BYLAWS
OF
RMR PREFERRED DIVIDEND FUND
(Dated as of November 8, 2004)
ARTICLE I
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE
1.1 AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST. These Bylaws shall be subject
to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended or restated from time to
time (the "Declaration of Trust"), of RMR PREFERRED DIVIDEND FUND, the
Massachusetts business trust established by the Declaration of Trust (the
"Trust"). Capitalized terms used in these Bylaws and not otherwise defined
herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Declaration of Trust.
ARTICLE II
TRUSTEES
2.1 NUMBER OF TRUSTEES. The number of Trustees shall be initially set
at two. Each of the Trustees shall be designated as a Class I, Class II or Class
III Trustee as required by the Declaration of Trust. The number of Trustees may
be changed by the Trustees then in office, provided it SHALL NOT be less than
three. The Trustees shall be designated as Class I, Class II or Class III
Trustees by the Trustees.
2.2 INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES. After completion of the Trust's initial
public offering of Shares, a majority of the Trustees holding office shall at
all times be Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust (as defined
in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended), except for the fact of their
being Trustees; and, provided, however, that less than a majority of the
Trustees may be such independent Trustees on a temporary basis by reason of the
death, resignation, removal or other vacancy in the office of one or more
Trustees.
2.3 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.
2.4 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 Trustees, the President, the Treasurer, the Secretary or by
two or more Trustees, provided notice thereof is given to each Trustee by the
Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or by the officer or the Trustees calling
the meeting.
2.5 NOTICE. It shall be sufficient notice to the Trustee of a special
meeting to send notice by mail at least seventy-two hours or by telegram, telex,
telecopy, electronic mail or other electronic facsimile transmission method 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. Neither
notice of a meeting nor a waiver of a notice need specify the purposes of the
meeting.
2.6 QUORUM. At any meeting of the Trustees a majority of the Trustees
then in office shall constitute a quorum. Any meeting of the Trustees 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. Whether or not a Trustee votes on a matter at a meeting
which he attends, he will nonetheless be considered present for purposes of
establishing a quorum to consider the matter.
2.7 ATTENDANCE. Except as required by applicable law, attendance at
Trustees meetings may be in person or by a teleconference or other
communications medium by means of which all persons participating in the meeting
can hear and speak with each other.
2.8 WRITTEN CONSENT. Action by the Trustees may be taken by written
consent signed by a majority of the Trustees then in office, provided that the
form of written consent is circulated to all Trustees before or promptly after
it is signed by the majority of Trustees.
ARTICLE III
OFFICERS
3.1 ENUMERATION; QUALIFICATION. The officers of the Trust shall be a
President, a Treasurer, a Secretary, and such other officers including a
Chairman of the Trustees, 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 Trustees, if one is
elected, shall be a Trustee and may but need not be a Shareholder; and any other
officer may but does not need to be a Trustee or a Shareholder. Any two or more
offices may be held by the same person.
3.2 ELECTION. The President, the Treasurer, and the Secretary shall be
elected annually by the Trustees. Other officers, if any, may be elected or
appointed by the Trustees at any time. Vacancies in any office may be filled at
any time.
3.3 TENURE. The Chairman of the Trustees, if one is elected, the
President, the Treasurer and the Secretary shall hold office until their
respective successors are chosen and qualified, or in each case until he or she
sooner dies, resigns, is removed with or without cause or becomes disqualified.
Each other officer shall hold office and each agent of the Trust shall retain
authority at the pleasure of the Trustees.
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3.4 POWERS. Subject to the other provisions of these Bylaws, 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; VICE PRESIDENT. Unless the Trustees otherwise
provide, the Chairman of the 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. Alternatively, the Trustees may designate one Trustee or
another officer to preside at such meetings. The Trustees may designate a chief
executive officer from among the Trustees or the elected officers. Any Vice
President shall have such duties and powers as may be designated from time to
time by the Trustees or the President.
3.6 TREASURER; ASSISTANT TREASURER. The Treasurer shall be the chief
financial and chief accounting officer of the Trust, and shall, subject to any
arrangement made by the Trustees with a custodian, investment adviser,
sub-adviser, manager, or transfer, shareholder servicing or similar agent, be in
charge of the valuable papers, books of account and accounting records of the
Trust, and shall have such other duties and powers as may be designated from
time to time by the Trustees or by the President. Any Assistant Treasurer shall
have such duties and powers as may be designated from time to time by the
Trustees, the President or the Treasurer.
3.7 SECRETARY; ASSISTANT 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. Any Assistant Secretary shall have such duties
and powers as may be designated from time to time by the Trustees, the President
or the Secretary.
3.8 RESIGNATIONS. 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. Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the
Trust, no 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 IV
COMMITTEES
4.1 APPOINTMENT. The powers, duties and responsibilities of the
Trustees maybe delegated to one or more Committees. Trustees, officers or agents
of the Trust may serve on Committees, but all Committees shall have at least one
Trustee who will serve as Chairman of the Committee. Committees shall have the
powers, duties and responsibilities as may be assigned to them by the Trustees.
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4.2 MEETINGS; NOTICE. Except as specifically provided in resolutions
constituting a Committee or providing for the conduct of its meetings: (i)
Committee meetings may be called by the Chairman or any two Committee members;
(ii) notice of Committee meetings may be given by the person calling the
meeting, the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary; and (iii) notice of Committee
meetings shall be given in the manner and within the times provided for Trustees
meetings.
4.3 QUORUM; VOTING. Except as provided below or as otherwise
specifically provided in the resolutions constituting a Committee and providing
for the conduct of its meetings, a majority of the members of any Committee
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and any action of
such a Committee may be taken at a meeting by a vote of a majority of the
members present (so long as a quorum is present) or evidenced by one or more
writings signed by such a majority. Members of a Committee may participate in a
meeting of such Committee by means of a conference telephone or other
communications medium by means of which all persons participating in the meeting
can hear and speak to each other.
ARTICLE V
FISCAL YEAR
5.1 GENERAL. Except as from time to time otherwise provided by the
Trustees, the fiscal year of the Trust shall be a calendar year.
ARTICLE VI
SEAL
6.1 GENERAL. The seal of the Trust shall, subject to alteration by the
Trustees, 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; provided, however, that 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 document executed and
delivered by or on behalf of the Trust.
ARTICLE VII
EXECUTION OF PAPERS
7.1 GENERAL. Except as the Trustees may generally or in particular
cases authorize the execution thereof in some other manner, all deeds, leases,
transfers, contracts, bonds, notes, checks, drafts and other obligations made,
accepted or endorsed by the Trust shall be executed by the President, any Vice
President, the Treasurer or by whomever else shall be designated for that
purpose by vote of the Trustees, and need not bear the seal of the Trust.
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ARTICLE VIII
SHAREHOLDERS' VOTING POWERS AND MEETINGS
8.1 REGULAR AND SPECIAL MEETINGS. Except as provided in the next
sentence, regular meetings of the Shareholders for the election of Trustees and
the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting
shall be held, so long as Shares are listed for trading on the American Stock
Exchange, on at least an annual basis, on such day and at such place as shall be
designated by the Trustees. Such regular meetings of the Shareholders shall only
be called by the Board of Trustees. In the event that such a meeting is not held
in any annual period if so required, whether the omission be by oversight or
otherwise, a subsequent special meeting may be called by the Trustees and held
in lieu of such meeting with the same effect as if held within such annual
period. Special meetings of the Shareholders or any or all classes or series of
Shares may also be called by the Trustees from time to time for such other
purposes as may be prescribed by law, by the Declaration of Trust or by these
Bylaws, or for the purpose of taking action upon any other matter deemed by the
Trustees to be necessary or desirable. A special meeting of Shareholders may be
held at any such time, day and place as is designated by the Trustees. Written
notice of any meeting of Shareholders, stating the time, place and purpose of
the meeting, shall be given or caused to be given by the Trustees at least ten
days before such meeting to each Shareholder entitled to vote thereat by leaving
such notice with the Shareholder at his or her residence or usual place of
business or by mailing such notice, postage prepaid, to the Shareholder's
address as it appears on the records of the Trust. Such notice may be given by
the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary or by any other officer designated by
the Trustees. Whenever notice of a meeting is required to be given to a
Shareholder under the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, a written waiver
thereof, executed before or after the meeting by such Shareholder or his or her
attorney thereunto authorized and filed with the records of the meeting, shall
be deemed equivalent to such notice. Notice of a meeting need not be given to
any Shareholder who attends the meeting.
8.2 VOTING POWER. Each whole Share shall be entitled to one vote as to
any matter on which it is entitled to vote and each fractional Share shall be
entitled to a proportionate fractional vote, except as otherwise provided in the
notice of the meeting forwarded to the Shareholders by the Trustees, the
Declaration of Trust, these Bylaws, or required by applicable law. Except as
otherwise provided in the notice of the meeting forwarded to the Shareholders by
the Trustees, the Declaration of Trust, these Bylaws or required by applicable
law, all Shares of the Trust then entitled to vote shall be voted in the
aggregate as a single class without regard to classes or series of Shares. There
shall be no cumulative voting in the election of Trustees. Shares may be voted
in person or by proxy. A proxy with respect to Shares held in the name of two or
more persons shall be valid if executed by any one of them unless at or prior to
exercise of the proxy the Trust receives a specific written notice to the
contrary from any one of them. The placing of a Shareholder's name on a proxy
pursuant to telephonic or electronically transmitted instructions obtained
pursuant to procedures reasonably designed to verify that such instructions have
been authorized by such Shareholder shall constitute execution of such proxy by
or on behalf of such Shareholder. A proxy purporting to be executed by or on
behalf of a Shareholder shall be deemed valid unless challenged at or prior to
its exercise and the burden of proving invalidity shall rest on the challenger.
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8.3 RECORD DATES. For the purpose of determining the Shareholders who
are entitled to vote or act at any meeting or any adjournment thereof, the
Trustees may from time to time fix a time and date, which shall be not more than
90 days before the date of any meeting of Shareholders, as the record date for
determining the Shareholders having the right to notice of and to vote at such
meeting and any adjournment thereof and only Shareholders of record on such
record date shall have the right notwithstanding any transfer of Shares on the
books of the Trust after the record date; or without fixing such record date the
Trustees may for any of such purposes close the register or transfer books for
all or any part of such period.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENT TO THE BYLAWS
9.1 GENERAL. These Bylaws may be amended, changed, altered or repealed,
in whole or part, only by resolution of the Trustees at any meeting of the
Trustees at which a quorum is present, or by a written consent signed by a
majority of the Trustees then in office.
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