State of Kansas
County Nemaha
Known to all men that on the 12th day of December in the
year of our Lord 1870 in a pursuance of a public Notice given
Notice given by the Rev Henry Morel at the end of The Public
worships on the Sabbatical 4th and 11th of this present month
of December, The following Citizens of Neuchatel in the County
of Nemaha - State of Kansas, Aime E. Bonjour, Henry Beloud,
Alfred Bonjour, Henry Labbe, Frederic H. Bonjour, Jonas A.
Bonjour, Lefebre Noel, Jean Baptiste Gilson, Isidore Gilson,
Florent Thyss, Auguste Mouton, Edouard Mars, Henry Morel,
Ernest Descombes, met in the school house of District No
5 in the said county of Nemaha, for the purpose of constituting
thenselves into a Religious Corporation for Religious worships
in the French language.
The meeting was called to order by The Rev Henry Morell
and was organized by the election of Henry Labbe for Chairman
and of Alfred Bonjour for Temporary clerk. Then a Constitution
and by laws were unanimously adopted embracing the following
particulars.
1st That we are hereby constituated a Religious Corporation
for ever under the name of The French Protestantism Congregation
of Neuchatel in The County of Nemaha and State of Kansas
for evangelical worships.
2nd That we will secure a piece of land not exceeding 10
acres which - by gift or by purchase in The town of Neuchatel,
County and Sate aforesaid on which we shall build a house
of worships and a Parsonage which shall be forever the Property
of this Corporation and shall be used only for Evangelical
worships.
3rd That the Temporal affairs of this Corporation are intrusted
to a board of Directors or Trustees, composed of Three persons
chosen among the Male Members of the Church above twenty
one years of age, of whom one shall be President, one Secretary
and one treasurer. This board shall be elected by ballot
at the first Election. One shall be elected for one year,
one for two years and one for three years and hereafter a
meeting of the male members of this congregation shall take
place in the month of December every year in which a new
Member to the board of Directors shall be elected for three
years.
4th The board of Directors in The Management of the affairs
of this corporation shall abide by the provisions of the
Constitution and by laws adopted in this meeting.
5th All the male members of this congregation above twenty
one years of age shall have the right to vote at the meetings
of this corporation and shall enjoy of all the privileges
the law grants in such case.
After the preceeding business was finished per order of
the chairman, the meeting forwarded to the election of a
board of Directors by ballot and the following persons were
duly elected. Henry Labbe of Neuchatel was elected President
for one year. Alfred Bonjour of Neuchatel was elected Secretary
for two years. Frederic H. Bonjour was elected treasurer
for three years.
The Directors elected having accepted the offices to which
they are elected, the chairman declared the meeting adjourned
Sine Die.
In witness thereof we the undersigned set our hands to
the present, this 12th day of December A.D. 1870.
H. Labbe, chairman
Alfred Bonjour, clerk
Henry Morell
Noel Lefebre
Henry E. Descombes
State of Kansas
County of Nemaha
On this 18th day of January A.D. 1871. Before me a Justice
of The Peace personally appeared the above named H. Labbe
Chairman, Alfred Bonjour Clerk and Henry Morell, Noel Lefebre
and Henry E. Descombes, and duly acknowledged the aforegoing
instrument to be their own voluntary act and deed.
Witness my hand this day and date aforesaid.
(Signed) Henri Beloud, J.P.
I, N. H. Smallwood Secretary of State of the State of Kansas
hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy
of the original Instrument of writing as filed in my office.
January the 28th A.D. 1871.
In Testimony whereof I have hereunder subscribed my name
and caused to be affixed the great seal of the State.
Done at Topeka this the 30thday of January A.D. 1871.
(Signed)
N. H. Smallwood,
Secretary of State