COMMUNITY FINANCIAL CORP /MD/ (Form: 8-K, Received: 09/27/2021 09:41:12)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): September 21, 2021

THE COMMUNITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Maryland

001-36094

52-1652138

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

(Commission

File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

3035 Leonardtown Road, Waldorf, Maryland 20601

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(301) 645-5601

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share	TCFC	The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 5.03

Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year

On September 21, 2021, the Board of Directors of The Community Financial Corporation (the “Company”) approved and adopted the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”) to amend (i) Article III, Section 1 and Article V, Section 1 to specifically identify the chief executive officer as a separate officer position; (ii) Article III, Section 1 to specifically identify the chief executive officer as one of the three officers who may preside at meetings of the Board; (iii) Article V, Section 1 to eliminate the requirement that the chairman be the chief executive officer unless the board of directors designates another person as the chief executive officer, to specifically identify the position of vice chairman as an office to which the Board may designate officers, and to provide that any number of offices may be held by the same person; and (iv) Article V, Section 5 to provide that the Board shall, from time to time, fix the remuneration of the officers identified in Article V, Section 1 of the Amended and Restated Bylaws.

The foregoing description of the Amended and Restated Bylaws is only a summary, does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Amended and Restated Bylaws, which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits

(a)-(c)		Not applicable

(d)		Exhibits

Number

Description

3.1

Amended and Restated Bylaws of The Community Financial Corporation

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	THE COMMUNITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION
	(Registrant)


Date: September 27, 2021	By:

Exhibit 3.1

AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

THE COMMUNITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION

ARTICLE I

Home Office

The home office of The Community Financial Corporation (herein the “Corporation”) shall be at Route 5 in Waldorf.

ARTICLE II

Stockholders

SECTION 1. Place of Meetings. All annual and special meetings of stockholders shall be held at the home office of the Corporation or at such other place within or without the State in which the home office of the Corporation is located as the board of directors may determine and as designated in the notice of such meeting.

SECTION 2. Annual Meeting. A meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation for the election of directors and for the transaction of any other business of the Corporation shall be held annually at such date and time as the board of directors may determine.

SECTION 3. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the stockholders for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the majority of the board of directors or by a committee of the board of directors in accordance with the provisions of the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation or a special meeting may be called by the Secretary of the Corporation upon the written request of the holders of not less than 25% of all votes entitled to be cast at the meeting. Such written request shall state the purpose or purposes of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at the meeting and shall be delivered at the home office of the Corporation addressed to the chairman of the board, the president or the secretary. The secretary shall inform the stockholders who make the request of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing a notice of the meeting and upon payment of these costs to the Corporation, the secretary shall then notify each stockholder entitled to notice of the meeting.

SECTION 4. Conduct of Meetings. Annual and special meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the rules and procedures established by the board of directors. The board of directors shall designate, when present, either the chairman of the board or president to preside at such meetings.

SECTION 5. Notice of Meeting. Written notice stating the place, day and hour of the meeting and the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called shall be mailed by the secretary or the officer performing his duties, not less than ten days nor more than ninety days before the meeting to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting and to each other stockholder entitled to notice of the meeting. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the United States mail, addressed to the stockholder at his address as it appears on the stock transfer books or records of the Corporation as of the record date prescribed in Section 6 of this Article II, with postage thereon prepaid. If a stockholder be present at a meeting, or in writing waives notice thereof before or after the meeting and such waiver is filed with the records of the stockholders meeting, notice of the meeting to such stockholder shall be unnecessary. When any stockholders’ meeting, either annual or special, is adjourned for thirty days, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. It shall not be necessary to give any notice of the time and place of any meeting adjourned for less than thirty days or of the business to be transacted at such adjourned meeting, other than an announcement at the meeting at which such adjournment is taken.

SECTION 6. Fixing of Record Date. For the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders, or any adjournment thereof, or stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend, or in order to make a determination of stockholders for any other proper purpose, the board of directors shall fix in advance a date as the record date for any such determination of stockholders. Such date in any case shall be not more than ninety days, and in case of a meeting of stockholders, not less than ten days prior to the date on which the particular action, requiring such determination of stockholders is to be taken. When a determination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof.

SECTION 7. Voting Lists. The officer or agent having charge of the stock transfer books for shares of the Corporation shall make, at least ten days before each meeting of stockholders, a complete record of the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting or any adjournment thereof, arranged in alphabetical order, with the address of and the number of shares held by each. The record, for a period of ten days before such meeting, shall be kept on file at the principal office of the Corporation.

SECTION 8. Quorum. A majority of the outstanding shares of the Corporation entitled to vote, represented in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of stockholders. If less than a majority of the outstanding shares are represented at a meeting, a majority of the shares so represented may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present or represented, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified. The stockholders present at a duly organized meeting may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum.

SECTION 9. Proxies. At all meetings of stockholders, a stockholder may vote by proxy executed in writing by the stockholder or by his duly authorized attorney in fact. Proxies solicited on behalf of the management shall be voted as directed by the stockholder or, in the absence of such direction, as determined by a majority of the board of directors. No proxy shall be valid after eleven months from the date of its execution unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

SECTION 10. Voting. At each election for directors every stockholder entitled to vote at such election shall be entitled to one vote for each share of stock held by him. Unless otherwise provided in the Articles of Incorporation, by statute, or by these Bylaws, a majority of those votes cast by stockholders at a lawful meeting shall be sufficient to pass on a transaction or matter.

SECTION 11. Voting of Shares in the Name of Two or More Persons. When ownership of stock stands in the name of two or more persons, in the absence of written directions to the Corporation to the contrary, at any meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation any one or more of such stockholders may cast, in person or by proxy, all votes to which such ownership is entitled. In the event an attempt is made to cast conflicting votes, in person or by proxy, by the several persons in whose name shares of stock stand, the vote or votes to which these persons are entitled shall be cast as directed by a majority of those holding such stock and present in person or by proxy at such meeting, but no votes shall be cast for such stock if a majority cannot agree.

SECTION 12. Voting of Shares by Certain Holders. Shares standing in the name of another corporation may be voted by any officer, agent or proxy as the bylaws of such corporation may provide, or, in the absence of such provision, as the board of directors of such corporation may determine. Shares held by an administrator, executor, guardian or conservator may be voted by him, either in person or by proxy, without a transfer of such shares into his name. Shares standing in the name of a trustee may be voted by him, either in person or by proxy, but no trustee shall be entitled to vote shares held by him without a transfer of such shares into his name. Shares standing in the name of a receiver may be voted by such receiver, and shares held by or under the control of a receiver may be voted by such receiver without the transfer thereof into his name if authority to do so is contained in an appropriate order of the court or other public authority by which such receiver was appointed.

A stockholder whose shares are pledged shall be entitled to vote such shares until the shares have been transferred into the name of the pledgee and thereafter the pledgee shall be entitled to vote the shares so transferred.

Neither treasury shares of its own stock held by the Corporation, nor shares held by another corporation, if a majority of the shares entitled to vote for the election of directors of such other corporation are held by the Corporation, shall be voted at any meeting or counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time for purposes of any meeting.

SECTION 13. Inspectors of Election. In advance of any meeting of stockholders, the board of directors may appoint any persons, other than nominees for office, as inspectors of election to act at such meeting or any adjournment thereof. The number of inspectors shall be either one or three. If the board of directors so appoints either one or three inspectors, that appointment shall not be altered at the meeting. If inspectors of election are not so appointed, the chairman of the board or the president may make such appointment at the meeting. In case any person appointed as inspector fails to appear or fails or refuses to act, the vacancy may be filled by appointment by the board of directors in advance of the meeting or at the meeting by the chairman of the board or the president.

Unless otherwise prescribed by applicable law, the duties of such inspectors shall include: determining the number of shares of stock and the voting power of each share, the shares of stock represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum, the authenticity, validity and effect of proxies; receiving votes, ballots or consents; hearing and determining all challenges and questions in any way arising in connection with the right to vote; counting and tabulating all votes or consents; determining the result; and such acts as may be proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all stockholders.

SECTION 14. Nominating Committee. The board of directors shall act as a nominating committee for selecting the management nominees for election as directors. Except in the case of a nominee substituted as a result of the death or other incapacity of a management nominee, the nominating committee shall deliver written nominations to the secretary at least twenty days prior to the date of the annual meeting. Provided such committee makes such nominations, no nominations for directors except those made by the nominating committee shall be voted upon at the annual meeting unless other nominations by stockholders are made in writing and delivered to the secretary of the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation.

SECTION 15. New Business. Any new business to be taken up at the annual meeting shall be stated in writing and filed with the secretary of the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation. This provision shall not prevent the consideration and approval or disapproval at the annual meeting of reports of officers, directors and committees, but in connection with such reports no new business shall be acted upon at such annual meeting unless stated and filed as provided in the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation.

ARTICLE III

Board of Directors

SECTION 1. General Powers. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be under the direction of its board of directors. The board of directors shall annually elect a chairman of the board, a chief executive officer and a president from among its members and shall designate, when present, either the chairman of the board, the chief executive officer, or the president to preside at its meetings.

SECTION 2. Number, Term and Election. The board of directors shall consist of fourteen (14) members and shall be divided into three classes as nearly equal in number as possible. The members of each class shall be elected for a term of three years and until their successors are elected or qualified. The board of directors shall be classified in accordance with the provisions of the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation.

SECTION 3. Regular Meetings. A regular meeting of the board of directors shall be held without other notice than this Bylaw within two weeks after the annual meeting of stockholders. The board of directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of additional regular meetings without other notice than such resolution.

SECTION 4. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the board of directors may be called by or at the request of the chairman of the board or the president, or a majority of the directors. The persons authorized to call special meetings of the board of directors may fix any place as the place for holding any special meeting of the board of directors called by such persons.

Members of the board of directors may participate in special meetings by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other. Such participation shall constitute presence in person.

SECTION 5. Notice. Written notice of any special meeting shall be given to each director at least two days previous thereto delivered personally or by telegram or at least seven days previous thereto delivered by mail at the address at which the director is most likely to be reached. Such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the United States mail so addressed, with postage thereon prepaid if mailed or when delivered to the telegraph company if sent by telegram. Any director may waive notice of any meeting by a writing filed with the secretary. The attendance of a director at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where a director attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any meeting of the board of directors need be specified in the notice or waiver of notice of such meeting.

SECTION 6. Quorum. A majority of the number of directors fixed by Section 2 of this Article III shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the board of directors, but if less than such majority is present at a meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time. Notice of any adjourned meeting shall be given in the same manner as prescribed by Section 5 of this Article III.

SECTION 7. Manner of Acting. The act of the majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the board of directors, unless a greater number is prescribed by these Bylaws, the Articles of Incorporation, or the General Laws of the State of Maryland.

SECTION 8. Action Without a Meeting. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the board of directors at a meeting may be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by all of the directors and filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the board.

SECTION 9. Resignation. Any director may resign at any time by sending a written notice of such resignation to the home office of the Corporation addressed to the chairman of the board or the president. Unless otherwise specified herein such resignation shall take effect upon receipt thereof by the chairman of the board or the president.

SECTION 10. Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring in the board of directors shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation. Any directorship to be filled by reason of an increase in the number of directors may be filled by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the directors then in office. The term of such director shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation.

SECTION 11. Removal of Directors. Any director or the entire board of directors may be removed only in accordance with the provisions of the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation.

SECTION 12. Compensation. Directors, as such, may receive a stated salary for their services. By resolution of the board of directors, a reasonable fixed sum, and reasonable expenses of attendance, if any, may be allowed for actual attendance at each regular or special meeting of the board of directors. Members of either standing or special committees may be allowed such compensation for actual attendance at committee meetings as the board of directors may determine. Nothing herein shall be construed to preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving remuneration therefor.

SECTION 13. Presumption of Assent. A director of the Corporation who is present at a meeting of the board of directors at which action on any corporate matter is taken shall be presumed to have assented to the action taken unless his dissent or abstention shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting or unless he shall file his written dissent to such action with the person acting as the secretary of the meeting before the adjournment thereof or shall forward such dissent by registered mail to the secretary of the Corporation immediately after the adjournment of the meeting. Such right to dissent shall not apply to a director who votes in favor of such action.

SECTION 14. Advisory Directors. The board of directors may by resolution appoint advisory directors to the board, who may also serve as directors emeriti, and shall have such authority and receive such compensation and reimbursement as the board of directors shall provide. Advisory directors or directors emeriti shall not have the authority to participate by vote in the transaction of business.

SECTION 15. Qualifications. A person is not qualified to serve as a director if he or she: (1) is under indictment for, or has ever been convicted of, a criminal offense involving dishonesty or breach of trust and the penalty for such offense could be imprisonment for more than one year, (2) is a person against who a banking agency has issued a cease and desist order for conduct involving dishonesty or breach of trust and that order is final and not subject to appeal, or (3) has been found either by a regulatory agency whose decision is final and not subject to appeal or by a court to have (i) breached a fiduciary duty involving personal profit or (ii) committed a willful violation of any law, rule or regulation governing banking, securities, commodities or insurance, or any final cease and desist order issued by a banking, securities, commodities or insurance regulatory agency.

ARTICLE IV

Committees of the Board of Directors

The board of directors may, by resolution passed by a majority of the whole board, designate one or more committees, as they may determine to be necessary or appropriate for the conduct of the business of the Corporation, and may prescribe the duties, constitution and procedures thereof. Each committee shall consist of one or more directors of the Corporation. The board may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee.

The board of directors shall have power, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the authorized number of directors, at any time to change the members of, to fill vacancies in, and to discharge any committee of the board. Any member of any such committee may resign at any time by giving notice to the Corporation; provided, however, that notice to the board, the chairman of the board, the chief executive officer, the chairman of such committee, or the secretary shall be deemed to constitute notice to the Corporation. Such resignation shall take effect upon receipt of such notice or at any later time specified therein; and, unless otherwise specified therein, acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any member of any such committee may be removed at any time, either with or without cause, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the authorized number of directors at any meeting of the board called for that purpose.

ARTICLE V

Officers

SECTION 1. Positions. The officers of the Corporation shall be a chairman, a chief executive officer, a president, one or more vice presidents, a secretary and a treasurer, each of whom shall be elected by the board of directors. The offices of the secretary and treasurer may be held by the same person and a vice president may also be either the secretary or the treasurer. The board of directors may designate one or more vice chairmen and may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president or senior vice president. The board of directors may also elect or authorize the appointment of such other officers as the business of the Corporation may require. The officers shall have such authority and perform such duties as the board of directors may from time to time authorize or determine. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. In the absence of action by the board of directors, the officers shall have such powers and duties as generally pertain to their respective offices.

SECTION 2. Election and Term of Office. The officers of the Corporation shall be elected annually by the board of directors at the first meeting of the board of directors held after each annual meeting of the shareholders. If the election of officers is not held at such meeting, such election shall be held as soon thereafter as possible. Each officer shall hold office until his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified or until his death or until he shall resign or shall have been removed in the manner hereinafter provided. Election or appointment of an officer, employee or agent shall not of itself create contract rights. The board of directors may authorize the Corporation to enter into an employment contract with any officer in accordance with state law; but no such contract shall impair the right of the board of directors to remove any officer at any time in accordance with Section 3 of this Article V.

SECTION 3. Removal. Any officer may be removed by vote of two-thirds of the board of directors whenever, in its judgment, the best interests of the Corporation will be served thereby, but such removal, other than for cause, shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed.

SECTION 4. Vacancies. A vacancy in any office because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise, may be filled by the board of directors for the unexpired portion of the term.

SECTION 5. Remuneration. The remuneration of the officers identified in Article V, Section 1 shall be fixed from time to time by the board of directors and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such salary by reason of the fact that he is also a director of the Corporation.

ARTICLE VI

Contracts, Loans, Checks and Deposits

SECTION 1. Contracts. To the extent permitted by applicable law, and except as otherwise prescribed by the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws with respect to certificates for shares, the board of directors may authorize any officer, employee, or agent of the Corporation to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.

SECTION 2. Loans. No loans shall be contracted on behalf of the Corporation and no evidence of indebtedness shall be issued in its name unless authorized by the board of directors. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.

SECTION 3. Checks, Drafts, Etc. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by one or more officers, employees or agents of the Corporation in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by resolution of the board of directors.

SECTION 4. Deposits. All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Corporation in any of its duly authorized depositories as the board of directors may select.

ARTICLE VII

Certificates for Shares and Their Transfer

SECTION 1. Certificates for Shares. The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates signed by the chairman or vice chairman of the board of directors or by the president or a vice president and by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer or by the secretary or an assistant secretary of the Corporation, and may be sealed with the seal of the Corporation or a facsimile thereof. Any or all of the signatures upon a certificate may be facsimiles if the certificate is countersigned by a transfer agent, or registered by a registrar, other than the Corporation itself or an employee of the Corporation. If any officer who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon such certificate shall have ceased to be such officer before the certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he were such officer at the date of its issue.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Board of Directors may provide by resolution that some or all of any or all classes or series of the Corporation’s capital stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation.

SECTION 2. Form of Share Certificates. All certificates representing shares issued by the Corporation shall set forth upon the face or back that the Corporation will furnish to any stockholder upon request and without charge a full statement of the designations, preferences, limitations, and relative rights of the shares of each class authorized to be issued, the variations in the relative rights and preferences between the shares of each such series so far as the same have been fixed and determined, and the authority of the board of directors to fix and determine the relative rights and preferences of subsequent series.

Each certificate representing shares shall state upon the face thereof: that the Corporation is organized under the laws of the State of Maryland; the name of the person to whom issued; the number and class of shares; the date of issue; the designation of the series, if any, which such certificate represents; the par value of each share represented by such certificate, or a statement that the shares are without par value. Other matters in regard to the form of the certificates shall be determined by the board of directors.

SECTION 3. Payment for Shares. No shares, whether in certificated or uncertificated form, shall be issued until such shares are fully paid.

SECTION 4. Form of Payment for Shares. The consideration for the issuance of shares shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation.

SECTION 5. Transfer of Shares. Transfer of shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be made only on its stock transfer books. Authority for such transfer shall be given only by the holder of record thereof or by his legal representative, who shall furnish proper evidence of such authority, or by his attorney thereunto authorized by power of attorney duly executed and filed with the Corporation. Such transfer shall be made only, in the case of certificated shares, on surrender for cancellation of the certificate for such shares or, in the vase of uncertificated shares, on delivery of proper transfer instructions for the number of shares involved. The person in whose name shares of capital stock stand on the books of the Corporation shall be deemed by the Corporation to be the owner thereof for all purposes.

SECTION 6. Stock Ledger. The stock ledger of the Corporation shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders entitled to examine the stock ledger, the list required by Section 7 of Article II or the books of the Corporation, or to vote in person or by proxy at any meeting of stockholders.

SECTION 7. Lost Certificates. The board of directors may direct a new certificate or uncertificated shares to be issued in place of any certificate theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen, or destroyed. When authorizing such issue of a new certificate uncertificated shares, the board of directors may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate, or his legal representative, to give the Corporation a bond in such sum as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed.

SECTION 8. Beneficial Owners. The Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such shares on the part of any other person, whether or not the Corporation shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by law.

ARTICLE VIII

Fiscal Year; Annual Audit

The fiscal year of the Corporation shall end on the 31st day of December of each year. The Corporation shall be subject to an annual audit as of the end of its fiscal year by independent public accountants appointed by and responsible to the board of directors.

ARTICLE IX

Dividends

Subject to the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation and applicable law, the board of directors may, at any regular or special meeting, declare dividends on the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property or in the Corporation’s own stock.

ARTICLE X

Corporate Seal

The corporate seal of the Corporation shall be in such form as the board of directors shall prescribe.

ARTICLE XI

Amendments

In accordance with the Corporation’s Articles of Incorporation, these Bylaws may be repealed, altered, amended or rescinded by the stockholders of the Corporation only by vote of not less than 80% of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (considered for this purpose as one class) cast at a meeting of the stockholders called for that purpose (provided that notice of such proposed repeal, alteration, amendment or rescission is included in the notice of such meeting). In addition, the board of directors may repeal, alter, amend or rescind these Bylaws by vote of two-thirds of the board of directors at a legal meeting held in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws.