
decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the
term of any incumbent director.
Section 3. Removal of Directors.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Articles
of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the corporation (and
notwithstanding the fact that some lesser percentage
may be specified by law or by these Articles of
Incorporation or the Bylaws of the corporation), any
one or more directors of the corporation may be removed
at any time, with or without cause, but only by either
(i) the affirmative vote of a majority of the
Continuing Directors and at least eighty percent (80%)
of the Board of Directors or (ii) the affirmative vote,
at a meeting of the shareholders called for that
purpose, of the holders of at least eighty percent
(80%) of the voting power of the then outstanding
shares of capital stock of the corporation entitled to
vote generally in the election of directors (the
"Voting Stock") voting together as a single class.
Section 4. Certain Definitions. For the purposes of this Article VII:
A. A "person" shall mean any
individual, firm, corporation or
other entity.
B. "Interested Shareholder" shall mean
any person, other than the
corporation or any Subsidiary, who
or which:
(i) is the beneficial
owner, directly or
indirectly, of ten percent
(10%) or more of the voting
power of the outstanding
Voting Stock; or
(ii) is an Affiliate of
the corporation and at any
time within the two (2) year
period immediately prior to
the date in question was
the beneficial owner,
directly or indirectly, of
ten percent (10%) or more of
the voting power of the then
outstanding Voting Stock; or
(iii) is an assignee of or
has otherwise succeeded to
any shares of Voting Stock
which were at any time
within the two (2) year
period immediately prior to
the date in question
beneficially owned by any
Interested Shareholder, if
such assignment or
succession shall have
occurred in the course of a
transaction or series of
transactions not involving a
public offering within the
meaning of the Securities
Act of 1933.
C. A person shall be a "beneficial owner" of any Voting Stock:
(i) which such person or
any of its Affiliates or
Associates (as hereinafter
defined) beneficially
owns, directly or
indirectly; or
(ii) which such person or
any of its Affiliates or
Associates has (a) the
right to acquire (whether
such right is exercisable
immediately or only after
the passage of time),
pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or
understanding or upon the
exercise of conversion
rights, exchange rights,
warrants or
options, or otherwise, or
(b) the right to vote
pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or
understanding; or
(iii) which are
beneficially owned,
directly or indirectly, by any
other person with which such
person or any of its
Affiliates or Associates
has any agreement, arrangement
or understanding for the
purpose of acquiring,
holding, voting or
disposing of any shares of
Voting Stock.
D. For the purposes of determining whether
a person is an Interested Shareholder
pursuant to paragraph B of this Section
4, the number of shares of Voting Stock
deemed to be outstanding shall include
shares deemed owned through
application of paragraph C of this
Section 4 but
shall not include any
other shares of Voting Stock which may
be issuable pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding, or upon
exercise of conversion rights, warrants
or options, or otherwise.
E. "Affiliate" or "Associate" shall have
the respective meanings ascribed to such
terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as in effect on
the date this Article of the Articles of
Incorporation is filed with the
Corporation Division of the Michigan
Department of Commerce.
F. "Subsidiary" means any corporation of
which a majority of any class of equity
security is owned, directly or
indirectly, by the corporation;
provided, however, that for the purposes
of the definition of Interested
Shareholder set forth in paragraph B of
this Section 4, the term "Subsidiary"
shall mean only a corporation of which a
majority of each class of equity
security is owned, directly or
indirectly, by the corporation.
G. "Continuing Director" means any member
of the Board of Directors of the
corporation (the "Board") who is
unaffiliated with the Interested
Shareholder and was a member of the
Board prior to the time that the
Interested Shareholder became an
Interested Shareholder, and any
successor of a Continuing Director who
is unaffiliated with the Interested
Shareholder and is recommended to
succeed a Continuing Director by a
majority of Continuing Directors then on
the Board.
Section 5. Powers of Continuing Directors.
A majority of the Continuing Directors of the
corporation shall have the power and duty to determine,
on the basis of information known to them after
reasonable inquiry, all facts necessary to determine
compliance with this Article VII, including without
limitation (i) whether a person is an Interested
Shareholder, (ii) the number of shares of Voting Stock
beneficially owned by any person and (iii) whether a
person is an Affiliate or Associate of another; and the
good faith determination of a majority of the
Continuing Directors on such matters shall be
conclusive and binding for all the purposes of this
Article VII.
Section 6. Nominations for Board.
Nominations for the election of directors may be made
by the Board of Directors or by a shareholder entitled
to vote in the election of directors. A shareholder
entitled to vote in the election of directors, however,
may make such a nomination only if written notice of
such shareholder's intent to do so has been given,
either by personal delivery or by United States
mail, postage prepaid, and received by the corporation
(a) with respect to an election to be held at an annual
meeting of shareholders, not later than sixty (60) nor
more than ninety (90) days prior to the first
anniversary of the preceding year's annual meeting (or,
if the date of the annual meeting is changed by more
than twenty (20) days from such anniversary date,
within ten (10) days after the date the corporation
mails or otherwise gives notice of the date of such
meeting), and (b) with respect to an election to be
held at a special meeting of shareholders called for
that purpose, not later than the close of business on
the tenth
(10th) day following the date on which notice
of the special meeting was first mailed to the
shareholders by the corporation.
Each shareholder's notice of intent to make a
nomination shall set forth: (i) the name(s) and
address(es) of the shareholder who intends to make the
nomination and of the person or persons to be
nominated; (ii) a representation that the shareholder
(a) is a holder of record of stock of the corporation
entitled to vote at such meeting, (b) will continue to
hold such stock through the date on which the meeting
is held, and (c) intends to appear in person or by
proxy at the meeting to nominate the person or persons
specified in the notice; (iii) a description of all
arrangements or understandings between the shareholder
and each nominee and any other person or persons
(naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the
nomination is to be made by the shareholder; (iv) such
other information regarding each nominee proposed by
such shareholder as would be required to be included in
a proxy statement filed pursuant to Regulation 14A
promulgated under Section 14 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, as now in effect or hereafter
modified; and (v) the consent of each nominee to serve
as a director of the corporation if so elected. The
corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish
such other information as may reasonably be required by
the corporation to determine the qualifications of such
proposed nominee to serve as a director.
No person shall be eligible for election as a
director unless nominated (i) by a shareholder in
accordance with the foregoing procedure or (ii) by the
Board of Directors.
A new Article VIII is added to the
Corporation's Articles of Incorporation and reads as
follows:
ARTICLE VIII
NOTIFICATION OF SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS
The Board of Directors of the corporation shall
submit for consideration and vote by the shareholders,
at annual meetings of the shareholders, only those
proposals that are first brought before the
meeting by or at the direction of the Board of
Directors, or by any shareholder entitled to vote at
such meeting (a) who submits to the corporation a
timely Notice of Proposal in accordance with the
requirements of this Article VIII and the proposal is a
proper subject for action by shareholders under
Michigan law, or (b) whose proposal is included in the
corporation's proxy materials in compliance with all
the requirements set forth in the applicable rules and
regulations in the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Each shareholder's Notice of Proposal shall set forth:
(a) The name and address of the
shareholder submitting the proposal, as
they appear on the corporation's books
and records;
(b) A representation that the
shareholder (i) is a holder of record of
stock of the corporation entitled to
vote at such meeting, (ii) will continue
to hold such stock through the date on
which the meeting is held, and (iii)
intends to appear in person or by proxy
at the meeting to submit the proposal
for shareholder vote;
(c) A brief description of the
proposal desired to be submitted to the
meeting for shareholder vote and the
reasons for conducting such business at
the meeting; and
(d) A description of any financial
or other interest of such shareholder in
the proposal.
A Notice of Proposal must be given, either by
personal delivery or by United States mail, postage
prepaid, and received by the corporation not less than
thirty (30) days prior to the date of the originally
scheduled meeting, regardless of any adjournments
thereof to a later date; provided that, if less than
forty (40) days' notice of the meeting of shareholders
is given by the corporation, the Notice of
Proposal must be received by the corporation not later
than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day
following the date on which the notice of the scheduled
meeting was first mailed to the shareholders.
The secretary of the corporation shall
notify a shareholder in writing whether his or her
Notice of Proposal has been made in accordance with all
the requirements of this Article VIII. The chairman of
the meeting may refuse to acknowledge the proposal of
any shareholder not made in compliance with all such
requirements.
A new Article IX is added to the Corporation's
Articles of Incorporation and reads as follows:
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENT OF ARTICLES VII, VIII OR IX
Notwithstanding anything contained in
these Articles of Incorporation to the contrary, the
affirmative vote of at least 80% of the outstanding
shares of voting stock of the corporation, voting
as a single class, shall be required to amend or repeal
Article VII, Article VIII or Article IX of these
Articles of Incorporation or to adopt any provision
inconsistent therewith, unless, such amendment or
repeal or inconsistent provision has been recommended
for approval by at least 80% of all directors then
holding office and by a majority of the Continuing
Directors. The term "Continuing Directors" is
defined in Article VII.
A new Article X is added to the Corporation's
Articles of Incorporation and reads as follows:
ARTICLE X
BOARD EVALUATION OF CERTAIN OFFERS
Section 1. Matters to be Evaluated.
The Board of Directors of this corporation shall not
approve, adopt or recommend any offer of any person or
entity, other than the corporation, to make a tender or
exchange offer for any capital stock of the
corporation, to merge or consolidate the corporation
with any other entity or to purchase or otherwise
acquire all or substantially all of the assets or
business of the corporation unless and until the Board
of Directors shall have first evaluated the offer and
determined that the offer would be in compliance with
all applicable laws and that the offer is in the best
interests of the corporation and its shareholders. In
connection with its evaluation as to compliance
with laws, the Board of Directors may seek and rely
upon an opinion of legal counsel independent from the
offeror and it may test such compliance with laws
in any state or federal court or before any state or
federal administrative agency which may have
appropriate jurisdiction. In connection with its
evaluation as to the best interests of the
corporation and its shareholders, the Board of
Directors shall consider all factors which it deems
relevant, including without limitation: (i) the
adequacy and fairness of the consideration to be
received by the corporation and/or its shareholders
under the offer considering historical trading prices
of the corporation's stock, the price that might be
achieved in a negotiated sale of the corporation as a
whole, premiums over trading prices which have been
proposed or offered with respect to the securities of
other companies in the past in connection with similar
offers and the future prospects for this
corporation and its business; (ii) the potential social
and economic impact of the offer and its consummation
on this corporation, and its subsidiaries and their
respective employees, depositors and other customers
and vendors; (iii) the potential social and economic
impact of the offer and its consummation on the
communities in which the corporation and any
subsidiaries operate or are located; (iv) the business
and financial condition and earnings prospects of the
proposed acquiror or acquirors; and (v) the competence,
experience and integrity of the proposed acquiror
or acquirors and its or their management.
Section 2. Amendment, Repeal, etc.
Notwithstanding any other provision of these Articles
of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the corporation to
the contrary (and notwithstanding the fact that a
lesser percentage may be specified by law, these
Articles of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the
corporation), the affirmative vote of the holders of
eighty percent (80%) or more of the outstanding shares
of capital stock entitled to vote for the election of
directors, voting together as a single class, shall be
required to amend, repeal or adopt any provision
inconsistent with this Article X; provided, however,
that this Section 2 of Article X shall be of no force
or effect if the proposed amendment, repeal or other
action has been recommended for approval by at least
eighty percent (80%) of all directors then holding
office.
Signed this 25th day of April, 1996.
By: /s/Ronald G. Ford
-------------------------
Ronald G. Ford, President
and Chief Executive Officer
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
TO THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
Pursuant to the provisions of Act 284, Public
Acts of 1972, as amended, the undersigned corporation
executes the following Certificate:
1. The present name of the corporation is: First Manistique Corporation
2. The identification number assigned by the Bureau is: 063 316
3. The location of the registered office is:
130 South Cedar
Manistique, MI 49854
4. The following amendments to the Articles of
Incorporation were duly adopted on the 14th day of
April, 1998. The amendment was duly adopted in
accordance with Section 611(2) of the Act by the vote
of the shareholders. The necessary votes were cast in
favor of the amendment.
Article I is hereby amended to read as follows:
ARTICLE I
The name of the Corporation is
North Country Financial Corporation.
Signed this 18th day of August, 1998.
By: /s/Ronald G. Ford
-------------------------
Ronald G. Ford, President
and Chief Executive Officer
CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT
TO THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
Pursuant to the provisions of Act 284, Public
Acts of 1972 (profit corporations), or Act 162, Public
Acts of 1982 (nonprofit corporations), the undersigned
corporation executes the following Certificate:
1. The present name of the corporation is:
North Country Financial Corporation
2. The identification number assigned by the Bureau is: 063 316
3. The location of the registered office is:
130 South Cedar
P.O. Box 369
Manistique, MI 49854
4. The first paragraph of Article III of the Articles
of Incorporation is hereby amended to read as follows:
The total number of shares of
all classes of stock which the
corporation shall have
authority to issue is
18,500,000 shares of which
18,000,000 shares shall be a
single class of common stock
and 500,000 shares shall be
series preferred stock.
5. The foregoing amendments to the Articles
of Incorporation was duly adopted on the
11th day of August, 1998 by the
shareholders if a profit corporation, or
by the shareholders or members if a
nonprofit corporation at a meeting. The
necessary votes were cast in favor of
the amendment.
Signed this 11th day of August, 1998.
By: /s/Ronald G. Ford
-------------------------
Ronald G. Ford, President
and Chief Executive Officer