3-089 (Text)

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At a meeting held at Glen Osmond in the room intended to be used as a reading room and Mechanics' Institute on Saturday the 12th. August 1854:
Mr. Arthur Hardy in the Chair. Present also Mr. Justice Boothby, Mr. S. W. Bull.. . and several others.
Mr. Hardy opened the business of the meeting by stating that he had designated the building for the use of persons in his employment or living on his property. Neighbours and others having intimated their wish to participate in the benefits of the reading room, he had much pleasure in acceding to their request. It was his wish that the subscribers should themselves take over the whole management of the Institution upon themselves. He only required one restriction which he thought requisite at first at all events for the well being of the Institution viz: that no person should have a right to join or remain as a member of the Institute without his (Mr. Hardy's) consent. Mr. Hardy stated at the same time his wish to make the Institution as generally useful as possible and expressed his belief that he would not have occasion to exercise the power he retained. With this reservation he placed the room at the disposal of the Institute on every week day evening for such hours as should be found most generally convenient.
It was resolved that the Institute should be called "The Glen Osmond Mechanics' Institute".
It was resolved that the entrance money should be five shillings and the subscription sixpence per week payment in advance and that where the head of a family paid the entrance money any other members of the same family under sixteen years of age should be allowed to subscribe without paying any entrance fee.
It was resolved that children under 12 years of age should not be admitted.
It was also resolved that youths under 16 years of age whose parents did not subscribe should be allowed to subscribe without payment of entrance fee.
It was also resolved that the Institute should be managed by a Committee of twelve and that three should form a quorum.
It was also resolved that the Committee should prepare a set of rules for the management of the Institution and submit them to a general meeting of the members to be held on Saturday evening next if possible and that the following should be included among the rules:
That no drinking, cards or gambling be allowed on the premises; that chess, draughts and dominoes be allowed but not for money; that no smoking be allowed. That the meetings on Saturday evenings be considered general meetings.
It was resolved that the thanks of the Institution be given to Messrs. Dutton, Tomkinson. . . and Hardy for their donation of books.
(signed) Arthur Hardy
Chairman.