EXHIBIT 99.2
As Amended September 16, 1992
BY-LAWS
OF
FREEDOM INVESTMENT TRUST III
ARTICLE 1
Agreement and Declaration
of Trust and Principal Office
1.1 Agreement and Declaration of Trust. These By-Laws shall be subject
to the Declaration of Trust, as from time to time in effect (the "Declaration of
Trust"), of Freedom Investment Trust III, the Massachusetts business trust
established by the Declaration of Trust (the "Trust").
1.2 Principal Office of the Trust. The principal office of the Trust
shall be located in Boston, Massachusetts.
ARTICLE 2
Meetings of Trustees
2.1 Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Trustees may be held
without call or notice at such places and at such times as the Trustees may from
time to time determine, provided that notice of the first regular meeting
following any such determination shall be given to absent Trustees.
2.2 Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Trustees may be held at
any time and at any place designated in the call of the meeting when called by
the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the President or the Treasurer or by two
or more Trustees, sufficient notice thereof being given to each Trustee by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or by the officer of the Trustees calling
the meeting.
2.3 Notice. It shall be sufficient notice to a Trustee of a special
meeting to send notice by mail at least forty-eight hours or by telegram at
least twenty-four hours before the meeting addressed to the Trustee at his or
her usual or last known business or residence address or to give notice to him
or her in person or by telephone at least twenty-four hours before the meeting.
Notice of a meeting need not be given to any Trustee if a written waiver of
notice, executed by him or her before or after the meeting, is filed with the
records of the meeting, or to any Trustee who attends the meeting without
protesting prior thereto or at its commencement the lack of notice to him or
her. Neither notice of a meeting nor a waiver of a notice need specify the
purposes of the meeting.
2.4 Quorum. At any meeting of the Trustees a majority of the Trustees
then in office shall constitute a quorum. Any meeting may be adjourned from time
to time by a majority of the votes cast upon the question, whether or not a
quorum is present, and the meeting may be held as adjourned without further
notice.
2.5 Participation by Telephone. One or more of the Trustees or of any
committee of the Trustees may participate in a meeting thereof by means of a
conference telephone or similar communications equipment allowing all persons
participating in the meeting to hear each other at the same time. Participation
by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting.
ARTICLE 3
Officers
3.1 Enumeration; Qualification. The officers of the Trust shall be a
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, a President, a Treasurer, a Secretary and
such other officers, including Vice Presidents, if any, as the Trustees from
time to time may in their discretion elect. The Trust may also have such agents
as the Trustees from time to time may in their discretion appoint. The Chairman
of the Board of Trustees shall be a Trustee and may but need not be a
shareholder; and any other officer may be but none need be a Trustee or
shareholder. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person.
3.2 Election. The Chairman of the Trustees, the President, the
Treasurer, and the Secretary shall be elected by the Trustees. The meeting at
which the officers are elected shall be known as the annual meeting of Trustees.
Other officers, if any, may be elected or appointed by the Trustees at said
meeting or at any other time. Vacancies in any office may be filled at any time.
3.3 Tenure. The officers of the Trust shall hold office and retain
authority at the pleasure of the Trustees.
3.4 Powers. Subject to the other provisions of these By-Laws, each
officer shall have, in addition to the duties and powers herein and in the
Declaration of Trust set forth, such duties and powers as are commonly incident
to the office occupied by him or her as if the Trust were organized as a
Massachusetts business corporation and such other duties and powers as the
Trustees may from time to time designate.
3.5 Chairman; President. Unless the Trustees otherwise provide, the
Chairman of the Board of Trustees, or, if there is none, or in the absence of
the Chairman, the President shall preside at all meetings of the shareholders
and of the Trustees. The President shall be the chief executive officer.
3.6 Vice President. The Vice President, or if there be more than one
Vice President, the Vice Presidents in the order determined by the Trustees (or
if there be no such determination, then in the order of their election) shall in
the absence of the President or in the event of his inability or refusal to act,
perform the 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 and have such other powers as the
Board of Trustees may from time to time prescribe.
3.7 Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, Associate Treasurer and
Assistant Treasurers. The Chief Financial Officer shall be the principal
financial and accounting officer of the Trust and each Series thereof and shall
have general charge of the finances and books of account of the Trust and each
Series thereof. Except as otherwise provided by the Trustees, he shall have
general supervision of the funds and property of the Trust and of the Custodian
of its duties with respect thereto. The Chief Financial Officer shall render a
statement of condition of the finances of the Trust and each Series thereof to
the Trustees as often as they shall require the same and he shall in general
perform all the duties incident to the office of the Chief Financial Officer and
such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Trustees.
The Treasurer or any Associate or Assistant Treasurer may
perform such duties of the Chief Financial Officer as the Chief Financial
Officer or the Trustees may assign. In the absence of the Chief Financial
Officer, the Treasurer may perform all duties of the Chief Financial Officer. In
the absence of the Chief Financial Officer and the Treasurer, any Associate or
Assistant Treasurer may perform all duties of the Chief Financial Officer.
3.8 Secretary. The Secretary shall record all proceedings of the
shareholders and the Trustees in books to be kept therefor, which books or a
copy thereof shall be kept at the principal office of the Trust. In the absence
of the Secretary from any meeting of the shareholders or Trustees, an assistant
secretary, or if there be none or if he or she is absent, a temporary secretary
chosen at such meeting shall record the proceedings thereof in the aforesaid
books.
3.9 Assistant Secretary The Assistant Secretary, or if there be more
than one, the Assistant Secretaries in the order determined by the Trustees (or
if there be no determination, then in the order of their election), shall, in
the absence of the Secretary or in the event of his inability or refusal to act,
perform the duties and exercise the powers of the Secretary and shall perform
such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Trustees may from
time to time prescribe.
3.10 Subordinate Officers. The Trustees from time to time may appoint
such other subordinate officers or agents as they may deem advisable, each of
whom shall have such title, hold office for such period, have such authority and
perform such duties as the Trustees may determine. The Trustees from time to
time may delegate to one or more officers or agents the power to appoint any
such subordinate officers or agents and to prescribe their respective rights,
terms of office, authorities and duties.
3.11 Resignations and Removals. Any Trustee or officer may resign at
any time by written instrument signed by him or her and delivered to the
Chairman, the President or the Secretary or to a meeting of the Trustees. Such
resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be effective at
some other time. The Trustees may remove any officer elected by them with or
without cause. Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement
with the Trust, no Trustee or officer resigning and no officer removed shall
have any right to any compensation for any period following his or her
resignation or removal, or any right to damages on account of such removal.
ARTICLE 4
Committees
4.1 General. The Trustees, by vote of a majority of the Trustees then
in office, may elect from their number an Executive Committee or other
committees and may delegate thereto some or all of their powers except those
which by law, by the Declaration of Trust, or by these By-Laws may not be
delegated. Except as the Trustees may otherwise determine, any such committee
may make rules for the conduct of its business, but unless otherwise provided by
the Trustees or in such rules, its business shall be conducted so far as
possible in the same manner as is provided by these By-Laws for the Trustees
themselves. All members of such committees shall hold such offices at the
pleasure of the Trustees. The Trustees may abolish any such committee at any
time. Any committee to which the Trustees delegate any of their powers or duties
shall keep records of its meetings and shall report its action to the Trustees.
The Trustees shall have power to rescind any action of any committee, but no
such rescission shall have retroactive effect.
The Executive Committee of the Trustees may exercise all of
the power and authority of the Trustees between meetings of the Trustees,
provided that no committee shall have the power
a. to change the principal office of the Trust;
b. to amend the By-Laws;
c. to issue shares;
d. to elect or remove from office any Trustee or the
Chairman of the Board, the President, the Treasurer
or the Secretary of the Trust;
e. to increase or decrease the number of Trustees;
f. to declare a dividend or other distribution on the
shares;
g. to authorize the repurchase of shares;
h. to authorize any merger, consolidation or sale, lease
or exchange of all or substantially all of the Trust
property; or
i. to take or authorize the taking of any action that
under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or the rules
and regulations thereunder would require the taking
or the authorization of the taking of such action by
the Trustees.
4.2 Other Committees. The Trustees may appoint other committees, each
consisting of one or more persons who need not be Trustees. Each such committee
shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be assigned to it from
time to time by the Trustees, but shall not exercise any power which may
lawfully be exercised only by the Trustees or a committee thereof.
ARTICLE 5
Reports
5.1 General. The Trustees and officers shall render reports at the time
and in the manner required by the Declaration of Trust or any applicable law.
Officers and Committees shall render such additional reports as they may deem
desirable or as may from time to time be required by the Trustees.
ARTICLE 6
Fiscal Year
6.1 General. The fiscal year of the Trust shall be fixed by resolution
of the Trustees.
ARTICLE 7
Seal
7.1 General. The seal of the Trust shall consist of a flat-faced die
with the word "Massachusetts", together with the name of the Trust and the year
of its organization cut or engraved thereon, but, unless otherwise required by
the Trustees, the seal shall not be necessary to be placed on, and its absence
shall not impair the validity of, any document, instrument or other paper
executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE 8
Execution of Papers
8.1 General. Except as the Trustees may generally or in particular
cases authorize the execution thereof in some other manner, all deeds, leases,
contracts, notes and other obligations made by the Trustees shall be signed by
the President, any Vice President, or by the Treasurer and need not bear the
seal of the Trust.
ARTICLE 9
Issuance of Share Certificates
9.1 Share Certificates. In lieu of issuing certificates for shares, the
Trustees or the transfer agent may either issue receipts therefor or may keep
accounts upon the books of the Trust for the record holders of such shares, who
shall in either case be deemed, for all purposes hereunder, to be the holders of
certificates for such shares as if they had accepted such certificates and shall
be held to have expressly assented and agreed to the terms hereof.
The Trustees may at any time authorize the issuance of share
certificates either in limited cases or to all shareholders. In that event, a
shareholder may receive a certificate stating the number of shares owned by him,
in such form as shall be prescribed from time to time by the Trustees. Such
certificate shall be signed by the President or a Vice President and by the
Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer. Such signatures may be facsimiles if the
certificate is signed by a transfer agent, or by a registrar, other than a
Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust. In case any officer who has signed or
whose facsimile signature has been placed on such certificate shall cease to be
such officer before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Trust
with the same effect as if he were such officer at the time of its issue.
9.2 Loss of Certificates. In case of the alleged loss or destruction or
the mutilation of a share certificate, a duplicate certificate may be issued in
place thereof, upon such terms as the Trustees shall prescribe.
9.3 Issuance of New Certificate to Pledgee. A pledgee of shares
transferred as collateral security shall be entitled to a new certificate if the
instrument of transfer substantially describes the debt or duty that is intended
to be secured thereby. Such new certificate shall express on its face that it is
held as collateral security, and the name of the pledgor shall be stated
thereon, who alone shall be liable as a shareholder, and entitled to vote
thereon.
9.4 Discontinuance of Issuance of Certificates. The Trustees may at any
time discontinue the issuance of share certificates and may, by written notice
to each shareholder, require the surrender of shares certificates to the Trust
for cancellation. Such surrender and cancellation shall not affect the ownership
of shares in the Trust.
ARTICLE 10
Dealings with Trustees and Officers
10.1 General. Any Trustee, officer or other agent of the Trust may acquire,
own and dispose of shares of the Trust to the same extent as if he were not a
Trustee, officer or agent; and the Trustees may accept subscriptions to shares
or repurchase shares from any firm or company in which any Trustee, officer or
other agent of the Trust may have an interest.
ARTICLE 11
Amendments to the By-Laws
11.1 General. These By-Laws may be amended or repealed, in whole or in part,
by a majority of the Trustees then in office at any meeting of the Trustees, or
by one or more writings signed by such a majority.
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