BYLAWS
OF
ACADIA GROUP, INC.
(AMENDED AS OF NOVEMBER 19, 1999)
ARTICLE I
OFFICES
Section 1.1 PRINCIPAL OFFICE. The principal office of the corporation in
the State of Maine shall be located in the City of Auburn, County of
Androscoggin. The corporation may have such other offices, either within or
outside of the State of Colorado, as the Board of Directors may designate, or
as the business of the corporation may require from time to time.
Section 1.2 REGISTERED OFFICE. The registered office of the corporation,
required by the Colorado Business Corporation Act to be maintained in the
State of Colorado, may be, but need not be, identical with the principal
office in the State of Colorado, and the address of the registered office may
be changed from time to time by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE II
SHAREHOLDERS
Section 2.1 ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the shareholders shall
be held on the last Tuesday of March in each year, commencing with the year
2000, at the hour of 10:00 A.M., or at such other time on such other day as
shall be fixed by the Board of Directors, for the purpose of electing
directors and for the transaction of such other business as may come before
the meeting. If the day fixed for the annual meeting shall be a legal holiday
in the State of Maine, such meeting shall be held on the next succeeding
business day. If the election of directors shall not be held on the day
designated herein for any annual meeting of the shareholders, or at any
adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors shall cause the election to be
held at a special meeting of the shareholders as soon thereafter as may be
convenient.
A shareholder may apply to the district court in the county in Colorado
where the corporation's principal office is located or, if the corporation has
no principal office in Colorado, to the district court of the county in which
the corporation's registered office is located to seek an order that a
shareholder meeting be held (i) if an annual meeting was not held within six
months after the close of the corporation's most recently ended fiscal year or
fifteen months after its last annual meeting, whichever is earlier, or (ii) if
the shareholder participated in a proper call or of proper demand for a
special meeting and notice of the special meeting was not given within thirty
days after the date of the call or the date the last of the demands necessary
to require calling of the meeting was received by the corporation pursuant to
C.R.S. § 7-107-102(1)(b), or the special meeting was not held in
accordance with the notice.
Section 2.2 SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the shareholders, for
any purpose or purposes, unless otherwise prescribed by statute, may be called
by the Chairman or CEO or by the Board of Directors, and shall be called by
the Chairman or CEO upon the receipt of one or more written demands for a
special meeting, stating the purpose or purposes for which it is to be held,
signed and dated by the holders of shares representing at least ten percent of
all the votes entitled to be cast on any issue proposed to be considered at
the meeting.
Section 2.3 PLACE OF MEETINGS. The Board of Directors may designate any
place, either within or outside of the State of Colorado, as the place of
meeting for any annual meeting or for any special meeting called by the Board
of Directors. If no designation is made, or if a special meeting be otherwise
called, the place of meeting shall be the principal office of the corporation
in the State of Colorado.
Section 2.4 NOTICE OF MEETING. Written notice stating the place, day and
hour of the meeting of shareholders and, in case of a special meeting, the
purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, shall, unless otherwise
prescribed by statute, be delivered not less than ten nor more than sixty days
before the date of the meeting, either personally or by mail, by or at the
direction of the Chairman or CEO, or the Secretary, or the officer or other
persons calling the meeting, to each shareholder of record entitled to vote at
such meeting; provided, however, that if the number of authorized shares is to
be increased, at least thirty days' notice shall be given.
Notice of a special meeting shall include a description of the purpose or
purposes of the meeting. Notice of an annual meeting need not include a
description of the purpose or purposes of the meeting except the purpose or
purposes shall be stated with respect to (i) an amendment to the articles of
incorporation of the corporation, (ii) a merger or share exchange in which the
corporation is a party and, with respect to a share exchange, in which the
corporation's shares will be acquired, (iii) a sale, lease, exchange or other
disposition, other than in the usual and regular course of business, of all or
substantially all of the property of the corporation or of another entity
which this corporation controls, in each case with or without the goodwill,
(iv) a dissolution of the corporation, or (v) any other purpose for which a
statement of purpose is required by the Colorado Business Corporation Act.
Notice shall be given personally or by mail, private carrier, telegraph,
teletype, electronically transmitted facsimile or other form of wire or
wireless communication by or at the direction of the president, the secretary,
or the officer or persons calling the meeting, to each shareholder of record
entitled to vote at such meeting. If mailed and if in a comprehensible form,
such notice shall be deemed to be given and effective when deposited in the
United States mail, addressed to the shareholder at his address as it appears
in the corporation's current record of shareholders, with postage prepaid. If
notice is given other than by mail, and provided that such notice is in a
comprehensible form, the notice is given and effective on the date received by
the shareholder.
If requested by the person or persons lawfully calling such meeting, the
notice shall be given at corporate expense.
When a meeting is adjourned to another date, time or place, notice need
not be given of the new date, time or place if the new date, time or place of
such meeting is announced before adjournment at the meeting at which the
adjournment is taken. At the adjourned meeting the corporation may transact
any business which may have been transacted at the original meeting. If the
adjournment is for more than 120 days, or if a new record date is fixed for
the adjourned meeting, a new notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to
each shareholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting as of the new
record date.
A shareholder may waive notice of a meeting before or after the time and
date of the meeting by a writing signed by such shareholder. Such waiver shall
be delivered to the corporation for filing with the corporate records.
Further, by attending a meeting either in person or by proxy, a shareholder
waives objection to lack of notice or defective notice of the meeting unless
the shareholder objects at the beginning of the meeting to the holding of the
meeting or the transaction of business at the meeting because of lack of
notice or defective notice. By attending the meeting, the shareholder also
waives any objection to consideration in the meeting of a particular matter
not within the purpose or purposes described in the meeting notice unless the
shareholder objects to considering the matter when it is presented.
No notice need be sent to any shareholder if three successive notices
mailed to the last known address of such shareholder have been returned as
undeliverable until such time as another address for such shareholder is made
known to the corporation by such shareholder. In order to be entitled to
receive notice of any meeting, a shareholder shall advise the corporation in
writing of any change in such shareholder's mailing address as shown on the
corporation's books and records.
Section 2.5 MEETING OF ALL SHAREHOLDERS. If all of the shareholders shall
meet at any time and place, either within or outside of the State of Colorado,
and consent to the holding of a meeting at such time and place, such meeting
shall be valid without call or notice, and at such meeting any corporate
action may be taken.
Section 2.6 CLOSING OF TRANSFER BOOKS OR FIXING OF RECORD DATE. For the
purpose of determining shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any
meeting of shareholders or any adjournment thereof, or shareholders entitled
to receive payment of any distribution, or in order to make a determination of
shareholders for any other purpose, the Board of Directors of the corporation
may provide that the share transfer books shall be closed for a stated period
but not to exceed, in any case, seventy days. If the share transfer books
shall be closed for the purpose of determining shareholders entitled to notice
of or to vote at a meeting of shareholders, such books shall be closed for at
least ten days immediately preceding such meeting. In lieu of closing the
share transfer books, the Board of Directors may fix in advance a date as the
record date for any such determination of shareholders, such date in any case
to be not more than seventy days and, in case of a meeting of shareholders,
not less than ten days prior to the date on which the particular action,
requiring such determination of shareholders, is to be taken. If the share
transfer books are not closed and no record date is fixed for the
determination of shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of
shareholders, or shareholders entitled to receive payment of a distribution,
the date on which notice of the meeting is mailed or the date on which the
resolution of the Board of Directors declaring such distribution is adopted,
as the case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of
shareholders. When a determination of shareholders entitled to vote at any
meeting of shareholders has been made as provided in this section, such
determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof unless the meeting is
adjourned to a date more than one hundred twenty days after the date fixed for
the original meeting, in which case the Board of Directors shall make a new
determination as provided in this section.
Section 2.7 VOTING RECORD. The officer or agent having charge of the
stock transfer books for shares of the corporation shall make, at least ten
days before such meeting of shareholders, a complete record of the
shareholders entitled to vote at each meeting of shareholders or any adjournment
thereof, arranged by voting groups and within each voting group by class or
series of shares, in alphabetical order within each class or series, with the
address of and the number of shares held by each shareholder in each class or
series. For a period beginning the earlier of ten days before the meeting for
which the record was prepared or two business days after notice of the meeting
is given and continuing through the meeting, the record shall be kept on file
at the principal office of the corporation or at a place identified in the
notice of the meeting in the city where the meeting will be held, whether
within or outside of the State of Colorado, and shall be subject to inspection
by any shareholder upon written demand at any time during usual business
hours. Such record shall be produced and kept open at the time and place of
the meeting and shall be subject to the inspection of any shareholder during
the whole time of the meeting for the purposes thereof.
The original stock transfer books shall be the prima facie evidence as to
who are the shareholders entitled to examine the record or transfer books or
to vote at any meeting of shareholders.
Section 2.8 QUORUM. A majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the
matter by a voting group, represented in person or by proxy, constitutes a
quorum of that voting group for action on that matter. If no specific voting
group is designated in the Articles of Incorporation or under the Colorado
Business Corporation Act for a particular matter, all outstanding shares of
the corporation entitled to vote, represented in person or by proxy, shall
constitute a voting group. In the absence of a quorum at any such meeting, a
majority of the shares so represented may adjourn the meeting from time to
time for a period not to exceed one hundred twenty days without further
notice. However, if the adjournment is for more than one hundred twenty days,
or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned
meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each shareholder
of record entitled to vote at the meeting.
At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present or
represented, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted
at the meeting as originally noticed. The shareholders present at a duly
organized meeting may continue to transact business until adjournment,
notwithstanding the withdrawal during such meeting of that number of
shareholders whose absence would cause there to be less than a quorum.
Section 2.9 MANNER OF ACTING. If a quorum is present, the affirmative
vote of a majority of the outstanding shares represented at the meeting and
entitled to vote thereon, or of any class or series, shall be the act of the
shareholders.
Section 2.10 PROXIES. At all meetings of shareholders a shareholder may
vote by proxy by signing an appointment form or similar writing, either
personally or by his or her duly authorized attorney-in-fact. A shareholder
may also appoint a proxy by transmitting or authorizing the transmission of a
telegram, teletype, or other electronic transmission providing a written
statement of the appointment to the proxy, a proxy solicitor, proxy support
service organization, or other person duly authorized by the proxy to receive
appointments as agent for the proxy, or to the corporation. The transmitted
appointment shall set forth or be transmitted with written evidence from which
it can be determined that the shareholder transmitted or authorized the
transmission of the appointment. The proxy appointment form or similar writing
shall be filed with the secretary of the corporation before or at the time of
the meeting. The appointment of a proxy is effective when received by the
corporation and is valid for eleven months unless a different period is
expressly provided in the appointment form or similar writing.
Any complete copy, including an electronically transmitted facsimile, of
an appointment of a proxy may be substituted for or used in lieu of the
original appointment for any purpose for which the original appointment could
be used.
Revocation of a proxy does not affect the right of the corporation to
accept the proxy's authority unless (i) the corporation had notice that the
appointment was coupled with an interest and notice that such interest is
extinguished is received by the secretary or other officer or agent authorized
to tabulate votes before the proxy exercises his or her authority under the
appointment, or (ii) other notice of the revocation of the appointment is
received by the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to tabulate
votes before the proxy exercises his or her authority under the appointment.
Other notice of revocation may, in the discretion of the corporation, be
deemed to include the appearance at a shareholders' meeting of the shareholder
who granted the proxy and his or her voting in person on any matter subject to
a vote at such meeting.
The death or incapacity of the shareholder appointing a proxy does not
affect the right of the corporation to accept the proxy's authority unless
notice of the death or incapacity is received by the secretary or other
officer or agent authorized to tabulate votes before the proxy exercises his
or her authority under the appointment.
The corporation shall not be required to recognize an appointment made
irrevocable if it has received a writing revoking the appointment signed by
the shareholder (including a shareholder who is a successor to the shareholder
who granted the proxy) either personally or by his or her attorney-in-fact,
notwithstanding that the revocation may be a breach of an obligation of the
shareholder to another person not to revoke the appointment.
Section 2.11 VOTING OF SHARES. Unless otherwise provided by these Bylaws
or the Articles of Incorporation, each outstanding share entitled to vote
shall be entitled to one vote upon each matter submitted to a vote at a
meeting of shareholders, and each fractional share shall be entitled to a
corresponding fractional vote on each such matter. Only shares are entitled to
vote.
Section 2.12 VOTING OF SHARES BY CERTAIN SHAREHOLDERS. If the name on a
vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment, or proxy appointment revocation
corresponds to the name of a shareholder, the corporation, if acting in good
faith, is entitled to accept the vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment or
proxy appointment revocation and give it effect as the act of the shareholder.
If the name signed on a vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment or proxy
appointment revocation does not correspond to the name of a shareholder, the
corporation, if acting in good faith, is nevertheless entitled to accept the
vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment or proxy appointment revocation and
to give it effect as the act of the shareholder if:
(i) the shareholder is an entity and the name signed purports to be that
of an officer or agent of the entity;
(ii) the name signed purports to be that of an administrator, executor,
guardian or conservator representing the shareholder and, if the corporation
requests, evidence of fiduciary status acceptable to the corporation has been
presented with respect to the vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment or
proxy appointment revocation;
(iii) the name signed purports to be that of a receiver or trustee in
bankruptcy of the shareholder and, if the corporation requests, evidence of
this status acceptable to the corporation has been presented with respect to
the vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment or proxy appointment revocation;
(iv) the name signed purports to be that of a pledgee, beneficial owner
or attorney-in-fact of the shareholder and, if the corporation requests,
evidence acceptable to the corporation of the signatory's authority to sign
for the shareholder has been presented with respect to the vote, consent,
waiver, proxy appointment or proxy appointment revocation;
(v) two or more persons are the shareholder as co-tenants or fiduciaries
and the name signed purports to be the name of at least one of the co-tenants
or fiduciaries, and the person signing appears to be acting on behalf of all
the co-tenants or fiduciaries; or
(vi) the acceptance of the vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment or
proxy appointment revocation is otherwise proper under rules established by
the corporation that are not inconsistent with this Section 2.12.
The corporation is entitled to reject a vote, consent, waiver, proxy
appointment or proxy appointment revocation if the secretary or other officer
or agent authorized to tabulate votes, acting in good faith, has reasonable
basis for doubt about the validity of the signature on it or about the
signatory's authority to sign for the shareholder.
Neither the corporation nor any of its directors, officers employees, or
agents who accepts or rejects a vote, consent, waiver, proxy appointment or
proxy appointment revocation in good faith and in accordance with the
standards of this Section is liable in damages for the consequences of the
acceptance or rejection.
Redeemable shares are not entitled to be voted after notice of redemption
is mailed to the holders and a sum sufficient to redeem the shares has been
deposited with a bank, trust company or other financial institution under an
irrevocable obligation to pay the holders of the redemption price on surrender
of the shares.
Section 2.13 ACTION BY SHAREHOLDERS WITHOUT A MEETING. Unless the
Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws provide otherwise, action required
or permitted to be taken at a meeting of shareholders may be taken without a
meeting if the action is evidenced by one or more written consents describing
the action taken, signed by each shareholder entitled to vote and delivered to
the Secretary of the corporation for inclusion in the minutes or for filing
with the corporate records. Action taken under this section is effective when
all shareholders entitled to vote have signed the consent, unless the consent
specifies a different effective date.
Any such writing may be received by the corporation by electronically
transmitted facsimile or other form of wire or wireless communication
providing the corporation with a complete copy thereof, including a copy of
the signature thereto. The shareholder so transmitting such a writing shall
furnish an original of such writing to the corporation, but the failure of the
corporation to receive or record such original writing shall not affect the
action so taken.
The record date for determining shareholders entitled to take action
without a meeting shall be the date the written consent is first received by
the corporation.
Section 2.14 VOTING BY BALLOT. Voting on any question or in any election
may be by voice vote unless the presiding officer shall order or any
shareholder shall demand that voting be by ballot.
Section 2.15 NO CUMULATIVE VOTING. No shareholder shall be permitted to
cumulate his or her votes.
Section 2.16 WAIVER OF NOTICE. When any notice is required to be given to
any shareholder, a waiver thereof in writing signed by the person entitled to
such notice, whether before, at, or after the time stated therein, shall be
equivalent to the giving of such notice.
The attendance of a shareholder at any meeting shall constitute a waiver
of notice, waiver of objection to defective notice of such meeting, or a
waiver of objection to the consideration of a particular matter at the
shareholder meeting unless the shareholder, at the beginning of the meeting,
objects to the holding of the meeting, the transaction of business at the
meeting, or the consideration of a particular matter at the time it is
presented at the meeting.
Section 2.17 PARTICIPATION BY ELECTRONIC MEANS. Any shareholder may
participate in any meeting of the shareholders by means of telephone
conference or similar communications equipment by which all persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Such
participation shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
ARTICLE III
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 3.1 GENERAL POWERS. The business and affairs of the corporation
shall be managed by its Board of Directors. Any and all wholly owned
Subsidiarys of the Corporation or business relationship where the Corporation
controls more than 50% of the relationship shall also be governed by the Board
of Directors of the Corporation.
Section 3.2 PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES. A director of the corporation shall
perform his or her duties as a director, including his or her duties as a
member of any committee of the board upon which he or she may serve, in good
faith, in a manner he or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests
of the corporation, and with such care as an ordinarily prudent person in a
like position would use under similar circumstances. In performing his duties,
a director shall be entitled to rely on information, opinions, reports, or
statements, including financial statements and other financial data, in each
case prepared or presented by persons and groups listed in paragraphs (a),
(b), and (c) of this Section 3.2; but he or she shall not be considered to be
acting in good faith if he or she has knowledge concerning the matter in
question that would cause such reliance to be unwarranted. A person who so
performs his or her other duties shall not have any liability by reason of
being or having been a director of the corporation. Those persons and groups
on whose information, opinions, reports, and statements a director is entitled
to rely are:
(a) One or more officers or employees of the corporation whom the
director reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters
presented;
(b) Legal counsel, public accountants, or other persons as to matters
which the director reasonably believes to be within such persons' professional
or expert competence; or
(c) A committee of the board upon which he or she does not serve, duly
designated in accordance with the provision of the Articles of Incorporation
or the Bylaws, as to matters within its designated authority, which committee
the director reasonably believes to merit confidence.
Section 3.3 NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS. The number of directors
of the corporation shall be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board
of Directors, but in no instance shall there be less than one director. Each
director shall hold office for a three year term or until his or her successor
shall have been elected and qualified. Directors need not be residents of the
State of Colorado or shareholders of the corporation.
There shall be a Chairman of the Board, who has been elected from
among the directors. He or she shall preside at all meetings of the
stockholders and of the Board of Directors. He or she shall have such other
powers and duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors.
There shall be at least two (2) independent directors as defined by the
Colorado Business Corporation Act of 1994, as amended.
Section 3.4 REGULAR MEETINGS. A regular meeting of the Board of Directors
shall be held without other notice than this Bylaw immediately after, and at
the same place as, the annual meeting of shareholders. The Board of Directors
may provide, by resolution, the time and place, either within or without the
State of Colorado, for the holding of additional regular meetings without
other notice than such resolution.
Section 3.5 SPECIAL MEETINGS. Special meetings of the Board of Directors
may be called by or at the request of the Chairman or CEO or any two
directors. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the
Board of Directors may fix any place, either within or without the State of
Colorado, as the place for holding any special meeting of the Board of
Directors called by them.
Section 3.6 NOTICE. Written notice of any special meeting of directors
shall be given as follows:
By mail to each director at his or her business address at least two days
prior to the meeting; or
By personal delivery, facsimile or telegram at least twenty-four hours
prior to the meeting to the business address of each director, or in the event
such notice is given on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, to the residence
address of each director. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be
delivered when deposited in the United States mail, so addressed, with postage
thereon prepaid. If notice is given by facsimile, such notice shall be deemed
to be delivered when a confirmation of the transmission of the facsimile has
been received by the sender. If notice be given by telegram, such notice shall
be deemed to be delivered when the telegram is delivered to the telegraph
company.
Any director may waive notice of any meeting.
The attendance of a director at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of
notice of such meeting, except where a director attends a meeting for the
express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business because the
meeting is not lawfully called or convened.
Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular
or special meeting of the Board of Directors need be specified in the notice
or waiver of notice of such meeting.
When any notice is required to be given to a director, a waiver thereof
in writing signed by such director, whether before, at or after the time
stated therein, shall constitute the giving of such notice.
Section 3.7 QUORUM. A majority of the number of directors fixed by or
pursuant to Section 3.3 of this Article III, or if no such number is fixed, a
majority of the number of directors in office immediately before the meeting
begins, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any
meeting of the Board of Directors, but if less than such majority is present
at a meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from
time to time without further notice.
Section 3.8 MANNER OF ACTING. Except as otherwise required by law or by
the Articles of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the majority of the
directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act
of the Board of Directors.
Section 3.9 INFORMAL ACTION BY DIRECTORS OR COMMITTEE MEMBERS. Unless the
Articles of Incorporation or these By-laws provide otherwise, any action
required or permitted to be taken at a meeting of the board of directors or
any committee designated by said board may be taken without a meeting if the
action is evidenced by one or more written consents describing the action
taken, signed by each director or committee member, and delivered to the
Secretary for inclusion in the minutes or for filing with the corporate
records. Action taken under this section is effective when all directors or
committee members have signed the consent, unless the consent specifies a
different effective date. Such consent has the same force and effect as a
unanimous vote of the directors or committee members and may be stated as such
in any document.
Section 3.10 PARTICIPATION BY ELECTRONIC MEANS. Any members of the Board
of Directors or any committee designated by such Board may participate in a
meeting of the Board of Directors or committee by means of telephone
conference or similar communications equipment by which all persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Such
participation shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 3.11 VACANCIES. Any vacancy on the Board of Directors may be
filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the shareholders or the Board
of Directors. If the directors remaining in office constitute fewer than a
quorum of the board, the directors may fill the vacancy by the affirmative
vote of a majority of all the directors remaining in office.
If elected by the directors, the director shall hold office until the
next annual shareholders' meeting at which directors are elected. If elected
by the shareholders, the director shall hold office for the unexpired term of
his or her predecessor in office; except that, if the director's predecessor
was elected by the directors to fill a vacancy, the director elected by the
shareholders shall hold the office for the unexpired term of the last
predecessor elected by the shareholders.
If the vacant office was held by a director elected by a voting group of
shareholders, only the holders of shares of that voting group are entitled to
vote to fill the vacancy if it is filled by the shareholders, and, if one or
more of the remaining directors were elected by the same voting group, only
such directors are entitled to vote to fill the vacancy if it is filled by the
directors.
Section 3.12 RESIGNATION. Any director of the corporation may resign at
any time by giving written notice to the Secretary of the corporation. The
resignation of any director shall take effect upon receipt of notice thereof
or at such later time as shall be specified in such notice; and, unless
otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be
necessary to make it effective. When one or more directors shall resign from
the board, effective at a future date, a majority of the directors then in
office, including those who have so resigned, shall have power to fill such
vacancy or vacancies, the vote thereon to take effect when such resignation or
resignations shall become effective.
Section 3.13 REMOVAL. Subject to any limitations contained in the
Articles of Incorporation, any director or directors of the corporation may be
removed at any time, with or without cause, in the manner provided in the
Colorado Business Corporation Act.
Section 3.14 COMMITTEES. By resolution adopted by a majority of the Board
of Directors, the directors may designate two or more directors to constitute
a committee, any of which shall have such authority in the management of the
corporation as the Board of Directors shall designate and as shall be
prescribed by the Colorado Business Corporation Act and Article XI of these
Bylaws.
Section 3.15 COMPENSATION. By resolution of the Board of Directors and
irrespective of any personal interest of any of the members, or the Board of
Directors, each director may be paid his or her expenses, if any, of
attendance at each meeting of the Board of Directors, and may be paid a stated
salary as director or a fixed sum for attendance at each meeting of the Board
of Directors or both. No such payment shall preclude any director from serving
the corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.
Section 3.16 PRESUMPTION OF ASSENT. A director of the corporation who is
present at a meeting of the Board of Directors or committee of the board at
which action on any corporate matter is taken shall be presumed to have
assented to the action taken unless (i) the director objects at the beginning
of the meeting, or promptly upon his or her arrival, to the holding of the
meeting or the transaction of business at the meeting and does not thereafter
vote for or assent to any action taken at the meeting, (ii) the director
contemporaneously requests that his or her dissent or abstention as to any
specific action taken be entered in the minutes of the meeting, or (iii) the
director causes written notice of his or her dissent or abstention as to any
specific action to be received by the presiding officer or the meeting before
its adjournment or by the corporation promptly after the adjournment of the
meeting. A director may dissent to a specific action at a meeting, while
assenting to others. The right to dissent to a specific action taken at a
meeting of the Board of Directors or a committee of the board shall not be
available to a director who voted in favor of such action.
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
Section 4.1 NUMBER. The officers of the corporation and controlled
subsidiarys shall be a CEO, President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, each of
whom must be a natural person who is eighteen years or older and shall be
elected by the Board of Directors. Such other officers and assistant officers
as may be deemed necessary may be elected or appointed by the Board of
Directors. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person.
Section 4.2 ELECTION AND TERM OF OFFICE. The officers of the corporation
to be elected by the Board of Directors shall be elected annually by the Board
of Directors at the first meeting of the Board of Directors held after the
annual meeting of the shareholders. If the election of officers shall not be
held at such meeting, such election shall be held as soon thereafter as
practicable. Each officer shall hold office until his successor shall have
been duly elected and shall have qualified or until his or her death or until
he shall resign or shall have been removed in the manner hereinafter provided.
Section 4.3 REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION. Any officer or agent may be removed
by the Board of Directors at any time, with or without cause, but such removal
shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so
removed. Election or appointment of an officer or agent shall not of itself
create contract rights.
An officer or agent may resign at any time by giving written notice of
resignation to the Secretary of the corporation. The resignation is effective
when the notice is received by the corporation unless the notice specifies a
later effective date.
Section 4.4 VACANCIES. A vacancy in any office because of death,
resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise, may be filled by the
Board of Directors for the unexpired portion of the term.
Section 4.5 CEO. The CEO shall be the chief executive officer of the
corporation and, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, shall, in
general, supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the
corporation. He or she shall, when present, and in the absence of a Chairman
of the Board, preside at all meetings of the shareholders and of the Board of
Directors. He or she may sign, with the Secretary or any other proper officer
of the corporation thereunto authorized by the Board of Directors,
certificates for shares of the corporation and deeds, mortgages, bonds,
contracts, or other instruments which the Board of Directors has authorized to
be executed, except in cases where the signing and execution thereof shall be
expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other
officer or agent of the corporation, or shall be required by law to be
otherwise signed or executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident
to the office of CEO and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board
of Directors from time to time.
Section 4.6 PRESIDENT. The President shall, in the absence of the CEO or in
the event of his or her death, inability or refusal to act, perform all duties
of the CEO, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to
all the restrictions upon the CEO. The President may sign, with the Treasurer
or an Assistant Treasurer or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary,
certificates for shares of the corporation; and shall perform such other
duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the CEO or by the Board
of Directors.
Section 4.7 VICE PRESIDENT. If elected or appointed by the Board of Directors,
the Vice President (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the
vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election, or in
the absence of any designation, then at the direction of the CEO) shall, in
the absence of the President or in the event of his or her death, inability or
refusal to act, perform all duties of the President, and when so acting, shall
have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the
President. The Vice Presidents shall perform such other duties as are
designated by the CEO or Board of Directors.
Section 4.8 SECRETARY. The Secretary shall: (a) prepare and maintain as
permanent records the minutes of the proceedings of the shareholders and the
Board of Directors, a record of all actions taken by the shareholders or Board
of Directors without a meeting, a record of all actions taken by a committee
of the Board of Directors in place of the Board of Directors on behalf of the
corporation, and a record of all waivers of notice and meetings of
shareholders and of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof (b) ensure
that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these
Bylaws and as required by law, (c) serve as custodian of the corporate records
and of the seal of the corporation and affix the seal to all documents when
authorized by the Board of Directors, (d) keep at the corporation's registered
office or principal place of business a record containing the names and
addresses of all shareholders in a form that permits preparation of a list of
shareholders arranged by voting group and by class or series of shares within
each voting group, that is alphabetical within each class or series and that
shows the address of, and the number of shares of each class or series held
by, each shareholder, unless such a record shall be kept at the office of the
corporation's transfer agent or registrar, (e) maintain at the corporation's
principal office the originals or copies of the corporation's Articles of
Incorporation, Bylaws, minutes of all shareholders' meetings and records of
all action taken by shareholders without a meeting for the past three years,
all written communications within the past three years to shareholders as a
group or to the holders of any class or series of shares as a group, a list of
the names and business addresses of the current directors and officers, a copy
of the corporation's most recent corporate report filed with the Secretary of
State, and financial statements showing in reasonable detail the corporation's
assets and liabilities and results of operations for the last three years, (f)
have general charge of the stock transfer books of the corporation, unless the
corporation has a transfer agent, (g) authenticate records of the corporation,
and (h) in general, perform all duties incident to the office of secretary and
such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the president
or by the board of the Board of Directors. Assistant Secretaries, if any,
shall have the same duties and powers, subject to supervision by the
Secretary. The directors and/or shareholders may however respectively
designate a person other than the Secretary or Assistant Secretary to keep the
minutes of their respective meetings.
Any books, records, or minutes of the corporation may be in written form
or in any form capable of being converted into written form within a
reasonable time.
Section 4.9 TREASURER. The Treasurer shall: (a) have charge and custody
of and be responsible for all funds and securities of the corporation; (b)
receive and give receipts for moneys due and payable to the corporation from
any source whatsoever, and deposit all such moneys in the name of the
corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as shall be
selected in accordance with the provisions of Article V of these Bylaws; and
(c) in general perform all of the duties incident to the office of Treasurer
and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by
the CEO or by the Board of Directors.
Section 4.10 ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS. The
Assistant Secretaries, when authorized by the Board of Directors, may sign
with the Chair or Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, CEO or the President
or a certificates for shares of the corporation the issuance of which shall
have been authorized by a resolution of the Board of Directors. The Assistant
Secretaries and Assistant Treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties as
shall be assigned to them by the Secretary or the Treasurer, respectively, or
by the CEO or the Board of Directors.
Section 4.11 BONDS. If the Board of Directors by resolution shall so
require, any officer or agent of the corporation shall give bond to the
corporation in such amount and with such surety as the Board of Directors may
deem sufficient, conditioned upon the faithful performance of their respective
duties and offices.
Section 4.12 SALARIES. The salaries of the officers shall be fixed from
time to time by the Board of Directors and no officer shall be prevented from
receiving such salary by reason of the fact that he is also a director of the
corporation.
ARTICLE V
CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS
Section 5.1 CONTRACTS. The Board of Directors may authorize any officer
or officers, agent or agents, to enter into any contract or execute and
deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the corporation, or any
controlled subsidiary and such authority may be general or confined to
specific instances.
Section 5.2 LOANS. No loans shall be contracted on behalf of the
corporation or controlled subsidiaries and no evidences of indebtedness shall
be issued in its name unless authorized by a resolution of the Board of
Directors. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.
Section 5.3 CHECKS, DRAFTS, ETC. All checks, drafts or other orders for
the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the
name of the corporation or controlled subsidiary shall be signed by such
officer or officers, agent or agents of the corporation and in such manner as
shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the Board of Directors.
Section 5.4 DEPOSITS. All funds of the corporation or controlled
subsidiary not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the
credit of the corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories
as the Board of Directors may select.
ARTICLE VI
SHARES, CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES
AND TRANSFER OF SHARES
Section 6.1 REGULATION. The Board of Directors may make such rules and
regulations as it may deem appropriate concerning the issuance, transfer and
registration of certificates for shares of the corporation, or controlled
subsidiary including the appointment of transfer agents and registrars.
Section 6.2 SHARES WITHOUT CERTIFICATES. Unless otherwise provided by the
Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the board of directors may
authorize the issuance of any of its classes or series of shares without
certificates. Such authorization shall not affect shares already represented
by certificates until they are surrendered to the corporation.
Within a reasonable time following the issue or transfer of shares
without certificates, the corporation shall send the shareholder a complete
written statement of the information required on certificates by the Colorado
Business Corporation Act.
Section 6.3 CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES. If shares of the corporation are
represented by certificates, the certificates shall be respectively numbered
serially for each class of shares, or series thereof, as they are issued,
shall be impressed with the corporate seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall
be signed by the Chair or Vice Chair of the Board of Directors or by the CEO,
the President and by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer or by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary; provided that such signatures may be
facsimile if the certificate is countersigned by a transfer agent, or
registered by a registrar other than the corporation itself or its employee.
Each certificate shall state the name of the corporation, the fact that the
corporation is organized or incorporated under the laws of the State of
Colorado, the name of the person to whom issued, the date of issue, the class
(or series of any class), and the number of shares represented thereby. A
statement of the designations, preferences, qualifications, limitations,
restrictions and special or relative rights of the shares of each class shall
be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of the certificates
which the corporation shall issue, or in lieu thereof, the certificate may set
forth that such a statement or summary will be furnished to any shareholder
upon request without charge. Each certificate shall be otherwise in such form
as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors and as shall conform to the
rules of any stock exchange on which the shares may be listed.
The corporation shall not issue certificates representing fractional
shares and shall not be obligated to make any transfers creating a fractional
interest in a share of stock. The corporation may, but shall not be obligated
to, issue scrip in lieu of any fractional shares, such scrip to have terms and
conditions specified by the Board of Directors.
Section 6.4 CANCELLATION OF CERTIFICATES. All certificates surrendered to
the corporation for transfer shall be canceled and no new certificates shall
be issued in lieu thereof until the former certificate for a like number of
shares shall have been surrendered and canceled, except as herein provided
with respect to lost, stolen or destroyed certificates.
Section 6.5 LOST, STOLEN OR DESTROYED CERTIFICATES. Any shareholder
claiming that his certificate for shares is lost, stolen or destroyed may make
an affidavit or affirmation of that fact and lodge the same with the Secretary
of the corporation, accompanied by a signed application for a new certificate.
Thereupon, and upon the giving of a satisfactory bond of indemnity to the
corporation not exceeding an amount double the value of the shares as
represented by such certificate (the necessity for such bond and the amount
required to be determined by the CEO, President and Treasurer of the
corporation), a new certificate may be issued of the same tenor and
representing the same number, class and series of shares as were represented
by the certificate alleged to be lost, stolen or destroyed.
Section 6.6 TRANSFER OF SHARES. Subject to the terms of any shareholder
agreement relating to the transfer of shares or other transfer restrictions
contained in the Articles of Incorporation or authorized therein, shares of
the corporation shall be transferable on the books of the corporation by the
holder thereof in person or by his duly authorized attorney, upon the
surrender and cancellation of a certificate or certificates for a like number
of shares. Upon presentation and surrender of a certificate for shares
properly endorsed and payment of all taxes therefor, the transferee shall be
entitled to a new certificate or certificates in lieu thereof. As against the
corporation, a transfer of shares can be made only on the books of the
corporation and in the manner hereinabove provided, and the corporation shall
be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share as the owner thereof
and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or
interest in such share on the part of any other person, whether or not it
shall have express or other notice thereof, save as expressly provided by the
statutes of the State of Colorado.
ARTICLE VII
FISCAL YEAR
The fiscal year of the corporation shall end on the 30th day of September
in each calendar year.
ARTICLE VIII
DISTRIBUTIONS
The Board of Directors may from time to time declare, and the corporation
may pay, distributions on its outstanding shares in the manner and upon the
terms and conditions provided by the Colorado Business Corporation Act and its
Articles of Incorporation.
ARTICLE IX
CORPORATE SEAL
The Board of Directors shall provide a corporate seal which shall be
circular in form and shall have inscribed thereon the name of the corporation
and the state of incorporation and the words "CORPORATE SEAL."
ARTICLE X
The Board of Directors shall have power, to the maximum extent permitted
by the Colorado Business Corporation Act, to make, amend and repeal the Bylaws
of the corporation at any regular or special meeting of the board unless the
shareholders, in making, amending or repealing a particular Bylaw, expressly
provide that the directors may not amend or repeal such Bylaw. The
shareholders also shall have the power to make, amend or repeal the Bylaws of
the corporation at any annual meeting or at any special meeting called for
that purpose.
AMENDMENTS
ARTICLE XI
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 11.1 APPOINTMENT. The Board of Directors by resolution adopted by
a majority of the full Board, may designate two or more of its members to
constitute an Executive Committee. The designation of such Committee and the
delegation thereto of authority shall not operate to relieve the Board of
Directors, or any member thereof, of any responsibility imposed by law.
Section 11.2 AUTHORITY. The Executive Committee, when the Board of
Directors is not in session, shall have and may exercise all of the authority
of the Board of Directors except to the extent, if any, that such authority
shall be limited by the resolution appointing the Executive Committee and
except also that the Executive Committee shall not have the authority of the
Board of Directors in reference to authorizing distributions, filling
vacancies on the Board of Directors, authorizing reacquisition of shares,
authorizing and determining rights for shares, amending the Articles of
Incorporation, adopting a plan of merger or consolidation, recommending to the
shareholders the sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all
of the property and assets of the corporation otherwise than in the usual and
regular course of its business, recommending to the shareholders a voluntary
dissolution of the corporation or a revocation thereof, or amending the Bylaws
of the corporation.
Section 11.3 TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS. Each member of the Executive
Committee shall hold office until the next regular annual meeting of the Board
of Directors following his or her designation and until his or her successor
is designated as a member of the Executive Committee and is elected and
qualified.
Section 11.4 MEETINGS. Regular meetings of the Executive Committee may be
held without notice at such time and places as the Executive Committee may fix
from time to time by resolution. Special meetings of the Executive Committee
may be called by any member thereof upon not less than one day's notice
stating the place, date and hour of the meeting, which notice may be written
or oral, and if mailed, shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the
United States mail addressed to the member of the Executive Committee at his
or her business address. Any member of the Executive Committee may waive
notice of any meeting and no notice of any meeting need be given to any member
thereof who attends in person. The notice of a meeting of the Executive
Committee need not state the business proposed to be transacted at the
meeting.
Section 11.5 QUORUM. A majority of the members of the Executive Committee
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting
thereof, and action of the Executive Committee must be authorized by the
affirmative vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting at which a
quorum is present.
Section 11.6 INFORMAL ACTION BY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. Any action required
or permitted to be taken by the Executive Committee at a meeting may be taken
without a meeting if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken,
shall be signed by all of the members of the Executive Committee entitled to
vote with respect to the subject matter thereof.
Section 11.7 VACANCIES. Any vacancy in the Executive Committee may be
filled by a resolution adopted by a majority of the full Board of Directors.
Section 11.8 RESIGNATIONS AND REMOVAL. Any member of the Executive
Committee may be removed at any time with or without cause by resolution
adopted by a majority of the full Board of Directors. Any member of the
Executive Committee may resign from the Executive Committee at any time by
giving written notice to the President or Secretary of the corporation, and
unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall
not be necessary to make it effective.
Section 11.9 PROCEDURE. The Executive Committee shall elect a presiding
officer from its members and may fix its own rules of procedure which shall
not be inconsistent with these Bylaws. It shall keep regular minutes of its
proceedings and report the same to the Board of Directors for its information
at the meeting thereof held next after the proceedings shall have been taken.
ARTICLE XII
EMERGENCY BY-LAWS
The Emergency Bylaws provided in this Article XII shall be operative
during any emergency in the conduct of the business of the corporation
resulting from a catastrophic event that prevents the normal functioning of
the offices of the Corporation, notwithstanding any different provision in the
preceding articles of the Bylaws or in the Articles of Incorporation of the
corporation or in the Colorado Business Corporation Act. To the extent not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Article, the Bylaws provided in the
preceding articles shall remain in effect during such emergency and upon its
termination the Emergency Bylaws shall cease to be operative.
During any such emergency:
(a) A meeting of the Board of Directors may be called by any officer or
director of the corporation. Notice of the time and place of the meeting shall
be given by the person calling the meeting to such of the directors as it may
be feasible to reach by any available means of communication. Such notice
shall be given at such time in advance of the meeting as circumstances permit
in the judgment of the person calling the meeting.
(b) At any such meeting of the Board of Directors, a quorum shall consist
of the number of directors in attendance at such meeting.
(c) The Board of Directors, either before or during any such emergency,
may, effective in the emergency, change the principal office or designate
several alternative principal offices or regional offices, or authorize the
officers so to do.
(d) The Board of Directors, either before or during any such emergency,
may provide, and from time to time modify, lines of succession in the event
that during such an emergency any or all officers or agents of the corporation
shall for any reason be rendered incapable of discharging their duties.
(e) No officer, director or employee acting in accordance with these
Emergency Bylaws shall be liable except for willful misconduct.
(f) These Emergency Bylaws shall be subject to repeal or change by
further action of the Board of Directors or by action of the shareholders, but
no such repeal or change shall modify the provisions of the next preceding
paragraph with regard to action taken prior to the time of such repeal or
change. Any amendment of these Emergency Bylaws may make any further or
different provision that may be practical and necessary for the circumstances
of the emergency.
CERTIFICATE
I hereby certify that the foregoing Amended Bylaws, consisting of twenty
(20) pages, including this page, constitute the Bylaws of ACADIA GROUP, INC.,
adopted by the Board of Directors and Shareholders of the corporation as of
November 19, 1999.
_________________________________________
KEVIN B. DEAN
Secretary