As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 29, 2017
File Nos. 333-159484 and 811-22298


 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.  20549
FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
 ☒
Pre-Effective Amendment No.                   
 ☐
Post-Effective Amendment No.   284      
 ☒
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
 ☒
Amendment No.    288   
 ☒
 
(Check appropriate box or boxes)
Starboard Investment Trust
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
116 South Franklin Street, P. O. Box 69, Rocky Mount, NC  27802
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
252-972-9922
(Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code)


Matthew J. Beck
116 South Franklin Street
P.O. Box 69
Rocky Mount, NC  27802
Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering:
As soon as practicable after the effective
 
date of this Registration Statement
 

 
It is proposed that this filing will become effective: (check appropriate box)

[X] immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
[   ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
[   ] 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
[   ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
[   ] 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
[   ] on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

STARBOARD INVESTMENT TRUST

CONTENTS OF REGISTRATION STATEMENT


This registration statement consists of the following papers and documents:

Cover Sheet
Contents of Registration Statement
Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund
Part A – Prospectus
Part B – Statement of Additional Information
Part C – Other Information and Signature Page
Exhibit Index
Exhibits
 

 
 
 
 



Institutional Class Shares – CUSIP 85520V764, Ticker RAMSX




Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund
A series of the
Starboard Investment Trust




PROSPECTUS


December 29, 201 7


This prospectus contains information about the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund that you should know before investing.  You should read this prospectus carefully before you invest or send money, and keep it for future reference.  For questions or for Shareholder Services, please call 1-800-773-3863.

Investment Advisor
Roumell Asset Management, LLC
2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 640
Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815
The securities offered by this prospectus have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, nor has the Securities and Exchange Commission passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.


 


TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
  Page
Summary
2
Additional Information About the Fund's Principal Investment Objective,
Strategies, and Risks

13
   Investment Objective
13
   Principal Investment Strategies for the Fund
13
   Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund
14
   Non-Principal Investment Policies and Risks
20
   Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
20
Management of the Fund
21
Investment Advisor
21
Distributor
22
Additional Information on Expenses
22
Investing in the Fund
23
Purchase and Redemption Price
23
Buying or Selling Shares Through a Financial Intermediary
24
Purchasing Shares
24
Redeeming Shares
26
Frequent Purchases and Redemptions
30
Other Important Investment Information
32
Dividends, Distributions, and Taxes
32
Financial Highlights
32
Additional Information
Back Cover

 

SUMMARY

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund  (the "Fund") seeks capital appreciation and income.
FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND
These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. 
Shareholder Fees
 
(fees paid directly from your investment)
 
 
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed On Purchases
   (as a % of offering price)
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)
   (as a % of lesser of amount purchased or redeemed)
None
Redemption Fee
   (as a % of amount redeemed; charged upon any
   redemption of shares within 60 days of their issuance)
1.00%
Exchange Fee
None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
 
Management Fees
0.92%
Distribution and/or Service (12b‑1) Fees
None
Other Expenses
0.41%
   Interest on Securities Sold Short 1
0.01%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses 2
0.05%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.39%
  Less Fee Waiver and/or Expense Limitation 3
0.10%
  Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After
  Fee Waiver/Expense Reimbursement

1.29%
1. "Interest on Securities Sold Short" reflects interest expense on borrowed securities. Interest expense results from the Fund's use of prime brokerage arrangements to execute short sales. Such expenses are required to be treated as a Fund expense for accounting purposes and are not payable to the Fund or Roumell Asset Management, LLC ("Roumell Asset Management" or the "Advisor"). Any interest expense amount will vary based on the Fund's use of those investments.
2 . "Acquired Fund" means any investment company in which the Fund invests or has invested during the previous fiscal year.  The "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" and "Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses" will not match the Fund's gross and net expense ratios reported in the Financial Highlights from the Fund's financial statements, which reflect the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.
2

3 .   The Advisor has entered into an Expense Limitation Agreement with the Fund under which it has agreed to waive or reduce its fees in an amount that limits the Fund's annual operating expenses (exclusive of acquired fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, brokerage fees and commissions, extraordinary expenses, and payments under the Rule 12b-1 distribution plan) to not more than 1.23% of the average daily net assets of the Fund through December 31, 2018. The Expense Limitation Agreement may not be terminated prior to that date. Further, net annual operating expenses for the Fund may exceed those contemplated by the waiver due to acquired fund fees and other expenses that are not waived under the Expense Limitation Agreement. During the past fiscal year, this expense ratio was limited by a similar Operating Plan between the Advisor and the Fund's Administrator.
Example.  This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.  The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods.  The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.  Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
$ 131
$ 430
$ 751
$1, 660
Portfolio Turnover. The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio).  A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account.  These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance.  During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 111.52 % of the average value of its portfolio. The increase in the portfolio turnover from the prior fiscal year was primarily due to the increase in trading volume during the period.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Roumell Asset Management, LLC pursues long-term capital growth and income through opportunistic value investing.  The Advisor seeks to own a basket of deeply researched securities that are out of favor, overlooked, or misunderstood by Wall Street and thus able to be bought at a significant discount to our calculation of intrinsic value.  The Advisor emphasizes conservatively financed securities. The Advisor believes this strategy will likely maximize the probability of above-average rates of return over time.  Roumell Asset Management invests predominantly in companies that it considers to have strong balance sheets. Roumell Asset Management believes this approach may significantly reduce the risk of loss of capital.  The companies in which Roumell Asset Management invests generally possess valuable assets, tend to have substantial cash positions, and are typically unencumbered by significant liabilities.  The Advisor is an opportunistic capital allocator (OCA) with a deep value bias in selecting individual securities. The Advisor will wait until an investment situation is presented where, in its opinion, the odds of success are favorable relative to the risks. In the absence of such situations, the Fund will stay liquid and on the sidelines invested in cash and cash equivalents.  The Advisor's approach to opportunistic investing emphasizes purchasing securities at a meaningful, quantifiable discount to its calculation of intrinsic value taking into consideration the understandability of the business model, the safety of the capital structure, and the competency of the company's management.  Using this opportunistic strategy, however, may result in the Advisor finding many suitable investment opportunities for the Fund during certain periods but finding very few during other periods.
3

The Advisor believes that its strength lies in digging deeply into specific securities (primarily equity, but opportunistically  in fixed income as well), assessing underlying value, and remaining highly disciplined about what it deems to be a reasonable price for those securities.
The Fund's portfolio will primarily consist of (i) domestic and foreign equity securities ( common stock, preferred stock, warrants, securities convertible into common stocks); (ii) domestic and foreign fixed income securities consisting of government and corporate debt securities, "junk" bonds, municipal securities, and real estate investment trusts (" REITs ") ; and (iii) interest-bearing instruments consisting of treasury bills, other U.S. government obligations and bonds, collateralized repurchase contracts, money market instruments, and money market funds (collectively referred to as cash and cash equivalents).
The Fund may invest in these securities directly or indirectly through investments in other investment companies, principally closed-end funds and exchange-traded funds ( " ETFs " ).  The Fund will primarily invest in domestic equity; however, there is no predetermined allocation of the Fund's assets among equity securities, fixed income securities, and cash and cash equivalents.  The Advisor will allocate the Fund's assets as it deems appropriate in accordance with the Fund's investment objective and investment strategy. The Fund's investment policy may be changed without shareholder approval upon prior written notice to shareholders.
The Fund is not limited in its investments by market capitalization or sector criteria, though it focuses on small and micro cap equities.  The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of variable terms, any maturity, and any credit quality determined by the major credit rating agencies, including junk bonds, bonds of issuers in default, and unrated bonds deemed by the Advisor to be of comparable quality . The portion of the Fund's portfolio allocated to fixed income securities does not have an established average duration.  REITs in which the Fund invests may include equity REITs, mortgage REITs, and hybrid REITs. The Fund is not diversified.
PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND
The loss of your money is a principal risk of investing in the Fund. Investments in the Fund are subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of some or the entire principal amount invested. There can be no assurance that the Fund will be successful in meeting its investment objective. The Fund will be subject to the following principal risks:
4


General Risks :
Cybersecurity Risk. As part of its business, the Advisor processes, stores and transmits large amounts of electronic information, including information relating to the transactions of the Fund. The Advisor and the Fund are therefore susceptible to cybersecurity risk. Cybersecurity failures or breaches of the Fund or its service providers have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties and/or reputational damage. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
 
Opportunistic Investment Strategy Risk.   There are risks associated with the Fund's opportunistic investment strategy. The Fund is expected to be conservative with its opportunistic investing, particularly with respect to the price it is willing to pay for the securities in which it is considering investing, and, as a result, may miss out on opportunities that have a reasonable risk/reward trade off. In addition, in periods of overall rising market levels (whether those rises are the result of speculative bubbles or the confirmation of underlying fundamentals), the Fund may not fully participate in market gains when it is heavily invested in Cash and Cash Equivalents. In such periods, mutual funds that are fully invested in equity securities will likely provide superior returns.
Sector Risk.   Sector risk is the possibility that securities within the same group of industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments.  If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector, the value of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect that sector.  As a result, the Fund's share price may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a mutual fund that invests in a broader range of industries.  Additionally, some sectors could be subject to greater government regulation than other sectors.  Therefore, changes in regulatory policies for those sectors may have a material effect on the value of securities issued by companies in those sectors.  The sectors in which the Fund may more heavily invest will vary; however, the Fund will invest less than 25% of  its assets in any one industry or group of industries.
Non-diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is a non-diversified fund. In general, a non-diversified fund will invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer and will own fewer securities than diversified mutual funds. Accordingly, a non-diversified fund is generally subject to the risk that a large loss in an individual issuer will cause a greater loss for the fund than it would if the fund were required to hold a larger number of securities or smaller positions.  A non-diversified fund may also have a more volatile net asset value per share than diversified mutual funds.  The Fund will limit investments in a single industry or group of industries (except U.S. Government and cash items) to less than 25% of the Fund's total assets.
5

Equity Securities Risks :
Common Stocks.   The Fund's investments in common stocks, both directly and indirectly through the Fund's investment in shares of other investment companies, may fluctuate in value response to many factors, including the activities of the individual companies whose securities the Fund owns, general market and economic conditions, interest rates, and specific industry changes.  Moreover, small and micro cap equities, where the Fund focuses, are generally more volatile than are large cap equities.  Such price fluctuations subject the Fund to potential losses.  In addition, regardless of any one company's particular prospects, a declining stock market may produce a decline in prices for all equity securities, which could also result in losses for the Fund.  Market declines may continue for an indefinite period of time, and investors should understand that during temporary or extended bear markets, the value of common stocks will decline.   Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock and debt securities with respect to the payment of dividends and upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
Preferred Stock Risk.   Like shares of common stock, the value of preferred stock may fluctuate in response to many factors, including the activities of the issuer, general market and economic conditions, interest rates, and specific industry changes.  Preferred stock may fail to pay dividends when expected.  The rights of holders of preferred stock are generally subordinate to the rights associated with a corporation's debt securities.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are securities that may be converted into shares of stock.  Due to the conversion feature, the interest rate or dividend preference of a convertible security is usually less than if the securities were non-convertible.  The value of convertible securities tends to change when the market value of the underlying stock fluctuates and tends to fluctuate inversely with changes in interest rates.
Large-Cap Securities Risk.  Larger, more established companies may be slow to respond to challenges and may grow more slowly than smaller companies.
Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities of small-cap and mid-cap companies, which involves greater volatility than investing in larger and more established companies.  Small-cap and mid-cap companies can be subject to more abrupt or erratic share price changes than larger, more established companies.  Securities of these types of companies have limited market liquidity, and their prices may be more volatile.  You should expect that the value of the Fund's shares will be more volatile than a fund that invests exclusively in large-capitalization companies.
Micro-Cap Securities Risk.   Some of the small companies in which the Fund invests may be micro-cap companies.  Micro-cap stocks may offer greater opportunity for capital appreciation than the stocks of larger and more established companies; however, they also involve substantially greater risks of loss and price fluctuations.  Micro-cap companies carry additional risks because of the tendency of their earnings and revenues to be less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses), their share prices to be more volatile and their markets to be less liquid than companies with larger market capitalizations.  Micro-cap companies may be newly formed or in the early stages of development, with limited product lines, markets or financial resources, and may lack management depth.  In addition, there may be less public information available about these companies.  The shares of micro-cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can adversely affect the pricing of these securities and the future ability to sell these securities.  Also, it may take a long time before the Fund realizes a gain, if any, on an investment in a micro-cap company.
6

Risks Related to Investing in Other Investment Companies.   The Fund's investment strategy may involve investing in other investment companies, such as closed-end funds or ETFs .  Investments in other investment companies subject the Fund to additional operating and management fees and expenses.  For example, investors in the Fund will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the investment companies in which the Fund invests, in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses.  As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in such closed-end funds and also may be higher than other funds that invest directly in securities.  The shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a premium or discount relative to their net asset value.  When the Fund purchases shares of a closed-end fund at a discount to its net asset value, there can be no assurance that the discount will decrease, and it is possible that the discount may increase.  Furthermore, investing in other investment companies may affect the timing, amount, and character of distributions and therefore may increase the amount of taxes payable by you.
 
Fixed-Income Securities Risks :
Interest Rate and Credit Risk.   Interest rates may rise resulting in a decrease in the value of the fixed income securities held by the Fund or may fall resulting in an increase in the value of such securities.  Fixed income securities with longer maturities generally involve greater risk than those with shorter maturities.  Issuers of fixed income securities might be unable to make principal and interest payments when due.
Maturity Risk.  Maturity risk is another factor that can affect the value of the Fund's debt holdings.  In general, the longer the maturity of a fixed income instrument, the higher its yield and the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates.  Conversely, the shorter the maturity, the lower the yield but the greater the price stability.
Inflation Risk.  Fixed income securities are subject to inflation risk.  Because inflation reduces the purchasing power of income produced by existing fixed income securities, the prices at which fixed income securities trade will be reduced to compensate for the fact that the income they produce is worth less. This potential decrease in market value of fixed income securities would result in a loss in the value of the Fund's portfolio.
Investment-Grade Securities Risk.   Fixed income securities are generally rated by NRSROs.  While fixed income securities rated BBB by Standard & Poor's ® Rating Services ("S&P") or Baa by Moody's Investor Services, Inc. ("Moody's") are considered investment-grade securities, they are somewhat riskier than higher rated investment-grade obligations because they are regarded as having only an adequate capacity to pay principal and interest and are considered to lack outstanding investment characteristics and may be speculative.  Fixed income securities with lower ratings are subject to higher credit risk and may be subject to greater fluctuations in value than that of higher rated fixed income securities.
7

Lower-rated Securities or "Junk Bonds" Risk. Fixed income securities rated below BBB by S&P or Baa by Moody's are considered speculative in nature and may be subject to certain risks with respect to the issuing entity and to greater market fluctuations than higher rated fixed income securities.  Lower rated fixed income securities are usually issued by companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by companies with questionable credit strength.  These fixed income securities are considered "below investment-grade."  The retail secondary market for these "junk bonds" may be less liquid than that of higher rated fixed income securities and adverse conditions could make it difficult at times to sell certain securities or could result in lower prices than those used in calculating the Fund's net asset value.  These risks can reduce value of the Fund's shares and the income it earns.
Risks of Investing in REITs.   To the extent that the Fund invests in REITs , it will be subject to the risks associated with owning real estate and with the real estate industry generally. These include difficulties in valuing and disposing of real estate, the possibility of declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, the possibility of adverse changes in the climate for real estate, environmental liability risks, the risk of increases in property taxes and operating expenses, possible adverse changes in zoning laws, the risk of casualty or condemnation losses, limitations on rents, the possibility of adverse changes in interest rates and in the credit markets and the possibility of borrowers paying off mortgages sooner than expected, which may lead to reinvestment of assets at lower prevailing interest rates.
An equity REIT holds equity positions in real estate and provides its shareholders with income from the leasing of its properties and capital gains from any sale of properties. Accordingly, equity REITs may be particularly affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned.  A mortgage REIT specializes in lending money to developers of properties and passes any interest income earned to its shareholders.  It may be particularly affected by changes in the quality of any credit extended.
To the extent the Fund invests in REITs, it will also be subject to the risk that a REIT will default on its obligations or go bankrupt. By investing in REITs indirectly through a Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. The Fund's investments in REITs could cause the Fund to recognize income in excess of cash received from those securities and, as a result, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities, including when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to make required distributions.
Risks of Investing in Corporate Debt Securities. Corporate debt securities are fixed income securities issued by businesses. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most prevalent types of corporate debt securities. The credit risks of corporate debt securities vary widely among issuers. In addition, the credit risk of an issuer's debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of subordinated securities. Some subordinated securities, such as trust preferred and capital securities notes, also permit the issuer to defer payments under certain circumstances. For example, insurance companies issue securities known as surplus notes that permit the insurance company to defer any payment that would reduce its capital below regulatory requirements.
8

Government Debt Markets May Be Illiquid or Disrupted.   Although generally highly liquid, the markets in which the Fund trades could experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration.
Foreign Securities Risks :
Foreign Securities Risk. Foreign securities involve investment risks different from those associated with domestic securities.  Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in domestic securities.  The value of foreign currency denominated securities or foreign currency contracts is affected by the value of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar.  There may be less government supervision of foreign markets, resulting in non-uniform accounting practices and less publicly available information about issuers of foreign currency denominated securities.  The value of foreign investments may be affected by changes in exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in this country or abroad), or changed circumstances in dealings between nations.  In addition, foreign brokerage commissions, custody fees, and other costs of investing in foreign securities are generally higher than in the United States.  Investments in foreign issues could be affected by other factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations.
Currency Risk.   Currency risk is the chance that changes in currency exchange rates will negatively affect securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies.  The Fund's investments in foreign securities exposes the Fund  to foreign currencies and subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of short positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged.  Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from a portfolio's investment in securities denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses. Currency gains and losses could occur regardless of the performance of the underlying investment.
9


PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
The following bar chart and tables provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the performance of the Institutional Class Shares from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual total returns of compare to that of a broad-based securities market index. The Fund's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.  Updated information on the Fund's results can be obtained by visiting http://www.roumellfund.com.  

Institutional Class Shares
Calendar Year Returns
 
 
Quarterly Returns
 
Highest and Lowest Returns During This Time Period
Highest return for a quarter
11.91%
Quarter ended
March 31, 2013
Lowest return for a quarter
-14.86%
Quarter ended
September 30, 2015
Year-to-date return as of most recent quarter
15.77%
Quarter ended
September 30, 201 7
Average Annual Total Returns

Periods Ended December 31, 2016
(returns with maximum sales charge)

Past 1
Year

Past 5
Years
Since
Inception
12/31/10
Institutional Class Shares
   Before taxes
   After taxes on distributions
   After taxes on distributions and sale of shares

18.02%
17.95%
14.59%

2.19%
1.17%
1.56%

-0.27%
-1.14%
-0.42%
Benchmark of 60% Russell 2000 Value Index and 40%
Barclays Capital U.S. Government/Credit Index
   (reflects no deductions for fees and expenses)


21.63%


10.23%


8.49%
 
10


Periods Ended December 31, 2016
(returns with maximum sales charge)

Past 1
Year

Past 5
Years
Since
Inception
12/31/10
Russell 2000 Value Index
   (reflects no deductions for fees and expenses)

31.74%

15.07%

11.34%
Barclays Capital U.S. Government/Credit Index
   (reflects no deductions for fees and expenses)

3.05%

2.29%

3.33%
S&P 500 Total Return Index
   (reflects no deductions for fees and expenses)

11.96%

14.66%

12.45%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.  Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown and are not applicable to investors who hold Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (IRA). 
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND'S PORTFOLIO
Investment Advisor. The Fund's investment advisor is Roumell Asset Management, LLC.
Portfolio Manager. The Fund's portfolio will be managed on a day-to-day basis by James C. Roumell.  Mr. Roumell is the founder and has been the President and Portfolio Manager of the Advisor since the firm's founding in 1998. 
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
The minimum initial investment is $2 , 500 and the minimum subsequent investment is $ 100. The minimums may be waived or reduced in some cases.
You can redeem Fund shares directly from the Fund by mail, facsimile, telephone, and bank wire.  Redemption orders by mail should be sent to Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund, c/o Nottingham Shareholder Services, Post Office Box 4365, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27803-0365.  Redemption orders by facsimile should be transmitted to 919-882-9281.  Please call the Fund at 1-800-773-3863 to conduct telephone transactions or to receive wire instructions for bank wire orders.  Investors who wish to redeem Fund shares through a broker-dealer should contact the broker-dealer directly.
TAX INFORMATION
The Fund's distributions will generally be taxed to you as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account.  Distributions on investments made through tax deferred vehicles, such as 401(k) plans or IRAs, may be taxed later upon withdrawal of assets from those accounts.
11

FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY COMPENSATION
If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services.  These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment.  Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
12


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND'S PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE, STRATEGIES, AND RISKS
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund  seeks capital appreciation and income. The Fund's investment objective is not a fundamental policy and may be changed without shareholder approval   by a vote of the Board. Shareholders will receive sixty days' prior written notice before a change to an investment objective takes place. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE FUND
The Fund's principal investment strategies are discussed in the "Summary" section. The Fund's principal investment strategies may be changed by the Fund's Board of Trustees (the "Board" or the "Trustees") without shareholder approval unless otherwise noted in this prospectus or the Fund's Statement of Additional Information .
 
Roumell Asset Management pursues long-term capital growth and income through opportunistic value investing.  The Advisor seeks to own a basket of deeply researched securities that are out of favor, overlooked, or misunderstood by Wall Street and thus able to be bought at a significant discount to our calculation of intrinsic value.  The Advisor emphasizes conservatively financed securities. The Advisor believes this strategy will likely maximize the probability of above-average rates of return over time.  Roumell Asset Management invests predominantly in companies that it considers to have strong balance sheets. Roumell Asset Management believes this approach may significantly reduce the risk of loss of capital.  The companies in which Roumell Asset Management invests generally possess valuable assets, tend to have substantial cash positions, and are typically unencumbered by significant liabilities.  The Advisor is an opportunistic capital allocator (OCA) with a deep value bias in selecting individual securities. The Advisor will wait until an investment situation is presented where, in its opinion, the odds of success are favorable relative to the risks. In the absence of such situations, the Fund will stay liquid and on the sidelines invested in cash and cash equivalents.  The Advisor's approach to opportunistic investing emphasizes purchasing securities at a meaningful, quantifiable discount to its calculation of intrinsic value taking into consideration the understandability of the business model, the safety of the capital structure, and the competency of the company's management.  Using this opportunistic strategy, however, may result in the Advisor finding many suitable investment opportunities for the Fund during certain periods but finding very few during other periods.
 
The Advisor believes that its strength lies in digging deeply into specific securities (primarily equity, but opportunistically  in fixed income as well), assessing underlying value, and remaining highly disciplined about what it deems to be a reasonable price for those securities.
13

The Fund's portfolio will primarily consist of (i) domestic and foreign equity securities ( common stock, preferred stock, warrants, securities convertible into common stocks); (ii) domestic and foreign fixed income securities consisting of government and corporate debt securities, "junk" bonds, municipal securities, and REITs; and (iii) interest-bearing instruments consisting of treasury bills, other U.S. government obligations and bonds, collateralized repurchase contracts, money market instruments, and money market funds (collectively referred to as cash and cash equivalents).
The Fund may invest in these securities directly or indirectly through investments in other investment companies, principally closed-end funds and ETFs.  The Fund will primarily invest in domestic equity; however, there is no predetermined allocation of the Fund's assets among equity securities, fixed income securities, and cash and cash equivalents.  The Advisor will allocate the Fund's assets as it deems appropriate in accordance with the Fund's investment objective and investment strategy. The Fund's investment policy may be changed without shareholder approval upon prior written notice to shareholders.
The Fund is not limited in its investments by market capitalization or sector criteria, though it focuses on small and micro cap equities.  The Fund may invest in fixed income securities of variable terms, any maturity, and any credit quality determined by the major credit rating agencies, including junk bonds, bonds of issuers in default, and unrated bonds deemed by the Advisor to be of comparable quality .  The portion of the Fund's portfolio allocated to fixed income securities does not have an established average duration.  REITs in which the Fund invests may include equity REITs, mortgage REITs, and hybrid REITs. The Fund is not diversified.
PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND
It is possible to lose money on an investment in the Fund. Risk is the chance that you will lose money on your investment or that it will not earn as much as you expect. When you sell your shares of the Fund, they could be worth more or less than what you paid for them. The Fund is affected by changes in the economy, in portfolio securities and in the various markets for financial instruments. There is also the possibility that investment decisions the Advisor makes with respect to the investments of the Fund will not accomplish what they were designed to achieve or that the investments will have disappointing performance.
Your investment in the Fund may be subject (in varying degrees) to the following risks discussed below. The Fund may be more susceptible to some of the risks than others.
The Fund is subject to the following principal risks:
General Risks :
Cybersecurity Risk. As part of its business, the Advisor processes, stores and transmits large amounts of electronic information, including information relating to the transactions of the Fund. The Advisor and the Fund are therefore susceptible to cybersecurity risk. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized release of confidential information and causing operational disruption. Successful cyber-attacks against, or security breakdowns of, the Fund or its advisor, custodians, fund accountant, fund administrator, transfer agent, pricing vendors and/or other third party service providers may adversely impact the Fund and its shareholders. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact the Fund's ability to calculate its net asset value ("NAV"), cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential Fund information, impede trading, cause reputational damage, and subject the Fund to regulatory fines, penalties or financial losses, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. The Fund also may incur substantial costs for cybersecurity risk management in order to guard against any cyber incidents in the future. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.
 
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Opportunistic Investment Strategy Risk.   There are risks associated with the Fund's opportunistic investment strategy. The Fund is expected to be conservative with its opportunistic investing, particularly with respect to the price it is willing to pay for the securities in which it is considering investing, and, as a result, may miss out on opportunities that have a reasonable risk/reward trade off. In addition, in periods of overall rising market levels (whether those rises are the result of speculative bubbles or the confirmation of underlying fundamentals), the Fund may not fully participate in market gains when it is heavily invested in Cash and Cash Equivalents. In such periods, mutual funds that are fully invested in equity securities will likely provide superior returns.
Sector Risk.   Sector risk is the possibility that securities within the same group of industries will decline in price due to sector-specific market or economic developments.  If the Fund invests more heavily in a particular sector, the value of its shares may be especially sensitive to factors and economic risks that specifically affect that sector.  As a result, the Fund's share price may fluctuate more widely than the value of shares of a mutual fund that invests in a broader range of industries.  Additionally, some sectors could be subject to greater government regulation than other sectors.  Therefore, changes in regulatory policies for those sectors may have a material effect on the value of securities issued by companies in those sectors.  The sectors in which the Fund may more heavily invest will vary; however, the Fund will invest less than 25% of its assets in any one industry or group of industries.
Non-diversified Fund Risk. The Fund is a non-diversified fund. In general, a non-diversified fund will invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer and will own fewer securities than diversified mutual funds. Accordingly, a non-diversified fund is generally subject to the risk that a large loss in an individual issuer will cause a greater loss for the fund than it would if the fund were required to hold a larger number of securities or smaller positions.  A non-diversified fund may also have a more volatile net asset value per share than diversified mutual funds.  The Fund will limit investments in a single industry or group of industries (except U.S. Government and cash items) to less than 25% of the Fund's total assets.
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Equity Securities Risks :
Common Stocks.   The Fund's investments in common stocks, both directly and indirectly through the Fund's investment in shares of other investment companies, may fluctuate in value response to many factors, including the activities of the individual companies whose securities the Fund owns, general market and economic conditions, interest rates, and specific industry changes.  Moreover, small and micro cap equities, where the Fund focuses, are generally more volatile than are large cap equities.  Such price fluctuations subject the Fund to potential losses.  In addition, regardless of any one company's particular prospects, a declining stock market may produce a decline in prices for all equity securities, which could also result in losses for the Fund.  Market declines may continue for an indefinite period of time, and investors should understand that during temporary or extended bear markets, the value of common stocks will decline.   Common stock generally is subordinate to preferred stock and debt securities with respect to the payment of dividends and upon the liquidation or bankruptcy of the issuing company.
 
Preferred Stock Risk.   Like shares of common stock, the value of preferred stock may fluctuate in response to many factors, including the activities of the issuer, general market and economic conditions, interest rates, and specific industry changes.  Preferred stock may fail to pay dividends when expected.  The rights of holders of preferred stock are generally subordinate to the rights associated with a corporation's debt securities.
Convertible Securities Risk. Convertible securities are securities that may be converted into shares of stock.  Due to the conversion feature, the interest rate or dividend preference of a convertible security is usually less than if the securities were non-convertible.  The value of convertible securities tends to change when the market value of the underlying stock fluctuates and tends to fluctuate inversely with changes in interest rates.
Large-Cap Securities Risk.  Larger, more established companies may be slow to respond to challenges and may grow more slowly than smaller companies.
Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities of small-cap and mid-cap companies, which involves greater volatility than investing in larger and more established companies.  Small-cap and mid-cap companies can be subject to more abrupt or erratic share price changes than larger, more established companies.  Securities of these types of companies have limited market liquidity, and their prices may be more volatile.  You should expect that the value of the Fund's shares will be more volatile than a fund that invests exclusively in large-capitalization companies.
Micro-Cap Securities Risk.   Some of the small companies in which the Fund invests may be micro-cap companies.  Micro-cap stocks may offer greater opportunity for capital appreciation than the stocks of larger and more established companies; however, they also involve substantially greater risks of loss and price fluctuations.  Micro-cap companies carry additional risks because of the tendency of their earnings and revenues to be less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses), their share prices to be more volatile and their markets to be less liquid than companies with larger market capitalizations.  Micro-cap companies may be newly formed or in the early stages of development, with limited product lines, markets or financial resources, and may lack management depth.  In addition, there may be less public information available about these companies.  The shares of micro-cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can adversely affect the pricing of these securities and the future ability to sell these securities.  Also, it may take a long time before the Fund realizes a gain, if any, on an investment in a micro-cap company.
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Risks Related to Investing in Other Investment Companies.   The Fund's investment strategy may involve investing in other investment companies, such as closed-end funds or ETFs .  Investments in other investment companies subject the Fund to additional operating and management fees and expenses.  For example, investors in the Fund will indirectly bear fees and expenses charged by the investment companies in which the Fund invests, in addition to the Fund's direct fees and expenses.  As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund will be higher than the cost of investing directly in such closed-end funds and also may be higher than other funds that invest directly in securities.  The shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a premium or discount relative to their net asset value.  When the Fund purchases shares of a closed-end fund at a discount to its net asset value, there can be no assurance that the discount will decrease, and it is possible that the discount may increase.  Furthermore, investing in other investment companies may affect the timing, amount, and character of distributions and therefore may increase the amount of taxes payable by you.
 
Fixed-Income Securities Risks :
Interest Rate and Credit Risk.   Interest rates may rise resulting in a decrease in the value of the fixed income securities held by the Fund or may fall resulting in an increase in the value of such securities.  Fixed income securities with longer maturities generally involve greater risk than those with shorter maturities.  Issuers of fixed income securities might be unable to make principal and interest payments when due.
Maturity Risk.  Maturity risk is another factor that can affect the value of the Fund's debt holdings.  In general, the longer the maturity of a fixed income instrument, the higher its yield and the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates.  Conversely, the shorter the maturity, the lower the yield but the greater the price stability.
Inflation Risk.  Fixed income securities are subject to inflation risk.  Because inflation reduces the purchasing power of income produced by existing fixed income securities, the prices at which fixed income securities trade will be reduced to compensate for the fact that the income they produce is worth less. This potential decrease in market value of fixed income securities would result in a loss in the value of the Fund's portfolio.
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Investment-Grade Securities Risk.   Fixed income securities are generally rated by NRSROs.  While fixed income securities rated BBB by Standard & Poor's ® Rating Services ("S&P") or Baa by Moody's Investor Services, Inc. ("Moody's") are considered investment-grade securities, they are somewhat riskier than higher rated investment-grade obligations because they are regarded as having only an adequate capacity to pay principal and interest and are considered to lack outstanding investment characteristics and may be speculative.  Fixed income securities with lower ratings are subject to higher credit risk and may be subject to greater fluctuations in value than that of higher rated fixed income securities.
Lower-rated Securities or "Junk Bonds" Risk. Fixed income securities rated below BBB by S&P or Baa by Moody's are considered speculative in nature and may be subject to certain risks with respect to the issuing entity and to greater market fluctuations than higher rated fixed income securities.  Lower rated fixed income securities are usually issued by companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by companies with questionable credit strength.  These fixed income securities are considered "below investment-grade."  The retail secondary market for these "junk bonds" may be less liquid than that of higher rated fixed income securities and adverse conditions could make it difficult at times to sell certain securities or could result in lower prices than those used in calculating the Fund's net asset value.  These risks can reduce value of the Fund's shares and the income it earns.
Risks of Investing in REITs.   To the extent that the Fund invests in REITs , it will be subject to the risks associated with owning real estate and with the real estate industry generally. These include difficulties in valuing and disposing of real estate, the possibility of declines in the value of real estate, risks related to general and local economic conditions, the possibility of adverse changes in the climate for real estate, environmental liability risks, the risk of increases in property taxes and operating expenses, possible adverse changes in zoning laws, the risk of casualty or condemnation losses, limitations on rents, the possibility of adverse changes in interest rates and in the credit markets and the possibility of borrowers paying off mortgages sooner than expected, which may lead to reinvestment of assets at lower prevailing interest rates.
 
An equity REIT holds equity positions in real estate and provides its shareholders with income from the leasing of its properties and capital gains from any sale of properties. Accordingly, equity REITs may be particularly affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned.  A mortgage REIT specializes in lending money to developers of properties and passes any interest income earned to its shareholders.  It may be particularly affected by changes in the quality of any credit extended.
To the extent the Fund invests in REITs, it will also be subject to the risk that a REIT will default on its obligations or go bankrupt. By investing in REITs indirectly through a Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his or her proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. The Fund's investments in REITs could cause the Fund to recognize income in excess of cash received from those securities and, as a result, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities, including when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to make required distributions.
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Risks of Investing in Corporate Debt Securities. Corporate debt securities are fixed income securities issued by businesses. Notes, bonds, debentures and commercial paper are the most prevalent types of corporate debt securities. The credit risks of corporate debt securities vary widely among issuers. In addition, the credit risk of an issuer's debt security may vary based on its priority for repayment. For example, higher ranking (senior) debt securities have a higher priority than lower ranking (subordinated) securities. This means that the issuer might not make payments on subordinated securities while continuing to make payments on senior securities. In addition, in the event of bankruptcy, holders of senior securities may receive amounts otherwise payable to the holders of subordinated securities. Some subordinated securities, such as trust preferred and capital securities notes, also permit the issuer to defer payments under certain circumstances. For example, insurance companies issue securities known as surplus notes that permit the insurance company to defer any payment that would reduce its capital below regulatory requirements.
Government Debt Markets May Be Illiquid or Disrupted.   Although generally highly liquid, the markets in which the Fund trades could experience periods of illiquidity, sometimes of significant duration.
Foreign Securities Risks :
Foreign Securities Risk. Foreign securities involve investment risks different from those associated with domestic securities.  Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in domestic securities.  The value of foreign currency denominated securities or foreign currency contracts is affected by the value of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar.  There may be less government supervision of foreign markets, resulting in non-uniform accounting practices and less publicly available information about issuers of foreign currency denominated securities.  The value of foreign investments may be affected by changes in exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in this country or abroad), or changed circumstances in dealings between nations.  In addition, foreign brokerage commissions, custody fees, and other costs of investing in foreign securities are generally higher than in the United States.  Investments in foreign issues could be affected by other factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations.
Currency Risk.   Currency risk is the chance that changes in currency exchange rates will negatively affect securities denominated in, and/or receiving revenues in, foreign currencies.  The Fund's investments in foreign securities exposes the Fund  to foreign currencies and subjects the Fund to the risk that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar, or, in the case of short positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged.  Adverse changes in currency exchange rates (relative to the U.S. dollar) may erode or reverse any potential gains from a portfolio's investment in securities denominated in a foreign currency or may widen existing losses. Currency gains and losses could occur regardless of the performance of the underlying investment.
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NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT POLICIES AND RISKS
An investment in the Fund should not be considered a complete investment program. Whether the Fund is an appropriate investment for an investor will depend largely on his or her financial resources and individual investment goals and objectives. Investors who engage in short-term trading or other speculative strategies and styles will not find the Fund to be an appropriate investment vehicle if they want to invest in the Fund for a short period of time.
Portfolio Turnover.   The Advisor will sell portfolio securities when it is in the interests of the Fund and its shareholders to do so without regard to the length of time they have been held. Since portfolio turnover involves paying brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, portfolio changes cause additional expenses for the Fund.  High rates of portfolio turnover may lower performance of the Fund due to increased costs and may also result in the realization of capital gains.  If the Fund realizes capital gains when it sells its portfolio investments, it must generally distribute those gains to shareholders at least once annually, increasing shareholders' taxable distributions.  Accordingly, the Fund may generate short-term capital gains, which are taxable as ordinary income, except to the extent offset by current or prior year losses.
Temporary Defensive Positions.   The Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions in an attempt to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions. During such an unusual set of circumstances, the Fund may hold up to 100% of its portfolio in cash or cash equivalent positions. When the Fund takes a temporary defensive position, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Fund will seek to make a list of its complete portfolio holdings information available at http://www.roumellfund.com following the end of each calendar month.  To reach this information, scroll through the information included under "Price and Performance Data" until you come to the section entitled "Portfolio Holdings."  Select the link entitled "Click to View" under "Portfolio Holdings."  This information will generally posted to the website within ten days of the end of the month and remain available until new information for the next month is posted.  Additional description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the portfolio securities is available in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUND
INVESTMENT ADVISOR
The Fund's investment advisor is Roumell Asset Management, LLC, 2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 640 , Chevy Chase, MD 20815. The Advisor was established in 1998 and is registered as an investment advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 , as amended .  As of December 31, 201 6 , the Advisor had approximately $ 95 million in assets under management.  Subject to the authority of the Trustees and pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement with the Trust, the Advisor provides the Fund with a program of continuous supervision of the Fund's assets, including developing the composition of its portfolio, and furnishes advice and recommendations with respect to investments, investment policies, and the purchase and sale of securities.  The Advisor is also responsible for the selection of broker-dealers through which the Fund executes portfolio transactions, subject to the brokerage policies established by the Trustees, and it provides certain executive personnel to the Fund.
Portfolio Managers.   The Fund's portfolio is managed on a day-to-day basis by James C. Roumell.
James C. Roumell is the President and Portfolio Manager of the Advisor. Mr. Roumell entered the securities industry in 1986. Before founding the Advisor in 1998, he was a Registered Principal at Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Mr. Roumell was selected to participate in, and won, two consecutive Wall Street Journal stock picking contests (in 2001 and 2002) before the contest was discontinued. Mr. Roumell has been featured in such publications as Barron's, Kiplinger's, Value Investor Insight, Financial Planning Magazine, and The Washington Post. He is a graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
The Fund's Statement of Additional Information provides information about the portfolio manager's compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager's ownership of shares of the Fund.
Advisor Compensation.   As full compensation for the investment advisory services provided to the Fund, the Advisor received 0.92% of the Fund's average net assets in aggregate fees during the most recently ended fiscal year. A portion of this fee was reimbursed to the Fund's Administrator in an effort to limit the Fund's net expense ratio.
Disclosure Regarding Approval of Investment Advisory Contract .   A discussion regarding the Trustees' basis for approving the investment advisory contract for the Fund can be found in the Fund's annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 .  You may obtain a copy of the report, free of charge, upon request to the Fund.
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DISTRIBUTOR
Capital Investment Group, Inc. ("Distributor") is the principal underwriter and distributor of the Fund's shares and serves as the Fund's exclusive agent for the distribution of the Fund's shares. The Distributor may sell the Fund's shares to or through qualified securities dealers or others.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON EXPENSES
Expense Limitation Agreement.  In the interest of limiting expenses of the Fund,   the Advisor has entered into an Expense Limitation Agreement with the Trust, pursuant to which the Advisor has agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses so that the total annual operating expenses of the Fund (exclusive of acquired fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, brokerage fees and commissions, extraordinary expenses, and payments under the Rule 12b-1 distribution plan) is limited to 1.23% for the period ending December 31, 201 8 . The Expense Limitation Agreement will continue from year-to-year thereafter, provided such continuance is specifically approved by a majority of the Trustees who (i) are not "interested persons" of the Trust or any other part to the Expense Limitation Agreement, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 , as amended (the "1940 Act") , and (ii) have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Expense Limitation Agreement.  The Advisor cannot recoup from the Fund any amounts paid by the Advisor under the Expense Limitation Agreement.
Other Expenses.   The Fund is obligated to pay brokerage fees and commissions, portfolio transaction fees, registration fees, taxes, borrowing costs (such as interest or dividend expenses on securities sold short), acquired fund fees and expenses, and distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees.  The Fund will be separately responsible for any extraordinary expenses, such as indemnification payments or damages awarded in litigation or settlements made.  All general Trust expenses are allocated among and charged to the assets of each separate fund series of the Trust (if any), on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be on the basis of relative net assets of each series or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each series.
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses.   In the summary section of the prospectus entitled "Fees and Expenses of the Fund," the "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" are expenses incurred indirectly by the Fund through its ownership of shares in other investment companies.  "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses" do not affect the Fund's actual operating costs and, therefore, are not included in the Fund's financial statements, which provide a clearer picture of the Fund's actual operating costs.  The "Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses" and "Net Annual Fund Operating Expenses" under "Fees and Expenses of the Fund" will not match the Fund's gross and net expense ratios reported in the Financial Highlights from the Fund's financial statements.  The ratios reported in the Financial Highlights reflect the operating expenses of the Funds without "Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses."
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INVESTING IN THE FUND
PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION PRICE
Determining the Fund's Net Asset Value. The price at which you purchase or redeem shares is based on the next calculation of NAV after an order is received in good form. An order is considered to be in good form if it includes all necessary information and documentation related to a purchase or redemption request and, if applicable, payment in full of the purchase amount. The Fund's NAV per share is calculated by dividing the value of the Fund's total assets attributable to that class, less liabilities (including Fund expenses, which are accrued daily) attributable to that class, by the total number of outstanding shares of the Fund attributable to that class. To the extent that the Fund holds portfolio securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Fund does not price shares, the NAV of the Fund's shares may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem the Fund's shares. The NAV per share of the Fund is normally determined at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, the time regular trading closes on the New York Stock Exchange. The Fund does not calculate NAV on business holidays when the New York Stock Exchange is closed.
The pricing and valuation of portfolio securities is determined in good faith in accordance with procedures established by, and under the direction of, the Board. In determining the value of the Fund's total assets, portfolio securities are generally calculated at market value by quotations from the primary market in which they are traded. Instruments with maturities of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. The Fund normally uses third party pricing services to obtain market quotations. Securities and assets for which representative market quotations are not readily available or which cannot be accurately valued using the Fund's normal pricing procedures are valued at fair value in good faith by either a valuation committee or the Advisor in accordance with procedures established by, and under the supervision of, the Board . F air value pricing may be used, for example, in situations where (i) an exchange-traded portfolio security is so thinly traded that there have been no transactions for that security over an extended period of time or the validity of a market quotation received is questionable; (ii) the exchange on which the portfolio security is principally traded closes early; or (iii) trading of the portfolio security is halted during the day and does not resume prior to the Fund's NAV calculation.
Pursuant to the policies adopted by the Board, the Advisor consults with the Fund's administrator on a regular basis regarding the need for fair value pricing. The Advisor is responsible for notifying the Board (or the Fund's valuation committee) when it believes that fair value pricing is required for a particular security. The Fund's policies regarding fair value pricing are intended to result in a calculation of the Fund's NAV that fairly reflects portfolio security values as of the time of pricing.  A portfolio security's "fair value" price may differ from the price next available for that portfolio security using the Fund's normal pricing procedures and the fair value price may differ from the price at which the security may ultimately be traded or sold. If such fair value price differs from the price that would have been determined using the Fund's normal pricing procedures, a shareholder may receive more or less proceeds or shares from redemptions or purchases of Fund shares, respectively, than a shareholder would have otherwise received if the security were priced using the Fund's normal pricing procedures. The performance of the Fund may also be affected if a portfolio security's fair value price were to differ from the security's price using the Fund's normal pricing procedures. To the extent the Fund invests in other open-end investment companies that are registered under the 1940 Act , the Fund's net asset value calculations are based upon the net asset value reported by such registered open-end investment companies, and the prospectuses for these companies explain the circumstances under which they will use fair value pricing and the effects of using fair value pricing.
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Other Matters. Purchases and redemptions of shares of the same class by the same shareholder on the same day will be netted for the Fund.
BUYING OR SELLING SHARES
THROUGH A FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARY
Certain financial intermediaries have agreements with the Fund that allow them to enter purchase or redemption orders on behalf of clients and customers.  These orders will be priced at the NAV next computed after the orders are received by the financial intermediary, subject to the order being in good form.  Orders received in good form by the financial intermediary before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time will receive a share price based on that day's NAV and orders received after 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time will receive a price based on the next day's NAV.  You should look to the financial intermediary through whom you wish to invest for specific instructions on how to purchase or redeem shares of the Fund.
PURCHASING SHARES
The minimum initial investment for purchasing shares is $2,500 and the minimum additional investment is $100.  The Fund may, in the Advisor's sole discretion, waive the minimum investment required in some cases.
Purchases can be made directly from the Fund by mail or bank wire.  In addition, brokers that are authorized designees of the Fund may receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund.  These designated brokers are also authorized to designate other financial intermediaries to receive orders on behalf of the Fund.  Such orders will be deemed to have been received by the Fund when an authorized designee, or broker-authorized designee, receives the order, subject to the order being in good form.  The orders will be priced at the NAV next computed after the orders are received by the authorized broker, or broker-authorized designee.  Orders received in good form before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time will receive a share price based on that day's NAV and orders received after 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time will receive a price based on the next day's NAV.  Investors may also be charged a fee by a broker or agent if shares are purchased through a broker or agent.
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The Fund reserves the right to (i) refuse any request to purchase shares for any reason and (ii) suspend the offering of shares at any time.  An investor that has placed a purchase order will be notified as soon as possible in such circumstances.
Regular Mail Orders. Payment for shares by mail must be made by check from a U.S. financial institution and payable in U.S. dollars. Cash, money orders, and traveler's checks will not be accepted by the Fund. If checks are returned due to insufficient funds or other reasons, your purchase will be canceled. You will also be responsible for any losses or expenses incurred by the Fund and its administrator and transfer agent. The Fund will charge a $35 fee and may redeem shares of the Fund owned by the purchaser or another identically registered account in another series of the Trust to recover any such losses. For regular mail orders, please complete the Fund Shares Application and mail it, along with your check made payable to the Fund, to:
Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund
c/o Nottingham Shareholder Services
116 South Franklin Street
Post Office Box 4365
Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27803-0365
The application must contain your Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number.  If you have applied for a number prior to completing your account application but you have not received your number, please indicate this on the application and include a copy of the form applying for your number.  Taxes are not withheld from distributions to U.S. investors if certain requirements of the Internal Revenue Service are met regarding the Social Security Number and Taxpayer Identification Number.
Bank Wire Purchases. Purchases may also be made through bank wire orders. To establish a new account or add to an existing account by wire, please call the Fund at 1-800-773-3863   for wire instructions and to advise the Fund of the investment, dollar amount, and the account identification number.
Additional Investments. You may also add to your account by mail or wire at any time by purchasing shares at the then current net asset value. The minimum additional investment is $100. Before adding funds by bank wire, please call the Fund at 1-800-773-3863 for wire instructions and to advise the Fund of the investment, dollar amount, and the account identification number. Mail orders should include, if possible, the "Invest by Mail" stub that is attached to your confirmation statement. Otherwise, please identify your account in a letter accompanying your purchase payment.
Automatic Investment Plan. The automatic investment plan enables shareholders to make regular monthly or quarterly investments in shares through automatic charges to their checking account. With shareholder authorization and bank approval, the Fund will automatically charge the shareholder's checking account for the amount specified ($100 minimum), which will be automatically invested in shares at the public offering price on or about the 21 st day of the month. The shareholder may change the amount of the investment or discontinue the plan at any time by writing the Fund.
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Share Certificates. The Fund normally does not issue share certificates. Evidence of ownership of shares is provided through entry in the Fund's share registry. Investors will receive periodic account statements (and, where applicable, purchase confirmations) that will show the number of shares owned.
Important Information about Procedures for Opening a New Account. Under the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act of 2001), the Fund is required to obtain, verify, and record information that enables the Fund to form a reasonable belief as to the identity of each customer who opens an account. Consequently, when an investor opens an account, the Fund will ask for the investor's name, street address, date of birth (for an individual), social security or other tax identification number (or proof that the investor has filed for such a number), and other information that will allow the Fund to identify the investor. The Fund may also ask to see the driver's license or other identifying documents of the investor. An investor's account application will not be considered "complete" and, therefore, an account will not be opened and the investor's money will not be invested until the Fund receives this required information. In addition, if after opening the investor's account the Fund is unable to verify the investor's identity after reasonable efforts, as determined by the Fund in its sole discretion, the Fund may (i) restrict further investments until the investor's identity is verified; and (ii) close the investor's account without notice and return the investor's redemption proceeds to the investor. If the Fund closes an investor's account because the Fund could not verify the investor's identity, the Fund will value the account in accordance with the next NAV calculated after the investor's account is closed. In that case, the investor's redemption proceeds may be worth more or less than the investor's original investment. The Fund will not be responsible for any losses incurred due to the Fund's inability to verify the identity of any investor opening an account.
REDEEMING SHARES
Regular Mail Redemptions. Regular mail redemption requests should be addressed to:
Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund
c/o Nottingham Shareholder Services
116 South Franklin Street
Post Office Box 4365
Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27803-0365
Regular mail redemption requests should include the following:
 
(1)
Your letter of instruction specifying the account number   and number of shares (or the dollar amount) to be redeemed. This request must be signed by all registered shareholders in the exact names in which they are registered;
26

(2)
Any required signature guarantees (see "Signature Guarantees" below); and
(3)
Other supporting legal documents, if required in the case of estates, trusts, guardianships, custodianships, corporations, partnerships, pension or profit sharing plans, and other entities.
Your redemption proceeds normally will be sent to you within 7 days after receipt of your redemption request. The Fund may delay forwarding a redemption check for recently purchased shares while the Fund determines whether the purchase payment will be honored. Such delay (which may take up to 15 days from the date of purchase) may be reduced or avoided if the purchase is made by certified check or wire transfer. In all cases, the NAV next determined after receipt of the request for redemption will be used in processing the redemption request.
Telephone and Bank Wire Redemptions. Unless you decline the telephone transaction privileges on your account application, you may redeem shares of the Fund by telephone. You may also redeem shares by bank wire under certain limited conditions. The Fund will redeem shares in this manner when so requested by the shareholder only if the shareholder confirms redemption instructions in writing.
The Fund may rely upon confirmation of redemption requests transmitted via facsimile (FAX# 919-882-9281). The confirmation instructions must include the following:
(1)
Name of Fund;
(2)
Shareholder name and account number;
(3)
Number of shares or dollar amount to be redeemed;
(4)
Instructions for transmittal of redemption proceeds to the shareholder; and
(5)
Shareholder signature as it appears on the application on file with the Fund.
Redemption proceeds will not be distributed until written confirmation of the redemption request is received, per the instructions above. You can choose to have redemption proceeds mailed to you at your address of record, your financial institution, or to any other authorized person, or you can have the proceeds sent by wire transfer to your financial institution ($5,000 minimum). Redemption proceeds cannot be wired on days in which your financial institution is not open for business. You can change your redemption instructions anytime you wish by filing a letter with your new redemption instructions with the Fund. See "Signature Guarantees" below.
The Fund, in its discretion, may choose to pass through to redeeming shareholders any charges imposed by the Fund's custodian for wire redemptions. If this cost is passed through to redeeming shareholders by the Fund, the charge will be deducted automatically from your account by redemption of shares in your account. Your bank or brokerage firm may also impose a charge for processing the wire. If wire transfer of funds is impossible or impractical, the redemption proceeds will be sent by regular mail to the designated account.
You may redeem shares, subject to the procedures outlined above, by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863. Redemption proceeds will only be sent to the financial institution account or person named in your Fund Shares Application currently on file with the Fund. Telephone redemption privileges authorize the Fund to act on telephone instructions from any person representing him or herself to be the investor and reasonably believed by the Fund to be genuine. The Fund will employ reasonable procedures, such as requiring a form of personal identification, to confirm that instructions are genuine. The Fund will not be liable for any losses due to fraudulent or unauthorized instructions. The Fund will also not be liable for following telephone instructions reasonably believed to be genuine.
27

Redemption Fee.   The Fund charges a 1.00% redemption fee that is applicable to all redemptions (sales or exchanges) made within sixty (60) days of your initial purchase of shares in the Fund.
 
The redemption fees are not fees to finance sales or sales promotion expenses, but are paid to the Fund to defray the costs of liquidating an investment and discourage short-term trading of Fund shares.  Redemption fees are deducted from redemption proceeds and retained by the Fund, not the Advisor.  No redemption fee will be imposed on the redemption of shares representing dividends or capital gains distributions.  In determining whether a redemption fee is applicable to a particular redemption, it is assumed that the redemption is first of shares acquired pursuant to the reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions and next of shares held by the shareholder for the longest period of time.
The redemption fee will not be charged on transactions involving the following:
·
Redemption of shares purchased through certain qualified plans pursuant to Sections 401, 403, and 457 of the Internal Revenue Code;
·
Redemption of shares purchased through wrap-fee programs or similar investment programs administered by the Fund;
·
Omnibus level accounts will be excluded where the fee will be assessed by the financial intermediary according to the requirements outlined herein and provided back to the Fund;
·
Redemptions due to required minimum distributions;
·
Redemptions due to death;
·
Redemption of shares accumulated through reinvestment of capital gains and dividends; and
·
Redemption of shares initiated by the Fund (i.e., liquidation or merger of a fund).
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. A shareholder who owns shares of the Fund valued at $5,000 or more at the current offering price may establish a systematic withdrawal plan ("Systematic Withdrawal Plan") to receive a monthly or quarterly check in a stated amount (not less than $50). Each month or quarter, as specified, the Fund will automatically redeem sufficient shares from your account to meet the specified withdrawal amount. The shareholder may establish this service whether dividends and distributions are reinvested in shares of the Fund or paid in cash. Call or write the Fund for an application form.
28

Minimum Account Size. The Trustees reserve the right to redeem involuntarily any account having a NAV of less than $100 (due to redemptions, exchanges, or transfers, and not due to market action) upon 30-days' prior written notice. If the shareholder brings his account NAV up to at least $100 during the notice period, the account will not be redeemed. Redemptions from retirement accounts may be subject to federal income tax. Shareholders may also be charged a fee by their broker or agent if shares are redeemed or transferred through their broker or agent.
Redemptions in Kind. The Fund does not intend, under normal circumstances, to redeem its shares by payment in kind. It is possible, however, that conditions may arise in the future which would, in the opinion of the Trustees, make it undesirable for the Fund to pay for all redemptions in cash. In such cases, the Trustees may authorize payment to be made in readily marketable portfolio securities of the Fund. Securities delivered in payment of redemptions would be valued at the same value assigned to them in computing the Fund's NAV per share. Shareholders receiving them bear the market risks associated with the securities until they have been converted into cash and may incur brokerage costs when these securities are sold. An irrevocable election has been filed under Rule 18f-1 of the 1940 Act , wherein the Fund must pay redemptions in cash, rather than in kind, to any shareholder of record of the Fund who redeems during any 90-day period, the lesser of (i) $250,000 or (ii) 1% of the Fund's NAV at the beginning of such period. Redemption requests in excess of this limit may be satisfied in cash or in kind at the Fund's election.
Signature Guarantees. To protect your account and the Fund from fraud, signature guarantees may be required to be sure that you are the person who has authorized a change in registration or standing instructions for your account. Signature guarantees are generally required for (i) change of registration requests; (ii) requests to establish or to change exchange privileges or telephone and bank wire redemption service other than through your initial account application; (iii) transactions where proceeds from redemptions, dividends, or distributions are sent to a financial institution; and (iv) redemption requests in excess of $50,000. Signature guarantees are acceptable from a member bank of the Federal Reserve System, a savings and loan institution, credit union (if authorized under state law), registered broker-dealer, securities exchange, or association clearing agency and must appear on the written request for change of registration, establishment or change in exchange privileges, or redemption request.
Miscellaneous. The Fund reserves the right to delay the distribution of redemption proceeds involving recently purchased shares until the check for the recently purchased shares has cleared, which may take up to 15 days from the date of purchase. The Fund may also suspend redemptions, if permitted by the 1940 Act , for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange is closed, trading is restricted by the SEC, or the SEC declares that an emergency exists. Redemptions may be suspended during other periods permitted by the SEC for the protection of the Fund's shareholders. During drastic economic and market changes, telephone redemption privileges may be difficult to implement.
29

FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS
Frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares by a shareholder, known as frequent trading, present a number of risks to the Fund's other shareholders.  These risks include dilution in the value of Fund shares held by long-term shareholders, interference with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio holdings, and increased brokerage and administration costs.  Due to the potential of a thin market for some of the Fund's portfolio securities, as well as overall adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions that may affect the sale price of portfolio securities, the Fund could face untimely losses as a result of having to sell portfolio securities prematurely to meet redemptions.  Frequent trading may also increase portfolio turnover, which may in turn result in increased capital gains taxes for shareholders.
The Board has adopted a policy that is intended to discourage frequent trading by shareholders.  The Fund does not accommodate frequent trading.  Under the adopted policy, the Fund's transfer agent provides a daily record of shareholder trades to the Advisor.  The Fund's transfer agent also monitors and tests shareholder purchase and redemption orders for frequent trading.  The Advisor has the discretion to limit investments, by refusing further purchase and exchange orders, from a shareholder that the Advisor believes has a pattern of trades not in the best interests of the other shareholders.  In addition to this discretionary policy, the Fund will also limit investments from any shareholder account that, on two or more occasions during a 60 calendar day period, purchases and redeems shares over a period of less than ten days having a redemption amount within ten percent of the purchase amount and greater than $10,000.  In the event such a purchase and redemption pattern occurs, the shareholder account and any other account with the same taxpayer identification number will be precluded from investing in the Fund for at least 30 calendar days after the second redemption transaction.
The Fund and Advisor intend to apply this policy uniformly, except that the Fund may not be able to identify or determine that a specific purchase or redemption is part of a pattern of frequent trading or that a specific shareholder is engaged in frequent trading, particularly with respect to transactions made through omnibus accounts or accounts opened through financial intermediaries such as broker-dealers and banks.  Omnibus account arrangements permit multiple investors to aggregate their respective share ownership and to purchase, redeem, and exchange Fund shares without the identity of the individual shareholders being immediately known to the Fund.  Like omnibus accounts, accounts opened through financial intermediaries normally permit shareholders to purchase, redeem, and exchange Fund shares without the identity of the shareholder being immediately known to the Fund.  Consequently, the ability of the Fund to monitor and detect frequent trading through omnibus and intermediary accounts is limited, and there is no guarantee that the Fund can identify shareholders who might be engaging in frequent trading through these accounts or curtail such trading.
30

In addition, this policy will not apply if the Advisor determines that a purchase and redemption pattern does not constitute frequent trading, such as inadvertent errors that result in frequent purchases and redemptions.  Inadvertent errors shall include purchases and/or redemptions made unintentionally or by mistake (e.g., where a shareholder unintentionally or mistakenly invests in the Fund and redeems immediately after recognizing the error).  The shareholder shall have the burden of proving to the sole satisfaction of the Advisor that a purchase and redemption pattern was the result of an inadvertent error.  In such a case, the Advisor may choose to allow further purchase and exchange orders from such shareholder.
31


OTHER IMPORTANT INVESTMENT INFORMATION
DIVIDENDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, AND TAXES
The following information is meant as a general summary for U.S. taxpayers. Additional tax information appears in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information. Shareholders should rely on their own tax advisors for advice about the particular federal, state, and local tax consequences to them of investing in the Fund.
The Fund will distribute most of their income and realized gains to its shareholders every year. Income dividends paid by the Fund derived from net investment income, if any, will and capital gains distributions, if any, will generally be paid at least annually. Shareholders may elect to take dividends from net investment income or capital gains distributions, if any, in cash or reinvest them in additional Fund shares. Although the Fund will not be taxed on amounts they distribute, shareholders will generally be taxed on distributions paid by the Fund, regardless of whether distributions are received in cash or are reinvested in additional Fund shares. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes, as well as federal taxes.
In general, a shareholder who sells or redeems shares will realize a capital gain or loss, which will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the shareholder's holding period for the Fund shares. An exchange of shares may be treated as a sale and any gain may be subject to tax.
As with all mutual funds, the Fund may be required to withhold U.S. federal income tax at the fourth lowest rate for taxpayers filing as unmarried individuals (presently 28%) for all taxable distributions payable to shareholders who fail to provide the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification numbers or to make required certifications, or who have been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that they are subject to backup withholding. Backup withholding is not an additional tax; rather, it is a way in which the Internal Revenue Service ensures it will collect taxes otherwise due. Any amounts withheld may be credited against a shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability.
Shareholders should consult with their own tax advisors to ensure that distributions and sale of Fund shares are treated appropriately on their income tax returns.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights tables on the following pages are intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance since its inception on December 31, 2010.  The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions).  The financial data in the table below has been derived from audited financial statements of the Fund. 
32

The information for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 has been audited by BBD, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report covering such period is incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information.  This information should be read in conjunction with the Fund's latest audited annual financial statements and notes thereto, which are also incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information, copies of which may be obtained at no charge by calling the Fund. Further information about the performance of the Fund is contained in the Annual Report, copies of which may also be obtained at no charge by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863.

33


ROUMELL OPPORTUNISTIC VALUE FUND
 
For a share outstanding during the fiscal
years ended August 31,

 
201 7

 
201 6

 
 201 5

 
201 4

 
 201 3
Net asset value, Beginning of  Year
$7.68
$7.48
$10.50
$11.15
$9.31
Income (loss) from Investment Operations
         
   Net investment income
0.01 (c)
0.06 (c)
0.08 (c)
0.13
0.03
   Net realized and unrealized gain
     (loss) on investments
 
1.39
 
0.15
 
(1.90)
 
(0.16)
 
1.89
Total from investment operations
1.40
0.21
(1.82)
(0.03)
1.92
Less Distributions
         
   From net investment income
-
(0.01)
(0.22)
(0.03)
(0.08)
   From realized gains
   From return of capital
-
(0.01)
-
-
(0.98)
-
(0.59)
-
-
-
Total Distributions
(0.01)
(0.01)
(1.20)
(0.62)
(0.08)
Paid in Beneficial Interest
         
  From redemption fees
0.00 (b)
0.00 (b)
0.00 (b)
0.00 (b)
0.00 (b)
Total Paid in Beneficial Interest
0.00 (b)
0.00 (b)
0.00 (b)
0.00 (b)
0.00 (b)
Net asset value, End of Year
$9.07
$7.68
$7.48
$10.50
$11.15
Total return
18.28%
2.81%
(18.82)%
(0.12)%(a)
20.71%(a)
Net Assets, End of Year   (in thousands)
$64,624
$47,421
$40,835
$39,842
$33,617
Ratios of:
         
   Interest Expense to Average Net Assets
   Gross Expense to Average Net Assets(d)
   Net Expenses to Average Net Assets(d)
   Net Investment Income to Average Net
   Assets
0.01%
1.34%
1.23%(e)

0.10%
-
1.23%
1.23%

0.86%
-
1.23%
1.23%

0.94%
-
1.23%
1.23%

1.27%
-
1.23%
1.23%

0.31%
Portfolio turnover rate
111.52%
71.27%
66.14%
92.74%
77.73%
(a)
Includes adjustments in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and , consequently, the net asset value for financial reporting purposes and the returns based upon those net asset values may differ from the net asset values and returns for shareholder transactions.
(b)
Actual amount is less than $0.01 per share.
(c)
Calculated using the average shares method.
(d)
The expense ratios listed reflect the total expenses prior to any waivers and reimbursements (gross expense ratio) and after any waivers and reimbursements (net expense ratio).
(e)
Excludes interest expense of 0.01% of net assets.


34

 
 
 

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund


Institutional Class Shares - Ticker Symbol RAMSX
December 29, 201 7
A series of the
Starboard Investment Trust
116 South Franklin Street
Post Office Box 69
Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27802-0069
Telephone 1-800-773-3863
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
GENERAL INFORMATION
2
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT POLICIES
2
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
14
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
16
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
17
MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
18
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
26
SPECIAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
27
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
28
NET ASSET VALUE
30
ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION
31
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
33
APPENDIX A – DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
34
APPENDIX B – PROXY VOTING POLICIES
38

This Statement of Additional Information is meant to be read in conjunction with the prospectus for the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund, dated the same date as this Statement of Additional Information, and is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the prospectus.  Because this Statement of Additional Information is not itself a prospectus, no investment in shares of the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund should be made solely upon the information contained herein.  Copies of the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund prospectus, annual report, and/or semi-annual report may be obtained at no charge by writing or calling the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund at the address or phone number shown above.  Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the same meanings as in the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund prospectus.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Starboard Investment Trust ("Trust") was organized on May 13, 2009 as a Delaware statutory trust and is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") as an open-end management investment company.  The Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund (the "Fund") is a separate, non-diversified series of the Trust.  The Fund's investment advisor is Roumell Asset Management, LLC (the "Advisor").
This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") describes the financial history, management and operation of the Fund, as well as the Fund's investment objective and policies. It should be read in conjunction with the Fund's current prospectus, dated the same date as this SAI, as supplemented from time to time (the "Prospectus").
Investments in the Fund are not:
·
Deposits or obligations of any bank;
·
Guaranteed or endorsed by any bank; or
·
Federally insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other federal agency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT POLICIES
The Prospectus describes the Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategy, as well as the principal investment risks of the Fund.  All investments in securities and other financial instruments involve a risk of financial loss.  No assurance can be given that the Fund's investment program will be successful.  Investors should carefully review the descriptions of the Fund's investments and their risks described in the Fund's Prospectus and this SAI.
The following descriptions and policies supplement those descriptions, and also include descriptions of certain types of investments that may be made by the Fund but are not principal investment strategies of the Fund.  Attached to this SAI is Appendix A, which contains descriptions of the rating symbols used by nationally recognized statistical rating organizations for securities in which the Fund may invest.  Appendix B contains copies of the Trust's Proxy Voting and Disclosure Policy and the Advisor's Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures .
Certain strategies and instruments described below may not apply to the Fund. Unless a strategy, instrument or policy described below is specifically prohibited by the investment restrictions listed in the Fund's Prospectus, under "Investment Restrictions" in this SAI, or by applicable law, the Fund may, but will not necessarily, engage in each of the investment practices described below. Except as stated elsewhere in the Fund's Prospectus or this SAI, to the extent the Fund has reserved the freedom to invest in a type of investment or to utilize a particular investment practice, the Fund may invest in such investment or engage in such investment practice without limit.
The Advisor's investment process may take into account a number of factors. These factors may include, among others, standard of living convergence, consumer deleveraging, private sector debt transference and demographic shifts, position in the business cycle, sector returns, relative growth, monetary and fiscal policy, risk integration, market sentiment, behavioral analysis, relative value, market technicals, and government and/or regulatory intervention.
Equity Securities.  The equity portion of the Fund's portfolio may be comprised of common stocks traded on domestic securities exchanges or on the over-the-counter market.  In addition to common stocks, the equity portion of the Fund's portfolio may also include preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks, convertible bonds , and warrants .  Prices of equity securities in which the Fund invests  may fluctuate in response to many factors, including, but not limited to, the activities of the individual companies whose securities the Fund owns, general market and economic conditions, interest rates, and specific industry changes.  Such price fluctuations subject the Fund to potential losses.  In addition, regardless of any one company's particular prospects, a declining stock market may produce a decline in prices for all equity securities, which could also result in losses for the Fund.  Market declines may continue for an indefinite period of time, and investors should understand that during temporary or extended bear markets, the value of equity securities will decline.
2

Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest payments or a dividend preference until the security matures or is redeemed, or the conversion privilege is exercised.  As a result of the conversion feature, the interest rate or dividend preference on a convertible security is generally less than would be the case if the securities were issued in non-convertible form.  Warrants entitle the holder to purchase equity securities at specific prices for a certain period of time.  The prices do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying securities and the warrants have no voting rights, receive no dividends, and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer.
Investment Companies.   The Fund may invest in securities of other investment companies, including, without limitation, money market funds, open-end mutual funds, closed-end funds, and exchange-traded funds ("ETFs") .  The Fund's investments in such securities involve certain additional expenses and certain tax results, which would not be present in a direct investment in the underlying fund. Due to legal limitations, the Fund will be prevented from: (i) purchasing more than 3% of an investment company's outstanding shares; (ii) investing more than 5% of the Fund's assets in any single such investment company, and (iii) investing more than 10% of the Fund's assets in investment companies overall;  unless: (a) the underlying investment company and/or the applicable Fund has received an order for exemptive relief from such limitations from the SEC ; and (b) the underlying investment company and the Fund take appropriate steps to comply with any conditions in such order.  In the alternative, the Fund may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), which allows unaffiliated mutual funds to exceed the 5% limitation and the 10% limitation, provided that the offering price of the Fund does not include a sales load greater than 1.5%.  The foregoing notwithstanding, the Fund, in reliance on Rule 12d1-3 under the 1940 Act , may impose a sales charge in excess of 1.5% where the aggregate sales loads any investor pays (i.e., the combined distribution expenses of both the acquiring fund and the acquired fund) does not exceed the limits on sales loads established by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority pursuant to NASD Rule 2830(d)(3).  Also, in the event that there is a proxy vote with respect to shares of another investment company purchased and held by the Fund under Section 12(d)(1)(F), then the Fund will either (i) vote such shares in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such securities; or (ii) contact its shareholders for instructions regarding how to vote the proxy.  Investments by the Fund in other investment companies entail a number of risks unique to a fund of funds structure.  These risks include the following:
Multiple Layers of Fees.   By investing in other investment companies indirectly through the Fund, prospective investors will directly bear the fees and expenses of the Fund's Advisor and indirectly bear the fees and expenses of other investment companies and other investment companies' managers as well.  As such, this multiple or duplicative layer of fees will increase the cost of investments in the Fund.
Lack of Transparency.   The Sub-Advisor will not be able to monitor the investment activities of the other investment companies on a continuous basis and the other investment companies may use investment strategies that differ from its past practices and are not fully disclosed to the Sub-Advisor and that involve risks that are not anticipated by the Sub-Advisor.  The Fund has no control over the risks taken by the underlying investment companies in which they invest.
Valuation of Investment Companies.   Although the Sub-Advisor will attempt to review the valuation procedures used by other investment companies' managers, the Sub-Advisor will have little or no means of independently verifying valuations of the Fund's investments in investment companies and valuations of the underlying securities held by other investment companies.  As such, the Sub-Advisor will rely significantly on valuations of other investment companies and the securities underlying other investment companies that are reported by other investment companies' managers.  In the event that such valuations prove to be inaccurate, the net asset value (" NAV ") of the Fund could be adversely impacted and an investor could incur a loss of investment in the Fund.
Illiquidity of Investments By and In Other Investment Companies.   Other investment companies may invest in securities that are not registered, are subject to legal or other restrictions on transfer, or for which no liquid market exists.  The market prices, if any, for such securities tend to be volatile and restricted securities may sell at prices that are lower than similar securities that are not subject to legal restrictions on resale.  Further, the Fund may not be able to redeem their interests in other investment companies' securities that it has purchased in a timely manner.  If adverse market conditions were to develop during any period in which the Fund is unable to redeem interests in other investment companies, the Fund may suffer losses as a result of this illiquidity.  As such, the lack of liquidity and volatility of restricted securities held by other investment companies could adversely affect the value of the other investment companies.  Any such losses could adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments and an investor could incur a loss of investment in the Fund.
3

Lack of Control.   Although the Fund and the Sub-Advisor will evaluate regularly other investment companies to determine whether their investment programs are consistent with the Fund's investment objective, the Sub-Advisor will not have any control over the investments made by other investment companies.  Even though other investment companies are subject to certain constraints, the investment advisor to each such investment company may change aspects of their investment strategies at any time.  The Sub-Advisor will not have the ability to control or influence the composition of the investment portfolio of other investment companies.
Lack of Diversification.   There is no requirement that the underlying investments held by other investment companies be diversified.  As such, other investment companies' managers may target or concentrate other investment companies' investments in specific markets, sectors, or types of securities.  As a result, investments made by other investment companies are subject to greater volatility as a result of this concentration than if the other investment companies had non-concentrated and diversified portfolios of investments.  Thus, the Fund's portfolios (and by extension the value of an investment in the Fund) may therefore be subject to greater risk than the portfolio of a similar fund with investments in diversified investment companies.
Use of Leverage.   The other investment companies may utilize leverage (i.e., borrowing) to acquire their underlying portfolio investments.  When other investment companies borrow money or otherwise leverage their portfolio of investments, doing so may exaggerate changes in the NAV of the shares of the other investment companies and in the return on the other investment companies' investments.  Borrowing will also cost other investment companies interest expense and other fees.  As such, the value of the Fund's investments in other investment companies may be more volatile and all other risks (including the risk of loss of an investment in other investment companies) tend to be compounded or magnified.  As a result, any losses suffered by other investment companies as a result of their use of leverage could adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments and an investor could incur a loss of investment in the Fund.
Exchange Traded Funds.  The Fund may invest in ETFs.  An ETF is an investment company that holds a portfolio of common stock or bonds designed to track the performance of a securities index or sector of an index.  ETFs are traded on a securities exchange based on their market value.  An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional registered investment company (i.e., one that is not exchange traded).  In addition, all ETFs will have costs and expenses that will be passed on to the Fund and these costs and expenses will in turn increase the Fund's expenses.  ETFs are also subject to the following risks that often do not apply to conventional investment companies: (i) the market price of the ETF's shares may trade at a discount to the ETF's NAV , and as a result, ETFs may experience more price volatility than other types of portfolio investments and such volatility could negatively impact the Fund's NAV ; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF's shares may not develop or be maintained at a sufficient volume; (iii) trading of an ETF's shares may be halted if the listing exchange deems such action appropriate; and (iv) ETF shares may be delisted from the exchange on which they trade, or "circuit breakers" (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices used by the exchange) may temporarily halt trading in the ETF's stock.  ETFs are also subject to the risks of the underlying securities or sectors that the ETF is designed to track.  Finally, there may be legal limitations and other conditions imposed by SEC rules on the amount of the ETF shares that the Fund may acquire.
Foreign Investment Risk.   Foreign securities and foreign currency contracts involve investment risks different from those associated with domestic securities.  Changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect the Fund than a mutual fund that invests exclusively in domestic securities.  The value of foreign currency denominated securities or foreign currency contracts is affected by the value of the local currency relative to the U.S. dollar.  There may be less government supervision of foreign markets, resulting in non-uniform accounting practices and less publicly available information about issuers of foreign currency denominated securities.  The value of foreign investments may be affected by changes in exchange control regulations, application of foreign tax laws (including withholding tax), changes in governmental administration or economic or monetary policy (in this country or abroad), or changed circumstances in dealings between nations.  In addition, foreign brokerage commissions, custody fees, and other costs of investing in foreign securities are generally higher than in the United States.  Investments in foreign issues could be affected by other factors not present in the United States, including expropriation, armed conflict, confiscatory taxation, and potential difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations.
4

Warrants Risk.   The prices of warrants, which entitle the holder to purchase equity securities at specific prices for a certain period of time, do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying securities and likely fluctuate more than the prices of the underlying securities.  Warrants have no voting rights, receive no dividends, and have no rights with respect to the assets of the issuer.
Fixed-Income Securities.  The Fund may invest in fixed-income securities directly or indirectly through its investments in shares of ETFs, including government and corporate bonds, money market instruments, high yield securities or "junk bonds" and zero-coupon bonds.  Zero-coupon bonds are purchased at a discount from their face values and accrue interest at the applicable coupon rate over a period of time.  Fixed-income securities purchased by the Fund may consist of obligations of any rating.  Fixed-income securities in the lowest investment grade categories have speculative characteristics, with changes in the economy or other circumstances more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the bonds to make principal and interest payments than would occur with bonds rated in higher categories.  High yield bonds are typically rated below "Baa" by Moody's Investors Service, Inc.  ("Moody's") or below "BBB" by S&P Global Ratings ("S&P") or below investment grade by other recognized rating agencies.  The Fund may invest in unrated securities, but only if, at the time of purchase, the Sub-Advisor believes that they are of comparable quality to rated securities that the Fund may purchase.  The Fund may also invest indirectly in unrated securities through ETFs and other investment companies that invest in unrated securities under certain circumstances.  Such bonds are subject to greater market fluctuations and risk of loss of income and principal than higher rated bonds for a variety of reasons, including:
Sensitivity to Interest Rate and Economic Change.   The economy and interest rates affect high yield securities differently than other securities.  For example, the prices of high yield bonds have been found to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated investments, but more sensitive to adverse economic changes or individual corporate developments.  Also, during an economic downturn or substantial period of rising interest rates, highly leveraged issuers may experience financial stress which would adversely affect their ability to service their principal and interest obligations, to meet projected business goals, and to obtain additional financing.  If the issuer of a bond defaults, an underlying mutual fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.  In addition, periods of economic uncertainty and changes can be expected to result in increased volatility or market prices of high yield bonds and the Fund's asset values.
Payment Expectations.   High yield bonds present certain risks based on payment expectations.  For example, high yield bonds may contain redemption and call provisions.  If an issuer exercises these provisions in a declining interest rate market, the Fund or an ETF the Fund invests in would have to replace the security with a lower yielding security, resulting in a decreased return for investors.  Conversely, a high yield bond's value will decrease in a rising interest rate market, as will the value of the Fund's or ETF's assets.  If the Fund or an ETF the Fund invests in experiences unexpected net redemptions, it may be forced to sell its high yield bonds without regard to their investment merits, thereby decreasing the asset base upon which the Fund's or ETF's expenses can be spread and possibly reducing the Fund's or ETF's rate of return.
Liquidity and Valuation.   To the extent that there is no established retail secondary market, there may be thin trading of high yield bonds, and this may impact a fund's ability to accurately value high yield bonds and may hinder a fund's ability to dispose of the bonds.  Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the values and liquidity of high yield bonds, especially in a thinly traded market.
Credit Ratings.   Credit ratings evaluate the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield bonds.  Also, because credit rating agencies may fail to timely change the credit ratings to reflect subsequent events, the Fund or an ETF the Fund invests in must monitor the issuers of high yield bonds in their portfolios to determine if the issuers will have sufficient cash flow and profits to meet required principal and interest payments, and to assure the bonds' liquidity so the Fund or an ETF the Fund invests in can meet redemption requests.
High-yield securities are deemed speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest and repay principal over a long period of time.  Special tax considerations are associated with investing in high-yield securities structured as zero coupon or "pay-in-kind" securities.  The Fund or an ETF the Fund invests in will report the interest on these securities as income even though it receives no cash interest until the security's maturity or payment date.  The payment of principal and interest on most fixed-income securities purchased by a fund will depend upon the ability of the issuers to meet their obligations.  An issuer's obligations under its fixed-income securities are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Code, and laws, if any, which may be enacted by federal or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations.  The power or ability of an issuer to meet its obligations for the payment of interest on, and principal of, its fixed-income securities may be materially adversely affected by litigation or other conditions.
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The ratings of S&P, Moody's and other nationally recognized rating agencies represent their opinions as to the quality of fixed-income securities.  It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality, and fixed-income securities with the same maturity, interest rate, and rating may have different yields while fixed-income securities of the same maturity and interest rate with different ratings may have the same yield.  For a more detailed description of ratings, please see Appendix A.
U.S. Government Securities.   The Fund may invest in U.S. Government securities, defined to be U.S. Government obligations such as U.S. Treasury notes, U.S. Treasury bonds, and U.S. Treasury bills, obligations guaranteed by the U.S. Government such as Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA), as well as obligations of U.S. Government authorities, agencies, and instrumentalities such as Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Federal Farm Credit Bank (FFCB), Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB), Student Loan Marketing Association (SLMA), and The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).  U.S. Government securities may also be acquired subject to repurchase agreements.  While obligations of some U.S. Government sponsored entities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government (e.g. GNMA), others are not.  No assurance can be given that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities in the future since it is not obligated to do so by law.  The guarantee of the U.S. Government does not extend to the yield or value of the Fund's shares.
Money Market Instruments.   The Fund may invest in money market instruments including U.S. Government obligations or corporate debt obligations (including those subject to repurchase agreements) provided that they are eligible for purchase by the Fund.  Money market instruments also may include Banker's Acceptances and Certificates of Deposit of domestic branches of U.S. banks, Commercial Paper, and Variable Amount Demand Master Notes ("Master Notes").  Banker's Acceptances are time drafts drawn on and "accepted" by a bank.  When a bank "accepts" such a time draft, it assumes liability for its payment.  When the Fund acquires a Banker's Acceptance, the bank that "accepted" the time draft is liable for payment of interest and principal when due.  The Banker's Acceptance carries the full faith and credit of such bank.  A Certificate of Deposit ("CD") is an unsecured, interest bearing debt obligation of a bank.  Commercial Paper is an unsecured, short-term debt obligation of a bank, corporation, or other borrower.  Commercial Paper maturity generally ranges from two to 270 days and is usually sold on a discounted basis rather than as an interest-bearing instrument.  The Fund will invest in Commercial Paper only if it is rated in one of the top two rating categories by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, or Fitch Investors Service, Inc., or if not rated, of equivalent quality in the Advisor's opinion.  Commercial Paper may include Master Notes of the same quality.  Master Notes are unsecured obligations that are redeemable upon demand of the holder and that permit the investment of fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest.  Master Notes will be acquired by the Fund only through the Master Note program of the Fund's custodian bank, acting as administrator thereof.  The Advisor will monitor, on a continuous basis, the earnings power, cash flow, and other liquidity ratios of the issuer of a Master Note held by the Fund.
Information Regarding the Fund's Non-Principal Strategies and Risks
Debentures.   A debenture is long-term, unsecured, debt instrument backed only by the integrity of the borrower, not by collateral, and documented by an indenture.  Governments often issue debentures, in part because they generally cannot guarantee debt with assets (government assets are public property).  The primary risk with this type of investment is that the issuer will default or go into bankruptcy.  As an unsecured creditor, in the event of default or bankruptcy, the holder of a debenture does not have a claim against any specific assets of the issuing firm, so the investor will only be paid from the issuer's assets after the secured creditors have been paid.  The Fund may invest in all types of debentures, including corporate and government debentures.
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Derivative Instruments Risk.   W hen the Fund enters into options, futures, swaps, and other forms of financial derivatives specifically described below, the investments involve risks different from direct investments in the underlying securities While transactions in derivatives may reduce certain risks, these transactions themselves entail certain other risks.  For example, unanticipated changes in interest rates, securities prices, or currency exchange rates may result in a poorer overall performance of the Fund than if they had not entered into any derivatives transactions.  Derivatives may magnify the Fund's gains or losses, causing it to make or lose substantially more than it invested.
The Fund may invest in derivative instruments for both speculative and hedging purposes.  These investments can be made as a substitute for taking a direct position in the underlying asset or as part of a strategy that is intended to reduce the exposure of the Fund to various risks.  If the Fund does use derivative instruments, the Fund will comply with the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and the guidance of no-action letters issued by the SEC , including SEC Release 10666 that require the Fund to segregate assets or otherwise "cover" its positions in a manner that limits the Fund's risk of loss.  The Fund has no specific limit on the amount it invest in derivatives, although practical limits are created by the requirement to segregate assets and hold offsetting positions in connection with such investments.
When used for hedging purposes, increases in the value of the securities the Fund holds or intends to acquire should offset any losses incurred with a derivative.  Purchasing derivatives for purposes other than hedging could expose the Fund to greater risks.
The Fund's ability to hedge securities through derivatives depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index or instrument correlate with price movements in the relevant securities.  In the case of poor correlation, the price of the securities the Fund is hedging may not move in the same amount, or even in the same direction as the hedging instrument.  The Advisor will try to minimize this risk by investing only in those contracts whose behavior it expects to resemble with the portfolio securities it is trying to hedge.  However, if the Fund's prediction of interest and currency rates, market value, volatility, or other economic factors is incorrect, the Fund may lose money, or may not make as much money as it expected.
Derivative prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the characteristics of the underlying instruments are very similar to the derivative.  Listed below are some of the factors that may cause such a divergence:
·
current and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until expiration of the contract;
·
a difference between the derivatives and securities markets, including different levels of demand, how the instruments are traded, the imposition of daily price fluctuation limits or trading of an instrument stops; and
·
differences between the derivatives, such as different margin requirements, different liquidity of such markets, and the participation of speculators in such markets.
Derivatives based upon a narrow index of securities may present greater risk than derivatives based on a broad index. Since narrower indices are made up of a smaller number of securities, they are more susceptible to rapid and extreme price fluctuations because of changes in the value of those securities.
While currency futures and options values are expected to correlate with exchange rates, they may not reflect other factors that affect the value of the investments of the Fund.  A currency hedge, for example, should protect a yen-denominated security from a decline in the yen, but will not protect the Fund against a price decline resulting from deterioration in the issuer's creditworthiness.  Because the value of the Fund's foreign-denominated investments changes in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of currency options and futures to the value of the Fund's investments precisely over time.
Before a futures contract or option is exercised or expires, the Fund can terminate it only by entering into a closing purchase or sale transaction.  Moreover, the Fund may close out a futures contract only on the exchange the contract was initially traded.  Although the Fund intends to purchase options and futures only where there appears to be an active market, there is no guarantee that such a liquid market will exist.  If there is no secondary market for the contract, or the market is illiquid, the Fund may not be able to close out a position.  In an illiquid market, the Fund may:
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·
have to sell securities to meet its daily margin requirements at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so;
·
have to purchase or sell the instrument underlying the contract;
·
not be able to hedge its investments; and
·
not be able to realize profits or limit its losses.
Derivatives may become illiquid (i.e., difficult to sell at a desired time and price) under a variety of market conditions.  For example:
·
an exchange may suspend or limit trading in a particular derivative instrument, an entire category of derivatives, or all derivatives, which sometimes occurs because of increased market volatility;
·
unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations of an exchange;
·
the facilities of the exchange may not be adequate to handle current trading volume;
·
equipment failures, government intervention, insolvency of a brokerage firm or clearing house, or other occurrences may disrupt normal trading activity; or
·
investors may lose interest in a particular derivative or category of derivatives.
If the Advisor incorrectly predicts securities market and interest rate trends, the Fund may lose money by investing in derivatives.  For example, if the Fund were to write a call option based on the Advisor's expectation that the price of the underlying security would fall, but the price were to rise instead, the Fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price.  Similarly, if the Fund were to write a put option based on the Advisor's expectation that the price of the underlying security would rise, but the price were to fall instead, the Fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the current market price.
Because of the low margin deposits required upon the opening of a derivative position, such transactions involve an extremely high degree of leverage.  Consequently, a relatively small price movement in a derivative may result in an immediate and substantial loss (as well as gain) to the Fund and they may lose more than it originally invested in the derivative.
If the price of a futures contract changes adversely, the Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so to meet its minimum daily margin requirement.  The Fund may lose margin deposits if a broker with whom they have an open futures contract or related option becomes insolvent or declares bankruptcy.
The prices of derivatives are volatile (i.e., they may change rapidly, substantially, and unpredictably) and are influenced by a variety of factors, including:
·
actual and anticipated changes in interest rates;
·
fiscal and monetary policies; and
·
national and international political events.
Most exchanges limit the amount by which the price of a derivative can change during a single trading day.  Daily trading limits establish the maximum amount that the price of a derivative may vary from the settlement price of that derivative at the end of trading on the previous day.  Once the price of a derivative reaches this value, the Fund may not trade that derivative at a price beyond that limit.  The daily limit governs only price movements during a given day and does not limit potential gains or losses.  Derivative prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days, preventing prompt liquidation of the derivative.
Government Regulation of Derivatives. It is possible that government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures and swap agreements, may limit or prevent the Fund from using such instruments as a part of its investment strategy, and could ultimately prevent the Fund from being able to achieve its investment objective. It is impossible to predict fully the effects of legislation and regulation in this area, but the effects could be substantial and adverse.
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The futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations, and margin requirements. The SEC, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.
The regulation of swaps and futures transactions in the U.S., the European Union and other jurisdictions is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. There is a possibility of future regulatory changes altering, perhaps to a material extent, the nature of an investment in the Fund or the ability of the Fund to continue to implement its investment strategies.
Under recently adopted rules and regulations, transactions in some types of swaps (including interest rate swaps and credit default swaps on North American and European indices) are required to be centrally cleared, and additional types of swaps may be required to be centrally cleared in the future. In a transaction involving those swaps ("cleared derivatives"), the Fund's counterparty is a clearing house, rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of a clearing house and only clearing members can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members. In cleared derivatives transactions, the Fund will make payments (including margin payments) to and receive payments from a clearing house through its accounts at clearing members. Clearing members guarantee performance of their clients' obligations to the clearing house.
In addition, U.S. regulators, the European Union and certain other jurisdictions have adopted minimum margin and capital requirements for uncleared over-the-counter ("OTC") derivatives transactions. It is expected that these regulations will have a material impact on the Fund's use of uncleared derivatives. These rules will impose minimum margin requirements on derivatives transactions between the Fund and its swap counterparties and may increase the amount of margin the Fund is required to provide. They will impose regulatory requirements on the timing of transferring margin, which may accelerate the Fund's current margin process. They will also effectively require changes to typical derivatives margin documentation. It is expected that the Fund will become subject to variation margin requirements under such rules in 2017 and initial margin requirements under such rules in 2020. Such requirements could increase the amount of margin the Fund needs to provide in connection with uncleared derivatives transactions and, therefore, make such transactions more expensive.
The SEC has also issued a proposed rule under the 1940 Act providing for the regulation of registered investment companies' use of derivatives and certain related instruments. The ultimate impact, if any, of possible regulation remains unclear, but the proposed rule, if adopted, could, among other things, restrict the Fund's ability to engage in derivatives transactions and/or increase the costs of such derivatives transactions such that the Fund may be unable to implement its investment strategy. These and other new rules and regulations could, among other things, further restrict the Fund's ability to engage in, or increase the cost to the Fund of, derivatives transactions, for example, by making some types of derivatives no longer available to the Fund, increasing margin or capital requirements, or otherwise limiting liquidity or increasing transaction costs. The implementation of the clearing requirement has increased the costs of derivatives transactions for the Fund, since the Fund has to pay fees to its clearing members and is typically required to post more margin for cleared derivatives than it has historically posted for bilateral derivatives. The costs of derivatives transactions are expected to increase further as clearing members raise their fees to cover the costs of additional capital requirements and other regulatory changes applicable to the clearing members. These regulations are new and evolving, so their potential impact on the Fund and the financial system are not yet known. While the new regulations and central clearing of some derivatives transactions are designed to reduce systemic risk (i.e., the risk that the interdependence of large derivatives dealers could cause them to suffer liquidity, solvency or other challenges simultaneously), there is no assurance that the new mechanisms will achieve that result.
Options.   The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on securities.  The purchase and writing of options involves certain risks.  During the option period, a call writer that holds the underlying security has, in return for the premium on the option, given up the opportunity to profit from a price increase in the underlying securities above the exercise price, but, as long as its obligation as a writer continues, has retained the risk of loss should the price of the underlying security decline.  The writer of an option has no control over the time when it may be required to fulfill its obligation as a writer of the option.  Once an option writer has received an exercise notice, it cannot effect a closing purchase transaction in order to terminate its obligation under the option and must deliver the underlying securities at the exercise price.  If a put or call option purchased by the Fund is not sold when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying security, in the case of a put, remains equal to or greater than the exercise price or, in the case of a call, remains less than or equal to the exercise price, the Fund will lose its entire investment in the option.  Also, where a put or call option on a particular security is purchased to hedge against price movements in a related security, the price of the put or call option may move more or less than the price of the related security.  There can be no assurance that a liquid market will exist when the Fund seeks to close out an option position.  Furthermore, if trading restrictions or suspensions are imposed on the options market, the Fund may be unable to close out a position.
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The Fund may write a call or put option only if the option is "covered" by holding a position in the underlying securities or by other means which would permit immediate satisfaction of the Fund's obligation as writer of the option.  A written call option creates a potential obligation to sell the underlying security.  In order to make sure that this obligation can be met, the Fund could (i) hold the security underlying the written option; (ii) hold an offsetting call option (one with a strike price that is the same or lower than the strike price of the written option); or (iii) segregate cash and liquid securities (which can be cash, U.S. Government securities, and other liquid debt or equity securities) that when added to collateral on deposit equals the market value of the underlying security.  A written put option creates a potential obligation to buy the underlying security.  In order to make sure that this obligation can be met, the Fund could (i) sell short the underlying security at the same or higher price than the strike price of the written put option; (ii) hold an offsetting put option (one with a strike price that is the same or higher than the strike price of the written option); or (iii) segregate cash and liquid securities that when added to collateral on deposit equals the strike price of the option.
Options offer large amounts of leverage, which will result in the Fund's NAV being more sensitive to changes in the value of the related instrument. The Fund may purchase or write both exchange-traded and OTC options. Exchange-traded options in the United States are issued by a clearing organization affiliated with the exchange on which the option is listed that, in effect, guarantees completion of every exchange-traded option transaction. In contrast, OTC options are contracts between the Fund and its counterparty (usually a securities dealer or a bank) with no clearing organization guarantee. Thus, when the Fund purchases an OTC option, it relies on the counterparty from whom it purchased the option to make or take delivery of the underlying investment upon exercise of the option. Failure by the counterparty to do so would result in the loss of any premium paid by the Fund as well as the loss of any expected benefit of the transaction.
The Fund's ability to establish and close out positions in exchange-listed options depends on the existence of a liquid market. However, there can be no assurance that such a market will exist at any particular time. Closing transactions can be made for OTC options only by negotiating directly with the counterparty, or by a transaction in the secondary market if any such market exists. There can be no assurance that the Fund will in fact be able to close out an OTC option position at a favorable price prior to expiration. In the event of insolvency of the counterparty, the Fund might be unable to close out an OTC option position at any time prior to its expiration, if at all.
If the Fund were unable to effect a closing transaction for an option it had purchased, due to the absence of a counterparty or secondary market, the imposition of price limits or otherwise, it would have to exercise the option to realize any profit. The inability to enter into a closing purchase transaction for a covered call option written by the Fund could cause material losses because the Fund would be unable to sell the investment used as cover for the written option until the option expires or is exercised.
Options have varying expiration dates. The exercise price of the options may be below, equal to or above the current market value of the underlying security or instrument. Options purchased by the Fund that expire unexercised have no value, and the Fund will realize a loss in the amount of the premium paid and any transaction costs. If an option written by the Fund expires unexercised, the Fund realizes a gain equal to the premium received at the time the option was written. Transaction costs must be included in these calculations.
Futures Contracts.  The Fund may enter into futures contracts.  A futures contract is a bilateral agreement   to buy or sell a security (or deliver a cash settlement price, in the case of a contract relating to an index or otherwise not calling for physical delivery at the end of trading in the contracts) for a set price in the future.  Futures contracts are designated by boards of trade that have been designated "contracts markets" by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).  No purchase price is paid or received when the contract is entered into.  Instead, the Fund, upon entering into a futures contract (and to maintain the Fund's open positions in futures contracts), would be required to deposit with its custodian in a segregated account in the name of the futures broker an amount of cash, U.S. government securities, suitable money market instruments, or liquid, high-grade debt securities, known as "initial margin."  The margin required for a particular futures contract is set by the exchange on which the contract is traded, and may be significantly modified from time to time by the exchange during the term of the contract.  Futures contracts are customarily purchased and sold on margin that may range upward from less than 5% of the value of the contract being traded.  By using futures contracts as a risk management technique, given the greater liquidity in the futures market than in the cash market, it may be possible to accomplish certain results more quickly and with lower transaction costs.
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If the price of an open futures contract changes (by increase in the case of a sale or by decrease in the case of a purchase) so that the loss on the futures contract reaches a point at which the margin on deposit does not satisfy margin requirements, the broker will require an increase in the margin.  However, if the value of a position increases because of favorable price changes in the futures contract so that the margin deposit exceeds the required margin, the broker will pay the excess to the Fund.  These subsequent payments, called "variation margin," to and from the futures broker, are made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying assets fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as "marking to the market."  The Fund is expected to earn interest income on initial and variation margin deposits.
The Fund will incur brokerage fees when it purchases and sells futures contracts.  Positions taken in the futures markets are not normally held until delivery or cash settlement is required, but are instead liquidated through offsetting transactions that may result in a gain or a loss.  While futures positions taken by the Fund will usually be liquidated in this manner, the Fund may instead make or take delivery of underlying securities whenever it appears economically advantageous for the Fund to do so.  A clearing organization associated with the exchange on which futures are traded assumes responsibility for closing out transactions and guarantees that as between the clearing members of an exchange, the sale and purchase obligations will be performed with regard to all positions that remain open at the termination of the contract.
In addition to the margin restrictions discussed above, transactions in futures contracts may involve the segregation of funds pursuant to requirements imposed by the SEC .  Under those requirements, where the Fund has a long position in a futures contract, it may be required to establish a segregated account  (not with a futures commission merchant or broker) containing cash or certain liquid assets equal to the purchase price of the contract (less any margin on deposit).  However, segregation of assets is not required if the Fund "covers" a long position. For a short position in futures or forward contracts held by the Fund, those requirements may mandate the establishment of a segregated account (not with a futures commission merchant or broker) with cash or certain liquid assets that, when added to the amounts deposited as margin, equal the market value of the instruments underlying the futures contracts (but are not less than the price at which the short positions were established).
Swaps.   The Fund may invest in currency, equity, interest rate, index and other swaps, which involve the exchange by an investor with another party of their respective commitments, in an attempt to obtain a particular return when it is considered desirable to do so, possibly at a lower cost than if the Fund had invested directly in the asset that yielded the desired return.  In the case of interest rate swaps, an investor may exchange with another party their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, such as an exchange of fixed rate payments for floating rate payments.  Use of swaps subjects the investor to risk of default by the counterparties.  If there is a default by the counterparty to such a transaction, there may be contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction although contractual remedies may not be sufficient in the event that the counterparty to the transaction is insolvent.  The swap market has grown substantially in recent years with a large number of banks and investment banking firms acting both as principals and agents utilizing standardized swap documentation.  As a result, the swap market has become relatively liquid in comparison with the markets for other similar instruments which are traded in the interbank market.  An investor may also enter into currency swaps or other swaps which are similar to interest rate swaps but may be surrogates for other instruments such as currency forwards or options.
Forward Commitment and When-Issued Securities.   The Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued basis or for settlement at a future date if the Fund holds sufficient assets to meet the purchase price.  In such purchase transactions, the Fund will not accrue interest on the purchased security until the actual settlement.  Similarly, if a security is sold for a forward date, the Fund will accrue the interest until the settlement of the sale.  When-issued security purchases and forward commitments have a higher degree of risk of price movement before settlement due to the extended time period between the execution and settlement of the purchase or sale.  As a result, the exposure to the counterparty of the purchase or sale is increased.  Although the Fund would generally purchase securities on a forward commitment or when-issued basis with the intention of taking delivery, the Fund may sell such a security prior to the settlement date if the Advisor feels such action is appropriate.  In such a case, the Fund could incur a short-term gain or loss.
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Repurchase Agreements.   A repurchase transaction occurs when an investor purchases a security (normally a U.S. Treasury obligation), and it then resells it to the vendor (normally a member bank of the Federal Reserve or a registered government securities dealer) and is required to deliver the security (and/or securities substituted for them under the repurchase agreement) to the vendor on an agreed upon date in the future.  The repurchase price exceeds the purchase price by an amount which reflects an agreed upon market interest rate effective for the period of time during which the repurchase agreement is in effect.  Delivery pursuant to the resale normally will occur within one to seven days of the purchase.  Repurchase agreements are considered "loans" under the 1940 Act , collateralized by the underlying security.  The Trust has implemented procedures to monitor on a continuous basis the value of the collateral serving as security for repurchase obligations.  The Advisor will consider the creditworthiness of the vendor.  If the vendor fails to pay the agreed upon resale price on the delivery date, the Fund will retain or attempt to dispose of the collateral.  The Fund's risk is that such default may include any decline in value of the collateral to an amount which is less than 100% of the repurchase price, any costs of disposing of such collateral, and any loss resulting from any delay in foreclosing on the collateral.  Repurchase agreements that do not provide for payment within seven days will be treated as illiquid securities.  The Fund will not invest in reverse repurchase agreements.
Short Sales.   The Fund may sell securities short.  A short sale is a transaction in which the Fund sells a security it does not own or have the right to acquire (or that it owns but does not wish to deliver) in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline.  When the Fund makes a short sale, the broker-dealer through which the short sale is made must borrow the security sold short and deliver it to the party purchasing the security.  The Fund is required to make a margin deposit in connection with such short sales; the Fund may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and will often be obligated to pay over any dividends and accrued interest on borrowed securities.
If the price of the security sold short increases between the time of the short sale and the time the Fund covers the short position, the Fund will incur a loss; conversely, if the price declines, the Fund will realize a capital gain.  Any gain will be decreased, and any loss increased, by the transaction costs described above.  The successful use of short selling may be adversely affected by imperfect correlation between movements in the price of the security sold short and the securities being hedged.
To the extent the Fund sells securities short, the Fund will take measures that assure its obligation to purchase the security in the future will be met, including (i) holding the security sold short; (ii) holding an offsetting call option (one with a strike price that is the same or lower than the price at which the security was sold short); or (iii) segregating liquid assets (which can be cash, U.S. Government securities, and other liquid debt or equity securities) on the Fund's books or in a segregated account at the Fund's custodian in an amount sufficient to cover the current value of the securities to be replaced as well as any dividends, interest, and transaction costs due to the broker-dealer lender.  In determining the amount to be segregated, any securities that have been sold short by the Fund will be marked to market daily.  To the extent the market price of the securities sold short increases and more assets are required to meet the Fund's short sale obligations, additional assets will be segregated to ensure adequate coverage of the Fund's short position obligations.  If the Fund does not have the assets to cover a short sale, then the Fund's potential losses on the short will be unlimited because the security's price may appreciate indefinitely.
Liquidity Impact of Margin and Segregation Requirements.  Although the Fund will segregate cash and liquid assets in an amount sufficient to cover its open obligations with respect to written options, short sales, and other derivative instruments as applicable, the segregated assets will be available to the Fund immediately upon closing out the positions, while settlement of securities transactions could take several days. However, because the Fund's cash that may otherwise be invested would be held uninvested or invested in other liquid assets so long as the position remains open, the Fund's return could be diminished due to the opportunity losses of foregoing other potential investments.
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Illiquid Investments.   The Fund may invest up to 15% of net assets in illiquid securities, which are investments that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the prices at which they are valued.  This restriction is not limited to the time of purchase and must be adhered to at all times.  Under the supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the "Board" or the "Trustees"), the Advisor determines the liquidity of the Fund's investments, and through reports from the Advisor, the Trustees monitor investments in illiquid instruments.  In determining the liquidity of the Fund's investments, the Advisor may consider various factors including (i) the frequency of trades and quotations; (ii) the number of dealers and prospective purchasers in the marketplace; (iii) dealer undertakings to make a market; (iv) the nature of the security (including any demand or tender features); and (v) the nature of the marketplace for trades (including the ability to assign or offset the Fund's rights and obligations relating to the investment).  If through a change in values, net assets, or other circumstances, the Fund were in a position where more than 15% of its net assets were invested in illiquid securities, the Fund will take steps to reduce, in an orderly fashion, its holdings of illiquid securities and may dispose of some securities even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint at that time.  However, the Fund will not dispose of illiquid securities if the Sub-Advisor determines that doing so would not be in the best interests of the Fund.  Investment in illiquid securities poses risks of potential delays in resale and uncertainty in valuation.  Limitations on resale may have an adverse effect on the marketability of portfolio securities and the Fund may be unable to dispose of illiquid securities promptly or at reasonable prices.
Restricted Securities.   Within its limitation on investment in illiquid securities, the Fund may purchase restricted securities that generally can be sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the federal securities laws, or in a registered public offering.  Where registration is required, the Fund may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time the Fund may be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement.  If during such a period adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security.  Restricted securities that can be offered and sold to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933 and are determined to be liquid under guidelines adopted by and subject to the supervision of the Trustees are not subject to the limitations on illiquid securities.
Lending of Portfolio Securities.   In order to generate additional income, the Fund may lend portfolio securities in an amount up to 33% of total Fund assets to broker-dealers, major banks, or other recognized domestic institutional borrowers of securities which the Advisor has determined are creditworthy under guidelines established by the Board.  In determining whether the Fund will lend securities, the Advisor will consider all relevant facts and circumstances.  The Fund may not lend securities to any company affiliated with the Advisor.  Each loan of securities will be collateralized by cash, securities, or equivalent collateral.  The Fund might experience a loss if the borrower defaults on the loan.
The borrower at all times during the loan must maintain with the Fund cash or cash equivalent collateral.  While the loan is outstanding, the borrower will pay the Fund any interest paid on the loaned securities, and the Fund may invest the cash collateral to earn additional income.  Alternatively, the Fund may receive an agreed-upon amount of interest income from the borrower who has delivered equivalent collateral.  It is anticipated that the Fund may share with the borrower some of the income received on the collateral for the loan or the Fund will be paid a premium for the loan.  Voting rights for loaned securities will typically pass to the borrower, but the Fund will retain the right to call any security in anticipation of a vote that the Advisor deems material to the security on loan.  Loans are subject to termination at the option of the Fund or the borrower at any time.  The Fund may pay reasonable administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan, and may pay a negotiated portion of the income earned on the cash to the borrower or placing broker.  As with other extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery or even loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.
Securities lending involves counterparty risk, including the risk that the loaned securities may not be returned or returned in a timely manner and/or a loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower or the lending agent defaults or fails financially. This risk will be increased if a continuation of the current downturn in the economic conditions in the United States and around the world, particularly the recent failures of several major financial services firms, causes further declines in the securities markets and/or causes further financial instability in the borrowers or lending agents.  This risk is increased when the Fund's loans are concentrated with a single or limited number of borrowers. There are no limits on the number of borrowers the Fund may use, and the Fund may lend securities to only one or a small group of borrowers.  Mutual funds participating in securities lending bear the risk of loss in connection with investments of the cash collateral received from the borrowers, which do not trigger additional collateral requirements from the borrower.
13

Borrowing.   The Fund may borrow money for investment purposes, which is a form of leveraging.  Leveraging investments, by purchasing securities with borrowed money, is a speculative technique that increases investment risk while increasing investment opportunity.  Such borrowing may make the Fund's NAV more volatile than funds that do not borrow for investment purposes because leverage magnifies changes in the Fund's NAV and on the Fund's investments.  Although the principal of borrowings will be fixed, the Fund's assets may change in value during the time the borrowing is outstanding.  Leverage also creates interest expenses for the Fund.  To the extent the income derived from securities purchased with borrowed funds exceeds the interest the Fund will have to pay, the Fund's net income will be greater than it would be if leverage were not used.  Conversely, if the income from the assets obtained with borrowed funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leveraging, the net income of the Fund will be less than it would be if leverage were not used, and therefore the amount available for distribution to shareholders as dividends will be reduced.  The use of derivatives in connection with leverage creates the potential for significant loss.  The Fund does not intend to use leverage in excess of 5% of total assets and will not make additional investments when outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets.  Any leveraging will comply with the applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and the guidance of no-action letters issued by the SEC , including Investment Company Act Release No. 10666 (Apr. 18, 1979), intended to minimize the use of leverage and the possibility that the Fund's liabilities will exceed the value of its assets.
The Fund may also borrow money to meet redemptions or for other emergency purposes.  Such borrowings may be on a secured or unsecured basis at fixed or variable rates of interest.  The 1940 Act requires the Fund to maintain continuous asset coverage of not less than 300% with respect to all borrowings.  If such asset coverage should decline to less than 300% due to market fluctuations or other reasons, the Fund may be required to dispose of some portfolio holdings within three days in order to reduce the Fund's debt and restore the 300% asset coverage, even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint to dispose of assets at that time.  The Fund also may be required to maintain minimum average balances in connection with such borrowing or to pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit.  Either of these requirements would increase the cost of borrowing over the stated interest rate.
Temporary Defensive Positions.   The Fund may, from time to time, take temporary defensive positions in an attempt to respond to adverse market, economic, political, or other conditions.  During such an unusual set of circumstances, the Fund may hold up to 100% of its portfolios in cash or cash equivalent positions (e.g., money market securities, U.S. Government securities, and/or similar securities).  When the Fund takes a temporary defensive position, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.
INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS
Fundamental Investment Restrictions. The following investment restrictions have been adopted by the Trust with respect to the Fund. Except as otherwise stated, these investment restrictions are "fundamental" policies. A "fundamental" policy is defined in the 1940 Act to mean that the restriction cannot be changed without approval by holders of a majority of the outstanding voting shares of the Fund.  A "majority" for this purpose means the lesser of (i) 67% of the Fund's outstanding shares represented in person or by proxy at a meeting at which more than 50% of its outstanding shares are represented; or (ii) more than 50% of its outstanding shares.
As a matter of fundamental policy, the Fund may not:
(1)
Issue senior securities, except as permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940;
(2)
Borrow money, except to the extent permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (including, without limitation, borrowing to meet redemptions).  For purposes of this investment restriction, the entry into options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those relating to indices, and options on futures contracts or indices shall not constitute borrowing;
14

(3)
Pledge, mortgage, or hypothecate its assets, except to the extent necessary to secure permitted borrowings and to the extent related to the deposit of assets in escrow in connection with writing covered put and call options and the purchase of securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis and collateral and initial or variation margin arrangements with respect to options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those relating to indices, and options on futures contracts or indices;
(4)
Act as an underwriter except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities, the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws;
(5)
Purchase or sell real estate or direct interests in real estate; provided, however, that the Fund may purchase and sell securities which are secured by real estate and securities of companies which invest or deal in real estate (including, without limitation, investments in REITs, mortgage-backed securities, and privately-held real estate funds);
(6)
Invest in commodities, except that the Fund may purchase and sell options, forward contracts, futures contracts, including those relating to indices and currencies, and options on futures contracts, indices or currencies;
(7)
Make investments for the purpose of exercising control or management over a portfolio company;
(8)
Make loans, provided that the Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount up to 33% of total Fund assets, and provided further that, for purposes of this restriction, investment in U.S. Government obligations, short-term commercial paper, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, and repurchase agreements shall not be deemed to be the making of a loan; or
(9)
The Fund will not concentrate its investments. The Fund's concentration policy limits the aggregate value of holdings of a single industry or group of industries (except U.S. Government and cash items) to less than 25% of the Fund's total assets.
Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although it does not treat certain transactions as senior securities, such as certain borrowings, short sales, firm commitment agreements, and standby commitments, with appropriate earmarking or segregation of assets to cover such obligations.  The Fund's specific policies for segregation of assets are described in "Additional Information About Investment Policies" above.
The Fund is allowed to pledge, mortgage, or hypothecate assets up to the amounts allowable under the 1940 Act , which presently allows the Fund to borrow from any bank (including pledging, mortgaging or hypothecating assets) in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (not including temporary borrowings not in excess of 5% of its total assets).
With respect to Investment Limitation #2, the Fund will not make additional investments if outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of the Fund's total assets.
With respect to the fundamental investment restrictions above (other than those involving permitted senior securities and borrowings), if a percentage limitation is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or net assets will not result in a violation of such restriction (i.e., percentage limitations are determined at the time of purchase).
The Fund may invest up to 15% of net assets in illiquid securities, which are investments that cannot be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the prices at which they are valued.  This restriction is not limited to the time of purchase and must be adhered to at all times.  If the Fund were in a position where more than 15% of its net assets were invested in illiquid securities, the Fund would take steps to reduce, in an orderly fashion, its holdings of illiquid securities and may dispose of some securities even though it may be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint at that time.
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PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS
Subject to the general supervision of the Trustees, the Advisor is responsible for, makes decisions with respect to, and places orders for all purchases and sales of portfolio securities for the Fund.  The Advisor shall manage the Fund's portfolios in accordance with the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement by and between the Advisor and the Trust on behalf of the Fund ("Advisory Agreement"), which is described in detail under "Management and Other Service Providers – Investment Advisor."  The Advisor serves as investment advisor for a number of client accounts, including the Fund.  Investment decisions for the Fund are made independently from those for any other series of the Trust, if any, and for any other investment companies and accounts advised or managed by the Advisor.
Brokerage Selection. The Fund has adopted, and the Trustees have approved, policies and procedures relating to the direction of mutual fund portfolio securities transactions to broker-dealers.  The Advisor may not give consideration to sales of shares of the Fund as a factor in selecting broker-dealers to execute portfolio securities transactions.  The Advisor may, however, place portfolio transactions with broker-dealers that promote or sell the Fund's shares so long as such transactions are done in accordance with the policies and procedures established by the Trustees that are designed to ensure that the selection is based on the quality of the broker's execution and not on its sales efforts.  In selecting brokers to be used in portfolio transactions, the Advisor's general guiding principle is to obtain the best overall execution for each trade, which is a combination of price and execution.  With respect to execution, the Advisor considers a number of discretionary factors, including, without limitation, the actual handling of the order, the ability of the broker to settle the trade promptly and accurately, the financial standing of the broker, the ability of the broker to position stock to facilitate execution, the Advisor's past experience with similar trades, and other factors that may be unique to a particular order.  Recognizing the value of these discretionary factors, the Advisor may select brokers who charge a brokerage commission that is higher than the lowest commission that might otherwise be available for any given trade.
Under Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is authorized to pay a brokerage commission in excess of that which another broker might have charged for effecting the same transaction, in recognition of the value of brokerage and/or research services provided by the broker.  The research received by the Advisor may include, without limitation: information on the United States and other world economies; information on specific industries, groups of securities, individual companies, and political and other relevant news developments affecting markets and specific securities; technical and quantitative information about markets; analysis of proxy proposals affecting specific companies; accounting and performance systems that allow the Advisor to determine and track investment results; and trading systems that allow the Advisor to interface electronically with brokerage firms, custodians, and other providers.  Research is received in the form of written reports, telephone contacts, personal meetings, research seminars, software programs, and access to computer databases.  In some instances, research products or services received by the Advisor may also be used by the Advisor for functions that are not research related (i.e. not related to the making of investment decisions).  Where a research product or service has a mixed use, the Advisor will make a reasonable allocation according to the use and will pay for the non-research function in cash using its own funds.
The research and investment information services described above make available to the Advisor for its analysis and consideration the views and information of individuals and research staffs of other securities firms.  These services may be useful to the Advisor in connection with advisory clients other than the Fund and not all such services may be useful to the Advisor in connection with the Fund.  Although such information may be a useful supplement to the Advisor's own investment information in rendering services to the Fund, the value of such research and services is not expected to reduce materially the expenses of the Advisor in the performance of its services under the Advisory Agreement and will not reduce the management fees payable to the Advisor by the Fund.
The Fund may invest in securities traded in the over-the-counter market.  In these cases, the Fund may initiate trades through brokers on an agency basis and pay a commission in connection with the transaction.  The Fund may also effect these transactions by dealing directly with the dealers who make a market in the securities involved, in which case the costs of such transactions would involve dealer spreads rather than brokerage commissions.  With respect to securities traded only in the over-the-counter market, orders will be executed on a principal basis with primary market makers in such securities except where better prices or executions may be obtained on an agency basis or by dealing with those other than a primary market maker.
16

The Fund's fixed income portfolio transactions may be executed through broker-dealers on an agency basis or be principal transactions executed in over the counter markets on a "net" basis, which may include a dealer mark up.  Where possible, the Advisor will deal directly with the broker-dealers who make a market in the securities involved except in those circumstances where better prices and execution are available elsewhere. Such broker-dealers usually act as principal for their own account.
The Fund may participate, if and when practicable, in bidding for the purchase of Fund securities directly from an issuer in order to take advantage of the lower purchase price available to members of a bidding group.  The Fund will engage in this practice, however, only when the Advisor, in its sole discretion, believes such practice to be otherwise in the Fund's interest.
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017, the Fund paid brokerage commissions in the amount of $37,691. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2016, the Fund paid brokerage commissions in the amount of $25,890.  For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, the Fund paid brokerage commissions in the amount of $5,144. 
Aggregated Trades. While investment decisions for the Fund are made independently of the Advisor's other client accounts, the Advisor's other client accounts may invest in the same securities as the Fund.  To the extent permitted by law, the Advisor may aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased for the Fund with those to be sold or purchased for other investment companies or accounts in executing transactions.  When a purchase or sale of the same security is made at substantially the same time on behalf of the Fund and another investment company or account, the transaction will be averaged as to price and available investments allocated as to amount in a manner which the Advisor believes to be equitable to the Fund and such other investment company or account.  In some instances, this investment procedure may adversely affect the price paid or received by the Fund or the size of the position obtained or sold by the Fund.
Portfolio Turnover.   The annualized portfolio turnover rate for the Fund is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the reporting period by the monthly average value of the portfolio securities owned during the reporting period.  The calculation excludes all securities whose maturities or expiration dates at the time of acquisition are one year or less.  Portfolio turnover of the Fund may vary greatly from year to year as well as within a particular year, and may be affected by cash requirements for redemption of shares and by requirements that enable the Fund to receive favorable tax treatment.  Portfolio turnover will not be a limiting factor in making Fund decisions, and the Fund may engage in short-term trading to achieve its investment objectives.  High rates of portfolio turnover could lower performance of the Fund due to increased transaction costs and may also result in the realization of short-term capital gains taxed at ordinary income tax rates. The portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 was 111.52%.  The portfolio turnover rate for the Fund was in excess of 100% due to high trading volume during the fiscal year.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRUST
The Trust, which is a statutory trust organized under Delaware law on May 13, 2009, is an open-end management investment company.  The Trust's Declaration of Trust ("Trust Instrument") authorizes the Trustees to divide shares into series, each series relating to a separate portfolio of investments, and to classify and reclassify any unissued shares into one or more classes of shares of each such series.  The Trust currently consists of sixteen series.    Additional series and/or classes may be created from time to time.  The number of shares in the Trust shall be unlimited.  When issued for payment as described in the Fund's P rospectus and this SAI , shares of the Fund will be fully paid and non‑assessable and shall have no preemptive rights .  The Trust normally does not issue share certificates.
In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of the Trust or an individual series, such as the Fund, shareholders of a particular series would be entitled to receive the assets available for distribution belonging to such series.  Shareholders of a series are entitled to participate equally in the net distributable assets of the particular series involved on liquidation, based on the number of shares of the series that are held by each shareholder.  If there are any assets, income, earnings, proceeds, funds, or payments, that are not readily identifiable as belonging to any particular series, the Trustees shall allocate them among any one or more of the series as they, in their sole discretion, deem fair and equitable.
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Shareholders of all of the series of the Trust, including the Fund, will vote together and not separately on a series‑by‑series or class-by-class basis, except as otherwise required by law or when the Trustees determine that the matter to be voted upon affects only the interests of the shareholders of a particular series or class.  Rule 18f-2 under the 1940 Act provides that any matter required to be submitted to the holders of the outstanding voting securities of an investment company such as the Trust shall not be deemed to have been effectively acted upon unless approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each series or class affected by the matter.  A series or class is affected by a matter unless it is clear that the interests of each series or class in the matter are substantially identical or that the matter does not affect any interest of the series or class.  Under Rule 18f-2, the approval of an investment advisory agreement or any change in a fundamental investment policy would be effectively acted upon with respect to a series only if approved by a majority of the outstanding shares of such series.  However, the rule also provides that the ratification of the appointment of independent accountants, the approval of principal underwriting contracts, and the election of Trustees may be effectively acted upon by shareholders of the Trust voting together, without regard to a particular series or class.  Rights of shareholders can only be modified by a majority vote.
When used in the Prospectus or this SAI, a "majority" of shareholders means the vote of the lesser of (i) 67% of the shares of the Trust or the applicable series or class present at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding shares are present in person or by proxy or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Trust or the applicable series or class.
Share-holders are entitled to one vote for each full share and a fractional vote for each fractional share held.  Shares have non-cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares voting for the election of Trustees can elect 100% of the Trustees, and in this event, the holders of the remaining shares voting will not be able to elect any Trustees.
The Trustees will hold office indefinitely, except that: (i) any Trustee may resign or retire, and (ii) any Trustee may be removed: (a) any time by written instrument signed by at least two-thirds of the number of Trustees prior to such removal; (b) at any meeting of shareholders of the Trust by a vote of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Trust; or (c) by a written declaration signed by shareholders holding not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Trust.  In case a vacancy on the Board shall for any reason exist, the vacancy shall be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Trustees, subject to certain restrictions under the 1940 Act .  Otherwise, there will normally be no meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees, and the Trust does not expect to have an annual meeting of share-holders.
The Trust Instrument provides that the Trustees will not be liable in any event in connection with the affairs of the Trust, except as such liability may arise from a Trustee's bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of duties.  It also provides that all third parties shall look solely to the Trust's property for satisfaction of claims arising in connection with the affairs of the Trust.  With the exceptions stated, the Trust Instrument provides that a Trustee or officer is entitled to be indemnified against all liability in connection with the affairs of the Trust.
MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
The Trustees are responsible for the management and supervision of the Fund.  The Trustees approve all significant agreements between the Trust, on behalf of the Fund, and those companies that furnish services to the Fund; review performance of the Advisor and the Fund; and oversee activities of the Fund.  This section of the SAI provides information about the persons who serve as Trustees and officers to the Trust and Fund, respectively, as well as the entities that provide services to the Fund.
Trustees and Officers.   Following are the Trustees and officers of the Trust, their age and address, their present position with the Trust or the Fund, and their principal occupation during the past five years.  The Trustees in the following table who are not "interested" persons of the Trust within the meaning of the 1940 Act ("Independent Trustees") are indicted as such.  The address of each Trustee and officer of the Trust, unless otherwise indicated, is 116 South Franklin Street, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804.
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Name, Age
and Address
Position
held with
Funds or Trust
Length
of Time
Served
Principal Occupation
During Past 5 Years
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee
Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past 5 Years
Independent Trustees
James H. Speed, Jr.
Date of Birth:  06/1953
Independent
Trustee, Chairman
Trustee
since
7/09,
Chair
since 5/12
Previously President and CEO of NC Mutual Insurance Company (insurance company) from 2003 to 2015.
16
Independent Trustee of the Brown Capital Management Mutual Funds for its four series, Hillman Capital Management Investment Trust for its one series, Centaur Mutual Funds Trust for its one series, Chesapeake Investment Trust, previously known as Gardner Lewis Trust, for its one series and WST Investment Trust for its two series (all registered investment companies). Member of Board of Directors of M&F Bancorp. Member of Board of Directors of Investors Title Company. Previously, Board of Directors of NC Mutual Life Insurance Company.
Theo H. Pitt, Jr.
Date of Birth:  04/1936
Independent
Trustee
Since 9/10
Senior Partner, Community Financial Institutions Consulting (financial consulting) since 1999; Partner, Pikar Properties (real estate) since 2001.
16
Independent Trustee of World Funds Trust for its forty nine series, Chesapeake Investment Trust, previously known as Gardner Lewis Investment Trust, for its one series, Leeward Investment Trust for its two series and Hillman Capital Management Investment Trust for its one series (all registered investment companies).
Michael G. Mosley
Date of Birth:   01/1953
Independent
Trustee
Since 7/10
Owner of Commercial Realty Services (real estate) since 2004.
16
None.
J. Buckley Strandberg
Date of Birth:  03/1960
Independent Trustee
Since 7/09
President of Standard Insurance and Realty (insurance and property management) since 1982.
16
None.
Other Officers
Katherine M. Honey
Date of Birth:  09/1973
President and
Principal Executive
Officer
Since
05/15
EVP of The Nottingham Company since 2008.
n/a
n/a
Matthew J. Beck
Date of Birth:  06/1988
Secretary
Since
05/15
General Counsel of The Nottingham Company since 2014.
n/a
n/a
Ashley E. Harris
Date of Birth:  03/1984
Treasurer, Assistant
Secretary and
Principal Financial
Officer
Since
05/15
Fund Accounting Manager and Financial Reporting, The Nottingham Company since 2008.
n/a
n/a

 
19

Name, Age
and Address
Position
held with
Funds or Trust
Length
of Time
Served
Principal Occupation
During Past 5 Years
Number of Portfolios in Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee
Other Directorships
Held by Trustee
During Past 5 Years
Stacey Gillespie
Date of Birth:  05/1974
Chief Compliance
Officer
Since
03/16
Compliance Director, Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC (09/15-present). Formerly, Chief Compliance Officer of Boenning & Scattergood, Inc. (2013-2015) and Director of Investment Compliance at Boenning & Scattergood, Inc. (2007-2013).
n/a
n/a
The Board met nine times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 201 7 .  Each Trustee attended all of the Board meetings.
Board Structure.  The Trust's Board includes four I ndependent Trustees.  Mr. Speed, Jr. serves as the Independent Chairman of the Board.  The Board has established several standing committees: the Audit Committee, Nominating Committee, Proxy Voting Committee, Governance Committee, and Qualified Legal Compliance Committee.  These standing committees are comprised entirely of the Independent Trustees.  Other information about these standing committees is set forth below.  The Board has determined that the Board's structure is appropriate given the characteristics, size, and operations of the Trust.  The Board also believes that its leadership structure, including its committees, helps facilitate effective oversight of Trust management.  The Board reviews its structure annually.
With respect to risk oversight, the Board considers risk management issues as part of its general oversight responsibilities throughout the year.  The Board holds four regular board meetings each year during which the Board receives risk management reports and/or assessments from Trust management, the Fund's advisor, administrator, transfer agent, and distributor, and receives an annual report from the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer ("CCO").  The Audit Committee also meets with the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm on an annual basis, to discuss among other things, the internal control structure of the Trust's financial reporting function.  When appropriate, the Board may hold special meeting or communicate directly with Trust management, the CCO, the Trust's third party service providers, legal counsel, or independent public accountants to address matters arising between regular board meeting or needing special attention.  In addition, the Board has adopted policies and procedures for the Trust to help detect and prevent and, if necessary, correct violations of federal securities laws.
Qualification of Trustees.  The Board believes that each Trustee's experience, qualifications, attributes or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Trustees on the Board lead to the conclusion that the Board possesses the requisite skills and attributes to carry out its oversight responsibilities with respect to the Trust. The Board believes that its Trustees' ability to review, critically evaluate, question, and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Advisor, other service providers, counsel and independent auditors, and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of its duties, support this conclusion. The Board also has considered the following experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills, among others, of its members, as applicable, in reaching its conclusion: (i) such person's business and professional experience and accomplishments, including prior experience in the financial services and investment management fields or on other boards; (ii) such person's ability to work effectively with the other members of the Board; (iii) how the individual's skills, experiences, and attributes would contribute to an appropriate mix of relevant skills and experience on the Board; (iv) such person's character and integrity; (v) such person's willingness to serve and willingness and ability to commit the time necessary to perform the duties of a Trustee; and (vi) as to each Trustee his status as an Independent Trustee.
In addition, the following specific experience, qualifications, attributes and/or skills were considered in respect of the listed Trustee.
Mr. Mosley has had business experience as an owner of a real estate company.  Mr. Pitt has experience as an investor, including his role as trustee of several other investment companies and business experience as Senior Partner of a financial consulting company, as a Partner of a real estate partnership and as an Account Administrator for a money management firm.  Mr. Speed also has experience as an investor as trustee of several other investment companies and business experience as President and CEO of an insurance company and as President of a company in the business of consulting and private investing.  Mr. Strandberg also has investment experience as a former trustee of another investment company and business experience as President of an insurance and property management company.
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The Board has determined that each of the Trustees' careers and background, combined with their interpersonal skills and general understanding of financial and other matters, enable the Trustees to effectively participate in and contribute to the Board's functions and oversight of the Trust.  References to the qualifications, attributes, and skills of Trustees are pursuant to requirements of the SEC , do not constitute holding out the Board or any Trustee as having any special expertise or experience, and shall not impose any greater responsibility on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof.
Trustee Standing Committees.   The Trustees have established the following standing committees:
Audit Committee.   All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Audit Committee.  The Audit Committee oversees the Fund's accounting and financial reporting policies and practices, reviews the results of the annual audits of the Fund's financial statements, and interacts with the Fund's independent auditors on behalf of all the Trustees.  The Audit Committee operates pursuant to an Audit Committee Charter and meets periodically as necessary.  The Audit Committee met eight times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 201 7 .
Nominating Committee.   All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Nominating Committee.  The Nominating Committee nominates, selects, and appoints independent trustees to fill vacancies on the Board of Trustees and to stand for election at meetings of the shareholders of the Trust.  The Nominating Committee meets only as necessary.  The Nominating Committee generally will not consider nominees recommended by shareholders of the Trust. The Nominating Committee did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 201 7 .
Proxy Voting Committee.   All of the Independent Trustees are members of the Proxy Voting Committee.  The Proxy Voting Committee will determine how the Fund should vote, if called upon by the Board or the Advisor, when a matter with respect to which the Fund is entitled to vote presents a conflict between the interests of the Fund's shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Fund's Advisor, principal underwriter, or an affiliated person of the Fund, its investment advisor, or principal underwriter, on the other hand.  The Proxy Voting Committee will also review the Trust's Proxy Voting Policy and recommend any changes to the Board as it deems necessary or advisable. The Proxy Voting Committee will also decide if the Fund should participate in a class action settlement, if called upon by the Advisor, in cases where a class action settlement with respect to which the Fund is eligible to participate presents a conflict between the interests of the Fund's shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Advisor, on the other hand.  The Proxy Voting Committee meets only as necessary and did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 201 7 .
Governance Committee. The Independent Trustees are the current members of the Governance Committee.  The Governance Committee assists the Board in adopting fund governance practices and meeting certain fund governance standards.  The Governance Committee operates pursuant to a Governance Committee Charter and normally meets annually, but may also meet as often as necessary to carry out its purpose.  The Governance Committee met once during the fiscal year ended August 31, 201 7 .
Qualified Legal Compliance Committee.   The Independent Trustees are the current members of the Qualified Legal Compliance Committee.  The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee receives, investigates, and makes recommendations as to appropriate remedial action in connection with any report of evidence of a material violation of securities laws or breach of fiduciary duty or similar violation by the Trust, its officers, Trustees, or agents.  The Qualified Legal Compliance Committee meets only as necessary and did not meet during the fiscal year ended August 31, 201 7 .
Beneficial Equity Ownership Information.   The table below shows for each Trustee, the amount of Fund equity securities beneficially owned by each Trustee, and the aggregate value of all investments in equity securities of the Fund complex, as of valuation date of December 31, 201 6 and stated as one of the following ranges:  A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; and E = over $100,000.
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Name of
Trustee
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in the Fund
Aggregate Dollar Range
Of Equity Securities In
All Registered
Investment Companies
Overseen By Trustee In
Family of Investment
Companies*
Michael G. Mosley
A
A
Theo H. Pitt, Jr.
A
A
James H. Speed, Jr.
A
A
J. Buckley Strandberg
A
A
* Includes all the funds of the Trust managed by the Advisor.
Ownership of Securities of Advisor, Distributor, or Related Entities.   As of December 31, 201 6 , none of the Independent Trustees and/or their immediate family members own securities of the Advisor, Distributor, or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Advisor or Distributor.
Compensation.   Officers of the Trust and Trustees who are interested persons of the Trust or the Advisor will receive no salary or fees from the Trust.  Independent Trustees receive $2,000 per Fund each year.  The Trust reimburses each Trustee and officers of the Trust for his or her travel and other expenses relating to attendance at such meetings.  The following compensation is based on figures for the fiscal year ended August 31, 201 7 .  Each of the Trustees serves as a Trustee to all series of the Trust, including the Fund.
Name of Trustee
Aggregate
Compensation 
From the Fund*
Pension or
Retirement Benefits
Accrued As Part of
Fund Expenses
Estimated Annual
Benefits Upon
Retirement
Total Compensation
From Fund and
Fund Complex Paid
to Trustees*
Independent Trustees
Michael G. Mosley
$ 2,000
None
None
$ 37,450.56
Theo H. Pitt, Jr.
$ 2,000
None
None
$ 37,450.36
James H. Speed, Jr.
$ 2,000
None
None
$ 37,450.36
J. Buckley Strandberg
$ 2,000
None
None
$ 37,450.36
*Each of the Trustees serves as a Trustee to all series of the Trust.
Codes of Ethics.   The Trust and Advisor each have adopted a code of ethics, as required under Rule 17j-1 of the 1940 Act , which is designed to prevent affiliated persons of the Trust and Advisor from engaging in deceptive, manipulative, or fraudulent activities in connection with securities held or to be acquired by the Fund (which securities may also be held by persons subject to each such code of ethics).  There can be no assurance that the codes will be effective in preventing such activities.  The codes permit employees and officers of the Trust and Advisor to invest in securities, subject to certain restrictions and pre-approval requirements.  In addition, the Advisor's code requires that portfolio managers and other investment personnel of the Advisor report their personal securities transactions and holdings, which are reviewed for compliance with the Trust's and Advisor's code of ethics.
Anti-Money Laundering Program.   The Trust has adopted an anti-money laundering program, as required by applicable law, that is designed to prevent the Fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities.  The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for implementing and monitoring the operations and internal controls of the program.  Compliance officers at certain of the Fund's service providers are also responsible for monitoring the program.  The anti-money laundering program is subject to the continuing oversight of the Trustees.
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Proxy Voting Policies.   The Trust has adopted a proxy voting and disclosure policy that delegates to the Advisor the authority to vote proxies for the Fund, subject to oversight by the Trustees.  Copies of the Trust's Proxy Voting and Disclosure Policy and the Advisor's Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures are included as Appendix B to this SAI .  No later than August 31st of each year, the Fund will file Form N-PX stating how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30th.  Information regarding how the Fund voted proxies as set forth in its most recent filing of Form N-PX will be available (i) without charge, upon request, by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863; and (ii) on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.
Principal Holders of Voting Securities.   As of November 30, 201 7 , the Trustees and officers of the Trust as a group owned beneficially (i.e., had direct or indirect voting and/or investment power) less than 1% of the then outstanding shares of the Fund.  Except as provided below, no person is known by the Trust to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund as of November 30, 201 7 .
Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund
Name and Address of
Beneficial Owner
Amount and Nature of
Beneficial Ownership
Percent
Charles Schwab & Co, Inc.
101 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94104
3,857,116.552 Shares
51.12 % 1
1.
  The Fund believes that such entity does not have a beneficial ownership interest in such shares.
 
Investment Advisor.   Information about the Advisor, Roumell Asset Management, LLC, 2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 640 , Chevy Chase, MD 20815, and its duties and compensation as Advisor is contained in the Fund's P rospectus.  The Advisor is controlled by James C. Roumell, President.  The Advisor supervises the Fund's investments pursuant to the Advisory Agreement.  The Advisory Agreement is effective for an initial two-year period and will be renewed thereafter only so long as such renewal and continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Trustees or by vote of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities, provided the continuance is also approved by a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or interested persons of any such party.  The Advisory Agreement is terminable without penalty by the Trust on 60 calendar days' written notice by the Trustees or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities or upon 60 calendar days' written notice by the Advisor.  The Advisory Agreement provides that it will terminate automatically in the event of its "assignment," as such term is defined in the 1940 Act .  The Advisor manages the Fund's investments in accordance with the stated policies of the Fund, subject to the approval of the Trustees.  The Advisor is responsible for investment decisions, and provides the Fund with portfolio managers who are authorized by the Trustees to execute purchases and sales of securities.
 
Under the Advisory Agreement, the Advisor is not liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the performance of such agreement, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services; or a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith, or gross negligence on the part of the Advisor in the performance of its duties; or from its reckless disregard of its duties and obligations under the Advisory Agreement.
The Advisor receives a monthly management fee equal to an annual rate of 0.92% of the Fund's net assets.  In the interest of limiting expenses of the Fund, the Advisor has entered into an Expense Limitation Agreement with the Fund, pursuant to which the Advisor has agreed to waive or limit its fees and to assume other expenses so that the total annual operating expenses of the Fund (exclusive of acquired fund fees and expenses, interest, taxes, brokerage fees and commissions, extraordinary expenses, and payments under the Rule 12b-1 distribution plan) is limited to 1.23% for the period ending December 31, 2018. The Expense Limitation Agreement will continue from year-to-year thereafter, provided such continuance is specifically approved by a majority of the Trustees who (i) are not "interested persons" of the Trust or any other part to the Expense Limitation Agreement, as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, and (ii) have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operation of the Expense Limitation Agreement.  The Advisor cannot recoup from the Fund any amounts paid by the Advisor under the Expense Limitation Agreement.
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For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017, $512,742 in advisory fees were incurred, of which $63,173 in advisory fees were waived by the Advisor.  For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2016, the Advisor received fees for its services to the Fund in the amount of $391,260.  For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, the Advisor received fees for its services to the Fund in the amount of $382,416.
Portfolio Managers.  The Fund's portfolios will be managed on a day-to-day basis by James C. Roumell.  As of August 31, 201 7 , James C. Roumell was responsible for the management of the following types of accounts in addition to the Fund.
Portfolio Manager
Registered Investment
Companies
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles
Other Accounts
Number of
Accounts
Total Assets
Number of
Accounts
Total Assets
Number of
Accounts
Total Assets
All Accounts
James C. Roumell
0
$0
0
$0
121
$ 36 million
Accounts with Performance-Based Advisory Fee
James C. Roumell
0
$0
0
$0
0
$0
Conflicts of Interest.   When a portfolio manager has responsibility for managing more than one account, potential conflicts of interest may arise.  Those conflicts could include preferential treatment of one account over others in terms of allocation of resources or of investment opportunities. For instance, the Advisor may receive fees from certain accounts that are higher than the fee it receives from the Fund, or it may receive a performance-based fee on certain accounts. The procedures to address conflicts of interest, if any, are described below.
The portfolio managers' management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Fund's investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other.  The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Fund.  Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby the portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include the portfolio managers' knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Fund.  However, the Advisor has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts it manages are fairly and equitably allocated.
Compensation.   Each portfolio manager's compensation varies with the general success of the Advisor as a firm.  Each portfolio manager's compensation consists of a fixed annual salary, plus additional remuneration based on the Advisor's assets under management.  Each portfolio manager's compensation is not directly linked to the Fund's performance, although positive performance and growth in managed assets are factors that may contribute to the Advisor's distributable profits and assets under management.
Ownership of Fund Shares.   The table below shows the amount of the Fund's equity securities beneficially owned by each portfolio manager as of August 31, 2016 and stated as one of the following ranges: A = None; B = $1-$10,000; C = $10,001-$50,000; D = $50,001-$100,000; E = $100,001-$500,000; F = $500,001-$1,000,000; and G = over $1,000,000.
Name of
Portfolio Manager
Dollar Range of
Equity Securities in the Fund
James C. Roumell
G
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Administrator.   The Trust has entered into a Fund Accounting and Administration Agreement with The Nottingham Company ("Administrator"), 116 South Franklin Street, Post Office Box 69, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27802-0069. The Administrator performs the following services for the Fund: (i) procures on behalf of the Trust, and coordinates with the custodian and monitors the services it provides to the Fund; (ii) coordinates with and monitors any other third parties furnishing services to the Fund; (iii) provides the Fund with necessary office space, telephones and other communications facilities and personnel competent to perform administrative and clerical functions for the Fund; (iv) assists or supervises the maintenance by third parties of such books and records of the Fund as may be required by applicable federal or state law; (v) assists in the preparation of all federal, state, and local tax returns and reports of the Fund required by applicable law; (vi) assists in the preparation of and, after approval by the Trust, files and arranges for the distribution of proxy materials and periodic reports to shareholders of the Fund as required by applicable law; (vii) assists in the preparation of and, after approval by the Trust, arranges for the filing of such registration statements and other documents with the SEC and other federal and state regulatory authorities as may be required by applicable law; (viii) reviews and submits to the officers of the Trust for their approval invoices or other requests for payment of Fund expenses and instructs the custodian to issue checks in payment thereof; and (ix) takes such other action with respect to the Fund as may be necessary in the opinion of the Administrator to perform its duties under the agreement. The Administrator will also provide certain accounting and pricing services for the Fund.
Compensation of the Administrator, which is based upon an administration fee on the average daily net assets of the Fund, is at the following annual rates: 0.100% of the Funds' first $250 million, 0.080% on the next $250 million, 0.060% on the next $250 million, 0.050% on the next $250 million, 0.040% on the next $1 billion, and 0.035% on all net assets over $2 billion, with a monthly minimum general administration fee of $2,000.  The Administrator currently receives a monthly fund accounting fee of $2,250 for accounting and recordkeeping services with an additional fee of $500 per month for each additional class of shares plus an asset-based fee of 0.01% of the net assets of the Fund. The Administrator will also receive the following to procure and pay the custodian for the Fund: 0.02% on the first $200 million of the Fund's net assets and 0.009% on all assets over $200 million plus transaction fees with a minimum annual fee of $5,000.  The Administrator also charges the Fund for certain costs involved with the daily valuation of investment securities and is reimbursed for out‑of‑pocket expenses.
For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017, the Fund paid $55,733 in administration fees and $31,580 in fund accounting fees to the Administrator.  For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2016 and August 31, 2015, the Fund paid a combined fee of $131,838 and $128,858 for administration and fund accounting services to the Administrator, respectively.  For a portion of the 2016 fiscal year and all of the 2015 fiscal year, the Administrator's fee was higher in order to offset certain Fund expenses.
Distributor.   The Fund will conduct a continuous offering of their securities.  Capital Investment Group, Inc. ("Distributor"), 100 E. Six Forks Road, Suite 200, Raleigh, North Carolina 27609, acts as the underwriter and distributor of the Fund's shares for the purpose of facilitating the registration of shares of the Fund under state securities laws and assisting in sales of Fund shares pursuant to a distribution agreement ("Distribution Agreement") approved by the Trustees.  In this regard, the Distributor has agreed at its own expense to qualify as a broker‑dealer under all applicable federal or state laws in those states that the Fund shall from time to time identify to the Distributor as states in which the Fund wishes to offer its shares for sale, in order that state registrations may be maintained for the Fund.  The Distributor is a broker‑dealer registered with the SEC and a member in good standing of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The Distributor is entitled to receive an annual fee of $5,000 per Fund for performing certain recordkeeping, communication, and other administrative services for the Fund.  Such administrative services shall include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) maintaining records with respect to submissions to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, dealer discounts and brokerage fees and commissions, and selling agreements; (ii) maintaining an account with the National Securities Clearing Corporation's Fund/SERV System for the purpose of processing account registrations, maintaining accounts, and communicating transaction data; (iii) preparing reports for the Board as shall be reasonably requested from time to time; and (iv) performing other services for the Trust as agreed to by the Distributor and the Trust from time to time.  The Distributor and Trust agree that the services described above are of an administrative nature and such services, as well as the fee provided in connection therewith, are not, nor are they intended to be, payment for marketing and/or distribution services related to, or the promotion of, the sale of the Fund's shares.  The Distribution Agreement may be terminated by either party upon 60-days' prior written notice to the other party and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.  The Distributor serves as exclusive agent for the distribution of the shares of the Fund.
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Transfer Agent.   The Trust has entered into a Dividend Disbursing and Transfer Agent Agreement with Nottingham Shareholder Services, LLC ("Transfer Agent"), a North Carolina limited liability company, to serve as transfer, dividend paying, and shareholder servicing agent for the Fund.  For its services, the Transfer Agent is entitled to receive compensation from the Administrator pursuant to the Administrator's fee arrangements with the Fund.  The address of the Transfer Agent is 116 South Franklin Street, Post Office Box 4365, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27803-0365.
Custodian.   UMB Bank, n.a., with its principal place of business located in Kansas City, Missouri, serves as custodian for the Fund's assets (the "Custodian") .  The C ustodian acts as the depository for the Fund, safekeeps its portfolio securities, collects all income and other payments with respect to portfolio securities, disburses monies at the Fund's request, and maintains records in connection with its duties as custodian.  For its services, the custodian is entitled to receive a monthly fee from the Administrator based on the average net assets of the Fund plus additional out-of-pocket and transaction expenses as incurred by the Fund.  The Custodian's compensation is subject to a minimum annual amount of $5,000 for the Fund.
Compliance Services Administrator.   The Trust has entered into a compliance services arrangement with Cipperman Compliance Services, LLC, located at 500 East Swedesford Road, Suite 104, Wayne, Pennsylvania, 19087. The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer will prepare and update the Trust's compliance manual and monitor and test compliance with the policies and procedures under the Trust's compliance manual.
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.   The Trustees have selected the firm of BBD, LLP , 1835 Market Street, 26 th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103, to serve as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund for the current fiscal year and to audit the annual financial statements of the Fund, and prepare the Fund's federal, state, and excise tax returns.  The independent registered public accounting firm will audit the financial statements of the Fund at least once each year.  Shareholders will receive annual audited and semi-annual (unaudited) reports when published and written confirmation of all transactions in their account.  A copy of the most recent annual report will accompany the SAI whenever a shareholder or a prospective investor requests it.
Legal Counsel.   Holland & Knight LLP serves as legal counsel to the Trust and the Fund.
ADDITIONAL PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION INFORMATION
Reference is made to "Purchasing Shares" and "Redeeming Shares" in the Fund's P rospectus for more information concerning how to purchase and redeem shares.  The following information supplements the information regarding share purchases and share redemptions in the Fund's P rospectus:
Purchases.   Shares of the Fund are offered and sold on a continuous basis and may be purchased through authorized investment dealers or directly by contacting the Distributor, or the Fund directly.  Selling dealers have the responsibility of transmitting orders promptly to the Fund.  The purchase price of shares of the Fund is based on the NAV next determined after the order is received, subject to the order being received by the Fund in good form. NAV is normally determined at the time regular trading closes on the New York Stock Exchange on days the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading (currently 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except when the New York Stock Exchange closes earlier), as described under "Net Asset Value" above.  The NAV per share of the Fund is not calculated on business holidays when the New York Stock Exchange is closed.  An order received prior to the time regular trading closes on the New York Stock Exchange will be executed at the price calculated on the date of receipt and an order received after the time regular trading closes on the New York Stock Exchange will be executed at the price calculated as of that time on the next business day.
The Fund reserves the right in its sole discretion: (i) to suspend the offering of its shares; (ii) to reject purchase orders when in the judgment of management such rejection is in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders; and (iii) to reduce or waive the minimum for initial and subsequent investments under circumstances where certain economies can be achieved in sales of Fund shares.
Redemptions.   The Fund may suspend redemption privileges or postpone the date of payment (i) during any period that the New York Stock Exchange is closed for other than customary weekend and holiday closings, or that trading on the New York Stock Exchange is restricted as determined by the SEC; (ii) during any period when an emergency exists as defined by the rules of the SEC as a result of which it is not reasonably practicable for the Fund to dispose of securities owned by it, or to determine fairly the value of its assets; and (iii) for such other periods as the SEC may permit.  The Fund may also suspend or postpone the recordation of the transfer of shares upon the occurrence of any of the foregoing conditions.  Any redemption may be more or less than the shareholder's cost depending on the market value of the securities held by the Fund.  No charge is made by the Fund for redemptions other than the possible charge for wiring redemption proceeds.
26

Involuntary Redemptions.   In addition to the situations described in the Fund's P rospectus under "Redeeming Fund Shares," the Fund may redeem shares involuntarily to reimburse the Fund for any loss sustained by reason of the failure of a shareholder to make full payment for shares purchased by the shareholder or to collect any charge relating to a transaction effected for the benefit of a shareholder which is applicable to Fund shares as provided in the Fund's P rospectus from time to time or to close a shareholder's account if the Fund is unable to verify the shareholder's identity.
Other Information.   If an investor realizes a gain on the redemption, the reinvestment will not affect the amount of any federal capital gains tax payable on the gain.  If an investor realizes a loss on the redemption, the reinvestment may cause some or all of the loss to be disallowed as a tax deduction, depending on the number of shares purchased by reinvestment and the period of time that has elapsed after the redemption, although for tax purposes, the amount disallowed is added to the cost of the shares acquired upon the reinvestment.
SPECIAL SHAREHOLDER SERVICES
The Fund offers the following special shareholder services:
Regular Account.   The regular account allows for voluntary investments to be made at any time.  Available to individuals, custodians, corporations, trusts, estates, corporate retirement plans, and others, investors are free to make additions to or withdrawals from their account.  When an investor makes an initial investment in the Fund, a shareholder account is opened in accordance with the investor's registration instructions.  Each time there is a transaction in a shareholder account, such as an additional investment or the reinvestment of a dividend or distribution, the shareholder will receive a confirm-ation statement showing the current transaction and all prior transactions in the shareholder account during the calendar year to date, along with a summary of the status of the account as of the transaction date.  As stated in the Fund's prospectus, share certificates are normally not issued.
Automatic Investment Plan. The automatic investment plan enables shareholders to make regular monthly or quarterly investments in shares through automatic charges to their checking account. With shareholder authorization and bank approval, the Administrator will automatically charge the checking account for the amount specified ($100 minimum) which will be automatically invested in shares at the public offering price on or about the 21st day of the month. The shareholder may change the amount of investment or discontinue the plan at any time by writing the Fund.
Purchases In Kind.   The Fund may accept securities in lieu of payment for the purchase of shares in the Fund.  The acceptance of such securities is at the sole discretion of the Advisor based upon the suitability of the securities accepted for inclusion as a long-term investment of the Fund, the marketability of such securities, and other factors that the Advisor may deem appropriate.  If accepted, the securities will be valued using the same criteria and methods as described in "Purchase and Redemption Price – Determining the Fund's Net Asset Value" in the Fund's P rospectus.
Systematic Withdrawal Plan.   Shareholders owning shares with a value of $5,000 or more may establish a systematic withdrawal plan ("Systematic Withdrawal Plan").  A shareholder may receive monthly or quarterly payments, in amounts of not less than $100 per payment, by authorizing the Fund to redeem the necessary number of shares periodically (each month, or quarterly) in order to make the payments requested.  The Fund has the capability of electronically depositing the proceeds of the systematic withdrawal directly to the shareholders personal bank account ($5,000 minimum per bank wire).  Instructions for establishing this service are included in the Fund Shares Application, enclosed in the Fund's P rospectus, or are available by calling the Fund.  If the shareholder prefers to receive his systematic withdrawal proceeds in cash, or if such proceeds are less than the $5,000 minimum for a bank wire, checks will be made payable to the designated recipient and mailed with-in seven days of the valuation date.  If the designated recipient is other than the registered shareholder, the signature of each shareholder must be guaranteed on the application (see "Redeeming Shares – Signature Guarantees" in the Fund's P rospectus).  A corporation (or partnership) must also submit a "Corporate Resolution" (or "Certification of Partnership") indi-cat-ing the names, titles, and required number of signatures auth-orized to act on its behalf.  The application must be signed by a duly authori-zed officer(s) and the corporate seal affixed.  No redemp-tion fees are charged to shareholders under this plan.  Costs in conjunction with the administration of the plan are borne by the Fund.  Shareholders should be aware that such systematic withdrawals may deplete or use up entirely their initial investment and may result in real-ized long-term or short-term capital gains or losses.  The Syste-matic Withdrawal Plan may be terminated at any time by the Fund upon 60-days' written notice or by a shareholder upon written notice to the Fund.  Applications and further details may be obtained by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863 or by writing to:
27

Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund
c/o Nottingham Shareholder Services
116 South Franklin Street
Post Office Box 4365
Rocky Mount, NC 27803-0365
Redemptions In-Kind. The Fund does not intend, under normal circumstances, to redeem its securities by payment in kind.  It is possible, however, that conditions may arise in the future which would, in the opinion of the Trustees, make it undesirable for the Fund to pay for all redemptions in cash.  In such case the Trustees may authorize payment to be made in readily marketable portfolio securities of the Fund. Securities delivered in payment of redemptions would be valued at the same value assigned to them in computing the NAV per share.  Shareholders receiving them would incur brokerage costs when these securities are sold.  An irrevocable election has been filed under Rule 18f‑1 of the 1940 Act , wherein the Fund committed to pay redemptions in cash, rather than in kind, to any shareholder of record of the Fund who redeems during any ninety day period, the lesser of (a) $250,000 or (b) one percent (1%) of the Fund's NAV at the beginning of such period.
Transfer of Registration.   To transfer shares to another owner, send a written request to the Fund at the address shown above.  Your request should include the following:  (i) the Fund name and existing account registration; (ii) signature(s) of the registered owner(s) exactly as the signature(s) appear(s) on the account registration; (iii) the new account registration, address, social security or taxpayer identification number, and how dividends and capital gains are to be distributed; (iv) signature guarantees (See the Fund's P rospectus under the heading "Signature Guarantees"); and (v) any additional documents which are required for transfer by corporations, administrators, executors, trustees, guardians, etc.  If you have any questions about transferring shares, call or write the Fund.
Employees and Affiliates of the Fund.   The Fund has adopted initial investment minimums for the purpose of reducing the cost to the Fund (and consequently to the shareholders) of communicating with and servicing its shareholders.  At the discretion of the Advisor, the Fund may allow investments in the Fund with a reduced minimum initial investment from its Trustees, officers, and employees; the Advisor and certain parties related thereto; including clients of the Advisor or any sponsor, officer, committee member thereof, or the immediate family of any of them.  In addition, accounts having the same mailing address may be aggregated for purposes of the minimum investment if they consent in writing to sharing a single mailing of shareholder reports, proxy statements (but each such shareholder would receive his/her own proxy), and other Fund literature.
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
The Trustees have adopted a policy that governs the disclosure of portfolio holdings.  This policy is intended to ensure that such disclosure is in the best interests of the shareholders of the Fund and to address possible conflicts of interest.  Under the Fund's policy, the Fund generally will not disclose portfolio holdings to a third party unless such information is made available to the public.  The policy provides that the Fund may disclose non-public portfolio holdings information as required by law and under other limited circumstances that are set forth in more detail below.
The Fund will seek to make a list of its complete portfolio holdings information available to the public at http://www.roumellfund.com/ , as reported on a monthly basis.  This information is generally available within 10 days of the month end and will remain available until the next month's portfolio holdings report becomes available.  You may obtain a copy of these monthly portfolio holdings reports by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863.  The Fund will also file quarterly portfolio holdings reports with the SEC on Form N-CSR or Form N-Q, as applicable.  The Fund's Form N-CSR and Form N-Q are available on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov and may be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC.  The first and third quarter portfolio holdings reports will be filed with the SEC on Form N-Q and the second and fourth fiscal quarter portfolio holdings reports will be included with the semi-annual and annual financial statements, respectively, which are sent to shareholders and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form N-CSR.
28

To the extent that the Fund's portfolio holdings have previously been disclosed publicly either through a filing made with the SEC on Form N-CSR or Form N-Q, or by being posted to the Fund's website, such holdings may also be disclosed to any third party that requests them.
Consistent with policies approved by the Board, the officers of the Fund will share non-public portfolio holdings information with the Fund's service providers that require such information for legitimate business and Fund oversight purposes.  Recipients of non-public portfolio holdings information have a duty not to trade on that confidential information.   The Fund has not (and does not intend to) enter into any arrangement providing for the receipt of compensation or other consideration in exchange for the disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information, other than the benefits that result to the Fund and its shareholders from providing such information, which include the publication of Fund ratings and rankings.
The Advisor, as well as the C ustodian, fund accountant and administrator, and compliance services administrator, have full daily access to the Fund's portfolio holdings.  These service providers are subject to obligations requiring them to keep non-public portfolio holdings information confidential.  In some, but not all, cases these confidentiality obligations are established by written agreements. The Board has concluded that the confidentiality obligations in place for these parties are adequate to safeguard the Fund from unauthorized disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information.  In addition, the Advisor has a code of ethics that prohibits covered persons from disclosing or trading based on non-public portfolio holdings information.
The Fund's distributor, transfer agent, independent public accountants, and legal counsel have access to the Fund's portfolio holdings on an ad hoc, as needed basis.  The distributor and transfer agent are subject to written agreements that establish confidentiality obligations with respect to the Fund's portfolio holdings.  The independent public accountants and legal counsel are subject to professional obligations that require them to keep non-public portfolio holdings information confidential.  The Board has concluded that the confidentiality obligations in place for these parties are adequate to safeguard the Fund from unauthorized disclosure of non-public portfolio holdings information.
Allegra Design Marketing Print Mail, PrintGrafix (a division of Sunbelt Graphics Systems, Inc.), PrinterLink Communications Group, Inc., Riverside Printing, Inc., and V.G. Reed & Sons are financial printers the Fund may engage for, among other things, the printing and/or distribution of regulatory and compliance documents.  These service providers are subject to written agreements that establish confidentiality obligations with respect to the Fund's portfolio holdings.
The Fund and its service providers may also provide non-public portfolio holdings information to appropriate regulatory agencies as required by applicable laws and regulations.
The Fund currently does not provide non-public portfolio holdings information to any other third parties.  In the future, the Advisor may establish ongoing arrangements with other third parties if the Advisor determines that the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for doing so, determines that the disclosure is in the shareholders' best interest, and the recipient is subject to a duty of confidentiality.  These parties could include, by way of example, financial data processing companies that provide automated data scanning and monitoring services for the Fund, research companies that allow the Advisor to perform attribution analysis for the Fund; and the Advisor's proxy voting agent to assess and vote proxies on behalf of the Fund.  The Advisor is responsible for determining which other third parties have a legitimate business purpose for receiving the Fund's portfolio holdings information.
The Fund's policy regarding disclosure of portfolio holdings is subject to the continuing oversight and direction of the Trustees.  Oversight includes: (i) review and approval of the policy on disclosure of portfolio holdings as necessary, including review of the parties receiving non-public portfolio holdings information; (ii) periodic assessment of compliance in connection with a report from the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, (iii) receipt of reports on any conflicts of interest where disclosure of information about portfolio holdings may conflict or appear to conflict with the interests of the Fund's investment advisor, investment sub-advisor, any principal underwriter for the Trust, or an affiliated person of the Trust, and (iv) receipt of reports on any known disclosure of the Fund's portfolio holdings to unauthorized third parties.  The Fund and Advisor are obligated to report issues that arise under the policy on disclosure of portfolio holdings to the Chief Compliance Officer.  Material compliance matters are then reported to the Board of Trustees.
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NET ASSET VALUE
The NAV and NAV per share of the Fund normally is determined at the time regular trading closes on the New York Stock Exchange (currently 4:00 p.m., New York time, Monday through Friday), except when the New York Stock Exchange closes earlier.  The Fund's NAV is not calculated on business holidays when the New York Stock Exchange is closed.  The New York Stock Exchange generally recognizes the following holidays:  New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.  Any other holiday recognized by the New York Stock Exchange will be deemed a business holiday on which the NAV of the Fund will not be calculated.
The NAV per share of Institutional Class shares of the Fund is calculated separately by adding the value of the Fund's securities and other assets belonging to the Fund and attributable to  Institutional Class shares, subtracting the liabilities charged to the Fund and to the Institutional Class shares , and dividing the result by the number of outstanding shares of that class of shares.  "Assets belonging to" the Fund consist of the consideration received upon the issuance of shares of the Fund together with all net investment income, realized gains/losses and proceeds derived from the investment thereof, including any proceeds from the sale of such investments, any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds, and a portion of any general assets of the Trust not belonging to a particular series of shares.  Income, realized and unrealized capital gains and losses, and any expenses of the Fund not allocated to a particular class of shares will be allocated to a class on the basis of the NAV of that class in relation to the NAV of the Fund.  Assets belonging to the Fund are charged with the direct liabilities of the Fund and with a share of the general liabilities of the Trust, which are normally allocated in proportion to the number of or the relative NAVs of all of the Trust's series at the time of allocation or in accordance with other allocation methods approved by the Trustees.  Certain expenses attributable to a particular class of shares (such as the distribution and service fees) will be charged against that class.  Certain other expenses attributable to a particular class of shares (such as registration fees, professional fees, and certain printing and postage expenses) may be charged against that class if such expenses are actually incurred in a different amount by that class or if the class receives services of a different kind or to a different degree than other classes, and the Trustees approve such allocation.  Subject to the provisions of the Trust Instrument, determinations by the Trustees as to the direct and allocable liabilities, and the allocable portion of any general assets, with respect to the Fund and a class of the Fund are conclusive.
The pricing and valuation of portfolio securities is determined in good faith in accordance with procedures established by, and under the direction of, the Trustees.  Values are determined according to accepted accounting practices and all laws and regulations that apply.  Using methods approved by the Trustees, the assets of the Fund are valued as follows:
·
Securities that are listed on a securities exchange are valued at the last quoted sales price at the time the valuation is made.  Price information on listed securities is taken from the exchange where the security is primarily traded by the Fund.
·
Securities that are listed on an exchange and which are not traded on the valuation date are valued at the bid price.
·
Unlisted securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the latest quoted sales price, if available, at the time of valuation, otherwise, at the latest quoted bid price.
·
Foreign securities listed on foreign exchanges are valued with quotations from the primary market in which they are traded and are translated from the local currency into U.S. dollars using current exchange rates.
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·
Temporary cash investments with maturities of 60 days or less will be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value.
·
Securities for which no current quotations are readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith using methods approved by the Trustees.  Securities may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service when such prices are believed to reflect the fair market value of such securities.
ADDITIONAL TAX INFORMATION
The following summarizes certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders that are not described in the Fund's P rospectus.  No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders or any particular category of shareholders.  The discussions here and in the Fund's prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning and are based on United States federal income tax laws that are in effect on the date hereof and which may be changed by legislative, judicial, or administrative action.  In addition, no attempt is made to address tax concerns applicable to an investor with a special tax status such as a financial institution, REIT, insurance company, regulated investment company, individual retirement account, other tax-exempt entity, dealer in securities or non-U.S. investor.  Furthermore, this discussion does not reflect possible application of the alternative minimum tax.  Unless otherwise noted, this discussion assumes the common shares are held by U.S. persons and that such shares are held as capital assets.  Investors are advised to consult their tax advisors with specific reference to their own tax situations.
The Fund, and any other series of the Trust, will be treated as a separate corporate entity under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended ("Code"), and intends to qualify or remain qualified as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code.  In order to so qualify, the Fund must elect to be a regulated investment company or have made such an election for a previous year and must satisfy certain requirements relating to the amount of distributions and source of its income for a taxable year.  At least 90% of the gross income of the Fund must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stocks, securities, or foreign currencies, and other income derived with respect to the Fund's business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.  Any income derived by the Fund from a partnership (other than a qualified publicly traded partnership) or trust is treated as derived with respect to the Fund's business of investing in stock, securities, or currencies only to the extent that such income is attributable to items of income that would have been qualifying income if realized by the Fund in the same manner as by the partnership or trust.
An investment company may not qualify as a regulated investment company for any taxable year unless it satisfies certain requirements with respect to the diversification of its investments at the close of each quarter of the taxable year.  In general, at least 50% of the value of its total assets must be represented by cash, cash items, government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities which, with respect to any one issuer, do not represent more than 5% of the total assets of the Fund or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer.  In addition, not more than 25% of the value of the Fund's total assets may be invested in (i) the securities (other than government securities or the securities of other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer; (ii) the securities of two or more issuers (other than securities of another regulated investment company) if the issuers are controlled by the Fund and they are, pursuant to Internal Revenue Service Regulations, engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses; or (iii) the securities of one or more publicly traded partnerships.  The Fund intends to satisfy all requirements on an ongoing basis for continued qualification as a regulated investment company.
The 2003 Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act reduced the federal tax rate on most dividends paid by U.S. corporations to individuals after December 31, 2002.  Through December 31, 2012, these qualifying corporate dividends are taxable at long-term capital gains tax rates.  Some, but not all, of the dividends paid by the Fund may be taxable at the reduced long-term capital gains tax rate for individual shareholders.  If the Fund designates a dividend as qualified dividend income, it generally will be taxable to individual shareholders at the long-term capital gains tax rate, provided certain holding period requirements are met.
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Taxable dividends paid by the Fund to corporate shareholders will be taxed at corporate income tax rates.  Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends received deduction ("DRD") for a portion of the dividends paid and designated by the Fund as qualifying for the DRD.
If the Fund designates a dividend as a capital gains distribution, it generally will be taxable to shareholders as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long the shareholders have held their Fund shares or whether they received in cash or reinvested in additional shares.  All taxable dividends paid by the Fund other than those designated as qualified dividend income or capital gains distributions will be taxable as ordinary income to shareholders, whether received in cash or reinvested in additional shares.  To the extent the Fund engages in increased portfolio turnover, short-term capital gains may be realized, and any distribution resulting from such gains will be considered ordinary income for federal tax purposes.
Shareholders who hold Fund shares in a tax-deferred account, such as a retirement plan, generally will not have to pay tax on Fund distributions until they receive distributions from their account.
The Fund, and any other series of the Trust, will designate (i) any dividend of qualified dividend income as qualified dividend income; (ii) any distribution of long-term capital gains as a capital gain dividend; and (iii) any dividend eligible for the corporate DRD as such in a written notice mailed to shareholders within 60 days after the close of the Fund's taxable year.  Shareholders should note that, upon the sale or exchange of Fund shares, if such shares have not been held for at least six months, any loss on the sale or exchange of those shares will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain dividends received with respect to the shares.
To the extent that a distribution from the Fund is taxable, it is generally included in a shareholder's gross income for the taxable year in which the shareholder receives the distribution.  However, if the Fund declares a dividend in October, November, or December but pays it in January, it will be taxable to shareholders as if the dividend was received in the year it was declared.  Every year, each shareholder will receive a statement detailing the tax status of any Fund distributions for that year.
A 4% nondeductible excise tax is imposed on regulated investment companies that fail to currently distribute an amount equal to specified percentages of their ordinary taxable income and capital gain net income (excess of capital gains over capital losses).  The Fund intends to make sufficient distributions or deemed distributions of its ordinary taxable income and any capital gain net income prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid liability for this excise tax.
If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify for the special federal income tax treatment afforded regulated investment companies, all of its taxable income will be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates (without any deduction for distributions to its shareholders) at the Fund level.  In such event, dividend distributions (whether or not derived from interest on tax-exempt securities) would be taxable as qualified dividends to individual shareholders in taxable years beginning on or before December 31, 2012, to the extent of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits, and would be eligible for the DRD for corporations, provided in each case that certain holding period and other requirements are met.
In general, a shareholder who sells or redeems shares will realize a capital gain or loss, which will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the shareholder's holding period for the Fund shares.  An exchange of shares may be treated as a sale and any gain may be subject to tax.
The Fund will be required in certain cases to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage equal to the fourth lowest tax rate for unmarried individuals (presently 28%) of taxable dividends or of gross proceeds realized upon sale paid to shareholders who (i) have failed to provide a correct taxpayer identification number in the manner required; (ii) are subject to back-up withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to include properly on their return payments of taxable interest or dividends; or (iii) have failed to certify to the Fund that they are not subject to backup withholding when required to do so.  Back-up withholding is not an additional tax.  Any amounts withheld from payments to you may be refunded or credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that the required information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
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Depending upon the extent of the Fund's activities in states and localities in which its offices are maintained, in which its agents or independent contractors are located, or in which it is otherwise deemed to be conducting business, the Fund may be subject to the tax laws of such states or localities.  In addition, in those states and localities that have income tax laws, the treatment of the Fund and its shareholders under such laws may differ from their treatment under federal income tax laws.
Dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. shareholders may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% unless reduced by treaty (and the shareholder files a valid Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN, or other applicable form, with the Fund certifying foreign status and treaty eligibility) or the non-U.S. shareholder files an Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI, or other applicable form, with the Fund certifying that the investment to which the distribution relates is effectively connected to a United States trade or business of such non-U.S. shareholder (and, if certain tax treaties apply, is attributable to a United States permanent establishment maintained by such non-U.S. shareholder).  The Fund may elect not to withhold the applicable withholding tax on any distribution representing a capital gain dividend to a non-U.S. shareholder.  Special rules may apply to non-U.S. shareholders with respect to the information reporting requirements and withholding taxes and non-U.S. shareholders should consult their tax advisors with respect to the application of such reporting requirements and withholding taxes.
The Fund will send shareholders information each year on the tax status of dividends and distributions.  A dividend or capital gains distribu-tion paid shortly after shares have been purchased, although in effect a return of investment, is subject to federal income taxa-tion.  Dividends from net investment income, along with capital gains, will be taxable to shareholders, whether received in cash or Fund shares and no matter how long the shareholder has held Fund shares, even if they reduce the NAV of shares below the shareholder's cost and thus, in effect, result in a return of a part of the shareholder's investment.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements of the Fund for the fiscal year ended August 31, 201 7 , including the financial highlights appearing in the Annual Report to shareholders, are incorporated by reference and made a part of this document.  You may request a copy of the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports at no charge by calling the Fund at 1-800-773-3863.
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APPENDIX A –DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
The Fund may acquire from time to time certain securities that meet the following minimum rating criteria ("Investment-Grade Debt Securities") (or if not rated, of equivalent quality as determined by the Advisor).  The various ratings used by the nationally recognized securities rating services are described below.
A rating by a rating service represents the service's opinion as to the credit quality of the security being rated.  However, the ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality or guarantees as to the creditworthiness of an issuer.  Consequently, the Advisor believes that the quality of Investment-Grade Debt Securities in which the Fund may invest should be continuously reviewed and that individual analysts give different weightings to the various factors involved in credit analysis.  A rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell, or hold a security, because it does not take into account market value or suitability for a particular investor.  When a security has received a rating from more than one service, each rating is evaluated independently.  Ratings are based on current information furnished by the issuer or obtained by the rating services from other sources that they consider reliable.  Ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in or unavailability of such information, or for other reasons.
S&P Global Ratings.   The following summarizes the highest four ratings used by S&P Global Ratings, a division of McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., for bonds which are deemed to be Investment‑Grade Debt Securities by the Advisor:
AAA – An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA – An obligation rated 'AA' differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A – An obligation rated 'A' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.
BBB –  An obligation rated 'BBB' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
To provide more detailed indications of credit quality, the AA, A, and BBB ratings may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within these major rating categories.
Bonds rated BB, B, CCC, CC, and C are not considered by the Advisor to be Investment‑Grade Debt Securities and are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics.  BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest.  While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.
Commercial paper rated A‑1 by S&P Global Ratings indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong.  Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted A‑1+.  Capacity for timely payment on commercial paper rated A‑2 is satisfactory, but the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated A‑1.
The rating SP‑1 is the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings to short term notes and indicates strong capacity to pay principal and interest.  An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.  The rating SP‑2 indicates a satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.  The rating SP-3 indicates a speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
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Moody's Investor Service, Inc.   The following summarizes the highest four ratings used by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") for fixed-income obligations with an original maturity of one year or more, which are deemed to be Investment-Grade Securities by the Advisor:
Aaa – Bond obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa – Bond obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A – Bond obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa – Bond obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.
Obligations that are rated Ba, B, Caa, Ca, or C by Moody's are not considered "Investment-Grade Debt Securities" by the Advisor.  Obligations rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.  Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.  Obligations rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Note: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa.  The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.
Short-Term Ratings.
Moody's short-term ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations.  Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs, or individual short-term debt instruments.  Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding thirteen months, unless explicitly noted.
Moody's employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
P-1 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-2 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
P-3 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
NP – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
Note: Canadian issuers rated P-1 or P-2 have their short-term ratings enhanced by the senior-most long-term rating of the issuer, its guarantor, or support-provider.
US Municipal Short-Term Debt And Demand Obligation Ratings.
Short-Term Debt Ratings.   There are three rating categories for short-term municipal obligations that are considered investment grade.  These ratings are designated as Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) and are divided into three levels – MIG 1 through MIG 3.  In addition, those short-term obligations that are of speculative quality are designated SG, or speculative grade.  MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation.
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MIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality.  Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality.  Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.
MIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality.  Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality.  Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.
Demand Obligation Ratings.   In the case of variable rate demand obligations (VRDOs), a two-component rating is assigned; a long or short-term debt rating and a demand obligation rating.  The first element represents Moody's evaluation of the degree of risk associated with scheduled principal and interest payments.  The second element represents Moody's evaluation of the degree of risk associated with the ability to receive purchase price upon demand ("demand feature"), using a variation of the MIG rating scale, the Variable Municipal Investment Grade or VMIG rating.
When either the long- or short-term aspect of a VRDO is not rated, that piece is designated NR, e.g., Aaa/NR or NR/VMIG 1.
VMIG rating expirations are a function of each issue's specific structural or credit features.
VMIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality.  Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality.  Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
VMIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality.  Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
SG – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality.  Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.
Fitch Ratings. The following summarizes the highest four ratings used by Fitch, Inc. ("Fitch"):
Long-Term Ratings.
AAA – Highest credit quality.  'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk.  They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.  This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.
AA – Very high credit quality.  'AA' ratings denote expectations of very low default risk.  They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments.  This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.
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A – High credit quality.  'A' ratings denote expectations of low default risk.  The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong.  This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.
BBB – Good credit quality.  'BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low.  The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.
Long-term securities rated below BBB by Fitch are not considered by the Advisor to be investment-grade securities.  Securities rated BB and B are regarded as speculative with regard to a possible credit risk developing.  BB is considered speculative and B is considered highly speculative.  Securities rated CCC, CC, and C are regarded as a high default risk.  A rating CC indicates that default of some kind appears probable, while a rating C signals imminent default.  Securities rated DDD, D, and D indicate a default has occurred.
Short-Term Ratings.
F1 – Highest short-term credit quality.  The rating F1 indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.
F2 – Good short-term credit quality.  The rating F2 indicates good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.
F3 – Fair short-term credit quality.  The rating F3 indicates the intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.
B – Speculative short-term credit quality.  The rating B indicates minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.
Short-term rates B, C, and D by Fitch are considered by the Advisor to be below investment-grade securities.  Short-term securities rated B are considered speculative, securities rated C have a high default risk, and securities rated D denote actual or imminent payment default.
(+) or (-) suffixes may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories.  Such suffixes are not added to long-term ratings "AAA" category, categories below "CCC", or short-term ratings other than "F1".  The suffix "NR" indicates that Fitch does not publicly rate the issuer or issue in question.


37

APPENDIX B – PROXY VOTING POLICIES
The following proxy voting policies are provided:
(1)
The Trust's Proxy Voting and Disclosure Policy; and
(2)
The Advisor's Proxy Voting and Disclosure Policy, including a detailed description of the Advisor's specific proxy voting guidelines.


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Trust's Proxy Voting Disclosure Policy
The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted rules and forms under the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Investment Company Act of 1940 to require registered investment companies to provide disclosure about how they vote proxies for their portfolio securities.  Each series of shares of the Trust (individually and collectively referred to as the "Fund") is required to disclose the policies and procedures used to determine how to vote proxies for portfolio securities.  The Fund is also required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and to make available to their shareholders the specific proxy votes cast for portfolio securities.  This policy is designed to ensure that the Fund complies with these requirements and otherwise fulfills its obligations with respect to proxy voting, disclosure, and recordkeeping.  The overall goal is to ensure that the Fund's proxy voting is managed in an effort to act in the best interests of its shareholders.  While decisions about how to vote must be determined on a case-by-case basis, proxy voting decisions will be made considering these guidelines and following the procedures recited herein.
Specific Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
A.       General
The Board of Trustees believes that the voting of proxies is an important part of portfolio management as it represents an opportunity for shareholders to make their voices heard and to influence the direction of a company.  The Trust and Fund are committed to voting corporate proxies in the manner that best serves the interests of the Fund's shareholders.
B.       Delegation to Fund's Investment Advisor
The Board of Trustees believes that the Fund's investment advisor is in the best position to make individual voting decisions for the Fund consistent with this policy.  Therefore, subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees, the Fund's investment advisor is delegated the following duties:
1.
To make the proxy voting decisions for the Fund; and
2.
To assist the Fund in disclosing the Fund's proxy voting record as required by Rule 30b1-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, including providing the following information for each matter with respect to which the Fund was entitled to vote: (a) information identifying the matter voted on; (b) whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or by a security holder; (c) whether and how the Fund cast its vote; and (d) whether the Fund cast its vote for or against management.
The Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, shall approve the Proxy Voting and Disclosure Policy of the Fund's investment advisor as it relates to the Fund.  The Board of Trustees shall also approve any material changes to such policy no later than six (6) months after adoption by the Fund's investment advisor.
C.       Conflicts
In cases where a matter with respect to which a Fund is entitled to vote presents a conflict between the interest of the Fund's shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Fund's investment advisor, principal underwriter, or an affiliated person of the Fund, its investment advisor or principal underwriter, on the other hand, the Fund shall always vote in the best interest of the Fund's shareholders.  For purposes of this Policy, a vote shall be considered in the best interest of the Fund's shareholders (i) when a vote is cast consistent with a specific voting policy set forth in the Proxy Voting and Disclosure Policy of the Fund's investment advisor, provided such specific voting policy was approved by the Board of Trustees, or (ii) when a vote is cast consistent with the decision of the Trust's Proxy Voting Committee.  In addition, provided the Fund's investment advisor is not affiliated with the Fund's principal underwriter or an affiliated person of the principal underwriter and neither the Fund's principal underwriter nor an affiliated person of the principal underwriter has influenced the advisor with respect to a matter to which the Fund is entitled to vote, a vote by the advisor shall not be considered a conflict between the Fund's shareholders and the Fund's principal underwriter or affiliated person of the principal underwriter.
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D.       Other Investment Companies
To the extent the Fund invests in shares of other investment companies in accordance with the safe harbor provisions of Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Fund's investment advisor shall vote proxies with respect to such investment company securities in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such securities.
Fund Disclosure
A.
Disclosure of Fund Policies and Procedures With Respect to Voting Proxies Relating to Portfolio Securities
The Fund shall disclose this policy, or a description of the policy, to its shareholders by including it as an appendix to its Statement of Additional Information on Form N-1A.  The Fund will also notify its shareholders in the Fund's shareholder reports that a description of this policy is available upon request, without charge, by calling a specified toll-free telephone number.  The Fund will send this description of the policy within three business days of receipt of any shareholder request, by first-class mail, or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.
B.
Disclosure of the Fund's Complete Proxy Voting Record
In accordance with Rule 30b1-4 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Fund will file Form N‑PX with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than August 31 of each year, even if August 31 falls on a non-business day.  The Fund shall disclose to its shareholders on Form N‑PX the Fund's complete proxy voting record for the twelve-month period ended June 30.
The Fund shall disclose the following information on Form N‑PX for each matter relating to a portfolio security considered at any shareholder meeting held during the period covered by the report and with respect to which to the Fund was entitled to vote:
(i)
The name of the issuer of the portfolio security;
(ii)
The exchange ticker symbol of the portfolio security (if available through reasonably practicable means);
(iii)
The Council on Uniform Security Identification Procedures ("CUSIP") number for the portfolio security (if available through reasonably practicable means);
(iv)
The shareholder meeting date;
(v)
A brief identification of the matter voted on;
(vi)
Whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or by a security holder;
(vii)
Whether the Fund cast its vote on the matter;
(viii)
How the Fund cast its vote (e.g., for or against proposal, or abstain; for or withhold regarding election of directors); and
(ix)
Whether the Fund cast its vote for or against management.
The Fund shall make its proxy voting record available to shareholders either upon request or by making available an electronic version on or through the Fund's website, if applicable.  If the Fund discloses its proxy voting record on or through its website, the Fund shall post the information disclosed in the Fund's most recently filed report on Form N‑PX on the website beginning the same day it files such information with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Fund shall also include a statement in its annual reports, semi-annual reports, and Statement of Additional Information that information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available (i) without charge upon request, by calling a specified toll-free (or collect) telephone number, or (if applicable) on or through the Fund's website at a specified internet address; and (ii) on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  If the Fund discloses that its proxy voting record is available by calling a toll-free (or collect) telephone number, it shall send the information disclosed in the Fund's most recently filed report on Form N‑PX within three business days of receipt of a request for this information, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.
40

Recordkeeping
The Trust shall keep the following records for a period of at least five years, the first two in an easily accessible place:
(i)
A copy of this Policy;
(ii)
Proxy statements received regarding the Fund's securities;
(iii)
Records of votes cast on behalf of the Fund; and
(iv)
A record of each shareholder request for proxy voting information and the Fund's response, including the date of the request, the name of the shareholder, and the date of the response.
The foregoing records may be kept as part of the records of the Fund's investment advisor.
A Fund may rely on proxy statements filed on the SEC EDGAR system instead of keeping its own copies, and may rely on proxy statements and records of proxy votes cast by the Fund's investment advisor that are maintained with a third party such as a proxy voting service, provided that an undertaking is obtained from the third party to provide a copy of the documents promptly upon request.
Proxy Voting Committee
A.
General
The Trust's Proxy Voting Committee shall be composed entirely of Independent Trustees and may be comprised of one or more such Independent Trustees as the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, decide.  The purpose of the Proxy Voting Committee shall be to determine how the Fund should cast its vote, if called upon by the Board of Trustees or the Fund's investment advisor, when a matter with respect to which the Fund is entitled to vote presents a conflict between the interest of the Fund's shareholders, on the one hand, and those of the Fund's investment advisor, principal underwriter, or an affiliated person of the Fund, its investment advisor, or principal underwriter, on the other hand.
B.
Powers and Methods of Operation
The Proxy Voting Committee shall have all the powers necessary to fulfill its purpose as set forth above and such other powers and perform such other duties as the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, grant or assign to the Proxy Voting Committee.  The Proxy Voting Committee shall meet at such times and places as the Proxy Voting Committee or the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, determine.  The act of a majority of the members of the Proxy Voting Committee in person, by telephone conference, or by consent in writing without a meeting shall be the act of the Proxy Voting Committee.  The Proxy Voting Committee shall have the authority to utilize Trust counsel at the expense of the Trust if necessary.  The Proxy Voting Committee shall prepare minutes of each meeting and keep such minutes with the Trust's records.  The Proxy Voting Committee shall review this Policy and recommend any changes to the Board of Trustees as it deems necessary or advisable.
Other
This policy may be amended, from time to time, as determined by the Board of Trustees.
41

PROXY VOTING POLICIES
ROUMELL ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
A.
Introduction

Rule 204-2 of the Advisers Act requires that investment advisers adopt and implement policies and procedures for voting proxies in the best interest of clients, to describe the procedures to clients, and to tell clients how they may obtain information about how RAM has actually voted their proxies.  While decisions about how to vote must be determined on a case-by-case basis, RAM's general policies and procedures for voting proxies are set forth below.

B.
Specific Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

RAM believes that the voting of certain proxies is an important part of portfolio management as it represents an opportunity for shareholders to make their voices heard and to influence the direction of a company.  Under normal circumstances, RAM will only vote proxies for or make proxy recommendations to its advisory clients in certain situations. First, RAM will vote on proposals regarding closed-end investment companies that seek to open-end such funds (i.e., convert to a traditional mutual fund) or other proposals that it believes possess a meaningful likelihood of substantially closing the discount to such funds' net asset value (NAV).  Additionally, RAM may vote company proposals when the proposal pertains to a change of control, including those with proxy contests with competing director slates or replacing particular directors, or in certain other special situations where we deem voting to be appropriate or otherwise consistent with our investment philosophy. Other than these specific situations, RAM will not vote company proxies.

Nevertheless, if RAM is granted authority to vote proxies, and RAM was required to vote proxies for situations other than those described above, RAM will vote such proxies in the manner that serves the best interests of their clients in accordance with this policy.

The following details RAM's philosophy and practice regarding the voting of proxies if it were required to vote proxies outside of its specific policy.

1.
General

RAM believes that each proxy proposal should be individually reviewed to determine whether the proposal is in the best interests of its clients.  As a result, similar proposals for different companies may receive different votes because of different corporate circumstances.

2.
Procedures

To implement RAM's proxy voting policies, RAM has developed the following procedures for voting proxies.

a.   Upon receipt of a corporate proxy by RAM, the special or annual report and the proxy are submitted to RAM's proxy voting manager (the "Proxy Manager").  The Proxy Manager will then vote the proxy in accordance with this policy.  For any proxy proposal not clearly addressed by this policy, the Proxy Manager will consult with RAM's President before voting the proxy.
42


b.   The Proxy Manager shall be responsible for reviewing the special or annual report, proxy proposals, and proxy proposal summaries.  The reviewer shall take into consideration what vote is in the best interests of clients and the provisions of RAM's Voting Guidelines in Sections B and C.  The Proxy Manager will then vote the proxies.

c.   The Proxy Manager shall be responsible for maintaining copies of each annual report, proposal, proposal summary, actual vote, and any other information required to be maintained for a proxy vote under Rule 204-2 of the Advisers Act (see discussion in Section V below).  With respect to proxy votes on topics deemed, in the opinion of the Proxy Manager, to be controversial or particularly sensitive, the Proxy Manager will provide a written explanation for the proxy vote which will be maintained with the record of the actual vote in RAM's files.

3.
Absence of Proxy Manager

In the event that the Proxy Manager is unavailable to vote a proxy, then an officer of RAM shall perform the Proxy Manager's duties with respect to such proxy in accordance with the policies and procedures detailed above.

C.
Voting Guidelines

While RAM's policy is to review each proxy proposal on its individual merits, RAM has adopted guidelines for certain types of matters to assist the Proxy Manager in the review and voting of proxies.  These guidelines are set forth below:

1.   Corporate Governance

a.
Election of Directors and Similar Matters

In an uncontested election, RAM will generally vote in favor of management's proposed directors.  In a contested election, RAM will evaluate proposed directors on a case-by-case basis.  With respect to proposals regarding the structure of a company's Board of Directors, RAM will review any contested proposal on its merits.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, RAM expects to support proposals to:
·
Limit directors' liability and broaden directors' indemnification rights;

And expects to generally vote against proposals to:

·
Adopt or continue the use of a classified Board structure; and
·
Add special interest directors to the board of directors (e.g., efforts to expand the board of directors to control the outcome of a particular decision).

b.
Audit Committee Approvals

RAM generally supports proposals that help ensure that a company's auditors are independent and capable of delivering a fair and accurate opinion of a company's finances.  RAM will generally vote to ratify management's recommendation and selection of auditors.
43


c.
Shareholder Rights

RAM may consider all proposals that will have a material effect on shareholder rights on a case-by-case basis.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, RAM expects to generally support proposals to:

·
Adopt confidential voting and independent tabulation of voting results; and
·
Require shareholder approval of poison pills;

And expects to generally vote against proposals to:

·
Adopt super-majority voting requirements; and
·
Restrict the rights of shareholders to call special meetings, amend the bylaws or act by written consent.

2.
Anti-Takeover Measures, Corporate Restructurings and Similar Matters

RAM may review any proposal to adopt an anti-takeover measure, to undergo a corporate restructuring (e.g., change of entity form or state of incorporation, mergers or acquisitions) or to take similar action by reviewing the potential short and long-term effects of the proposal on the company.  These effects may include, without limitation, the economic and financial impact the proposal may have on the company, and the market impact that the proposal may have on the company's stock.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, RAM expects to generally support proposals to:

·
Prohibit the payment of greenmail (i.e., the purchase by the company of its own shares to prevent a hostile takeover);
·
Adopt fair price requirements (i.e., requirements that all shareholders be paid the same price in a tender offer or takeover context), unless the Proxy Manager deems them sufficiently limited in scope; and
·
Require shareholder approval of "poison pills."

And expects to generally vote against proposals to:

·
Adopt classified boards of directors;
·
Reincorporate a company where the primary purpose appears to the Proxy Manager to be the creation of takeover defenses; and
·
Require a company to consider the non-financial effects of mergers or acquisitions.

3.   Capital Structure Proposals

RAM will seek to evaluate capital structure proposals on their own merits on a case-by-case basis.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, RAM expects to generally support proposals to:

·
Eliminate preemptive rights.

4.   Compensation

a.
General

RAM generally supports proposals that encourage the disclosure of a company's compensation policies.  In addition, RAM generally supports proposals that fairly compensate executives, particularly those proposals that link executive compensation to performance.  RAM may consider any contested proposal related to a company's compensation policies on a case-by-case basis.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, RAM expects to generally support proposals to:
44


·
Require shareholders' approval of golden parachutes; and
·
Adopt golden parachutes that do not exceed 1 to 3 times the base compensation of the applicable executives.

And expects to generally   vote against proposals to:

·
Adopt measures that appear to the Proxy Manager to arbitrarily limit executive or employee benefits.

5.
Stock Option Plans and Share Issuances

RAM evaluates proposed stock option plans and share issuances on a case-by-case basis.  In reviewing proposals regarding stock option plans and issuances, RAM may consider, without limitation, the potential dilutive effect on shareholders and the potential short and long-term economic effects on the company. We believe that stock option plans do not necessarily align the interest of executives and outside directors with those of shareholders. We believe that well thought out cash compensation plans can achieve these objectives without diluting shareholders ownership. Therefore, we generally will vote against stock option plans. However, we will review these proposals on a case-by-case basis to determine that shareholders' interests are being represented. We certainly are in favor of management, directors and employees owning stock, but prefer that the shares are purchased in the open market.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, RAM expects to generally vote against proposals to:

·
Establish or continue stock option plans and share issuances that are not in the best interest of the shareholders.

6.   Corporate Responsibility and Social Issues

RAM generally believes that ordinary business matters (including, without limitation, positions on corporate responsibility and social issues) are primarily the responsibility of a company's management that should be addressed solely by the company's management.  These types of proposals, often initiated by shareholders, may request that the company disclose or amend certain business practices.

RAM will generally vote against proposals involving corporate responsibility and social issues, although RAM may vote for corporate responsibility and social issue proposals that RAM believes will have substantial positive economic or other effects on a company or the company's stock.

D.   Conflicts

In cases where RAM is aware of a conflict between the interests of a client(s) and the interests of RAM or an affiliated person of RAM (e.g., a portfolio holding is a client or an affiliate of a client of RAM), the RAM will take the following steps:

(a)
vote matters that are specifically covered by this Proxy Voting Policy (e.g., matters where the RAM's vote is strictly in accordance with this Policy and not in its discretion) in accordance with this Policy; and

(b)
for other matters, contact the client for instructions with respect to how to vote the proxy.

E.          RAM   Disclosure of How to Obtain Voting Information

Rule 206(4)-6 requires RAM to disclose in response to any client request how the client can obtain information from RAM on how its securities were voted.  RAM will disclose in Part 2 of its Form ADV that clients can obtain information on how their securities were voted by making a written request to RAM.  Upon receiving a written request from a client, RAM will provide the information requested by the client within a reasonable amount of time.

Rule 206(4)-6 also requires RAM to describe its proxy voting policies and procedures to clients, and upon request, to provide clients with a copy of those policies and procedures.  RAM will provide such a description in Part 2 of its Form ADV.  Upon receiving a written request from a client, RAM will provide a copy of this policy within a reasonable amount of time.

If approved by the client, this policy and any requested records may be provided electronically.
45


F.          Recordkeeping

RAM shall keep the following records for a period of at least five years, the first two in an easily accessible place:

(v)
A copy of this Policy;
(vi)
Proxy Statements received regarding client securities;
(vii)
Records of votes cast on behalf of clients;
(viii)
Any documents prepared by RAM that were material to making a decision how to vote, or that memorialized the basis for the decision; and
(ix)
Records of client requests for proxy voting information.

RAM may rely on proxy statements filed on the SEC EDGAR system instead of keeping its own copies, and may rely on proxy statements and records of proxy votes cast by RAM that are maintained with a third party such as a proxy voting service, provided that RAM has obtained an undertaking from the third party to provide a copy of the documents promptly upon request.

 
 
46


PART C

FORM N-1A

OTHER INFORMATION


ITEM 28.   Exhibits
(a)
Declaration of Trust ("Trust Instrument"). 1
(b)
By-Laws. 1
(c)
Articles III, V, and VI of the Trust Instrument, Exhibit 23(a) hereto, defines the rights of holders of the securities being registered.  (Certificates for shares are not issued.)
(d)(1)
Investment Advisory Agreement between the Registrant and Cavalier Investments, Inc., as investment advisor for the Cavalier Funds. 96
(d)(2)
Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Goodwood Advisors, LLC, as investment advisor for the   Goodwood SMID Cap Discovery Fund. 39
(d)(3)
Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Roumell Asset Management, LLC, as investment advisor for the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund. 5
(d)(4)
Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Grimaldi Portfolio Solutions, Inc., as investment advisor for the Sector Rotation Fund. 7
(d)(5)
Investment Advisory Agreement, as amended, between Registrant and Arin Risk Advisors, LLC, as investment advisor for the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund . 17
(d)(6)
Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and Deschutes Portfolio Strategies, Inc. , as investment advisor for the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy . 91
(d)(7)
Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and QCI Asset Management, Inc., as investment advisor for the QCI Balanced Fund. 38
(d)(8)
Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and  Sirius Funds Advisors, Inc , as investment advisor for the Sirius S&P Strategic Large-Cap Allocation Fund. 40
(d)(9)
Investment Advisory Agreement between Registrant and  ARS Investment Management, LLC , as investment advisor for the Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund Fund. 85
(d)(10)
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, Cavalier Investments and Beaumont Financial Partners, LLC, as sub-advisor for the Cavalier Global Opportunities Fund. 83
(d)(11)
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, Cavalier Investments and Beaumont Financial Partners, LLC, as sub-advisor for the Cavalier Tactical Rotation Fund. 83
(d)(12)
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, Cavalier Investments and Bluestone Capital Management, LLC, as sub-advisor for the Cavalier Multi Strategist Fund. 83


(d)(13)
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, Cavalier Investments and Buckhead Capital Management, LLC, as sub-advisor for the Cavalier Adaptive Income Fund. 96
(d)(14)
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, Cavalier Investments and Carden Capital LLC, as sub-advisor for the Cavalier Multi Strategist Fund and the Cavalier Hedged High Income Fund. 83
(d)(15)
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, Cavalier Investments and Julex Capital Management, LLC, as sub-advisor for the Cavalier Multi Strategist Fund. 83
(d)(16)
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, Cavalier Investments, and Navellier & Associates, as sub-advisor for the Cavalier Fundamental Growth Fund. 83
(d)(17)
Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement between the Registrant, Cavalier Investments and  StratiFi, LLC, as sub-advisor for the Cavalier Dynamic Growth Fund. 83
(e)
Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and Capital Investment Group, Inc., as distributor for each series of the Trust. 93
(f)
Not Applicable.
(g)
Custody Agreement between the Registrant, UMB Bank, n.a., and The Nottingham Company. 72
(h)(1)
Fund Accounting and Administration Agreement between the Registrant and The Nottingham Company, as administrator for the Starboard Investment Trust. 93
(h)(2)
Dividend Disbursing and Transfer Agent Agreement between the Registrant and Nottingham Shareholder Services, LLC, as transfer agent for the Registrant. 100
(h)(3)
Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and ARS Investment Management, LLC, as investment advisor for the Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund. 93
(h)(4)
Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Cavalier Investments, Inc., as investment advisor for the Cavalier Funds. 96
(h)(5)
Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Goodwood Advisors, LLC, as investment advisor for the Goodwood SMID Long/Short Fund. 76
(h)(6)
Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and  Deschutes Portfolio Strategies, LLC as investment advisor for the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy. 61
(h)(7)
Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and  Cavalier Investments, Inc., as investment advisor for the Nebraska Strategy. 94
(h)(8)
Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and QCI Asset Management, Inc., as investment advisor for the QCI Balanced Fund. 38
(h)(9)
Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Roumell Asset Management, Inc., as investment advisor for the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund. 78
 


 
(h)(10)
Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and Grimaldi Portfolio Solutions, as investment advisor for The Sector Rotation Fund. 81
(h)(11)
Expense Limitation Agreement between the Registrant and  Sirius Funds Advisors, Inc as investment advisor for the Sirius S&P Strategic Large-Cap Allocation Fund. 62
(h)(12)
Operating Plan between Arin Risk Advisors, LLC and The Nottingham Company. 15
(i)
Opinion and Consent of counsel. 8
(j)
Consent of BBD, LLP, independent public accountants. 100
(k)
Not applicable.
(l)(1)
Initial Subscription Agreement for the Rx Dynamic Growth Fund and the Rx Dynamic Total Return Fund. 3
(l)(2)
Initial Subscription Agreement for the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund. 13
(l)(3)
Initial Subscription Agreement for the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund. 20
(l)(4)
Initial Subscription Agreement for the Rx Non Traditional Fund, Rx High Income Fund, Rx Traditional Equity Fund, Rx Traditional Fixed Income Fund, Rx Tactical Rotation Fund, Rx Tax Advantaged Fund, Rx Dividend Income Fund, and Rx Premier Managers Fund. 20
(l)(5)
Initial Subscription Agreement for the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy. 20
(l)(6)
Initial Subscription Agreement for the QCI Balanced Fund. 43
(l)(7)
Initial Subscription Agreement for the Sirius S&P Strategic Large-Cap Allocation Fund. 40
(m)(1)
Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund. 93
(m)(2)
Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Goodwood SMID Long/Short Fund. 95
(m)(3)
Amended Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund. 27
(m)(4)
Amended Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Cavalier Adaptive Income Fund, Cavalier Dynamic Growth Fund, Cavalier Fundamental Growth Fund, Cavalier Global Opportunities Fund, Cavalier High Income Fund, Cavalier Multi Strategist Fund, Cavalier Tactical Rotation Fund. 96
(m)(5)
Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund. 41
(m)(6)
Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy. 25
(m)(7)
Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Nebraska Fund. 94
(m)(8)
Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the QCI Balanced Fund. 36



(m)(9)
Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Sirius S&P Strategic Large-Cap Allocation Fund. 40
(m)(10)
Distribution Plan under Rule 12b-1 for the Sector Rotation Fund. 84
(n)(1)
Amended Multiple Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 for the Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund. 93
(n)(2)
Amended Multiple Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 for the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund. 100
(n)(3)
Amended Multiple Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 for the Cavalier Funds. 96
(n)(4)
Multiple Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 for the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund. 15
(n)(5)
Multiple Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 for the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy. 25
(n)(6)
Multiple Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 for the Nebraska Fund. 94
(n)(7)
Multiple Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 for the QCI Balanced Fund. 38
(n)(8)
Multiple Class Plan Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 for the Goodwood SMID Cap Discovery Fund Fund. 39
(o)
Reserved.
(p)(1)
Code of Ethics for the Registrant .2
(p)(2)
Code of Ethics for Cavalier Investments, Inc.,  investment advisors to the Cavalier Funds. 77
(p)(3)
Code of Ethics for Roumell Asset Management, LLC, investment advisor to the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund. 100
(p)(4)
Code of Ethics for Grimaldi Portfolio Solutions, Inc., investment advisor to The Sector Rotation Fund. 81
(p)(5)
Code of Ethics for Arin Risk Advisors, LLC, investment advisor to the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund. 72
(p)(6)
Code of Ethics for Deschutes Portfolio Strategies, Inc., investment advisor to the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Strategy. 91
(p)(7)
Code of Ethics for Goodwood Advisors, LLC, investment advisor to the Goodwood SMID Long/Short Fund. 95
(p)(8)
Code of Ethics for Navellier & Associates, Inc., investment sub-advisor to the Cavalier Fundamental Growth Fund. 30
(p)(9)
Code of Ethics for QCI Asset Management, Inc., investment advisor to the QCI Balanced Fund. 69



(p)(10)
Code of Ethics for Sirius Point Advisors, Inc., investment advisor to the Sirius S&P Strategic Large-Cap Allocation Fund. 74
(p)(11)
Code of Ethics for ARS Investment Management, LLC, investment advisor to the Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund. 77
(p)(12)
Code of Ethics for Beaumont Capital Management, LLC, investment sub-advisor to the Cavalier Global Opportunities Fund and Cavalier Tactical Rotation Fund. 77
(p)(13)
Code of Ethics for Bluestone Capital Management, LLC, investment sub-advisor to the Cavalier Multi Strategist Fund. 77
(p)(14)
Code of Ethics for Carden Capital, LLC, investment sub-advisor to the Cavalier Hedged High Income Fund and the Cavalier Multi Strategist Fund. 77
(p)(15)
Code of Ethics for Julex Capital Management, LLC, investment sub-advisor to the Cavalier Multi Strategist Fund. 77
(p)(16)
Code of Ethics for StratiFi, LLC, investment sub-advisor to the Cavalier Dynamic Growth Fund. 77
(p)(17)
Code of Ethics for Validus Growth Investors, LLC, investment sub-advisor to the Cavalier Dynamic Growth Fund. 77
(q)
Copy of Power of Attorney. 74

                               

1.
Incorporated herein by reference to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on May 26, 2009.
2.
Incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 24, 2009.
3.
Incorporated herein by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 3 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 19, 2009.
4.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on February 26, 2010.
5.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on November 15, 2010.
6.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on November 19, 2010.
7.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 42 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 27, 2011.
8.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 28, 2011.
9.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 28, 2011.
10.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 54 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on November 4, 2011.
11.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 55 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on November 14, 2011.
12.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 1, 2011.



13.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 29, 2011.
14.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 63 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 30, 2012.
15.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on May 4, 2012.
16.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 7, 2012.
17.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 12, 2012.
18.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 69 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 31, 2012.
19.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 71 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 29, 2012.
20.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 80 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on October 22, 2012.
21.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 91 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 31, 2012.
22.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 92 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 15, 2013.
23.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 93 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 15, 2013.
24.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 98 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on February 4, 2013.
25.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 100 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on March 15, 2013.
26.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 105 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on April 4, 2013.
27.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 117 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on May 24, 2013.
28.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 129 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 17, 2013.
29.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 130 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 23, 2013.
30.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 134 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 2, 2013.
31.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 136 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 13, 2013.
32.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 147 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 30, 2013.
33.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 148 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 30, 2013.
34.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 151 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on October 11, 2013.
35.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 156 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on October 24, 2013.
36.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 160 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on November 15, 2013.
37.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 166 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 28, 2014.
38.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 167 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 29, 2014.
39.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 170 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on May 16, 2014.




40.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 171 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on May 19, 2014.
41.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 172 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 30, 2014.
42.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 173 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 15, 2014.
43.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 175 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2014.
44.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 176 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2014.
45.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 177 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 1, 2014.
46.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 178 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 8, 2014.
47.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 180 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 15, 2014.
48.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 186 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 29, 2014.
49.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 186 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 29, 2014.
50.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 187 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on October 10, 2014.
51.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 190 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 11, 2014.
52.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 192 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 29, 2014.
53.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 193 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 29, 2014.
54.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 196 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 6, 2015.
55.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 197 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 28, 2015.
56.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 198 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 28, 2015.
57.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 204 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on February 27, 2015.
58.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 206 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on March 24, 2015.
59.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 208 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 29, 2015.
60.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 210 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2015.
61.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 211 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2015.
62.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 216 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on August 28, 2015.
63.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 218 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 28, 2015.
64.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 219 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 28, 2015.
65.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 222 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 29, 2015.
66.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 223 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 29, 2015.


67.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 226 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 28, 2016.
68.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 227 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 28, 2016.
69.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 228 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on February 17, 2016.
70.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 229 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on February 17, 2016.
71.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 230 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 28, 2016.
72.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 231 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 20, 2016.
73.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2016.
74.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 233 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 29, 2016.
75.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 236 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 28, 2016.
76.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.237 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 28, 2016.
77.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.241 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 29, 2016.
78.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.242 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on December 29, 2016.
79.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.245 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 30, 2017.
80.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.246 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on January 30, 2017.
81.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.247 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on February 1, 2017.
82.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.250 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on March 3, 2017.
83.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.251 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on March 24, 2017.
84.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.253 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on April 13, 2017.
85.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.254 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on April 21, 2017.
86.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.258 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 12, 2017.
87.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.260 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 15, 2017.
88.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.261 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 19, 2017.
89.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.262 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 28, 2017.
90.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.265 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on June 30, 2017.
91.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.268 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 28, 2017.
92.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.269 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on July 28, 2017.
93.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.274 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 13, 2017.



94.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.275 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 15, 2017.
95.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.276 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 28, 2017.
96.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.277 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 28, 2017.
97.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.278 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 28, 2017.
98.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.279 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 28, 2017.
99.
Incorporated herein by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No.280 to Registrant's Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed on September 29, 2017.
100.
Filed Herewith.


ITEM 29.   Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Registrant
No person is controlled by or under common control with the Registrant.
ITEM 30.   Indemnification
Under Delaware law, Section 3817 of the Treatment of Delaware Statutory Trusts empowers Delaware business trusts to indemnify and hold harmless any trustee or beneficial owner or other person from and against any and all claims and demands whatsoever, subject to such standards and restrictions as may be set forth in the governing instrument of the business trust.  The Registrant's Trust Instrument contains the following provisions:
Article VII. Section 2.   Indemnification and Limitation of Liability .  The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrong-doing of any officer, agent, employee, Advisor or Principal Underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee, and, as provided in Section 3 of this Article VII, the Trust out of its assets shall indemnify and hold harmless each and every Trustee and officer of the Trust from and against any and all claims, demands, costs, losses, expenses, and damages whatsoever arising out of or related to such Trustee's performance of his or her duties as a Trustee or officer of the Trust; provided that nothing herein contained shall indemnify, hold harmless or protect any Trustee or officer from or against any liability to the Trust or any Shareholder to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.
Every note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate or undertaking and every other act or thing whatsoever issued, executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or the Trustees or any of them in connection with the Trust shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued, executed or done only in or with respect to their or his or her capacity as Trustees or Trustee, and such Trustees or Trustee shall not be personally liable thereon.
Article VII. Section 3.   Indemnification.
(a)  Subject to the exceptions and limitations contained in Subsection (b) below:
(i)  every person who is, or has been, a Trustee or an officer, employee or agent of the Trust (including any individual who serves at its request as director, officer, partner, trustee or the like of another organization in which it has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) ("Covered Person") shall be indemnified by the Trust or the appropriate Series to the fullest extent permitted by law against liability and against all expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding in which he becomes involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of his being or having been a Covered Person and against amounts paid or incurred by him in the settlement thereof; and

(ii)  as used herein, the words "claim," "action," "suit," or "proceeding" shall apply to all claims, actions, suits or proceedings (civil, criminal or other, including appeals), actual or threatened, and the words "liability" and "expenses" shall include, without limitation, attorneys, fees, costs, judgments, amounts paid in settlement, fines, penalties and other liabilities.
(b)  No indemnification shall be provided hereunder to a Covered Person:
(i)  who shall have been adjudicated by a court or body before which the proceeding was brought (A) to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office, or (B) not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interest of the Trust; or
(ii)  in the event the matter is not adjudicated by a court or other appropriate body, unless there has been a determination that such Covered Person did not engage in willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office: by at least a majority of those Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the Trust nor are parties to the matter based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry); or by written opinion of independent legal counsel based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry).
(c)  The rights of indemnification herein provided may be insured against by policies maintained by the Trust, shall be severable, shall not be exclusive of or affect any other rights to which any Covered Person may now or hereafter be entitled, and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of a Covered Person.
(d)  To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, expenses incurred in defending any proceeding may be advanced by the Trust before the disposition of the proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such Covered Person that such amount will be paid over by him to the Trust or applicable Series if it is ultimately determined that he is not entitled to indemnification under this Section; provided, however, that either a majority of the Trustees who are neither Interested Persons of the Trust nor parties to the matter, or independent legal counsel in a written opinion, shall have determined, based upon a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full trial-type inquiry) that there is reason to believe that such Covered Person will not be disqualified from indemnification under this Section.
(e)  Any repeal or modification of this Article VII by the Shareholders, or adoption or modification of any other provision of the Declaration or By-laws inconsistent with this Article, shall be prospective only, to the extent that such repeal, or modification would, if applied retrospectively, adversely affect any limitation on the liability of any Covered Person or indemnification available to any Covered Person with respect to any act or omission which occurred prior to such repeal, modification or adoption.
In addition, the Registrant has entered into Investment Advisory Agreements with its Advisors and Distribution Agreements with its Distributor.  These agreements provide indemnification for those entities and their respective affiliates.  The Advisors' and Distributor's personnel may serve as trustees and officers of the Trust.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"), may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Trust Instrument or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and, therefore, is unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by trustees, officers or controlling persons of the Registrant in connection with the successful defense of any act, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such trustees, officers or controlling persons in connection with the shares being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issues.

ITEM 31.  Business and other Connections of the Investment Advisor
See the section of the Prospectuses entitled "Management of the Fund – The Investment Advisor" and the section of the Statements of Additional Information entitled "Management and Other Service Providers" for the activities and affiliations of the officers and directors of the investment advisors to the Registrant.  The investment advisors provide investment advisory services to numerous institutional and individual clients in addition to the Registrant.
ITEM 32.  Principal Underwriter
(a)  Capital Investment Group, Inc. is underwriter and distributor for Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund, Arin Large Cap Theta Fund, Cavalier Funds, Goodwood SMID Long/Short Fund, Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy, Nebraska Fund, QCI Balanced Fund, Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund, Sector Rotation Fund and Sirius S&P Strategic Large-Cap Allocation Fund,
(b)  Set forth below is information concerning each director and officer of the Distributor.  The principal business address of the Distributor and each such person is 100 E Six Forks Road, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27609.
(1)
(2)
(3)
Name
Position and Offices
With Underwriter
Positions and Offices
with Registrant
Richard K. Bryant
President
None
E.O. Edgerton, Jr.
Vice President
None
Con T. McDonald
Assistant Vice-President
None
W. Harold Eddins, Jr.
Assistant Vice-President
None
Kurt A. Dressler
Assistant Vice-President
None
Ronald L. King
Chief Compliance Officer
None

(c)  Not applicable.
ITEM 33.  Location of Accounts and Records
All account books and records not normally held by UMB Bank, n.a., the custodian to the Registrant, are held by the Registrant in the offices of The Nottingham Company, fund accountant and administrator to the Registrant; Nottingham Shareholder Services, LLC, transfer agent to the Registrant; or by each of the investment advisors to the Registrant.
The address of UMB Bank, n.a., is 928 Grand Boulevard, 5th Floor, Kansas City, Missouri  64106.  The address of The Nottingham Company is 116 South Franklin Street, Post Office Box 69, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27802-0069.  The address of Nottingham Shareholder Services, LLC is 116 South Franklin Street, Post Office Box 4365, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27803-0365.  The address for Arin Risk Advisors, LLC, investment advisor for the Arin Large Cap Theta Fund , is 1100 East Hector Street, Suite 215 , Conshohocken, Pennsylvania 19428. The address of Cavalier Investments, LLC, investment advisor to certain of the Cavalier Funds and the Nebraska Fund is 2050 Marconi Drive, Suite 300, Alpharetta, GA 30005. The address for ARS Investment Management, LLC, investment advisor to the Alpha Risk Tactical Rotation Fund is 629 Highland Avenue, Suite 200, Needham, MA  02494.  The address of Deschutes Portfolio Strategies, Inc., investment advisor to the Matisse Discounted Closed-End Fund Strategy, is 4949 Meadows Road, Suite 200, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97035. The address for Goodwood Advisors, LLC, investment advisor for the Goodwood SMID Long/Short Fund, is 450 Laurel Street Suite 2105, Baton Rouge, LA 70801. The address for Grimaldi Portfolio Solutions, Inc., investment advisor to The Sector Rotation Fund, is 1207 Route 9, Suite 10, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590. The address for Roumell Asset Management, LLC, investment advisor to the Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund, is 2 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 660, Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815.  The address for Sirius Point Advisors, Inc., investment advisor for the Sirius S&P Strategic Large-Cap Allocation Fund, is 11390 PO Box 277, Lovettsville, Virginia 20180.  The address for QCI Asset Management, Inc., investment advisor for the QCI Balanced Fund, is 40A Grove Street, Pittsford, New York 14534.

ITEM 34.  Management Services
None.
ITEM 35.  Undertakings
None.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"), and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this amendment to the registration statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized, in the City of Rocky Mount, State of North Carolina on this 29 th day of December, 2017.

 
STARBOARD INVESTMENT TRUST
     
 
By:
/s/ Matthew J. Beck
   
Matthew J. Beck
   
Secretary and Attorney-in-Fact


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following person in the capacities and on the date indicated.

Signature
Title
Date
     
     
                           *                              
Trustee and Chairman
December 29, 2017
James H. Speed, Jr.
   
     
                           *                              
Trustee
December 29, 2017
J. Buckley Strandberg
   
     
                           *                              
Trustee
December 29, 2017
Michael G. Mosley
   
     
                           *                              
Trustee
December 29, 2017
Theo H. Pitt, Jr.
   
     
                           *                              
President and Principal Executive Officer
December 29, 2017
Katherine M. Honey
   
     
                           *                              
Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and Principal
December 29, 2017
Ashley E. Harris
Financial Officer
 
     
* By: /s/  Matthew J. Beck
December 29, 2017
 
Matthew J. Beck
Secretary and Attorney-in-Fact
 


 
Exhibit Index
 
Exhibit
Number
 
 
Dividend Disbursing and Transfer Agent Agreement 99(h)(2)
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 99(j)
Rule 18f-3 Multi-Class Plan 99(n)(2)
Code of Ethics 99(p)(3)
EXHIBIT B
As Amended: December 20, 2017
COMPENSATION SCHEDULE

For the services delineated in the DIVIDEND DISBURSING AND TRANSFER AGENT AGREEMENT, the Transfer Agent shall be compensated monthly, according to the following fee schedule.
Shareholder servicing fee:
$______ per shareholder per year per Fund
Minimum fee of $____ per month per Fund, plus $500 per month for each additional class of shares.
AML fee:
$_____ per incoming shareholder
In addition, the Transfer Agent shall be entitled to reimbursement of actual out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Transfer Agent on behalf of the Trust or the Fund.


 


CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM




We consent to the references to our firm in the Registration Statement on Form N-1A of the Starboard Investment Trust   and to the use of our report dated October 30, 2017 on the financial statements and financial highlights of Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund, a series of shares of beneficial interest in Starboard Investment Trust. Such financial statements and financial highlights appear in the August 31, 2017 Annual Report to Shareholders which is incorporated by reference into the Statement of Additional Information.
 
                                                       
BBD, LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 29, 2017
AMENDED AND RESTATED
ROUMELL OPPORTUNISTIC VALUE FUND
RULE 18f-3 MULTI-CLASS PLAN
I.  Introduction.
Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended ("1940 Act"), this Rule 18f-3 Multi-Class Plan ("Plan") sets forth the general characteristics of, and conditions under which the Starboard Investment Trust ("Trust") may offer, multiple classes of shares (each a "Class of Shares" and collectively "Classes of Shares") of the following series: Roumell Opportunistic Value Fund (the "Fund").  In addition, the Plan sets forth the shareholder servicing arrangements, distribution arrangements, conversion features, exchange privileges, and other shareholder services of each Class of Shares in such Fund.  The Plan is intended to allow the Fund of the Trust to offer multiple Classes of Shares to the fullest extent and manner permitted by Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act, subject to the requirements and conditions imposed by the Rule.  This Plan may be revised or amended from time to time as provided below.
The Fund is authorized, as indicated below in the section "Class Arrangements," to issue the following Classes of Shares representing interests in the Fund: Class A Shares, Class C Shares, and Institutional Class Shares.  Each Class of Shares of the Fund will represent interests in the same portfolio of the Fund and, except as described herein, shall have the same rights and obligations as each other Class of Shares of the Fund.  Each Class of Shares shall be subject to such investment minimums and other conditions of eligibility as are set forth in the applicable Fund's prospectus ("Prospectus") or statement of additional information ("Statement of Additional Information"), as amended from time to time.
II.  Allocation of Expenses.
Pursuant to Rule 18f-3 under the 1940 Act, the Trust shall allocate to each Class of Shares in the Fund (i) any fees and expenses incurred by the Trust in connection with the distribution of such Class of Shares under a distribution plan (and related agreements) adopted for such Class of Shares pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, and (ii) any fees and expenses incurred by the Trust under a shareholder servicing plan (and related agreements) in connection with the provision of shareholder services to the holders of such Class of Shares.  In addition, pursuant to Rule 18f-3, the Trust may allocate the following fees and expenses to a particular Class of Shares in a single Fund:
(i)
Transfer agency fees identified by the transfer agent as being attributable to such Class of Shares;
(ii)
Printing and postage expenses related to preparing and distributing materials such as shareholder reports, notices, prospectuses, reports, and proxies to current shareholders of such Class of Shares or to regulatory agencies with respect to such Class of Shares;
(iii)
Blue sky registration or qualification fees incurred by such Class of Shares;
(iv)
Securities and Exchange Commission registration fees incurred by such Class of Shares;
(v)
The expense of administrative and personnel services (including, but not limited to, those of a portfolio accountant or dividend paying agent charged with calculating net asset values or determining or paying dividends) as required to support the shareholders of such Class of Shares;
(vi)
Litigation or other legal expenses relating solely to such Class of Shares;

(vii)
Fees of the Trustees of the Trust incurred as a result of issues particularly relating to such Class of Shares;
(viii)
Independent registered public accountants' fees relating solely to such Class of Shares; and
(ix)
Any additional expenses, other than advisory or custodial fees or other expenses relating to the management of the Fund's assets, if such expenses are actually incurred in a different amount with respect to a Class of Shares that are of a different kind or to a different degree than with respect to one or more other Classes of Shares.
The initial determination of the class specific expenses that will be allocated by the Trust to a particular Class of Shares and any subsequent changes thereto will be reviewed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust and approved by a vote of the Trustees of the Trust, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust.
Income, realized and unrealized capital gains and losses, and any expenses of the Fund not allocated to a particular Class of Shares of such Fund pursuant to this Plan shall be allocated to each Class of Shares of the Fund on the basis of the net asset value of that Class of Shares in relation to the net asset value of the Fund.
III.  Dividends.
Dividends paid by the Trust with respect to each Class of Shares of the Fund, to the extent any dividends are paid, will be calculated in the same manner, at the same time and will be in the same amount, except that any fees and expenses that are properly allocated to a particular Class of Shares of the Fund will be borne by that Class of Shares.
IV.  Voting Rights.
Each share (or fraction thereof) of the Fund entitles the shareholder of record to one vote (or fraction thereof).  Each Class of Shares of the Fund will vote separately as a Class of Shares with respect to:  (i) the adoption of, or material amendment to, any Rule 12b-1 distribution plan applicable to that Class of Shares, and (ii) any other matters for which voting on a Class of Shares by Class of Shares basis is required under applicable law or interpretative positions of the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
V.  Class Arrangements.
The following summarizes the front-end sales charges, contingent deferred sales charges, Rule 12b-1 fees, shareholder servicing fees, conversion features, exchange privileges, and other shareholder services applicable to each Class of Shares of the Fund.  Additional details regarding such fees and services are set forth in the Fund's current Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information.
(i)   Class A Shares.
1.
Maximum Initial Sales Load (as a percentage of offering price):  5.75%.
2.
Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge: None.
3.
Rule 12b-1 Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Fees:  Pursuant to a Distribution Plan adopted under Rule 12b-1, Class A Shares of the Fund may pay distribution and shareholder servicing fees of up to 0.25% per annum of the average daily net assets of any such Fund attributable to such shares.

4.
Conversion Features:  A holder of Class A shares that qualifies as a purchaser of Institutional Class shares may convert such Class A shares to Institutional Class shares based on the relative net asset values of the two Classes on the conversion date.
5.
Redemption Fee:  1.00%.
6.
Exchange Privileges:  Class A Shares of the Fund may be exchanged for Class A Shares of any other series of the Trust advised by the same investment advisor at net asset value.
7.
Other Shareholder Services:  The Trust offers a Systematic Withdrawal Plan and Automatic Investment Plan to holders of Class A Shares of the Fund.
(ii)   Class C Shares.
1.
Maximum Initial Sales Load (as a percentage of offering price):  None.
2.
Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge: 1.00%.
3.
Rule 12b-1 Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Fees:  Pursuant to a Distribution Plan adopted under Rule 12b-1, Class A Shares of the Fund may pay distribution and shareholder servicing fees of up to 1.00% (0.25% for service fees and 0.75% for distribution fees) per annum of the average daily net assets of any such Fund attributable to such Class C Shares.
4.
Conversion Features:  A holder of Class C shares that qualifies as a purchaser of Institutional Class shares may convert such Class C shares to Institutional Class shares based on the relative net asset values of the two Classes on the conversion date.
5.
Redemption Fee:  2.00%.
6.
Exchange Privileges:  Class C Shares of the Fund may be exchanged for Class C Shares of any other series of the Trust advised by the same investment advisor at net asset value.
7.
Other Shareholder Services:  The Trust offers a Systematic Withdrawal Plan and Automatic Investment Plan to holders of Class C Shares of the Fund.
(iii)   Institutional Class Shares.
1.
Maximum Initial Sales Load (as a percentage of offering price):  None.
2.
Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales Charge: None.
3.
Rule 12b-1 Distribution/Shareholder Servicing Fees:  None.
4.
Conversion Features:  None.
5.
Redemption Fee:  1.00%.
6.
Exchange Privileges:  Institutional Class Shares of the Fund may be exchanged for Institutional Class Shares of any other series of the Trust advised by the same investment advisor at net asset value.

7.
Other Shareholder Services:  The Trust offers a Systematic Withdrawal Plan and Automatic Investment Plan to holders of Institutional Class Shares of the Fund.
VI.  Board Review.
The Board of Trustees of the Trust shall review this Plan as frequently as they deem necessary.  Prior to any material amendment(s) to this Plan, the Trust's Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees that are not interested persons of the Trust, shall find that the Plan, as proposed to be amended (including any proposed amendments to the method of allocating Class and/or Fund expenses), is in the best interest of each Class of Shares individually and in the Fund as a whole.  In considering whether to approve any proposed amendment(s) to the Plan, the Trustees of the Trust shall request and evaluate such information as they consider reasonably necessary to evaluate the proposed amendment(s) to the Plan.

Adopted: April 25, 2013
Amended: October 11, 2017



CODE OF ETHICS, PERSONAL TRADING AND INSIDER TRADING
I. CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
As professionals serving the public in the area of asset management, all officers, directors and employees of RAM ("RAM Personnel") must be guided in their actions by the highest ethical and professional standards and subscribe to this Code of Ethics and Professional Standards.
1. All RAM Personnel must at all times reflect the professional standards expected of those engaged in the investment advisory business, and shall comply with all federal and state securities laws and regulations pertaining to investment advisers.
2. All RAM Personnel are required to report any violation of this Code to RAM's CCO.
3. At all times, the interest of RAM clients has precedence over personal interests. This applies particularly in the case of purchases and sales of stocks and other securities that are owned, purchased or sold in our advisory and fiduciary accounts.
4. RAM has adopted Insider Trader Policies that set parameters for the establishment, maintenance and enforcement of policies and procedures to detect and prevent the misuse of material non-public information by RAM Personnel. The Insider Trading Policies are a part of this Code of Ethics and Professional Standards.
5. RAM has adopted Personal Trading Policies that set parameters for the establishment, maintenance and enforcement of policies and procedures to detect and prevent RAM Personnel from taking advantage of their fiduciary relationship with our clients. The Personal Trading Policies are a part of this Code of Ethics and Professional Standards.
6. RAM Personnel has adopted a policy regarding accepting and giving gifts.  This policy is a part of this Code of Ethics and Professional Standards.
7. When any RAM Personnel face a conflict between their personal interest and the interests of RAM clients, he or she will report the conflict to the CCO for instruction regarding how to proceed.  It is the responsibility of RAM to make sure that all Covered Persons are aware of conflicts of interest and that they should notify the CCO of any conflicts.  The CCO is responsible for determining if such conflicts need to be disclosed and will do so if needed.
8. The recommendations and actions of RAM are confidential and private matters. Accordingly, it is our policy to prohibit, prior to general public release, the transmission, distribution or communication of any information regarding securities transactions of client accounts except to broker/dealers in the ordinary course of business. In addition, no information obtained during the course of employment regarding particular securities (including internal reports and recommendations) may be transmitted, distributed, or communicated to anyone who is not affiliated with RAM, without the prior written approval of RAM's President.
9. The policies and guidelines set forth in this Code of Ethics must be strictly adhered to by all RAM Personnel. Severe disciplinary actions, including dismissal, may be imposed for violations of this Code of Ethics and Professional Standards.
II. INSIDER TRADING
A. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE
The purpose of the policies and procedures in this Section (the "Insider Trading Policies") is to detect and prevent "insider trading" by any person associated with RAM. The term "insider trading" is not defined in the securities laws, but generally refers to the use of material, non-public information to trade in securities or the communication of material, non-public information to others.


B. GENERAL POLICY
1. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES
All officers, directors and employees of RAM including contract, temporary, or part-time personnel, or any other person associated with RAM, are prohibited from the following activities:
(a) trading or recommending trading in securities for any account (personal or client) while in possession of material, non-public information about the issuer of the securities; or
(b) communicating material, non-public information about the issuer of any securities to any other person.
The activities described above are not only violations of these Insider Trading Policies, but also may be violations of applicable law.
2. REPORTING OF MATERIAL, NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION
Any owner or employee who possesses or believes that she/he may possess material, non-public information about any issuer of securities must report the matter immediately to the CCO. The CCO will review the matter and provide further instructions regarding appropriate handling of the information to the reporting individual.
C. MATERIAL INFORMATION, NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION, INSIDER TRADING AND INSIDERS
1. Material information generally includes:
·
any information that a reasonable investor would likely consider important in making his or her investment decision; or
·
any information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a company's securities.
Examples of material information include the following: dividend changes, earnings estimates, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems and extraordinary management developments.
2. Non-Public Information. Information is "non-public" until it has been effectively communicated to the market and the market has had time to "absorb" the information. For example, information found in a report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or appearing in Dow Jones, Reuters Economic Services, The Wall Street Journal or other publications of general circulation would be considered public.
3. Insider Trading. While the law concerning "insider trading" is not static, it generally prohibits: (1) trading by an insider while in possession of material, non-public information; (2) trading by non-insiders while in possession of material, non-public information, where the information was either disclosed to the non-insider in violation of an insider's duty to keep it confidential or was misappropriated; and (3) communicating material, non-public information to others.
4. Insiders. The concept of "insider" is broad, and includes all employees of a company. In addition, any person may be a temporary insider if she/he enters into a special, confidential relationship with a company in the conduct of a company's affairs and as a result has access to information solely for the company's purposes. Any person associated with RAM may become a temporary insider for a company it advises or for which it performs other services. Temporary insiders may also include the following: a company's attorneys, accountants, consultants, bank lending officers and the employees of such organizations.

D. PENALTIES FOR INSIDER TRADING
The legal consequences for trading on or communicating material, non-public information are severe, both for individuals involved in such unlawful conduct and their employers. A person can be subject to some or all of the penalties below even if he/she does not personally benefit from the violation. Penalties may include:
·
civil injunctions
·
jail sentences
·
revocation of applicable securities-related registrations and licenses
·
fines for the person who committed the violation of up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided, whether or not the person actually benefited; and
·
fines for the employee or other controlling person of up to the greater of $1,000,000 or three times the amount of the profit gained or loss avoided.
In addition, RAM's management will impose serious sanctions on any person who violates the Insider Trading Policies. These sanctions may include suspension or dismissal of the person or persons involved.
III. GENERAL PERSONAL TRADING POLICIES
A. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
The pre-clearance procedures, trading restrictions and reporting requirements in this Section III (the "Personal Trading Policies") have been approved by the CCO. Transactions by covered persons in covered accounts, as each of these terms is defined below, must be conducted in accordance with the Personal Trading Policies. In the conduct of any and all personal securities transactions, all covered persons must act in accordance with the following general principles:
(a) the interests of clients must be placed before personal interests at all times;
(b) no covered person may take inappropriate advantage of his or her position; and
(c) the Personal Trading Policies shall be followed in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of a covered person's position of trust and responsibility.
B. DEFINITIONS
1. COVERED PERSONS
Any supervised person of RAM who has access to nonpublic information regarding any client's purchase or sale of securities, is involved in making securities recommendations to clients, or has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic is a "covered person" under the Personal Trading Policies.  The CCO will maintain a list of covered persons of RAM (e.g., officers, portfolio managers, and traders) .
2. COVERED ACCOUNTS
A "covered account" under the Personal Trading Policies is any account in which a covered person:
(a)   has a direct or indirect interest, including those of a spouse or minor child; or
(b)   has direct or indirect control over purchase or sale of securities.


3. ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS
The definitions set forth below shall apply to the terms used in the Personal Securities Trading Policies:
1. "DISINTERESTED TRUSTEES" means trustees of the Fund that are not "interested persons" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Fund or the Adviser.
2. "PART-TIME PERSONNEL" means employees of a business unit employed on a permanent basis, but obligated to work less than a full (i.e., forty-hour) work week.
3. "SECURITY" includes stock, notes, bonds, debentures and other evidences of indebtedness (including loan participations and assignments), limited partnership interests, investment contracts, and all derivative instruments, such as options and warrants.
C. RESTRICTIONS ON TRADING
1.   BUYING AND SELLING THE SAME SECURITIES AS CLIENTS
RAM understands that a potential conflict of interest exists where covered persons buy and sell for themselves the same securities they buy and sell for their fiduciary clients.  In order to both align the covered persons' interests with those of their clients and mitigate any resulting conflicts of interest:
Trades for any covered person's covered accounts in publicly-traded securities that are also being bought or sold for client accounts may not be effected until all the client trades have been effected.  Please note that as a result of this policy, covered persons may from time to time receive a better execution price than the price received by RAM's clients.  Partners may buy private securities that are not available to clients and also request permission from the CCO to invest in individual publicly-traded securities that are not being purchased on behalf of clients.
2.   RESTRICTED LIST SECURITIES
It is recognized that a covered person may from time to time have a special relationship with an issuer (such as being a director, officer, consultant, significant shareholder, receiving material, non-public information, etc. of an issuer). In such cases, the covered person must notify the CCO of that relationship. The CCO will review the relationship and will determine whether or not to place the securities of the issuer on a Restricted Securities List. Trades in any security on the Restricted Securities List maintained by the CCO are prohibited.
3.   INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS (IPOs)
Investing in IPOs is prohibited.
4.   CERTAIN PUBLIC COMPANY SECURITIES
Purchases of restricted securities issued by public companies are generally prohibited. However, an exception may be made if the CCO determines that the contemplated transaction will raise no actual, potential or apparent conflict of interest.
5.   PRIVATE PLACEMENTS AND HEDGE FUNDS
Purchase or sale of a security obtained through a private placement, including purchase of any interest in a hedge fund, requires approval by the CCO. Approval is contingent upon the CCO determining that the contemplated transaction will raise no actual, potential or apparent conflict of interest.

Note: If a covered person who owns a security in a private company knows that the company is about to engage in an IPO, she/he must disclose this information to the CCO.
6.   INVESTMENT CLUBS
Participation in an investment club requires approval by the CCO. Pre-clearance may be granted on written request if the covered person's participation does not create any actual, potential or apparent conflict of interest.
D. EXCEPTIONS TO THE PERSONAL TRADING POLICIES
1.   CERTAIN TYPES OF SECURITIES AND RELATED INSTRUMENTS
Transactions in covered accounts involving any of the following securities are not subject to any of the policies on Personal Trading above:
(a) Open-End Management Mutual Funds and Unit Investment Trusts (not closed-end mutual funds).


(b) United States Government Securities (e.g., U.S. Treasury Bonds).


(c) Money Market Instruments (e.g., bankers' acceptances, Certificates of Deposit, and repurchase agreements).
2.   CASE-BY-CASE EXEMPTIONS
Because no written policy can provide for every possible contingency, the CCO may consider granting additional exceptions to the Personal Trading Policies on a case-by-case basis. Any request for such consideration must be submitted by the covered person in writing to the CCO. Exceptions will only be granted in those cases in which the CCO, subject to the oversight of the President or designee, determines that granting the request will create no actual, potential or apparent conflict of interest.
E. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

1.  INITIAL ACCOUNT AND SECURITIES HOLDINGS LIST

Within 10 days of beginning employment or becoming a covered person, each covered person must provide a list of brokerage accounts and securities owned by the covered person, the covered person's spouse or minor children, or any other person or entity in which the covered person may have a beneficial interest or derive a direct or indirect benefit (the "Initial Holdings Report") (see Appendix C-1). If necessary, each covered person will also submit a duplicate statement request letter to brokers (see Appendix C-2). Each Initial Holdings Report shall be current as of a date within 45 days of the date of the report and shall include the following information:

(A)   The title, number of shares and principal amount of Securities in which the covered person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership when the person became a covered person;
(B)   The name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the covered person as of the date the person became an covered person; and
(C)   The date that the report is submitted by the covered person.

The CCO will review each Initial Holdings Report.

2.   ANNUAL UPDATE AND CERTIFICATION

Each covered person must file an annual account statement that reports the covered person's accounts and Securities holdings (list of brokerage accounts and Securities in which the covered person has a direct or indirect beneficial interest, influence or control as of December 31 including the information required under Section E(1) above and execute a certification regarding compliance with the Personal Trading Policies and applicable laws by February 14th each year using the form attached hereto as Appendix D.


3.  QUARTERLY TRADE CONFIRMATIONS

Each covered person must file or cause to be filed with the CCO a duplicate brokerage statement or equivalent showing each trade conducted by the covered person within 15 days after the end of each calendar quarter.  For any trade not shown on the brokerage statement, the covered person shall submit a memo to the CCO describing such trade(s) within 30 days of the end of the quarter.

The CCO will review all reports created pursuant to Section E no later than ten business days within receipt of each such report to determine if there are any violations with this Code of Ethics.

4.   DELIVERY OF CODE OF ETHICS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT

All covered persons shall receive copies of this Code of Ethics and any amendments thereto at the beginning of employment within 10 days of hire and thereafter as material amendments are made to the Code of Ethics.   Each covered person shall execute an acknowledgement of receipt of the Code of Ethics and any amendment thereto in the form attached as Appendix E-1 (annual) and Appendix E-2 (beginning of employment).  A list of covered persons is maintained by the COO.

F.   CCO ACTIVITY

In cases where the CCO is the covered person for purposes of this Code of Ethics or the person whose conduct is at issue, the provisions of this Code of Ethics will be performed or enforced by the CCO's designee.

G.   RETENTION OF RECORDS

RAM must maintain all records required by Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act for the periods required by the rule, including:

1.   copies of this Code of Ethics;
2.   records of any violation of the Code of Ethics and actions taken as a result of the violations;
3.   copies of all acknowledgments upon receipt of this Code of Ethics and certification to comply with the Code of Ethics made by RAM Personnel;
4.   lists of all the RAM Investment Personnel who are, or within the past five years have been, covered persons subject to the trading restrictions of this Code of Ethics and lists of the compliance personnel responsible for monitoring compliance with those trading restrictions; and
5.   copies of other reports submitted under Section E above.

H.   PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS

Covered persons who violate the Personal Trading Policies may be subject to sanctions, which may include, among other things, education or formal censure; a letter of admonition; disgorgement of profits; restrictions on such person's personal securities transactions; fines, suspension, reassignment, demotion or termination of employment; or other significant remedial action.  Determinations regarding appropriate disciplinary responses will be made and administered on a case-by-case basis.

I.   GIFTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
1.
ACCEPTING GIFTS

On occasion, because of their position with the Company, Access Persons may be offered, or may receive without notice, gifts from clients, brokers, vendors or other persons.  Payment for entertainment or meals where the employee is not accompanied by the person purchasing the entertainment or meals is considered a gift.  Acceptance of meals or entertainment where the host is present is not deemed a gift.  A gift includes, but is not limited to, cash merchandise, prizes, travel expenses, and entertainment tickets.  Acceptance of extraordinary or extravagant gifts is prohibited.  Any such gifts must be declined and returned in order to protect the reputation and integrity of the Company.  Gifts of nominal value (i.e., a gift whose reasonable value, alone or in the aggregate, is not more than $100 in any twelve month period), customary business meals, entertainment (e.g., sporting events), and promotional items (i.e., pens, mugs, T-shirts) may be accepted.  Any gifts or entertainment from brokers seeking to do or doing business with the Fund must be pre-cleared by the CCO in order to assess whether they would be for the purchase or sale of any property to or for the Fund and therefore prohibited under section 17(e)(1).  All gifts received by an Access Person that might violate this Code must be promptly reported to the CCO.

2.
SOLICITATION OF GIFTS

Access Persons are prohibited from soliciting gifts of any size under any circumstances.

3.
GIVING GIFTS

Access Persons may not give any gift with a value in excess of $100 (per year) to persons who do business with, regulate, advise or render professional services to the Company.  This restriction does not apply to advisory clients so long as such gifts do not undermine the intent and spirit of our Ethics policy.  Moreover, the restriction regarding gift giving does not preclude us from hosting events that may in fact exceed $100 per client or business guest.

Finally, gifting restrictions (both giving and receiving) do not apply to individuals who have a personal relationship separate and apart from the advisory relationship but also may be clients or business associates of the firm.

Any gifts sent and received will be entered in the Gift Log.

III. PAY-TO-PLAY POLICY
"Pay-to-play" refers to the practice whereby an adviser or its employees make political contributions or gifts for the purpose of obtaining or retaining advisory contracts with government entities. General fiduciary principles under the Advisers Act require an adviser to take reasonable steps to ensure that any political contributions made by it or its employees are not intended to obtain or retain advisory business.  In addition, in 2010, the SEC adopted a rule that substantially restricts contribution and solicitation practices of investment advisers and certain of their related persons.  The rule has three key elements:
o
It prohibits an investment adviser from providing advisory services for compensation – either directly or through a pooled investment vehicle – for two years, if the adviser or certain of its executives or employees make a political contribution to an elected official who is in a position to influence the selection of the adviser.
o
It prohibits an advisory firm and certain executives and employees from soliciting or coordinating campaign contributions from others – a practice referred to as "bundling" – for an elected official who is in a position to influence the selection of the adviser.  It also prohibits solicitation and coordination of payments to political parties in the state or locality where the adviser is seeking business.
o
It prohibits an adviser from paying a third party, such as a solicitor or placement agent, to solicit a government client on behalf of the investment adviser, unless that third party is an SEC-registered investment adviser or broker-dealer subject to similar pay to play restrictions.
SEC Press Release 2010-116; http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2010/2010-116.htm

The rule includes a de minimis provision that permits contributions of up to $350 for candidates for whom the contributor is entitled to vote, and $150 for candidates for whom the contributor is not entitled to vote.

Political contributions or gifts from Adviser, its Covered Persons and solicitors to persons who may be in a position to affect the award of business to Adviser may raise various legal and regulatory issues. For instance, the SEC as well as many states and municipalities have rules disqualifying an adviser from managing assets for certain governmental entities if the adviser, any employee or an adviser's solicitor has contributed to certain political organizations, candidates or state officials for office.

To avoid violating such rules, as well as to avoid the appearance of impropriety, all political contributions must be in compliance with the following procedures:

Pre-Approval of Contributions in Excess of $150.00 When making contributions, Covered Persons must be sensitive when considering a contribution to a political party, PAC or person who is, or may in the future be, in a position to affect the award of business to Adviser. Therefore, prior to making any political contribution or gift (including subscriptions, loans or deposit of money or anything of value given) to any political party ( e.g. , Republican, Democratic, Independent), Political Action Committees ("PAC") or to any state official as defined by this policy in excess of $150 (whether in a lump sum or series of contributions in any calendar year), the employee should seek approval from the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee.

Quarterly Reporting   - All Covered Persons will be requested to submit a quarterly attestation (attached as Appendix H) their political contributions during the quarter (including those under the $150 preclearance level).  These contributions may include subscriptions, loans or deposits of money or anything of value given to any political party ( e.g. , Republican, Democratic, Independent), PAC or to any state official as defined by this policy.

State officials are defined in this policy is any person, who was, at the time of the political contribution or gift, a candidate for governor, treasurer or a legislative seat. A PAC is defined as a private group organized to elect or defeat government officials in order to promote legislation that is often favorable to that group's purpose or mission. The quarterly report will ask the Advisory Person to disclose the name of recipient, amount of the contribution or gift value, office and state of the campaign and the date of the contribution. Additionally, each Advisory Person will indicate whether they are entitled to vote for the recipient of their political contribution.

Separation of Political and Employment Activities   - All political activities of Covered Persons must be kept separate from employment and expenses may not be charged to the Adviser. Covered Persons may not conduct political activities during working hours or use Adviser's facilities for political campaign purposes without the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee.

No Contribution on Behalf of Adviser – Covered Persons may not make political contributions on behalf of Adviser to any political party, or in connection with any federal, state, or local campaigns, except with the prior written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee.

IV. OUTSIDE BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
All Covered Person board memberships, advisory positions, trade group positions, management positions, or any involvement with public companies must be fully disclosed and submitted for prior approval to the CCO, with the exception of purely charitable or civic involvements which do not impinge on the Covered Person's work commitment to RAM.  Approval must be obtained through the CCO (Appendix G), and will ordinarily require consideration by senior personnel of RAM. RAM can deny approval for any reason.  This prohibition does not apply to service as an officer or board member of any parent, subsidiary or affiliate of RAM.