Constitution-and-Bylaws

THE
SOUTHFORD
CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
INCORPORATED
including
JACK’S HILL CEMETERY

CONSTUTITION

ARTICLE I: NAME, LOCATION, PURPOSE

1. NAME: This association shall be known as the SOUTHFORD CEMETERY ASSOCIATION, INC.

2. LOCATION: SOUTHFORD CEMETERY is located at the corner of Route 67 and Hawley Road, in the Town of Oxford, CT. It is bounded by the property n/f of Hubert Baxter and John Cargos, consisting of four (4) acres more or less.

JACKS HILL CEMETERY is located on North Larkey road in the Town of Oxford. It is bounded by the property n/f of John Santangelo, measuring 250' by 300'.

3. PURPOSE: To establish and maintain the two cemeteries: namely Southford Cemetery and Jack’s Hill Cemetery.

ARTICLE II: MEETINGS

1. The Annual Meeting shall be held on the second (2nd) Thursday of March, at a time and place to be called by the President. A notice to be placed in a newspaper warning members of the meeting.

2. The presentation of the Treasurer’s and Secretary’s reports, and the election of Officers and other pertinent matters shall be transacted at this meeting.

3. Special meetings may be called by the President as the need arises.

ARTICLE III: OFFICES AND TERMS OF OFFICE

1. Elective offices will be President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Records Keeper and Board of Directors.

2. The Board of Directors will consist of the above officers and three members elected at large from the membership present at the Annual Meeting.

3. The term of office for President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Records Keeper and the Board of Directors shall be for 2 (two) years. The election to be held during the odd numbered years.

ARTICLE IV: AMENDMENTS

1. THE SOUTHFORD CEMETERY ASSOCIATION, INC. shall have the power, at any properly called meeting to amend, alter, or revise any part of this Constitution, by a majority vote of the membership present.

BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I: OFFICERS AND DUTIES

PRESIDENT: He/She shall call and preside at all meetings and act ex-officio on all committees.

VICE-PRESIDENT: He/She shall act as President in the absence of the President.

SECRETARY: He/She shall keep all minutes, send notices of meetings and carry on all correspondence.

TREASURER: He/She shall collect all monies due the Association and pay all bills presented against the Association. He/She shall give a report at each annual meeting.

RECORDS KEEPER: He/She shall keep a record of all lots and graves as they are sold and issue deeds to same.

ARTICLE II: LOTS AND GRAVES

1. Anyone who contributes funds to the Cemetery Association at the following rates will receive perpetual care for their lots. Rates are subject to change as conditions demand.
   1. grave lot $   750
   2. grave lot $ 1500
   3. grave lot $ 2250
   4. grave lot $ 3000

2. A DEED OF OWNERSHIP, including perpetual care, will be issued upon full payment.

3. The charges for locating and opening the grave are paid through the Funeral Director. Additional charges, as necessary for extra work will be made as conditions demand, including monument location and inspections in advance of order approval. Charges are reviewed by the Board of Directors annually.

4. No transfer of ownership of lots or any portion thereof may be transacted without written application to, and permission from the Cemetery Association.

5. When a person is to be buried an order, in writing, will be required from the lot owner, or agent thereof, before an interment may be carried out in said lot. In any event, and in all such cases the Cemetery Board of Directors shall not be held liable in any way for the unauthorized or misrepresented applications for interment.

6. No burial will be made in any lot unless all fees are paid in full and a properly executed burial permit is received.

7. Where fees or assessments are in arrears on plots or graves and the total equals or exceeds the purchase price of the plot or graves, the unused graves will be confiscated by the Cemetery Association after due notice and an expiration period of ninety (90) days following expiration.

8. All monies received from the sale of lots shall be deposited in the General Fund Account. This account may be used for the general upkeep of the Cemeteries with the exception that the principal may be spent with the approval of the Board of Directors of The Southford Cemetery Association, Inc.

ARTICLE IV: AMENDMENTS

1. The Southford Cemetery Association, Inc shall have the power, at any properly called meeting to alter, amend or revise any part of these By-Laws by a majority vote of the membership present.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. All interments shall be made in sealed, permanent vaults or cement liners in any certified lot. Cremains must be interred in a suitable permanent type cremation urn or container.

2. Each grave allows for one full size adult interment only. The only exception would be to allow the addition of not more than one cremated remains interment on any one grave, or a mother and her baby. If a full size grave is purchased for the interment of cremated remains, not more than two interments would be allowed in such grave.

3. No trees or shrubs shall be planted without the authorization of the Board of Directors of the Cemetery Association. If any trees or shrubs shall by means of their roots or branches become detrimental to the lots, graves, or avenues, or become unsightly or inconvenient. It shall be the duty of the Sexton to remove same under the direction of the Cemetery Board of Directors.

4. Planting of flowers more than twelve (12) inches from permanent markers or monuments is prohibited.

5. The Cemetery authorities shall have the right at all times to enter upon each and every lot for the purpose of maintaining, cleaning and policing same.

6. Winter decorations must be removed by April 1st. No artificial flowers will be allowed between April 1st. and November 1st. Vigil lights are prohibited.

7. No fence or similar device shall be allowed around any grave or lot. All graves must be level with the terrain.

8. The location and erection of monumental work and corner stones shall be done only with the approval of the Board of Directors, or their authorized representatives. Location and inspection charges to be paid in advance of order approval.

9. All monuments, headstones and grave markers must be set on a masonry foundation, adequate for the size and weight of same laid in cement, mortar or grouted with base excavation to 36 inch frost depth and 30 inches wide. Upright monuments are limited in length to one half the width of the contiguous lots and 36 inches height.

10. No mausoleums shall be erected.

11. The general care of the Cemeteries is assumed by the Cemetery Association to protect the grounds from injury.

12. The laws of the state of Connecticut concerning cemeteries and burials will be strictly observed.

13. The Southford Cemetery Association, Inc. is not responsible for any items which are lost, stolen or missing from the cemeteries.

14. Visitors, lot owners, and contractors and their employees are reminded that the Cemetery is sacredly devoted to the dead and that a strict observance of all the properties due such a place shall be required of them.

15. The Southford Cemetery Association, Inc. shall have the power, at any properly called meeting to alter, amend or revise any part of these Rules and Regulations by a majority vote of the membership present.