Exhibit C.3.
THE REGIS FUND II
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
April 26, 1994
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE OF TRUST
The purposes of the Trust are (i) to operate as an investment company and
to offer Shareholders of the Trust and each Sub-Trust of the Trust one or more
investment programs primarily in securities and debt instruments, and (ii) to
engage in such activities that are necessary, suitable, incidental, or
convenient to the accomplishment of the foregoing.
ARTICLE III
THE TRUSTEES
(c) ELECTION AND TERM. The Trustees shall be elected by the Shareholders
of the Trust at a meeting of the Shareholders held prior to the effective date
of the Registration Statement of the Trust under the 1940 Act, and the term of
office of any Trustees in office before such election shall terminate at the
time of such election. Each Trustee shall be a natural person and may, but need
not be a Shareholder. Each Trustee, whether named above or hereafter becoming a
Trustee, shall serve as a Trustee of the Trust and of each Sub-Trust hereunder
during the lifetime of this Trust and until its termination as hereinafter
provided except as such Trustee sooner dies, resigns, retires, or is removed or,
if sooner, until the next meeting of Shareholders called for the purpose of
electing Trustees and until the election and qualification of his successor.
The Shareholders may fix the number of Trustees and elect Trustees at any
meeting of Shareholders called by the Trustees for that purpose and to the
extent required by applicable law, including paragraph (a) and (b) of Section 16
of the 1940 Act. Subject to Section 16(a) of the 1940 Act, the Trustees may
elect successors and may, pursuant to Section 3.1(f) hereof, appoint Trustees to
fill vacancies.
ARTICLE IV
SHARES
(c) DIVIDENDS. Dividends and distributions on Shares of a particular Sub-
Trust or any class thereof may be paid with such frequency as the Trustees may
determine, which may be daily or otherwise pursuant to a standing resolution or
resolutions adopted only once or with such frequency as the Trustees may
determine, to the holders of Shares of that Sub-Trust or class, from such of the
income and capital gains, accrued or realized, from the assets belonging to that
Sub-Trust, or in the case of a class, belonging to that Sub-Trust and allocable
to that class, as the Trustees may determine, after providing for actual and
accrued liabilities belonging to that Sub-Trust or class. All dividends and
distributions on Shares of a particular Sub-Trust or class thereof shall be
distributed pro rata to the holders of Shares of that Sub-Trust or class in
proportion to the number of Shares of that Sub-Trust or class held by such
holders at the date and
time of record established for the payment of such dividends or distributions,
except that in connection with any dividend or distribution program or procedure
the Trustees may determine that no dividend or distribution shall be payable on
Shares as to which the Shareholder's purchase order and/or payment have not been
received by the time or times established by the Trustees under such program or
procedure. Such dividends and distributions may be made in cash or Shares of
that Sub-Trust or class of a combination thereof as determined by the Trustees
or pursuant to any program that the Trustees may have in effect at the time for
the election by each Shareholder of the mode of the making of such dividend or
distribution to that Shareholder. Any such dividend or distribution paid in
Shares will be paid at the net asset value thereof as determined in accordance
with subsection (h) of this Section 4.2.
The Trustees shall have full discretion to determine which items shall be
treated as income and which items as capital; and each such determination and
allocation shall e conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders.
(d) LIQUIDATION. In the event of the liquidation or dissolution of the
Trust, subject to Section 7.1 hereof, the holders of Shares of each Sub-Trust or
any class thereof that has been established and designated shall be entitled to
receive, when and as declared by the Trustees, the excess of the assets
belonging to that Sub-Trust, or in the case of a class, belonging to that Sub-
Trust and allocable to that class, over the liabilities belonging to that Sub-
Trust or class. The assets so distributable to the holders of Shares of any
particular Sub-Trust or class thereof shall be distributed among such holders in
proportion to the number of Shares of that Sub-Trust or class thereof held by
them and recorded on the books of the Trust. The liquidation of any particular
Sub-Trust or class thereof may be authorized at any time by vote of a majority
of the Trustees then in office.
(e) VOTING. On each matter submitted to a vote of the Shareholders, each
holder of a Share shall be entitled to one vote for each whole Share standing in
his name on the books of the Trust irrespective of the Series thereof or class
thereof and all Shares of all Series and classes thereof shall vote together as
a single class; provided, however, that as to any matter (i) with respect to
which a separate vote of one or more Series or classes thereof is required by
the 1940 Act or the provisions of the writing establishing and designating the
Sub-Trust or class, such requirements as to a separate vote by such Series or
class thereof shall apply in lieu of all Shares of all Series and classes
thereof voting together; and (ii) as to any matter which affects the interests
of one or more particular Series or classes thereof, only the holders of Shares
of the one or more affected Series or classes shall be entitled to vote, and
each such Series or class shall vote as a separate class.
(f) REDEMPTION BY SHAREHOLDER. Each holder of Shares of a particular Sub-
Trust or any class thereof shall have the right at such times as may be
permitted by the Trust to require the Trust to redeem all or any part of his
Shares of that Sub-Trust or class thereof at a redemption price equal to the net
asset value per Share of that Sub-Trust or class thereof next determined in
accordance with subsection (h) of this Section 4.2 after the Shares are properly
tendered for redemption, subject to any contingent deferred sales charge or
redemption charge in effect at the time of redemption. Payment of the
redemption price shall be in cash; provided, however, that if the Trustees
determine, which determination shall be conclusive, that conditions
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exist which make payment wholly in cash unwise or undesirable, the Trust may,
subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, make payment wholly or partly in
securities or other assets belonging to the Sub-Trust of which the Shares being
redeemed are part at the value of such securities or assets used in such
determination of net asset value.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust may postpone payment of the
redemption price and may suspend the right of the holders of Shares of any Sub-
Trust or class thereof to require the Trust to redeem Shares of that Sub-Trust
during any period or at any time when and to the extent permissible under the
1940 Act.
(g) REDEMPTION BY TRUST. Each Share of each Sub-Trust or class thereof
that has been established and designated is subject to redemption by the Trust
at the redemption price which would be applicable if such Share was then being
redeemed by the Shareholder pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section 4.2: (i)
at any time, in the sole discretion of the Trustees, or (ii) upon such other
conditions as may from time to time be determined by the Trustees and set forth
in the then current Prospectus or Statement of Additional Information of the
Trust. Upon such redemption the holders the Shares so redeemed shall have no
further right with respect thereto other than to receive payment of such
redemption price.
(h) NET ASSET VALUE. The net asset value per Share of any Sub-Trust shall
be (i) in the case of a Sub-Trust whose Shares are not divided into classes, the
quotient obtained by dividing the value of the net assets of that Sub-Trust
(being the value of the assets belonging to that Sub-Trust less the liabilities
belonging to that Sub-Trust) by the total number of Shares of that Sub-Trust
outstanding, and (ii) in the case of a class of Shares of a Sub-Trust whose
Shares are divided into classes, the quotient obtained by dividing the value of
the net assets of that Sub-Trust allocable to such class (being the value of the
assets belonging to that Sub-Trust allocable to such class less the liabilities
belonging to such class) by the total number of Shares of such class
outstanding; all determined in accordance with the methods and procedures,
including without limitation those with respect to rounding, established by the
Trustees from time to time.
The Trustees may determine to maintain the net asset value per Share of any
Sub-Trust at a designated constant dollar amount and in connection therewith may
adopt procedures not inconsistent with the 1940 Act for the continuing
declarations of income attributable to that Sub-Trust as dividend payable in
additional shares of the Sub-Trust at the designated constant dollar amount and
for the handling of any losses attributable to that Sub-Trust. Such procedures
may provide that in the event of any loss each Shareholder shall be deemed to
have contributed to the capital of the Trust attributable to that Sub-Trust his
pro rata portion of the total number of Shares required to be canceled in order
to permit the net asset value per Share of that Sub-Trust to be maintained,
after reflecting such loss, at the designated constant dollar amount. Each
Shareholder of the Trust shall be deemed to have agreed, by his investment in
any Sub-Trust with respect to which the Trustees shall have adopted any such
procedure, to make the contribution referred to in the preceding sentence in the
event of any such loss.
(i) TRANSFER. All Shares of each particular Sub-Trust or class thereof
shall be transferable, but transfers of Shares of a particular Sub-Trust or
class thereof will be recorded on the Share transfer records of the Trust
applicable to that Sub-Trust or class only at such times as
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Shareholders shall have the right to require the Trust to redeem Shares of that
Sub-Trust or class and at such other times as may be permitted by the Trustees.
(j) EQUALITY. Except as provided herein or in the instrument designating
and establishing any class of Shares or any Sub-Trust, all Shares of each
particular Sub-Trust or class thereof shall represent an equal proportionate
interest in the assets belonging to that Sub-Trust, or in the case of a class,
belonging to that Sub-Trust and allocable to that class, subject to the
liabilities belonging to that Sub-Trust or class and each share of any
particular Sub-Trust or class shall be equal to each other Share of that Sub-
Trust or class; but the provisions of this sentence shall not restrict any
distinctions permissible under subsection (C) of this Section 4.2 that may exist
with respect to dividends and distributions on Shares of the same Sub-Trust or
class. The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of any
particular Sub-Trust or class into a greater or lesser number of Shares of that
Sub-Trust or class without thereby changing the proportionate beneficial
interest in the assets belonging to that Sub-Trust or class or in any way
affecting the rights of Shares of any other Sub-Trust or class.
(k) FRACTIONS. Any fractional Share of any Sub-Trust or class, if any such
fractional Share is outstanding, shall carry proportionately all the rights and
obligations of a whole Share of that Sub-Trust or class, including rights and
obligations with respect to voting, receipt of dividends and distributions,
redemption of Shares, and liquidation of the Trust.
(m) CLASS DIFFERENCES. Subject to Section 4.1, the relative rights and
preferences of the classes of any Sub-Trust may differ in such other respects as
the Trustees may determine to be appropriate in their sole discretion, provided
that such differences are set forth in the instrument establishing and
designating such classes and executed by a majority of the Trustees (or by an
instrument executed by an officer of the Trust pursuant to a vote of a majority
of the Trustees).
Section 4.3 OWNERSHIP OF SHARES. The ownership of Shares shall be
recorded on the books of the Trust or of a transfer or similar agent for the
Trust, which books shall be maintained separately for the Shares of each Sub-
Trust and each class thereof that has been established and designated. No
certificates certifying the ownership of Shares need be issued except as the
Trustees may otherwise determine from time to time. The trustees may make such
rules as they consider appropriate for the issuance of Share certificates, the
use of facsimile signature, the transfer of Shares and similar matters. The
record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust or any transfer or similar agent,
as the case may be, shall be conclusive as to who are the Shareholders and as to
the number of Shares of each Sub-Trust and class thereof held from time to time
by each such Shareholder.
Section 4.5 NO PRE-EMPTIVE RIGHTS. Shareholders shall have no pre-emptive
or other rights to subscribe to any additional Shares or other securities issued
by the Trust or any Sub-Trust, except as the Trustees in their sole discretion
shall have determined by resolution.
Section 4.6 STATUS OF SHARES AND LIMITATION OF PERSONAL LIABILITY. Shares
shall be deemed to be personal property giving only the rights provided in this
Declaration of Trust. Every Shareholder by virtue of acquiring Shares shall be
held to have expressly assented
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and agreed to the terms hereof and to have become a party hereto. The death,
incapacity, dissolution, termination, or bankruptcy of a Shareholder during the
continuance of the Trust shall not operate to dissolve or terminate the Trust or
any Sub-Trust thereof nor entitle the representative of such Shareholder to an
accounting or to take any action in court or elsewhere against the Trust or the
Trustees, but only to the rights of such Shareholder under this Trust. Ownership
of Shares shall not entitle the Shareholder to any title in or to the whole or
any part of the Trust property or right to call for a partition or division of
the same or for an accounting, nor shall the ownership of Shares constitute the
Shareholders partners. Neither the Trust nor the Trustees nor any officer,
employee or agent of the Trust shall have any power to bind personally any
Shareholder, nor except as specifically provided herein to call upon any
Shareholder for the payment of any sum of money or assessment whatsoever other
than such as the Shareholder may at any time personally agree to pay.
Section 4.7 NO APPRAISAL RIGHTS. Shareholders shall have no right to
demand payment for their shares or to any other rights of dissenting
shareholders in the event the Trust participates in any transaction which would
give rise to appraisal or dissenters' rights by a shareholder of a corporation
organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, or
otherwise.
ARTICLE V
SHAREHOLDERS' VOTING POWERS AND MEETINGS
Section 5.1 VOTING POWERS. The Shareholders shall have power to vote only
(i) for the election of Trustees as provided in Section 3.1, (ii) with respect
to any contract with a Contracting Party as provided in Section 3.3 as to which
Shareholder approval is required by the 1940 Act, (iii) with respect to any
termination or reorganization of the Trust to the extent and as provided in
Sections 7.1 and 7.2, (iv) with respect to any amendment of this Declaration of
Trust to the extent and as provided in Section 7.3, and (v) with respect to such
additional matters relating to the Trust as may be required by the 1940 Act,
this Declaration of Trust, the By-Laws or any registration of the Trust with the
Commission (or any successor agency) or any state, or as the Trustees may
consider necessary or desirable. There shall be no cumulative voting in the
election of Trustees. Shares may be voted in person or by proxy. Proxies may
be given orally or in writing or pursuant to any computerized or mechanical data
gathering process specifically approved by the Trustees. 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. 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. At any time when no Shares of a Series
are outstanding, the Trustees may exercise all rights of Shareholders of that
Series with respect to matters affecting that Series and may take any actions
required by law, this Declaration of Trust, or the By-Laws to be taken by
Shareholders.
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Section 5.2 MEETINGS. No annual or regular meeting of Shareholders is
required. Special meetings of Shareholders may be called by the Trustees from
time to time for the purpose of electing Trustees as herein provided and for
such other purposes as may be prescribed by law, this Declaration of Trust or
the By-Laws, or for taking action upon any other matter deemed by the Trustees
to be necessary or desirable. Written notice of any meeting of Shareholders
shall be given or caused to be given by the Trustees by mailing such notice at
least seven days before such meeting, postage prepaid, stating the time, place,
and purpose of the meeting, to each Shareholder at the Shareholder's address as
it appears on the record of the Trust. Whenever notice of a meeting is required
to be given to a Shareholder under the Declaration of Trustee or the By-Laws, a
written waiver thereof, executed before or after the meeting by such Shareholder
or his attorney thereunto authorized and filed with the records of the meeting,
shall be deemed equivalent to such notice.
Section 5.3 RECORD DATES. For the purpose of determining the Shareholders
who are entitled to vote or act at any meeting or any adjournment thereof, or
who are entitled to participate in any dividend or distribution, or for the
purpose of any other action, the Trustees may from time to time close the
transfer books for such period, not exceeding 30 days (except at or in
connection with the termination of the Trust), as the Trustees may determine; or
without closing the transfer books the Trustees may fix a date and time not more
than 90 days prior to the date of any meeting of Shareholders or other action as
the date and time of record for the determination of Shareholders entitled to
vote at such meeting or any adjournment thereof or to be treated as a
Shareholder of record for purposes of such other action, even though he has
since that date and time disposed of his Shares, and no Shareholder becoming
such after that date and time shall be so entitled to vote at such meeting or
any adjournment thereof or to be treated as a Shareholder of record for purposes
of such other action. Nothing in this section shall be construed as precluding
the Trustees from setting different record dates for different Sub-Trusts.
Section 5.4 QUORUM AND REQUIRED VOTE. Except as otherwise provided by the
1940 Act or other applicable law, thirty percent of the Shares entitled to vote
shall be a quorum for the transaction of business at a Shareholders' meeting.
Any meeting of shareholders, whether or not a quorum is present, may be
adjourned from time to time by the majority of the Shares represented at the
meeting, either in person or by proxy. Any adjourned session or sessions may be
held, within a reasonable time after the date set for the original meeting
without the necessity of notice of the adjourned meeting or of the business to
be transacted at an adjourned meeting, other than by announcement at the meeting
at which the adjournment is taken, unless the Trustees fix a new record date for
the adjourned meeting. A majority of the Shares voted, at a meeting of which a
quorum is present, shall decide any questions and a plurality shall elect a
Trustee, except when a different vote is required or permitted by any provision
of the 1940 Act or other applicable law or by this Declaration of Trust or the
By-Laws.
Section 5.5 ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT. Subject to the provisions of the
1940 Act and other applicable law, any action taken by Shareholders may be taken
without a meeting if a majority of Shareholders entitled to vote on the matter
(or such larger proportion thereof as shall be required by the 1940 Act or by
any express provision of this Declaration of Trust or the By-Laws) consent to
the action in writing and such written consents are filed with the record of the
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meetings of Shareholders. Such consent shall be treated for all purposes as a
vote taken at a meeting of Shareholders.
Section 5.6 INSPECTION OF RECORDS. The records of the Trust shall be open
to inspection by Shareholders to the same extent as is permitted stockholders of
a Delaware corporation under the Delaware General Law.
Section 5.7 ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS. The By-Laws may include further
provisions for Shareholders' votes and meetings and related matters not
inconsistent with the provisions hereof.
ARTICLE VI
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION
Section 6.1 TRUSTEES, SHAREHOLDERS, ETC. NOT PERSONALLY LIABLE; NOTICE.
All persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against
the Trust shall look only to the assets of the Sub-Trust with which such person
dealt for payment under such credit, contract or claim; and neither the
Shareholders of any Sub-Trust nor the Trustees, nor any of the Trust's officers,
employees or agents, whether past, present or future, nor any other Sub-Trust
nor the Trustees, nor any of the Trust's officers, employees or agents, whether
past, present or future, nor any other Sub-Trust shall be personally liable
therefor. Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate, or undertaking
and every act or thing whatsoever executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust,
any Sub-Trust or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall
be conclusively deemed to have been executed or done only by or for the Trust
(or the Sub-Trust) or the Trustees and not personally. The Trustees and the
Trust's officers, employees and agents shall not be liable to the Trust or the
Shareholders; provided however, that nothing in this Declaration of Trust shall
protect any Trustee or officer, employee or agent against any liability to the
Trust or the Shareholders to which such Trustee or officer, employee or agent
would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross
negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the
office of Trustee or of such officer, employee or agent.
Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate, or undertaking made or
issued by the Trustees or by any officers or officer shall give notice that the
same was executed or made by or on behalf of the Trust or by them as Trustees or
Trustee or as officers or officer and not individually and that the obligations
of such instrument are not binding upon any of them or the Shareholders
individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the Trust, or
the particular Sub-Trust in question, as the case may be, but the omission
thereof shall not operate to bind any Trustees or Trustee or officers officer or
Shareholders or Shareholder individually or otherwise invalidate any such note,
bond, contract, instrument, certificate, or undertaking.
Section 6.2 TRUSTEE'S GOOD FAITH ACTION; EXPERT ADVICE; NO BOND OR SURETY.
The exercise by the Trustees of their powers and discretion hereunder shall be
binding upon everyone interested. A Trustee shall be liable to the Trust and
the Shareholders for his own
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willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the
duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and for nothing else,
and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law.
Subject to the foregoing, (a) the Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in
any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee,
consultant, adviser, administrator, distributor or principal underwriter,
custodian or transfer, dividend disbursing, Shareholder servicing or accounting
agent of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission
of any other Trustee; (b) the Trustees may take advice of counsel or other
experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust
and their duties as Trustees, and shall be under no liability for any act or
omission in accordance with such advice or for failing to follow such advice;
and (c) in discharging their duties, the Trustees, when acting in good faith,
shall be entitled to rely upon the books of account of the Trust and upon
written reports made to the Trustees by any officer appointed by them, any
independent public accountant, and (with respect to the subject matter of the
contract involved) any officer partner, or responsible employee of a Contracting
Party appointed by the Trustees pursuant to Section 3.3. The Trustees as such
shall not be required to give any bond or surety or any other security for the
performance of their duties. To the extent that, at law or in equity, a Trustee
has duties (including fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the
Trust or to a shareholder any such Trustee acting under this Declaration of
Trust shall not be liable to the Trust or to any such Shareholder for the
Trustee's good faith reliance on the provisions of this Declaration of Trust.
The provisions of this Declaration of Trust, to the extent that they restrict
the duties and liabilities of a Trustee otherwise existing at law or in equity,
are agreed by the Shareholders to replace such other duties and liabilities of
such Trustee.
Section 6.3 INDEMNIFICATION OF SHAREHOLDERS. In case any Shareholder (or
former Shareholder) of any Sub-Trust or the Trust shall be charged or held to be
personally liable for any obligation or liability of the Trust solely by reason
of being or having been a Shareholder and not because of such Shareholder's acts
or omissions or for some other reason, the Trust on behalf of said Sub-trust
(upon proper and timely request by the Shareholder) shall assume the defense
against such charge and satisfy any judgment thereon, and, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or his heirs,
executors, administrators, or other legal representatives or in the case of a
corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be
entitled out of the assets of said Sub-Trust estate to be held harmless from and
indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such liability.
ARTICLE VII
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 7.1 DURATION AND TERMINATION OF TRUST. Unless terminated as
provided herein, the Trust shall continue without limitation of time and,
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no change, alteration or
modification with respect to any Sub-Trust or class thereof shall operate to
terminate the Trust. The Trust may be terminated at any time by a Majority of
the Outstanding Voting Shares of the Trust or by the Trustees by written notice
to the Shareholders.
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Upon termination, after paying or otherwise providing for all charges,
taxes, expenses and liabilities, whether due to accrued or anticipated as may be
determined by the Trustees, the Trust shall in accordance with such procedures
as the Trustees consider appropriate reduce the remaining assets to
distributable form in cash, securities or other property, or any combination
thereof, and distribute the proceeds to the Shareholders, in conformity with the
provisions of subsection (d) of Section 42.
Section 7.2 REORGANIZATION. The Trustees may sell, convey, merge, and
transfer the assets of the Trust, or the assets belonging to any one or more
Sub-Trusts, to another trust, partnership, association, or corporation organized
under the laws of any state of the United States, or to the Trust to be held as
assets belonging to another Sub-Trust of the Trust in exchange for cash, shares
or other securities (including, in the case of a transfer to another Sub-Trust
of the Trust, Shares of such other Sub-Trust or any class thereof) with such
transfer either (1) being made subject to, or with the assumption by the
transferee of, the liabilities belonging to each Sub-Trust the assets of which
are so transferred, or (2) not being made subject to, or not with the assumption
of, such liabilities; provided, however, that no assets belonging to any
particular Sub-Trust shall be so transferred unless the terms of such transfer
shall have first been approved at a meeting called for the purpose by the
affirmative vote of the holders of a Majority of the Outstanding Voting Shares
of that Sub-Trust. Following such transfer, the Trustees shall distribute such
cash, shares, or other securities among the Shareholders of the Sub-Trust
(taking into account the differences among the classes of Shares thereof, if
any) the assets belonging to which have been so transferred; and if all of the
assets of the Trust have been so transferred, the Trust shall be terminated.
The Trust, or any one or more Sub-Trusts, may either as the successor,
survivor, or non-survivor, (1) consolidate with one or more other trusts,
partnerships, limited liability companies, associations, or corporations
organized under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state of the
United States, to form a new consolidated trust, partnership, association or,
corporation under the laws of which any one of the constituent entities is
organized, or (2) merge into or transfer a substantial portion of its assets to
one or more other trusts, partnerships, associations, or corporations organized
under the laws of the State of Delaware or any other state of the United States,
or have one or more such trusts, partnerships, associations, or corporations
merged into or transfer a substantial portion of its assets to it, any such
consolidation as are specified in an agreement and plan of reorganization
entered into by the Trust, or one or more Sub-Trusts as the case may be, in
connection therewith. Any such consolidation, merger or transfer shall require
the affirmative vote of the holders of a Majority of the Outstanding Voting
Shares of the Trust (or each Sub-Trust affected thereby, as the case may be),
except that such affirmative vote of the holders of Shares shall not be required
if the Trust (or Sub-Trust affected thereby, as the case may be) shall be the
survivor of such consolidation or merger or transferee of such assets.
Section 7.3 AMENDMENTS. All rights granted to the Shareholders under this
Declaration of Trust are granted subject to the reservation of the right to
amend this Declaration of Trust as herein provided, except that no amendment
shall repeal the limitations on personal liability of any Shareholder or Trustee
or repeal the prohibition of assessment upon the Shareholders without the
express consent of each Shareholder or Trustee involved. Subject to the
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foregoing, the provisions of this Declaration of Trust (whether or not related
to the rights of Shareholders) may be amended at any time, so long as such
amendment does not adversely affect the rights of any Shareholder with respect
to which such amendment is or purports to be applicable and so long as such
amendment is not in contravention of applicable law, including the 1940 Act, by
an instrument in writing signed by a majority of the then Trustees (or by an
officer of the Trust pursuant to the vote of a majority of such Trustees). Any
amendment to this Declaration of Trust that adversely affects the rights of
Shareholders may be adopted at any time by an instrument in writing signed by a
majority of the then Trustees (or by an officer of the Trust pursuant to a vote
of a majority of such Trustees) when authorized to do so by the vote in
accordance with subsection (e) of Section 4.2 of Shareholders holding a majority
of the Shares entitled to vote. Without limiting the generality of the
foregoing, amendments having the purposes of changing the name of the Trust or
any Sub-Trust or of supplying any omission, curing or curing, correcting or
supplementing any defective or inconsistent provision contained herein shall not
require authorization by Shareholder vote. Subject to the provisions of this
Section 7.3, any amendment shall be effective as provided in the instrument
containing the terms of such amendment or, if there is no provision therein with
respect to effectiveness, upon the execution of such instrument and of a
certificate (which may be a part of such instrument) executed by a Trustee or
officer of the Trust to the effect that such amendment has been duly adopted.
Section 7.4 FILING OF COPIES; REFERENCES; HEADINGS. The original or a
copy of this instrument and of each amendment hereto shall be kept at the office
of the Trust where it may be inspected by any Shareholder. Anyone dealing with
the Trust may rely on a certificate by an officer of the Trust as to whether or
not any such amendments have been made, as to the identities of the Trustees and
officers, and as to any matters in connection with the Trust hereunder; and,
with the same effect as if it were the original, may rely on a copy certified by
an officer of the Trust to be a copy of this instrument or of any such
amendments. In this instrument and in any such amendment, references to this
instrument, and all expressions like "herein," "hereof," and "hereunder" shall
be deemed to refer to this instrument as a whole as the same may be amended or
affected by any such amendments. The masculine gender shall include the
feminine and neuter genders. Headings are placed herein for convenience of
reference only and shall not be taken as a part hereof or control or affect the
meaning, construction, or effect of his instrument. This instrument may be
executed in any number of counterparts each of which shall be deemed an
original.
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