BEXIL INVESTMENT TRUST BYLAWS
As of January 2, 2024
These Bylaws are made and adopted
pursuant to Article IV of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Bexil Investment Trust dated as of the date hereof, as from time to
time amended (hereinafter called the “Declaration”). All words and terms capitalized in these Bylaws and not otherwise defined
herein shall have the meaning or meanings set forth for such words or terms in the Declaration.
ARTICLE
I
REGISTERED OFFICE
Section 1. Registered Office. The
registered office of the Trust in the State of Delaware shall be located in Wilmington, Delaware, or such other place as determined by
the President of the Trust. The Trust may, in addition, establish and maintain such other offices and places of business as the Board
of Trustees may, from time to time, determine or the business of the Trust may require.
ARTICLE
II SHAREHOLDERS
Section 1. Place of Meeting.
All meetings of the Shareholders shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust or at such other place as may from time
to time be designated by the Board of Trustees and stated in the notice of such meeting.
Section 2. Annual Meetings.
The Trust shall hold an annual meeting of its Shareholders to elect Trustees and transact any other business within its powers, provided
so long as the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the Trust is not
required to hold an annual meeting in any year in which the election of Trustees is not required to be acted upon under the 1940 Act.
The annual meeting, if any, shall be held at such date, time, and place or by remote communication, as the Board of Trustees, or any duly
constituted committee of the Board, shall determine. Except as provided otherwise in the Declaration, these Bylaws, or the Delaware Act,
no business may be considered at an annual meeting unless specified in the notice or raised by the chairman of the meeting appointed or
otherwise made pursuant to Section 10 of this Article II. The failure to hold an annual meeting does not invalidate the Trust's existence
or affect any otherwise valid act of the Trust.
Section 3. Special Meetings.
(a)
General. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, President, or Board of Trustees may call a special meeting of the Shareholders.
Any such special meeting shall be held at such date, time, and place or by remote communication as may be designated by the Chairman of
the Board of Trustees, President, or Board of Trustees, whoever has called the meeting. Subject to subsection (b) of this Article II,
Section 3, a special meeting of Shareholders shall also be called by the Secretary of the Trust upon the written request of Shareholders
entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.
(b)
Shareholder Requested Meetings. (1) Any Shareholder of record (a “Shareholder of record” is hereby defined
for all purposes of these Bylaws as a Shareholder whose name and address appears on the Trust’s share ledger pursuant to Article
VI hereof) seeking to have Shareholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the Secretary (the “Record
Date Request Notice”) by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of Trustees to fix a record date to determine
the Shareholders entitled to request a special meeting (the “Request Record Date”). The Record Date Request Notice shall set
forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one or more Shareholders of record
as of the date of signature (or their agents duly authorized in writing), shall bear the date of signature of each such Shareholder (or
such agent) and shall set forth all information relating to each such Shareholder that must be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for
election of Trustees in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant
to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act. Upon receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Trustees
may fix a Request Record Date. The Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than 90 days after the close of business
on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board of Trustees. If the Board of Trustees, within
20 days after the date on which a valid Record Date Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record
Date and make a public announcement of such Request Record Date, the Request Record Date shall be the close of business on the 90th day
after the first date on which the Record Date Request Notice is received by the Secretary.
(2)
In order for any Shareholder to request a special meeting (“Shareholder Requested Meeting”), one or more written requests
for a special meeting signed by Shareholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing) as of the Request Record Date entitled
to cast not less than a majority (the “Special Meeting Percentage”) of all of the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting
(the “Special Meeting Request”) shall be delivered to the Secretary. In addition, the Special Meeting Request shall set forth
the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to the matters set forth in the Record
Date Request Notice received by the Secretary), shall bear the date of signature of each such Shareholder (or such agent) signing the
Special Meeting Request, shall set forth the name and address, as they appear in the Trust’s books, of each Shareholder signing
such request (or on whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed), the class, series, and number of all Shares which are owned by
each such Shareholder, and the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned by such Shareholder beneficially but not of record, shall
be sent to the Secretary by registered mail, return receipt requested, and shall be received by the Secretary within 60 days after the
Request Record Date. Any requesting Shareholder may revoke his, her, or its request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation
delivered to the Secretary.
(3)
The Secretary shall inform the requesting Shareholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice of
meeting (including the Trust’s proxy materials). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Secretary shall not be required
to notify Shareholders entitled to notice of the Shareholder Requested Meeting and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition
to the documents required by paragraph (2) of this Article II, Section 3(b), the Secretary receives prior payment of such reasonably estimated
cost.
(4)
In the case of any Shareholder Requested Meeting, such meeting shall be held at such date, time, and place, if any, and the means
of remote communication, if any, by which Shareholders and proxy holders may be considered present in person and may vote at the such
meeting, as may be designated by the Board of Trustees; provided, however, that the date of any Shareholder Requested Meeting shall be
not more than 90 days after the record date for such meeting (the “Meeting Record Date”); and provided further that if the
Board of Trustees fails to designate, within 20 days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is actually received by the Secretary
(the “Delivery Date”), a date, time, or place, if any, or the means of remote communication, if any, by which Shareholders
and proxy
holders may be considered present in person and may vote
at the such meeting, for a Shareholder Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m. local time on the 90th day after
the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a Business Day (as defined below), on the first preceding Business Day; and provided
further that in the event that the Board of Trustees fails to designate a place for a Shareholder Requested Meeting within 20 days after
the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust. In fixing a date for any special meeting,
the Board of Trustees may consider such factors as it deems relevant within the good faith exercise of business judgment, including, without
limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered, the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for the meeting, and any plan
of the Board of Trustees to call an annual meeting or a special meeting. In the case of any Shareholder Requested Meeting, if the Board
of Trustees fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within 30 days after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the
30th day after the Delivery Date shall be the Meeting Record Date.
(5)
If written revocations of requests for the Shareholder Requested Meeting have been delivered to the Secretary and the result is
that Shareholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing), as of the Request Record Date, entitled to cast less than the
Special Meeting Percentage have delivered, and not revoked, requests for a Shareholder Requested Meeting to the Secretary, the Secretary
shall: (i) if the notice of meeting has not already been given to all Shareholders, refrain from giving the notice of the meeting to all
Shareholders and send to all requesting Shareholders who have not revoked such requests written notice of such revocation of a request
for the meeting, generally without identifying from whom the revocation was received, or (ii) if the notice of meeting has been given
to all Shareholders, revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before the commencement of the meeting. Any request for a Shareholder
Requested Meeting received after the occurrence of (i) or (ii) above shall be considered a new Record Date Request Notice pursuant to
Article II, Section 3 hereof.
(6)
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the President, or the Board of Trustees may appoint independent inspectors of elections
to act as the agent of the Trust for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of any purported Special
Meeting Request received by the Secretary. For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no such purported request
shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Secretary until the earlier of (i) ten Business Days after receipt by the Secretary of such
purported request and (ii) such date as the independent inspectors certify to the Trust as to whether the valid requests received by the
Secretary represent at least a majority of the issued and outstanding Shares that would be entitled to vote at such meeting. Nothing contained
in this paragraph (6) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the Trust shall not be entitled to contest the validity of
any request, whether during or after such ten Business Day period, or to take any other action (including, without limitation, the commencement,
prosecution, or defense of any litigation with respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation).
(7)
For purposes of these Bylaws, “Business Day” shall mean any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.
Section 4. Notice of Meetings. Not
less than 10 nor more than 90 days before each Shareholders' meeting, the Secretary shall give notice in writing or by electronic transmission
of the meeting to each Shareholder entitled to vote at, or entitled to notice of, such meeting. The notice shall state: (1) the time of
the meeting, the place of the meeting, if any, and the means of remote communication, if any, by which Shareholders and proxy holders
may be deemed to be present in person and may vote at the meeting; and
(2) the purpose of the meeting, if: (i) the meeting is a
special meeting; or (ii) notice of the purpose is required by any other provision of the Delaware Act. For purposes of this Article II,
Section 4, notice is given to a Shareholder when it is: (i) personally delivered to the Shareholder; (ii) left at the Shareholder's residence
or usual place of business; (iii) mailed to the Shareholder at the Shareholder's address as it appears on the records of the Trust; or
(iv) transmitted to the Shareholder by an electronic transmission to
any address or number of the Shareholder at which the
Shareholder receives electronic transmissions. If mailed, notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail
addressed to the Shareholder as aforesaid; if transmitted to the Shareholder by an electronic transmission, notice shall be deemed to
be given when sent to any address or number of the Shareholder at which the Shareholder receives electronic transmissions. Notice of any
Shareholders’ meeting need not be given to any Shareholder who before or after the meeting delivers a written waiver or a waiver
by electronic transmission which is filed with the records of Shareholders meetings, or to any Shareholder who is present at such meeting
in person or by proxy. Notice of adjournment of a Shareholders’ meeting to another time or place need not be given if such time
and place are announced at the meeting. Irregularities in the notice of any meeting to, or the non-receipt of any such notice by, any
of the Shareholders shall not invalidate any action otherwise properly taken by or at such meeting.
Section 5. Quorum;
Adjournment of Meetings. At a meeting of Shareholders the presence, in person or by proxy, of not less than one-third of the votes
entitled to be cast at the meeting constitutes a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under the Declaration, these
Bylaws, or any applicable statute for the vote necessary for the adoption of any measure. Whether or not a quorum is present, at any meeting
of the Shareholders the chairman of the meeting shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time to a date not more than
150 days after the original record date without further notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which
a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.
The Shareholders
present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and convened, may continue to transact business until adjournment,
notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough Shareholders to leave less than a quorum.
Section 6. Voting. Unless
otherwise provided by the Declaration, at a meeting of Shareholders each whole Share shall be entitled to one vote on each matter on which
it is entitled to vote and each fractional Share shall be entitled to a proportionate fractional vote. To be approved, adopted, or authorized
at a meeting of Shareholders, a matter must receive in the event it has been approved by a majority of the Continuing Trustees the affirmative
vote of a majority of all the votes cast at the meeting at which a quorum is present or, in the event it has not been so approved by the
Continuing Trustees, the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust entitled to be voted at the meeting at
which a quorum is present, provided in each event, however, more or fewer votes cast may be required to approve any matter if so provided
by the Declaration, these Bylaws, or any applicable statute. The vote upon any question shall be by ballot whenever requested by any person
entitled to vote, but, unless such a request is made, voting may be conducted in any way approved by the meeting. Abstentions and broker
non-votes will be included for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at a Shareholders’ meeting but will not be treated
as votes cast. Abstentions and broker non-votes, therefore, will have no effect on proposals which require a plurality or majority of
votes cast for approval, but will have the same effect as a vote “against” on proposals requiring a majority or other specified
percentage of outstanding voting securities for approval.
Section 7. Inspectors.
The Continuing Trustees, in advance of any meeting, may, but need not, appoint one or more individual inspectors or one or more entities
that designate individuals as inspectors to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof. If an inspector or inspectors are not so appointed
or if appointed not deemed appropriate by the chairman of the meeting, the chairman of the meeting may at any time appoint one or more
new or replacement inspectors. In case any person who may be appointed as an inspector fails to appear or act, the vacancy may be filled
by appointment made by the Continuing Trustees or by the chairman of the meeting. Each inspector so appointed shall first subscribe an
oath or affirmation to execute faithfully the duties of inspector at such election with strict impartiality and
according to the best of his or her ability, and shall after
the election make a certificate of the result of the vote taken. No candidate at the meeting for the office of Trustee shall be appointed
such inspector.
Subject to the direction and supervision
of the chairman of the meeting, the inspectors, if any, shall determine the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each,
the shares represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum, the validity and effect of proxies, and shall receive votes, ballots
or consents, hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, count and tabulate all votes,
ballots, or consents, determine the result, and do such acts as are proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all Shareholders.
Each such report shall be in writing and certified by him or her or by a majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at
such meeting. If there is more than one inspector, the certified report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors. The determination
of such inspector or inspectors as to the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the shares represented at the meeting,
the existence of a quorum, the form, validity and effect of proxies or ballots, all challenges and questions arising in connection with
the right to vote, the count or tabulation of all votes, ballots or consents, and all other matters upon which their certificate would
be based shall be deemed final and conclusive, and such inspectors’ determinations shall not be subject to challenge or review prior
to or following the issuance of their certificate, unless such challenge or review is approved by the vote of a majority of the Continuing
Trustees. If no challenge or review is so approved, all documents of whatever kind and nature relating to any matters upon which the certificate
could be based may be discarded by the officers of the Trust in their sole discretion after 30 days of issuance of the inspectors’
certificate.
Section 8. Shareholders Entitled to Vote.
If the Board of Trustees, or any duly constituted committee of the Board, sets a record date for the determination of Shareholders entitled
to notice of or to vote at any Shareholders’ meeting in accordance with these Bylaws, each Shareholder of the Trust shall be entitled
to vote, in person or by proxy, each Share standing in his name on the books of the Trust on such record date. If no record date has been
fixed and these Bylaws do not otherwise provide for a record date in the circumstances, the record date for the determination of Shareholders
entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Shareholders shall be the later of the close of business on the day on which notice of
the meeting is first mailed or otherwise given or the thirtieth day before the meeting, or, if notice is waived by all Shareholders, at
the close of business on the tenth day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held.
Section 9. Validity
of Proxies, Ballots. In an uncontested matter or uncontested election of a Trustee or Trustees, a Shareholder may cast the votes
entitled to be cast by the Shares owned of record by the Shareholder in person or by proxy executed by the Shareholder or the Shareholder’s
duly authorized agent in any manner not prohibited by law. In the event of a proposal by anyone other than the Continuing Trustees is
submitted to a vote of the Shareholders of the Trust, or in the event of any proxy contest or proxy solicitation or proposal in opposition
to any proposal by the officers or Trustees of the Trust, Shares may be voted only by written proxy or in person at a meeting. Unless
a proxy provides otherwise, it shall not be valid more than eleven months after its date. At every meeting of the Shareholders, all proxies
shall be received and taken in charge of and all ballots shall be received and canvassed by the Secretary of the Trust or the person acting
as secretary of the meeting before being voted, who shall decide all questions touching the qualification of voters, the validity of the
proxies, and the acceptance or rejection of votes, unless an inspector of election has been appointed for the meeting in which event such
inspector of election shall decide all such questions as provided in Section 7 of this Article II.
Section 10. Organization and Conduct
of Shareholders’ Meetings. Every meeting of Shareholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Continuing
Trustees to be chairman of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment, by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees or, in the
case of a vacancy in the office or absence or unwillingness
of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, by one of the following officers present at the meeting: the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees,
if there be one, the President, the officers of the Trust in their order of rank or seniority, or, in the absence of such officers, a
chairman chosen by the Shareholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by Shareholders present in person or by proxy. The Secretary,
or, in the Secretary’s absence, an Assistant Secretary, or in the absence of both the Secretary and Assistant Secretaries, a person
appointed by the Board of Trustees or, in the absence of such appointment, a person appointed by the chairman of the meeting shall act
as secretary. In the event that the Secretary presides at a meeting of the Shareholders, an Assistant Secretary, or in the absence of
Assistant Secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Trustees or the chairman of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the
meeting. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of Shareholders shall be determined by the chairman of
the meeting. The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations, and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion
of such chairman, are appropriate, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the
meeting; (b) limiting attendance at the meeting to Shareholders of record of the Trust, their duly authorized proxies, and other such
individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) requiring proof of identification and ownership as a Shareholder of record
or authorization as proxy; (d) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to Shareholders of record of the Trust entitled to
vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies, and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (e) limiting
the time allotted to questions or comments by participants; (f) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) removing any Shareholder
or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules, or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the meeting;
and (h) recessing or adjourning the meeting to a later date and time and place announced at the meeting. Unless otherwise determined by
the chairman of the meeting, meetings of Shareholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.
Section 11. Action Without a Meeting.
Any action required or permitted to be taken by Shareholders at a meeting of Shareholders may be taken without a meeting if (a) all Shareholders
entitled to vote on the matter consent to the action in writing, (b) all Shareholders entitled to notice of the meeting but not entitled
to vote at it sign a written waiver of any right to dissent and (c) the consents and waivers are filed with the records of the meetings
of Shareholders.
Section 12. Advance Notice of Shareholder
Nominations for Trustee and Other Shareholder Proposals.
(a)
Annual Meetings of Shareholders. (1) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Trustees and the proposal
of other business to be considered by the Shareholders may be made at an annual meeting of Shareholders (i) pursuant to the Trust’s
notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Trustees, or any duly constituted committee of the Board, or (iii) by any
Shareholder of the Trust who was a Shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Article II, Section
12(a) and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with this Article II, Section
12(a).
(2)
For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a Shareholder pursuant to clause (iii) of
subsection (a)(1) of this Article II, Section 12, the Shareholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of
the Trust and such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by the Shareholders. To be timely, a Shareholder’s
notice shall set forth all information required under this Article II, Section 12 and shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal
executive office of the Trust not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of mailing of the
notice for preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that either the date of the mailing of the notice
for the annual meeting is
advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary
of the date of the mailing of the notice of the preceding year’s annual meeting or there was no annual meeting in the preceding
year, notice by the Shareholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the 120th day prior to the date of the mailing of the
notice of such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to the date of the mailing of
the notice for such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first
made. In no event shall the public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting commence a new time period for the
giving of a Shareholder’s notice as described above. No Shareholder may give a notice to the secretary described in this Article
II, Section 12(a)(2) unless such Shareholder holds a certificate or certificates, as the case may be, for all Trust shares owned by such
Shareholder, and a copy of each such certificate shall accompany such Shareholder’s notice to the secretary in order for such notice
to be effective.
Such Shareholder’s notice shall
set forth: (i) as to each individual whom the Shareholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a Trustee, (A) the name,
age, business address, and residence address of such individual, (B) the class, series, and number of any Shares of the Trust that are
beneficially owned by such individual, (C) the date such shares were acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, (D) the determination
of such Shareholder as to whether any such individual is, or is not, an interested person (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940
Act) (“Interested Person”) of the Trust, and information regarding such individual that is sufficient, in the discretion of
the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof or any authorized officer of the Trust, to verify such determination, (E) sufficient information
to enable the Nominating Committee of the Board of Trustees to make the determination as to the proposed nominee’s qualifications
required under Article III, Section 2(b) of the Bylaws and (F) all other information relating to such individual that is required to be
disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of Trustees in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or
is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder
(including such individual’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a Trustee if elected);
(ii) as to any other business that the Shareholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a description of the business desired to be brought
before the meeting, the reasons for proposing such business at the meeting, and any material interest in such business of such Shareholder
and any Shareholder Associated Person (as defined in subsection (c)(4) of this Article II, Section 12, below), individually or in the
aggregate, including any anticipated benefit to the Shareholder and any Shareholder Associated Person therefrom; (iii) as to the Shareholder
giving the notice and any Shareholder Associated Person, the class, series and number of all Shares of the Trust which are owned by such
Shareholder and by such Shareholder Associated Person, if any, and the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned beneficially but
not of record by such Shareholder and by any such Shareholder Associated Person; and (iv) as to the Shareholder giving the notice and
any Shareholder Associated Person covered by clauses (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (2) of this Section 12(a), the name and address of
such Shareholder, as they appear on the Trust’s share ledger and current name and address, if different, and of such Shareholder
Associated Person.
(3)
Notwithstanding anything in this subsection (a) of this Article II, Section 12 to the contrary, in the event the Board of Trustees
increases or decreases the number of Trustees in accordance with Article III, Section 2(a) of these Bylaws, and there is no public announcement
of such action at least 100 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a Shareholder’s
notice required by this Article II, Section 12(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions
created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust not later than the
close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Trust.
(b)
Special Meetings of Shareholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of Shareholders as shall
have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Trust’s notice of meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to the Board
of Trustees may be made at a special meeting of Shareholders at which Trustees are to be elected (i) pursuant to the Trust’s notice
of meeting,
(ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Trustees or
(iii) provided that the Board of Trustees has determined that Trustees shall be elected at such special meeting, by any Shareholder of
the Trust who is a Shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Article II, Section 12 and at the time
of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Article II,
Section 12. In the event the Trust calls a special meeting of Shareholders for the purpose of electing one or more individuals to the
Board of Trustees, any such Shareholder may nominate an individual or individuals (as the case may be) for election as a Trustee as specified
in the Trust’s notice of meeting, if the Shareholder’s notice required by subsection (a)(2) of this Article II, Section 12
shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust not earlier than the 120th day prior to such special
meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following
the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Trustees
to be elected at such meeting. In no event shall the public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of a special meeting commence
a new time period for the giving of a Shareholder’s notice as described above. No Shareholder may give a notice to the Secretary
described in this Article II, Section 12(b) unless such Shareholder holds a certificate or certificates, as the case may be, for all Trust
shares owned by such Shareholder, and a copy of each such certificate shall accompany such Shareholder’s notice to the Secretary
in order for such notice to be effective.
(c)
General. (1) Upon written request by the Secretary or the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof, any Shareholder
proposing a nominee for election as a Trustee or any proposal for other business at a meeting of Shareholders shall provide, within five
Business Days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), written verification, satisfactory
in the discretion of the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof or any authorized officer of the Trust, to demonstrate the accuracy
of any information submitted by the Shareholder pursuant to this Article II, Section 12. If a Shareholder fails to provide such written
verification within such period, the information as to which written verification was requested may be deemed not to have been provided
in accordance with this Article II, Section 12.
(2)
Only such individuals who are nominated in accordance with this Article II, Section 12 shall be eligible for nomination for election
as Trustees, and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of Shareholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance
with this Article II, Section 12. The chairman of the meeting shall have the sole and final power to determine at any time prior to or
at the meeting whether a nomination or any other business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case
may be, in accordance with this Article II, Section
12. No action by the Trust or any other person shall be
deemed an amendment or waiver of the requirements of this Article II, Section 12 unless approved by a resolution adopted by the Continuing
Trustees.
(3)
For purposes of this Article II, Section 12, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure (i) reported by the Dow Jones
News Service, Associated Press or comparable news service, (ii) in a document publicly filed by the Trust with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, or (iii) in a document posted on the Trust’s website or disseminated by the Trust through a press release distribution
service.
(4)
For purposes of this Article II, Section 12, “Shareholder Associated Person” of any Shareholder shall mean (i) any
person controlling, directly or indirectly, or acting in concert with,
such Shareholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of Shares
of the Trust owned of record or beneficially by such Shareholder and (iii) any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control
with such Shareholder Associated Person.
(5)
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article II, Section 12, a Shareholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements
of the Declaration and Bylaws (including, without limitation, Article III, Section 2 regarding qualifications), state law, and the Exchange
Act and the 1940 Act and any rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Article II, Section 12. Nothing
in this Article II, Section 12 shall be deemed to affect any right of a Shareholder to request inclusion of a proposal in, nor the right
of the Trust to omit a proposal from, the Trust’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the
Exchange Act.
ARTICLE
III
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Section 1. Powers.
Except as otherwise provided by law, by the Declaration or by these Bylaws, the business and affairs of the Trust shall be managed under
the direction of, and all the powers of the Trust shall be exercised by or under authority of, its Board of Trustees.
Section 2. Number of Trustees: Qualifications.
(a)
Number of Trustees. The total number of Trustees of the Trust shall be fixed in the manner set forth in the Declaration.
(b)
Qualifications. (1) To qualify as a nominee for a Trusteeship or election as a Trustee, an individual, at the time of
nomination or election as the case may be, (i)(A) shall be a resident United States citizen and have substantial expertise, experience
or relationships relevant to the business of the Trust, (B) shall have a master’s degree in economics, finance, business administration
or accounting, a graduate professional degree in law from an accredited university or college in the United States or the equivalent degree
from an equivalent institution of higher learning in another country, or a certification as a public accountant in the United States,
or be deemed an "audit committee financial expert" as such term is defined in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (or other applicable
law); and (C) shall not serve as a Trustee or officer of another closed end investment company unless such company is sponsored or managed
by the Trust’s investment manager or investment adviser or by an affiliate of either; and (D) shall not serve or have served within
the past 3 years as a trustee of any closed-end investment company which, while such individual was serving as a trustee or within one
year after the end of such service, ceased to be a closed-end investment company registered under the 1940 Act, unless such individual
was initially nominated for election as a trustee by the board of trustees of such closed-end investment company, or (ii) shall be a current
Trustee of the Trust.
(2)
In addition, to qualify as a nominee for a Trusteeship or election as a Trustee at the time of nomination or election as the case
may be, (i) an incumbent nominee shall not have violated any provision of the Conflicts of Interest and Corporate Opportunities Policy
(the “Policy”), adopted by the Board on May 8, 2012, as subsequently amended or modified, and (ii) an individual who is not
an incumbent Trustee shall not have a relationship, hold any position or office or otherwise engage in, or have engaged in, any activity
that would result in a violation of the Policy if the individual were elected as a Trustee.
(3)
In addition, to qualify as a nominee for a Trusteeship or election as a Trustee at the time of nomination or election as the case
may be, a person shall not, if elected as a Trustee, cause the
Trust to be in violation of, or not
in compliance with, applicable law, regulation or regulatory interpretation, or the Declaration, or any general policy adopted by the
Board of Trustees regarding either retirement age or the percentage of Interested Persons and non-Interested Persons to comprise the Trust’s
Board of Trustees.
(4)
The Nominating Committee of the Board of Trustees, in its sole discretion, shall determine whether an individual satisfies the
foregoing qualifications. Any individual not so nominated by the Nominating Committee of the Board of Trustees shall be deemed not to
satisfy the foregoing qualifications, unless the Nominating Committee adopts a resolution setting forth the affirmative determination
that such individual satisfied the foregoing qualifications. Any individual who does not satisfy the qualifications set forth herein,
unless waived by the Nominating Committee, shall not be eligible for nomination or election as a Trustee and the selection and nomination,
or recommendation for nomination by the Board of Trustees, of candidates for election by the Nominating Committee shall be deemed to be
its determination such qualifications are satisfied or waived for such candidate.
Section 3. Election. Unless all
nominees for Trustee are approved by a majority of the Continuing Trustees, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 50% of the
outstanding Shares of the Trust entitled to be voted shall be required to elect a Trustee. If all nominees for Trustee are approved by
a majority of the Continuing Trustees, a plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient
to elect a Trustee.
Section 4. Vacancies and Newly Created
Trusteeships. Any Trustee elected to fill a vacancy shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the Trusteeship in
which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies.
Section 5. Place of Meeting. The
Trustees may hold their meetings, have one or more offices, and keep the books of the Trust, at any office or offices of the Trust or
at any other place as they may from time to time by resolution determine, or in the case of meetings, as they may from time to time by
resolution determine or as shall be specified or fixed in the respective notices or waivers of notice thereof.
Section 6. Regular Meetings.
The Board of Trustees from time to time may provide by resolution for the holding of regular meetings and fix their time and place as
the Board of Trustees may determine. Notice of such meetings need not be in writing, provided that notice of any change in the time or
place of such meetings shall be communicated promptly to each Trustee not present at the meeting at which such change was made in the
manner provided in Section 8 of this Article III for notice of special meetings.
Members of the Board of Trustees or any committee designated
thereby may participate in any meeting of such Board or committee, regular or special, by means of a conference telephone or similar communications
equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time, and participation by such means
shall constitute presence in person at a meeting, to the extent not inconsistent with the 1940 Act.
Section 7. Special Meetings.
Special meetings of the Board of Trustees may be held at any time or place and for any purpose when called by the Chairman of the Board,
the President, or a majority of Continuing Trustees then in office.
Section 8. Notice. Notice
of any special meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic means (including email, meeting
invitation or otherwise), facsimile transmission, United States mail, or courier to each Trustee at his or her business or residence address.
Notice by personal delivery, telephone, electronic means,
or facsimile transmission shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice by United States mail shall be given at least
three days prior to the meeting. Notice by courier shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting. Telephone notice shall
be deemed to be given when the Trustee or his or her
agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which the Trustee or his or her agent is a party. Electronic means notice
shall be deemed to be given upon transmission of the communication to the electronic address given to the Trust by the Trustee. Facsimile
transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Trust by
the Trustee and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt. Notice by United States mail shall be deemed to be given when deposited
in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Notice by courier shall be deemed to be given when deposited
with or delivered to a courier properly addressed. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or
special meeting of the Board of Trustees need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute, the Declaration or these
Bylaws.
Section 9. Waiver
of Notice. No notice of any meeting of the Board of Trustees or a committee of the Board need be given to any Trustee who is present
at the meeting or who waives notice of such meeting in writing (which waiver shall be filed with the records of such meeting), either
before or after the meeting.
Section 10. Approvals.
(a)
Quorum and Voting. At all meetings of the Board of Trustees, the presence of a majority of the Trustees then in office
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by the Board. In the absence of a quorum, a majority of the Trustees present
may adjourn the meeting, from time to time, until a quorum shall be present. The action of a majority of Trustees present at a meeting
at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Trustees, unless (1) the concurrence of a greater proportion is required
for such action by law, by the Declaration, or by these Bylaws or (2) the concurrence of the Continuing Trustees is required for such
action, in which case the action of a majority of Continuing Trustees present at a meeting at which a majority of the Continuing Trustees
is present shall be the action of the Board of Trustees. If enough Trustees have withdrawn from a meeting to leave less than a quorum
but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of a majority of Trustees, which is not less than the number necessary to approve the matter
if a quorum were constituted, shall be the action of the Board of Trustees, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required
for such action by applicable law, by the Declaration, or these Bylaws.
(b)
Interested Persons. Except as prohibited by applicable law, (i) the Trustees may, on behalf of the Trust, buy any securities
from or sell any securities to, or lend any assets of the Trust to, any Trustee or officer of the Trust or any firm of which any such
Trustee or officer is a member acting as principal, or have any such dealings with any investment adviser, administrator, principal underwriter,
distributor or transfer agent for the Trust or with any Interested Person of such person, and (ii) the Trust may employ any such person,
or entity in which such person is an Interested Person, as broker, legal counsel, registrar, investment adviser, administrator, principal
underwriter, distributor, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, shareholder servicing agent, custodian or in any other capacity upon
customary terms.
Section 11. Action Without a Meeting.
Except as otherwise limited by the 1940 Act, any action which may be taken at any meeting of the Board of Trustees or of any committee
thereof may be taken without a meeting if the number of the Trustees, or members of a committee, as the case may be, required for approval
of such action at a meeting of the Trustees or of such committee consent to such action in writing or by electronic means, and such consent
is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board or committee. Such consent shall be treated for all purposes as a vote taken at
a meeting of Trustees.
Section 12. Compensation of Trustees.
Except as otherwise provided in this Article III, Section 12, Trustees shall be entitled to receive such compensation from the Trust for
their services as may from time
to time be determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees.
A Trustee who is an Affiliated Person of a holder of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Trust shall not be entitled to fees
or expenses arising out of service as a Trustee of the Trust.
ARTICLE
IV COMMITTEES
Section 1. Number, Tenure and Qualifications.
The Continuing Trustees may appoint from among the Trustees an Executive Committee, an Audit Committee, a Nominating Committee, and other
committees, composed of one or more Trustees, to serve at the pleasure of the Continuing Trustees.
There shall also be a Committee of the Board of Trustees
consisting solely of all Continuing Trustees then in office, which Committee shall have the power to take all actions delegated to the
Continuing Trustees by the Declaration or these Bylaws.
Section 2. Powers.
The Board of Trustees may delegate to committees appointed under Section 1 of this Article IV any of the powers of the Board of Trustees,
except as prohibited by law.
Section 3. Meeting. Notice
of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Trustees. A majority of the members
of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee. The act of a majority of the
committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee. The Continuing Trustees may designate a chairman of any committee,
and such chairman or, in the absence of a chairman, any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the Committee)
may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall other provide.
Section 4. Telephone Meeting.
Members of a committee of the Board of Trustees may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone, internet, or similar
communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting
by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 5. Written Consent by Committee.
Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Trustees may be taken without a meeting, if
a consent to such action is executed in writing or by electronic means by each member of the committee and such written consent is filed
with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.
Section 6. Vacancies. Subject
to the provisions hereof, the Continuing Trustees shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to fill
all vacancies, to designate alternate members to replace any absent or disqualified member, or to dissolve any such committee.
Section 7. Executive
Committee. Unless otherwise provided by resolution of the Board of Trustees, when the Board of Trustees is not in session the
Executive Committee shall exercise the powers of the Board of Trustees between meetings of the Board to the extent permitted by law to
be delegated and not delegated by the Board to any other committee.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
Section 1. General. The officers
of the Trust shall be a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer, and may include one or more Vice Chairman, Vice Presidents, Assistant
Secretaries or Assistant Treasurers, and such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 of this
Article V.
Section 2. Election, Tenure and Qualifications.
The officers of the Trust, except those appointed as provided in Section 10 of this Article V, shall be nominated by the Chairman and
elected by the Board of Trustees at its first meeting or such meetings as shall be held prior to its first annual meeting, and thereafter
from time to time as appropriate. Except as otherwise provided in this Article V, each officer elected by the Board of Trustees shall
hold office until his successor shall have been elected and qualified. Any person may hold one or more offices of the Trust.
Section 3. Removal
and Resignation. Whenever in the judgment of the Board of Trustees the best interest of the Trust will be served thereby, any
officer may be removed from office by the vote of a majority of the Continuing Trustees, or the Executive Committee, given at any time.
Any officer may resign his office at any time by delivering a written resignation to the Board of Trustees, the President, the Secretary,
or any Assistant Secretary. Unless otherwise specified therein, such resignation shall take effect upon delivery. Such resignation shall
be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Trust.
Section 4. President. The
President shall be the chief executive officer of the Trust and, in the absence or unwillingness of the Chairman of the Board or Vice
Chairman or if no Chairman of the Board or Vice Chairman has been elected, shall preside at all Shareholders’ meetings. Subject
to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, the President shall have general charge of the business, affairs and property of the Trust
and general supervision over its officers, employees and agents. Except as the Board of Trustees may otherwise order, the President or
may sign in the name and on behalf of the Trust all deeds, bonds, contracts, or agreements. The President shall exercise such other powers
and perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board of Trustees.
Section 5. Chairman. The Chairman
shall be the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and shall preside at all Trustees’ meetings and Shareholders’ meetings. The
Chairman shall be a Continuing Trustee. Except as the Board of Trustees may otherwise order, he may sign in the name and on behalf of
the Trust all deeds, bonds, contracts, or agreements. He shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties, or delegate them
as permitted by law or the Board of Trustees, as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board of Trustees.
Section 6. Vice Chairman. The
Board of Trustees may from time to time elect from among the Continuing Trustees a Vice Chairman who shall have such powers and perform
such duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Board, or the President. At the request
of, or in the absence or unwillingness or in the event of the disability of the Chairman of the Board, the Vice Chairman may perform all
the duties of the Chairman of the Board or the President and, when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions
upon such representative officers.
Section 7. Vice President.
The Board of Trustees may from time to time elect one or more Vice Presidents who shall have such powers and perform such duties as from
time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Trustees or the President, as the case may be. At the request or in the absence or
disability of the President, as the case may be, the Vice President (or, if there are two or more Vice Presidents, then the senior of
the Vice Presidents present and able to act) may perform all the duties of the President and, when so acting, shall have all the powers
of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President.
Section 8. Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers.
The Treasurer shall be the principal financial and accounting officer of the Trust and shall have general charge of the finances and books
of account of the Trust. Except as otherwise provided by the Board of Trustees, he shall have general supervision of the funds and property
of the Trust and of the performance by the Custodian of its duties with respect thereto. He shall render to the Board of Trustees, whenever
directed by the Board, an account of the financial condition of the Trust and of all his transactions as Treasurer; and as soon as possible
after the close of each fiscal year he shall make and submit to the Board of Trustees a like report for such fiscal year. He shall perform
all acts incidental to the Office of Treasurer, subject to the control of the Board of Trustees.
Any Assistant Treasurer may perform such duties of the
Treasurer as the Treasurer or the Board of Trustees may assign, and, in the absence of the Treasurer, he may perform all the duties of
the Treasurer.
Section 9. Secretary and Assistant Secretaries.
The Secretary shall attend to the giving and serving of all notices of the Trust and shall record all proceedings of the meetings of the
Shareholders and Trustees in books to be kept for that purpose. He shall keep in safe custody the seal of the Trust, and shall have charge
of the records of the Trust, including the stock books and such other books and papers as the Board of Trustees may direct and such books,
reports, certificates and other documents required by law to be kept, all of which shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection
by any Trustee. He shall perform such other duties as appertain to his office or as may be required by the Board of Trustees.
Any Assistant Secretary may perform such duties of the
Secretary as the Secretary or the Board of Trustees may assign, and, in the absence of the Secretary, he may perform all the duties of
the Secretary.
Section 10. Subordinate Officers.
The Board of Trustees from time to time may appoint such other officers or agents as it may deem advisable, each of whom shall have such
title, hold office for such period, have such authority and perform such duties as the Board of Trustees may determine. The Board of Trustees
from time to time may delegate to one or more officers or agents the power to appoint any such subordinate officers or agents and to prescribe
their respective rights, terms of office, authorities and duties.
Section 11. Remuneration. The
salaries or other compensation of the officers of the Trust shall be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees, except
that the Board of Trustees may by resolution delegate to any person or group of persons the power to fix the salaries or other compensation
of any subordinate officers or agents appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 of this Article V.
Section 12. Surety Bonds. The Board
of Trustees may require any officer or agent of the Trust to execute a bond (including, without limitation, any bond required by the 1940
Act and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission) to the Trust in such sum and with such surety or sureties
as the Board of Trustees may determine, conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties to the Trust, including responsibility
for negligence and for the accounting of any of the Trust’s property, funds or securities that may come into his hands.
ARTICLE VI
SHARES
Section 1. Shares of Beneficial Interest.
The interest of each Shareholder of the Trust shall be represented by shares of beneficial interest in such form as the Board of Trustees
may from time to time prescribe. The Board of Trustees may authorize the issuance of certificated and uncertificated shares by the Trust,
and may prescribe procedures for the issuance and registration or transfer thereof, and with
respect to such other matters relating to certificated
and uncertificated shares as the Board of Trustees may deem appropriate. To the extent permitted by law, such authorization may affect
previously issued and outstanding shares represented by certificates whether or not such certificates shall have been surrendered to the
Trust.
In the event that the Board of Trustees
authorizes the issuance of uncertificated shares of beneficial interest, the Board of Trustees may, in its discretion and at any time,
discontinue or re-continue the issuance of share certificates and may, by written notice to the registered owners of each certificated
share, require the surrender of share certificates to the Trust for cancellation. Such surrender and cancellation shall not affect the
ownership of shares of the Trust.
Section 2. Transfer of Shares.
Shares of the Trust shall be transferable on the books of the Trust by the holder thereof in person or by his duly authorized attorney
or legal representative (i) if a certificate or certificates have been issued, upon surrender and cancellation of a certificate or certificates
for the same number of shares of the same class, duly endorsed or accompanied by proper instruments of assignment and transfer, with such
proof of the authenticity of the signature as the Trust or its agents may reasonably require, or (ii) as otherwise prescribed by the Board
of Trustees. The Shares of the Trust may be freely transferred, and the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, adopt rules and regulations
with reference to the method of transfer of the Shares of the Trust. The Trust shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any
Share as the absolute owner thereof for all purposes, and accordingly shall not be bound to recognize any legal, equitable, or other claim
or interest in such share on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise
expressly provided by law or the statutes of the State of Delaware.
Section 3. Share Ledgers. The
share ledgers of the Trust, containing the names and addresses of the Shareholders and the number of shares held by them respectively,
shall be kept at the principal office of the Trust or, if the Trust employs a transfer agent, at the offices of the transfer agent of
the Trust. The share ledgers of the Trust shall be considered confidential and shall not be made available, except as required by applicable
law to be made available to Shareholders of record for a proper purpose in such capacity.
Section 4. Transfer
Agents and Registrars. The Board of Trustees or the President may from time to time appoint or remove transfer agents and/or registrars
of transfers of Shares of the Trust, and it may appoint the same person as both transfer agent and registrar.
Section 5. Fixing of Record Date.
The Board of Trustees or any committee thereof may fix in advance a date as a record date for the determination of the Shareholders entitled
to notice of, or to vote at, any Shareholders’ meeting or any adjournment thereof, or to express consent to action in writing without
a meeting, or to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution, or to be allotted any other rights, or for the purpose of any
other lawful action, provided that (1) such record date shall not exceed 150 days preceding the date on which the particular action requiring
such determination will be taken; (2) the transfer books shall remain open regardless of the fixing of a record date; and (3) in the case
of a meeting of Shareholders, the record date shall be at least 10 days before the date of the meeting.
Section 6. Lost, Stolen or Destroyed
Certificates. In the event that the Board of Trustees discontinues the issuance of share certificates, thereafter shares represented
by lost, stolen, or destroyed certificates shall be deemed registered and transferrable on the books of Trust. Before registering shares
represented by lost, stolen, or destroyed certificates on the books of Trust, the Board of Trustees or any officer authorized by the Board
may, in its discretion, require the owner of the lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate (or his legal representative) to give the Trust
a bond or other indemnity, in such form and in such amount as the Board or any such officer may direct and with such surety or sureties
as may be
satisfactory to the Board or any such officer, sufficient
to indemnify the Trust against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft, or destruction of any such
certificate.
ARTICLE VII
FISCAL YEAR AND ACCOUNTANT
Section 1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal
year of the Trust shall be as ordered by the Board of Trustees.
Section 2. Accountant. The Trust
shall employ an independent public accountant or a firm of independent public accountants as its Accountants to examine the accounts and
financial statements of the Trust. The employment of the Accountant shall be conditioned upon the right of the Trust to terminate the
employment forthwith without any penalty by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities at any Shareholders’ meeting
called for that purpose.
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCEMENT
OF EXPENSES
To the maximum extent permitted by
the Delaware Act and, to the extent applicable, the 1940 Act, the Trust shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination
of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding
to (a) any individual who is a current or former Continuing Trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust and who is made a party to the
proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or
(b) any individual who, while a Continuing Trustee, officer,
or employee of the Trust and at the request of the Trust, serves or has served in a similar capacity for another entity and who is made
a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The Trust may, with the approval of its Board of Trustees,
provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to a Continuing Trustee who served a predecessor of the Trust in any of the capacities
described in (a) or (b) above and to any officer, or employee of a predecessor of the Trust.
Neither the amendment nor repeal
of this Article, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Bylaws or Declaration inconsistent with this Article, shall
apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding paragraph with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred
prior to such amendment, repeal, or adoption.
No provision of this Article VIII
shall be effective to protect or purport to protect any Continuing Trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust against liability to the
Trust or its Shareholders 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.
ARTICLE IX
ADOPTION, ALTERATION, OR REPEAL OF
BYLAWS; SEVERABILITY
Except as otherwise expressly
provided in these Bylaws, the Continuing Trustees shall have the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws
and to make new Bylaws. If any provision of these Bylaws, or the application thereof to any person or entity or any circumstance, is invalid
or unenforceable, (i) a suitable and equitable provision shall be substituted therefor in order to carry out, so far as may be valid and
enforceable, the intent and purpose of such invalid or unenforceable provision, and (ii) the remainder of these Bylaws and the application
of such provision to other persons,
entities or circumstances shall not
be affected by such invalidity or unenforceability, nor shall such invalidity or unenforceability affect the validity or enforceability
of such provision, or the application thereof, in any other jurisdiction.
ARTICLE
X
EXCLUSIVE FORUM
Unless the Trust consents in writing to
the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Court of Chancery does
not have jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive
forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty
owed by any Trustee or officer or other employee of the Trust to the Trust or to the Shareholders of the Trust, including, for purposes
of this Article, record and beneficial owners, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Trust or any Trustee or officer or other
employee of the Trust arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act or the Declaration or these Bylaws, or federal
law, including the 1940 Act, (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Declaration or these Bylaws,
or (v) any action asserting a claim against the Trust or any Trustee or officer or other employee of the Trust that is governed by the
internal affairs doctrine.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of the foregoing actions,
claims or proceedings may be brought in any federal or state court sitting outside the State of Delaware unless the Trust consents in
writing to such court.
If any action within the scope of
this Article is filed in a court other than the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the Superior Court of the State of Delaware
(a “Foreign Action”) in the name of any Shareholder, such Shareholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal
jurisdiction of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the Superior Court of the State of Delaware in connection with any action
brought in any such court to enforce this Article X, and (ii) having service of process made upon such Shareholder in any such action
by service upon such Shareholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such Shareholder.
[LOGO HERE]
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING
FIRM
Shareholders and Board of Trustees
Bexil Investment Trust
2255 Buffalo Road
Rochester, NY 14624
In planning and performing our audits of the financial
statements of the Bexil Investment Trust (the “Trust”) as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, in accordance with
the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), we considered their internal control over financial reporting,
including control activities for safeguarding securities, as a basis for designing our auditing procedures for the purpose of expressing
our opinion on the financial statements and to comply with the requirements of Form N-CEN, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion
on the effectiveness of the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
The management of the Trust is responsible for establishing
and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. In fulfilling this responsibility, estimates and judgments by management
are required to assess the expected benefits and related costs of controls. A company’s internal control over financial reporting
is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial
statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over
financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail,
accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions
are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and
that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the
company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition
of a company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of inherent limitations, internal control
over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods
are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the
policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Shareholders and Board of Trustees
Bexil Investment Trust
Page Two
A deficiency in internal control over financial reporting
exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned
functions, to prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies,
in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s
annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Our consideration of the Trust’s internal control
over financial reporting was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph and would not necessarily disclose all deficiencies
in internal control that might be material weaknesses under standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United
States). However, we noted no deficiencies in the Trust’s internal control over financial reporting and its operation, including
controls for safeguarding securities, which we consider to be material weaknesses, as defined above, as of December 31, 2023.
This report is intended solely for the information
and use of management, Shareholders and Board of Trustees of the Bexil Investment Trust and the Securities and Exchange Commission and
is not intended to be and should not be used by anyone other than these specified parties.
/s/ Tait, Weller & Baker LLP
TAIT, WELLER & BAKER LLP
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
February 20, 2024
AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
of
Bexil Investment Trust
(a Delaware Statutory
Trust) As of January 2, 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
| ARTICLE I. NAME AND DEFINITIONS | |
| | |
1 |
| Section 1. | |
Name | |
| 1 |
| Section 2. | |
Definitions | |
| 1 |
| ARTICLE II. SHARES | |
| | | 3 |
| Section 1. | |
Beneficial Interest | |
| 3 |
| Section 2. | |
Other Securities | |
| 4 |
| Section 3. | |
Status of Shares | |
| 4 |
| Section 4. | |
No Preemptive Rights | |
| 5 |
| Section 5. | |
Derivative Claims. | |
| 5 |
| Section 6. | |
[Reserved] | |
| 6 |
| Section 7. | |
Trust Only | |
| 6 |
| Section 8. | |
Issuance of Shares | |
| 6 |
| Section 9. | |
Establishment and Designation of Series or Class | |
| 6 |
| Section 10. | |
Register of Shares | |
| 9 |
| Section 11. | |
Transfer Agent and Registrar | |
| 10 |
| Section 12. | |
Transfer of Shares; Limitations on Ownership | |
| 10 |
| Section 13. | |
Limitations of Liability of Shareholders | |
| 15 |
| ARTICLE III. TRUSTEES | |
|
| | 15 |
| Section 1. | |
Number, Election and Tenure | |
| 15 |
| Section 2. | |
Effect of Resignation, Removal or Death | |
| 16 |
| Section 3. | |
Vacancies | |
| 17 |
| Section 4. | |
Meetings. | |
| 17 |
| Section 5. | |
Powers | |
| 17 |
| Section 6. | |
Ownership of Assets of the Trust | |
| 23 |
| Section 7. | |
Execution of Advisory, Management and Distribution Arrangements | |
| 23 |
| Section 8. | |
Ownership of Shares | |
| 25 |
| Section 9. | |
Limitation of Liability | |
| 25 |
| Section 10. | |
Indemnification | |
| 27 |
| ARTICLE IV. SHAREHOLDERS | |
|
| | 27 |
| Section 1. | |
Meetings. | |
| 27 |
| Section 2. | |
Voting | |
| 27 |
| Section 3. | |
Quorum and Required Vote | |
| 28 |
| Section 4. | |
Proxies | |
| 28 |
| Section 5. | |
Record Dates | |
| 28 |
| Section 6. | |
Additional Provisions | |
| 28 |
| ARTICLE V. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE APPROVAL OF CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS | |
|
| | 29 |
| Section 1. | |
Required Vote | |
| 29 |
| ARTICLE VI. NET ASSET VALUE, DISTRIBUTIONS AND REDEMPTIONS | |
|
| | 29 |
| Section 1. | |
Determination of Net Asset Value | |
| 29 |
| Section 2. | |
Distributions | |
| 29 |
| Section 3. | |
Redemptions | |
| 30 |
| Section 4. | |
Disclosure of Ownership | |
| 30 |
| ARTICLE VII. DURATION, TERMINATION, REORGANIZATION AND AMENDMENTS | |
|
| | 30 |
| Section 1. | |
Duration | |
| 30 |
| Section 2. | |
Termination of the Trust or Any Series or Class | |
| 30 |
| Section 3. | |
Reorganization | |
| 31 |
| Section 4. | |
Amendments | |
| 32 |
| ARTICLE VIII. MISCELLANEOUS | |
|
| | 33 |
| Section 1. | |
Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees | |
| 33 |
| Section 2. | |
Filing of Copies, References, Headings | |
| 33 |
| Section 3. | |
Applicable Law | |
| 33 |
| Section 4. | |
Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations | |
| 34 |
| Section 5. | |
Writings | |
| 34 |
AMENDED AND RESTATED
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST OF
BEXIL INVESTMENT TRUST
AGREEMENT AND DECLARATION OF TRUST
initially made as of May 8, 2012, by the Trustees hereunder, and amended and/or restated from time to time, most recently as of January
2, 2024.
WHEREAS, this Trust has been formed
to carry on business as set forth more particularly hereunder;
WHEREAS, the Trustees have agreed to
manage all property coming into their hands as Trustees of a Delaware statutory trust in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set
forth and;
WHEREAS, the parties hereto intend
that the Trust created by this Declaration (as defined below) and the Certificate of Trust filed with the Secretary of State of the State
of Delaware on May 8, 2012, shall constitute a statutory trust under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act and that this Declaration shall
constitute the governing instrument of such statutory trust.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Trustees hereby
declare that they will hold all cash, securities and other assets that they may from time to time acquire in any manner as Trustees hereunder
IN TRUST to manage and dispose of the same upon the following terms and conditions for the benefit of the holders from time to time of
shares of beneficial interest in this Trust as hereinafter set forth.
ARTICLE
I.
Name and Definitions
Section
1. Name
This Trust shall be known as the “Bexil
Investment Trust,” and the Trustees shall conduct the business of the Trust under that name or any other name as they may from time
to time determine.
Section 2. Definitions
Whenever used herein, unless otherwise
required by the context or specifically provided:
(a)
“1940 Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder and exemptions granted therefrom, as amended from time to time;
(b)
“Administrator” means a party furnishing services to the Trust pursuant to any administration
contract described in Article III, Section 7(a) hereof;
| (c) | “Affiliated Person” has the applicable meaning given it in the 1940 Act; |
| (d) | “Assignment” has the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(4) of the 1940 Act; |
(e)
“Bylaws” mean the Bylaws of the Trust as amended or restated from time to time, which
Bylaws are expressly herein incorporated by reference as part of the “governing instrument” within the meaning of the Delaware
Act;
(f)
“Certificate of Trust” means the certificate of trust as amended or restated from time
to time, filed by Peter K. Werner in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in accordance with the Delaware Act;
(g)
“Class” means any division of Shares within a Series established in accordance with the
provisions of Article II hereof;
(h)
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (or any successor statute), as amended
from time to time, and the rules and regulations thereunder, as adopted or amended from time to time;
| (i) | “Commission” has the meaning given it in the 1940 Act; |
(j)
“Continuing Trustee” means (i) each of Roger Atkinson, Jon Tomasson, Peter K. Werner,
and Thomas B. Winmill (the “Current Trustees”), (ii) trustees whose nomination for election by the Trust’s Shareholders
or whose election by the trustees to fill vacancies on the Trust’s board of trustees (the “Board of Trustees”) is approved
by a majority of the Current Trustees then serving on the Board of Trustees, (iii) any successor trustees whose nomination for election
by the Shareholders or whose election by the trustees to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of Continuing Trustees or the successor
Continuing Trustees then in office, or (iv) an individual who, as at such date, has been a member of the Board of Trustees for at least
the 12 preceding months. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, this definition of “Continuing Trustee” can only
be amended by a written instrument signed by a majority of the Continuing Trustees then in office;
(k)
“Declaration” means this Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as amended, supplemented
or amended and restated from time to time;
(l)
“Delaware Act” means the Delaware Statutory Trust Act, 12 Del. C. §§ 3801 et
seq., as amended from time to time;
(m)
“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder and exemptions granted therefrom, both as amended from time to time;
| (n) | “Interested Person” has the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act; |
(o)
“Investment Adviser” means a party furnishing services to the Trust pursuant to any investment
advisory contract described in Article III, Section 7(a) hereof;
(p)
“Person” means and includes natural persons, corporations, partnerships, limited partnerships,
statutory trusts and foreign statutory trusts, trusts, limited liability companies, associations, joint ventures, estates, custodians,
nominees and any other individual or entity in its own or any representative capacity, any syndicate or group deemed to be a person under
Section 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act, and
governments and agencies and political subdivisions thereof, in each case whether domestic or foreign;
| (q) | “Principal Underwriter” has the meaning given it in Section 2(a)(29) of the 1940 |
Act;
| (r) | “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended; |
| (s) | “Series” or “Series of Shares” means a series of Shares of the Trust established
in |
accordance with the provisions of Article
II hereof;
(t)
“Shareholder” means as of any particular time the holders of record of outstanding Shares
of the Trust, at such time;
(u)
“Shares” means the transferable units of beneficial interest into which the beneficial
interest in the Trust shall be divided from time to time and includes fractions of Shares as well as whole Shares; “Shares”
also means (1) any preferred shares which may be issued from time to time, and (2) if more than one Series or Class of Shares is authorized
by the Trustees, the transferable units of beneficial interest (including fractions of Shares as well as whole Shares) into which each
Series or Class of shares shall be divided from time to time;
(v)
“Trust” means the Delaware statutory trust established by this Declaration, as amended
from time to time, inclusive of each amendment;
(w)
“Trust Property” means as of any particular time any and all property, real or personal,
tangible or intangible, which is from time to time owned or held by or for the account of the Trust or any Class or Series, or the Trustees
on behalf of the Trust or any Class or Series;
(x)
“Trustee” means the person or persons who are Continuing Trustees and all other persons
who may from time to time be duly elected or appointed and have qualified to serve as Trustees in accordance with the provisions hereof,
in each case so long as such person shall continue in office in accordance with the terms of this Declaration, and reference herein to
a Trustee or the Trustees shall refer to such person or persons in his or her or their capacity as Trustees hereunder.
ARTICLE
II.
Shares
Section
1. Beneficial Interest
The beneficial interest in the Trust
shall be divided into such transferable Shares of one or more separate and distinct Series and Classes within a Series as the Trustees
shall from time to time create and establish. The number of Shares authorized hereunder is unlimited. Each Share shall have a par value
of $0.01, unless otherwise determined by the Trustees in connection with
the creation and establishment of a
Series or Class. All Shares issued in accordance with the terms hereof, including, without limitation, Shares issued in connection with
a dividend in Shares or a split or reverse split of Shares, shall be fully paid and non-assessable when the consideration determined by
the Trustees (if any) therefor shall have been received by the Trust.
Section 2. Other
Securities
The Trustees may, subject to the
Trust’s investment policies and the requirements of the 1940 Act, authorize and issue such other securities of the Trust as they
determine to be necessary, desirable or appropriate, having such terms, rights, preferences, privileges, limitations and restrictions
as the Trustees see fit, including rights to purchase Shares, preferred interests, debt securities or other senior securities. To the
extent that the Trustees authorize and issue preferred shares of the Trust or any Series or Class, they are hereby authorized and empowered
to amend or supplement this Declaration, as they deem necessary or appropriate, including to comply with the requirements of the 1940
Act or requirements imposed by the rating agencies or other Persons, all without the approval of Shareholders. Any such supplement or
amendment shall be filed as is necessary. The Trustees are also authorized to take such actions and retain such persons as they see fit
to offer and sell such securities.
Section 3. Status
of Shares
(a)
The Shares shall be personal property giving only the rights in this Declaration specifically set
forth.
(b)
Every Shareholder, by virtue of having become a Shareholder, shall be held to have expressly assented
and agreed to be bound by the terms of this Declaration and the Bylaws.
(c)
The ownership of the Trust Property of every description is vested exclusively in the Trust, and
the right to conduct any business herein before described is vested exclusively in the Trustees. Shareholders shall have no interest therein
other than the beneficial interest conferred by their Shares.
(d)
Other than (1) distribution charges of any agent or any Person, including, without limitation, the
custodian, transfer agent, shareholder servicing agent or similar agent, lawyer, accountant or broker, for which the Trustees shall have
the power to cause each Shareholder to pay directly, in advance or arrears, a pro rata amount as defined from time to time by the Trustees
and (2) as otherwise provided in this Declaration (including, without limitation, Article II, Section 12(h) regarding damages) and the
Bylaws, no Shareholder shall be personally liable for the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred by, contracted for, or
otherwise existing with respect to, the Trust or any Series or Class.
(e)
Shareholders shall have no right to call for any partition or division of any property, profits,
rights or interests of the Trust or any Series.
(f)
The death, incapacity, dissolution, termination, or bankruptcy of a Shareholder during the existence
of the Trust or any Series shall not operate to terminate the Trust or any Series, not entitle the representative of any such Shareholder
to an accounting or to take any
action in court or elsewhere against the
Trust or any Series or the Trustees, but entitle such representative only to the rights of such Shareholder under this Declaration.
Section 4. No
Preemptive Rights
The Shares shall not entitle the
holder to preference, preemptive, appraisal, conversion or exchange rights or privileges or to cumulative voting rights, except as specified
in this Article II or as specified by the Trustees when creating the Shares, as in preferred shares. Any or all of the Shares, whenever
authorized, may be issued, or may be reissued and transferred if such Shares have been reacquired and have treasury status, to any person,
firm, corporation, trust, partnership, association or other entity for such lawful consideration and on such terms as the Board of Trustees
determines in its discretion without first offering the Shares to any such holder.
Section 5. Derivative
Claims.
No Shareholder shall have the
right to bring or maintain any action, proceeding, claim, or suit (“Action”) on behalf of the Trust or any Series or Class
of Shares or Shareholders (a)(i) unless such Shareholder is a Shareholder at the time such Action is commenced and such Shareholder continues
to be a Shareholder throughout the duration of such Action and (a)(ii)(1) at the time of the transaction or event underlying such Action,
such Shareholder was a Shareholder or (2) such Shareholder’s status as a Shareholder devolved upon the Shareholder by operation
of law or pursuant to the terms of this Declaration from a person who was a Shareholder at the time of the transaction or event underlying
such Action and (b) without first making demand on the Trustees requesting the Trustees to bring or maintain such Action and such demand
has the support of Shareholders owning a majority of the outstanding Class or Series of Shares affected by the proposed Action. Such demand
shall not be excused under any circumstances, including allegations or claims of interest on the part of the Trustees, unless the plaintiff
makes a specific showing that irreparable non-monetary injury to the Trust or Series or Class of Shares or Shareholders would otherwise
result. Such demand shall be mailed to the Secretary at the Trust’s principal office and shall set forth with particularity the
nature of the proposed Action and the essential facts relied upon by the Shareholder to support the allegations made in the demand. The
Trustees who are not Interested Persons of the Trust (the “Independent Trustees”) shall consider such demand. In their sole
discretion, the Independent Trustees may decide to bring, maintain, or settle such Action or to not bring, maintain, or settle such Action,
or may submit the matter to a vote of Shareholders of the Trust or a Series or Class thereof, as appropriate. Any decision by the Independent
Trustees to bring, maintain, or settle such Action, or to submit the matter to a vote of Shareholders, shall be binding upon all Shareholders
who will be prohibited from maintaining a separate competing Action relating to the same subject matter. Any decision by the Independent
Trustees not to bring or maintain an Action on behalf of the Trust or a Series or Class shall be subject to the right of the Shareholders
to vote on whether or not such Action should or should not be brought or maintained as a matter presented for Shareholder consideration
pursuant to the provisions of the Bylaws regarding Shareholder requested special meetings; and the vote of Shareholders required to override
the Independent Trustees’ decision and to permit the Shareholder(s) to proceed with the proposed Action shall be seventy-five (75)
percent of the outstanding Shares of the Trust or seventy-five (75) percent of the outstanding Shares of the Series or Class affected
by the proposed Action, as applicable.
Section
6. [Reserved]
Section 7. Trust
Only
It is the intention of the Trustees
to create a statutory trust pursuant to the Delaware Act, thus only creating the relationship of Trustee and beneficiary between the Trustees
and each Shareholder from time to time. It is not the intention of the Trustees to create a general partnership, limited partnership,
joint stock association, corporation, bailment, or any form of legal relationship other than a statutory trust pursuant to the Delaware
Act. Nothing in this Declaration shall be construed to make the Shareholders, either by themselves or with the Trustees, partners, or
members of a joint stock association.
Section 8. Issuance
of Shares
(a)
The Trustees, in their discretion, may from time to time issue shares without vote of the Shareholders,
including preferred shares that may have been established pursuant to Section 2 of this Article II, in addition to the then-issued and
outstanding Shares and Shares held in the treasury, to such party or parties and for such amount and type of consideration, including
cash or property, at such time or times, and on such terms as the Trustees may determine, including pursuant to shareholder rights or
similar plans that provide for the issuance of Shares to certain Shareholders, to the extent permissible under Delaware law and the 1940
Act, and may in such manner acquire other assets (including the acquisition of assets subject to, and in connection with, the assumption
of, liabilities) and businesses.
(b)
The Trustees may from time to time divide or combine the Shares of the Trust or of any Series or
Class thereof into a greater or lesser number without thereby materially changing the proportionate beneficial interest in such Shares,
provided that nothing in this Section 8(b) shall limit the ability of the Trustees to cause Shares to be issued pursuant to Section 8(a)
of this Article II;
(c)
Issuance and redemptions of Shares may be made in whole Shares and/or 1/1,000ths of a Share or multiples
thereof as the Trustees may determine.
Section
9. Establishment and Designation of Series or Class
(a)
The establishment and designation of any Series or Class thereof shall be effective upon the adoption
by a majority of the then Trustees of a resolution that sets forth such establishment and designation and the relative rights and preferences
of such Series or Class, whether directly in such resolution or by reference to another document including, without limitation, any registration
statement of the Trust, or as otherwise provided in such resolution.
(b)
Shares of each Series or Class established pursuant to this Article II, unless otherwise provided
in the resolution establishing such Series or Class, shall have the following relative rights and preferences:
| (i) | Assets Held with Respect to a Particular Series |
All consideration received by the
Trust, including on behalf of or with respect to a Series, for the issue or sale of Shares of a particular Series, together with all assets
in which such consideration is invested or reinvested, all income, earnings, profits, and proceeds thereof from whatever source derived
(including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such assets and any funds or payments derived
from any reinvestment of such proceeds in whatever form the same may be), shall irrevocably be held separately with respect to that Series
for all purposes, subject only to the rights of creditors of such Series, from the assets of the Trust and every other Series and shall
be so recorded upon the books of account of the Trust and its Series. Such consideration, assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds
thereof, from whatever source derived (including, without limitation, any proceeds derived from the sale, exchange or liquidation of such
assets, and any funds or payments derived from any reinvestment of such proceeds), in whatever form the same may be, are herein referred
to as “assets held with respect to” that Series. In the event that there are any assets, income, earnings, profits and proceeds
thereof, funds or payments which are not readily identifiable as assets held with respect to any particular Series (collectively “General
Assets”), the Trustees shall allocate such General Assets to, between or among any one or more of the Series in such manner and
on such basis as the Trustees, in their sole discretion, deem fair and equitable, and any General Assets so allocated to a particular
Series shall be held with respect to that Series. Each such allocation by the Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders
of all Series for all purposes. Separate and distinct records shall be maintained for each Series and the assets held with respect to
each Series shall be held and accounted for separately in such separate and distinct records from the assets held with respect to all
other Series and the General Assets of the Trust not allocated to such Series.
| (ii) | Liabilities Held with Respect to a Particular Series |
The assets of the Trust held with
respect to each particular Series shall be charged against the liabilities of the Trust held with respect to that Series and all expenses,
costs, charges, and reserves attributable to that Series, except that liabilities and expenses allocated solely to a particular Class
shall be borne by that Class. Any general liabilities of the Trust which are not readily identifiable as being held with respect to any
particular Series or Class shall be allocated and charged by the Trustees to and among any one or more of the Series or Classes in such
manner and on such basis as the Trustees in their sole discretion deem fair and equitable. All liabilities, expenses, costs, charges,
and reserves so charged to a Series or Class are herein referred to as “liabilities held with respect to” that Series or Class.
Each allocation of liabilities, expenses, costs, charges, and reserves by the Trustees shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders
of all Series or Classes for all purposes. Without limiting the foregoing, but subject to the right of the Trustees to allocate general
liabilities, expenses, costs, charges or reserves as herein provided, the debts, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred, contracted
for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular Series shall be enforceable against the assets held with respect to such Series
only and not against the assets of the Trust generally or against the assets held with respect to any other Series. Notice of this contractual
limitation on liabilities among Series shall be set forth in the Certificate of Trust (whether originally or by amendment) as filed or
to be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware pursuant to the Delaware Act, and upon the giving of such
notice in the Certificate of Trust, the statutory
provisions of Section 3804 of the Delaware
Act relating to limitations on liabilities among Series (and the statutory effect under Section 3804 of setting forth such notice in the
Certificate of Trust) shall become applicable to the Trust and each Series. Any person extending credit to, contracting with or having
any claim against any Series may look only to the assets of that Series to satisfy or enforce any debt with respect to that Series. No
Shareholder or former Shareholder of any Series shall have a claim on or any right to any assets allocated or belonging to any other Series
or the Trust generally.
| (iii) | Dividends and Distributions |
Notwithstanding any other provisions
of this Declaration, including, without limitation, Article VI, no dividend or distribution, including, without limitation, any distribution
paid upon termination of the Trust or of any Series or Class with respect to, nor any redemption or repurchase of, the Shares of any Series
or Class, shall be effected by the Trust other than from the assets held with respect to such Series, nor shall any Shareholder or any
particular Series or Class otherwise have any right or claim against the assets held with respect to any other Series except to the extent
that such Shareholder has such a right or claim hereunder as a Shareholder of such other Series or a Class associated with such Series.
The dividends and distributions or other payments, including those for any Series or Class that hereafter may be created, shall be in
such amounts as may be declared from time to time by the Trustees, whether by specifying the amounts, establishing formulas, or otherwise,
and such dividends and distributions may vary from Series to Series or Class to Class to such extent and for such purposes as the Trustees
may deem appropriate, including, but not limited to, the purposes of complying with requirements of regulatory or legislative authorities
or the terms of any preference attaching to one or more Series or Classes. The Trustees shall have full discretion, to the extent not
inconsistent with the 1940 Act, to determine which items shall be treated as income and which items as capital, and each such determination
and allocation shall be conclusive and binding upon the Shareholders.
All the Shares of each particular
Series shall represent an equal proportionate interest in the assets held with respect to that Series (subject to the liabilities held
with respect to that Series or Class thereof and such rights and preferences as may have been established and designated with respect
to any Class within such Series). Subject to the adoption of shareholder rights or similar plans as set forth in Section 8(a) of this
Article II, each Share of any particular Series shall be equal to each other Share of that Series and, with respect to any Class of a
Series, each such Class shall represent interests in the assets of that Series and have the same voting, dividend, liquidation and other
rights and terms and conditions as each other Class of that Series, except that expenses allocated to a Class may be borne solely by such
Class as determined by the Trustees and a Class may have exclusive voting rights with respect to matters affecting only that Class.
Any fractional Share of a Series or Class
thereof shall carry proportionately all the rights and obligations of a whole Share of that Series or Class, including rights with respect
to voting, receipt of dividends and distributions, redemption of Shares and termination of the Trust.
| (vi) | Combination of Series |
The Trustees shall have the authority,
without the approval of the Shareholders of any Series or Class, unless otherwise required by applicable law, to combine the assets and
liabilities held with respect to any two or more Series or Classes into assets and liabilities held with respect to a single Series or
Class; provided, however, that the Trustees may not change Outstanding Shares in a manner materially adverse to Shareholders of such Series
or Class.
Section 10. Register
of Shares
(a)
The ownership of Shares shall be recorded on the books of the Trust or those of a transfer or similar
agent for the Trust, which books shall be maintained separately for the Shares of each Series or Class.
(b)
No certificates certifying the ownership of Shares shall be issued except as the Trustees may otherwise
determine from time to time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon request, every Shareholder shall be entitled to have a certificate stating
the number and the class and the designation of the series, if any, of the Shares held by such Shareholder, in such form as shall, in
conformity to law, be prescribed from time to time by the Trustees. Such certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Trust by the
President or a Vice President and by the Treasurer or secretary. Such signatures may be facsimiles. In case any officer who has signed
or whose facsimile signature has been placed on such certificate shall have ceased to be such officer before such certificate is issued,
it may be issued by the Trust with the same effect as if such individual were such officer at the time of its issue.
(c)
Subject to Section 10(b) of this Article II, the Trustees may make such rules as they consider appropriate
for the issuance of Share certificates, the transfer of Shares of each Series or Class and similar matters. The Trustees may at any time
discontinue the issuance of Share certificates and may, by written notice to each Shareholder, require the surrender of Share certificates
to the Trust for cancellation. Such surrender and cancellation shall not affect the ownership of Shares in the Trust.
(d)
The record books of the Trust as kept by the Trust or any transfer or similar agent, as the case
may be, shall be conclusive as to the identity of the Shareholders of each Series or Class and as to the number of Shares of each Series
or Class held from time to time by each Shareholder.
(e)
No Shareholder shall be entitled to receive any payment of a dividend or distribution, nor to have
notice given to him as provided herein or in the Bylaws, until he or she has given his or her address to the Trust or to the Trust’s
transfer or similar agent.
Section
11. Transfer Agent and Registrar
(a)
The Trustees shall have power to employ a transfer agent or transfer agents, and a registrar or registrars,
with respect to the Shares. The transfer agent or transfer agents may keep the applicable record books therein, the original issues and
transfers, if any, of the said Shares.
(b)
Any transfer agents and/or registrars that the Trustees employ shall perform the duties that are
usually performed by transfer agents and registrars of certificates of stock in a corporation, as modified by the Trustees.
Section 12. Transfer
of Shares; Limitations on Ownership
(a)
Except as otherwise provided by the Trustees, Shares shall be transferable on the record books of
the Trust only by the record holder thereof or by his or her duly authorized agent upon delivery to the Trustees or the Trust’s
transfer or similar agent of a duly executed instrument of transfer (together with a Share certificate if one is outstanding), and such
evidence of the genuineness of each such execution and authorization and of such other matters as may be required by the Trustees, including
compliance with any securities laws and contractual restrictions as may reasonably be required. Upon such delivery, and subject to any
further requirements specified by the Trustees or contained in this Declaration or in the Bylaws, the transfer shall be recorded on the
record books of the Trust. Until a transfer is so recorded, the Shareholder of record of Shares shall be deemed to be the holder of such
Shares for all purposes hereunder, and neither the Trustees nor the Trust, nor any transfer agent or registrar or any officer, employee,
or agent of the Trust, shall be affected by any notice of a proposed transfer.
(b)
Any person becoming entitled to any Shares in consequence of the death, bankruptcy, or incompetence
of any Shareholder, or otherwise by operation of law, shall be recorded on the applicable record books of Shares as the holder of such
Shares upon production of the proper evidence thereof to the Trustees or a transfer agent of the Trust, but until such record is made,
the Shareholder of record shall be deemed to be the holder of such for all purposes hereof, and neither the Trustees nor any transfer
agent or registrar nor any officer or agent of the Trust shall be affected by any notice of such death, bankruptcy, or incompetence, or
other operation of law.
| (c) | Certain Acquisitions Prohibited. |
(i)
Restrictions on Certain Acquisitions of Shares. If a Person shall attempt to purchase or acquire
in any manner whatsoever, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, by operation of law or otherwise, any Shares or any option, warrant, or
other right to purchase or acquire Shares (such warrant, option, or security being an “Option”) or any securities convertible
into or exchangeable for Shares or any interest in any other entity that directly, indirectly or constructively owns any Shares (any such
purchase or acquisition being an “Acquisition”), in each case, whether voluntary or involuntary, of record, beneficially,
by operation of law or otherwise (provided, however, that a transaction that is a pledge (and not an acquisition of tax ownership for
U.S. federal income tax purposes) shall not be deemed an Acquisition but a foreclosure pursuant thereto shall be deemed to be an Acquisition),
and such Acquisition shall cause such Person to become either an owner (within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code) or
a beneficial owner (within the meaning
of Section 13 of the Exchange Act) of greater than 4.99 percent of the Shares (a “Five Percent Shareholder”) or increase the
percentage of Shares owned by a Five Percent Shareholder, then such Person shall be a “Restricted Holder” and such Shares
shall be “Excess Shares,” and such Acquisition of Excess Shares shall not be permitted and such transfer of Excess Shares
to the Restricted Holder shall be void ab initio except as authorized pursuant to this Article II, Section 12; provided, however, that
for purposes of determining the existence and identity of, and the amount of Shares owned by, any Five Percent Shareholders or Restricted
Holders, the Trust is entitled to rely conclusively on (a) the existence and absence of filings of Schedules 13D and 13G under the Exchange
Act (or any similar schedules) as of any date and (b) the Trust’s actual knowledge of the ownership of the Shares.
(ii)
Requests for Exceptions. The restrictions contained in this Article II, Section 12, are for
the purposes of reducing the risk that any change in the ownership of Shares may jeopardize the preservation of the Trust’s U.S.
federal, state and local income tax attributes under Code Section 382 or equivalent provisions of state or local law (collectively, the
“Tax Benefits”), assisting the Board of Trustees to better defend against takeover activities, such as to defend against arbitrageurs
attempting to make a short term profit in Trust shares while trading at a discount to net asset value potentially at the expense of long
term investors, and impeding and discouraging mergers, tender offers, and proxy contests. In connection therewith, and to provide for
the effective policing of these provisions, a Restricted Holder who proposes to effect an Acquisition of Excess Shares, prior to the date
of the proposed Acquisition, shall request in writing (a “Request”) that the Board of Trustees review the proposed Acquisition
of Excess Shares and authorize or not authorize the proposed Acquisition pursuant to this Subsection (c)(ii). A Request shall be mailed
or delivered to the Secretary of the Trust at the Trust’s principal place of business. Such Request shall be deemed to have been
delivered only when actually received by the Secretary of the Trust. A Request shall include: (1) the name, address and telephone number
of the Restricted Holder; (2) a description of the interest proposed to be Acquired by the Restricted Holder; (3) the date on which the
proposed Acquisition is expected to take place; (4) the name of the intended transferor of the interest to be Acquired by the Restricted
Holder; and (5) a Request that the Board of Trustees authorize, if appropriate, the Acquisition of Excess Shares pursuant to this Subsection
(c)(ii) and inform the Restricted Holder of its determination regarding the proposed Acquisition. If a Restricted Holder duly submits
a proper and complete Request to the Secretary of the Trust, at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees following
the tenth business day after receipt by the Secretary of the Trust of the Request, the Board of Trustees will act to determine whether
to authorize the proposed Acquisition described in the Request, in accordance with this Subsection (c)(ii) and Article II, Section 12,
Subsection (e). The Board of Trustees shall conclusively determine whether to authorize the proposed Acquisition, in its sole discretion
and judgment, and shall cause the Restricted Holder making the Request to be informed of such determination as soon as practicable thereafter.
(d)
Effect of Unauthorized Acquisition. Any Acquisition of Excess Shares attempted or purported
to be made in violation of this Article II, Section 12, shall be null and void ab initio to the fullest extent permitted by law. In the
event of an attempted or purported Acquisition of Excess Shares by a Restricted Holder in violation of this Article II, Section 12, the
Trust shall be deemed to be the agent for the transferor of the Excess Shares. The Trust shall be such agent for the limited purpose of
consummating a sale of the Excess Shares to a Person who is not a
Restricted Holder (an “Eligible
Transferee”), which may include, without limitation, the transferor. The record ownership of the Excess Shares shall remain in the
name of the transferor until the Excess Shares have been sold by the Trust or its assignee, as agent, to an Eligible Transferee. Neither
the Trust, as agent, nor any assignee of its agency hereunder, shall be deemed to be a Shareholder nor be entitled to any rights of a
Shareholder, including, but not limited to, any right to vote the Excess Shares or to receive dividends or liquidating distributions in
respect thereof, if any, but the Trust or its assignee shall only have the right to sell and transfer the Excess Shares on behalf of and
as agent for the transferor to another person or entity; provided, however, that an Acquisition to such other person or entity does not
violate the provisions of this Article II, Section 12. Until the Excess Shares are Acquired by an Eligible Transferee, the rights to vote
and to receive dividends and liquidating distributions with respect to the Excess Shares shall remain with the transferor. The intended
transferee of the Excess Shares and the Restricted Holder with respect to any Excess Shares shall not be entitled to any rights of Shareholders,
including, but not limited to, the rights to vote or to receive dividends and liquidating distributions with respect to the Excess Shares.
In the event of a permitted sale and transfer, whether by the Trust or its assignee, as agent, the proceeds of such sale shall be applied
first, to reimburse the Trust or its assignee for any expenses incurred by the Trust acting in its role as the agent for the sale of the
Excess Shares, second, to the extent of any remaining proceeds, to reimburse the intended transferee for any payments made to the transferor
by such intended transferee for such shares, and the remainder, if any, to the original transferor.
(e)
Authorization of Acquisition of Shares by a Restricted Holder. The Board of Trustees may authorize
an Acquisition of Excess Shares by a Restricted Holder, if, in its sole discretion and judgment it determines that the Acquisition is
in the best interests of the Trust and its Shareholders. In deciding whether to approve any proposed Acquisition of Excess Shares by a
Restricted Holder, the Board of Trustees may seek the advice of counsel (including with respect to the Trust’s preservation of the
Tax Benefits) and may request all relevant information from the Restricted Holder with respect to all Shares directly or indirectly owned
by such Restricted Holder. Any Person who makes a Request of the Board of Trustees pursuant to Article II, Section 12, to effect an Acquisition
of Excess Shares shall reimburse the Trust, on demand, for all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the Trust with respect to any
proposed Acquisition, including, without limitation, the Trust’s reasonable costs and expenses incurred in determining whether to
authorize that proposed Acquisition.
(f)
Certain Indirect Prohibited Acquisitions. In the event an Acquisition would be in violation
of this Article II, Section 12, as a result of attribution under federal tax and securities laws to the intended transferee of the ownership
of Shares by a Person (an “Other Person”) who is not controlling, controlled by or under common control with the intended
transferee, which ownership is nevertheless attributed under federal tax and securities laws to the intended transferee, the restrictions
contained in this Article II, Section 12, shall not apply in a manner that would invalidate any Acquisition to such Other Person, and
the intended transferee and any Persons controlling, controlled by or under common control with the intended transferee (collectively,
the “Intended Transferee Group”) shall automatically be deemed to have transferred to the Trust, sufficient Shares (which
Shares shall: (i) consist only of Shares held legally or beneficially, whether directly or indirectly, by any member of the Intended Transferee
Group, but not Shares held through any Other Person, other than Shares held through a Person acting as agent or fiduciary for any member
of the Intended Transferee Group; (ii) be deemed
transferred to the Trust, in the inverse
order in which it was acquired by members of the Intended Transferee Group, and (iii) be treated as Excess Shares) to cause the intended
transferee, following such transfer to the Trust, not to be in violation of the restrictions contained in this Article II, Section 12;
provided, however, that to the extent the foregoing provisions of this subsection (f) would not be effective to prevent an Acquisition
in violation of this Article II, Section 12, the restrictions contained in this Article II, Section 12, shall apply to such other Shares
owned by the intended transferee (including Shares actually owned by Other Persons), in a manner designed to minimize the amount of Shares
subject to the restrictions contained in this Article II, Section 12, or as otherwise determined by the Board of Trustees to be necessary
to prevent an Acquisition in violation of the restrictions contained in this Article II, Section 12 (which Shares shall be treated as
Excess Shares).
(g)
Prompt Enforcement; Further Actions. After obtaining actual knowledge of an Acquisition of
Excess Shares by a Restricted Holder, the Trust may demand the surrender, or cause to be surrendered, to it, the Excess Shares, or any
proceeds received upon a sale of the Excess Shares, and any dividends or other distributions made with respect to the Excess Shares. If
such surrender is not made within 30 business days from the date of such demand, the Trust may institute legal proceedings to compel such
transfer; provided, however, that nothing in this Subsection (g) shall: (i) be deemed inconsistent with the Acquisition of the Excess
Shares being deemed null and void pursuant to subsection (d) hereof; (ii) preclude the Trust in its discretion from immediately bringing
legal proceedings without a prior demand; or (iii) cause any failure of the Trust to act within the time periods set forth in Article
II, Section 12, subsection (c) to constitute a waiver or loss of any right of the Trust under this Article II, Section 12.
(h)
Damages. Any Restricted Holder who knowingly violates the provisions of this Article II, Section
12, and any persons controlling, controlled by or under common control with such a Restricted Holder, shall be jointly and severally liable
to the Trust for, and shall indemnify and hold the Trust harmless against, any and all damages suffered as a result of such violation,
including but not limited to damages resulting from a reduction in or elimination of the Trust’s ability to utilize its Tax Benefits,
and attorneys’ and auditors’ fees incurred in connection with such violation, including without limitation enforcement and
other action pursuant to Article II, Section 12, subsection (g).
(i)
Conditions to Acquisition; Responsibilities of Transfer Agent. The Trust may require, as a
condition to the registration of the Acquisition of any Shares or the payment of any distribution on any of its Shares, that the intended
transferee or payee furnish to the Trust all information reasonably requested by the Trust with respect to all the direct or indirect
ownership interests in such Shares. The Trust may make such arrangements or issue such instructions to its transfer agent as may be determined
by the Board of Trustees to be necessary or advisable to implement this Article II, Section 12, including, without limitation, instructing
the transfer agent not to register any Acquisition of Shares on the Trust’s record books if the transfer agent has knowledge that
such Acquisition would be prohibited by this Article II, Section 12, and/or authorizing such transfer agent to require an affidavit from
an intended transferee regarding such Person’s actual and constructive ownership of Shares and other evidence that an Acquisition
will not be prohibited by this Article II, Section 12, as a condition to registering any Acquisition.
(j)
Authority of Board of Trustees to Interpret. Nothing contained in this Article II, Section
12, shall limit the authority of the Board of Trustees to take such other action to the extent permitted by law, including with retroactive
application, as it deems necessary or advisable to protect the Trust and to preserve the Tax Benefits or for other purposes set forth
in Article II, Section 12, subsection (c)(ii). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event of a change in law or other
event or situation making one or more of the following actions necessary or desirable, the Board of Trustees may, by adopting a written
resolution and without Shareholder approval, modify or interpret the definitions of any terms or conditions set forth in this Article
II, Section 12 as appropriate to prevent an ownership change or when it deems it to be otherwise necessary or advisable; provided, however,
that the Board of Trustees shall not cause there to be such modification or interpretation unless (1) it concludes in writing that such
action is reasonably necessary or advisable to preserve the Tax Benefits or that the continuation of these restrictions is no longer reasonably
necessary for the preservation of the Tax Benefits, and its conclusion is based upon a written opinion of legal and/or tax counsel to
the Trust or (2) such action is otherwise approved by a written instrument signed by a majority of the Continuing Trustees then in office.
The Trust and the members of the Board
of Trustees shall be fully protected in relying in good faith upon the information, opinions, reports or statements of the President,
a Secretary, Treasurer, other officers of the Trust, the person or persons performing the functions of such officers, or of the Trust’s
legal counsel, independent auditors, transfer agent, or other employees or agents in making the determinations and findings contemplated
by this Article II, Section 12, and the members of the Board of Trustees shall not be responsible for any good faith errors made in connection
therewith.
(k)
NYSE Transactions. Nothing in this Article II, Section 12 shall preclude the settlement of
any transaction entered into through the facilities of the New York Stock Exchange or any other national securities exchange or automated
inter-dealer quotation system. The fact that the settlement of any transaction occurs shall not negate the effect of any other provision
of this Article II, Section 12 and any transferee in such a transaction shall be subject to all of the provisions and limitations set
forth in this Article II, Section 12.
(l)
Severability. If any part of the provisions of this Article II, Section 12, are judicially
determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the remainder of the provisions
of this Article II, Section 12, which shall be thereafter interpreted as if the invalid or unenforceable part were not contained herein,
and, to the maximum extent possible, in a manner consistent with preserving the ability of the Trust to utilize to the greatest extent
possible the Tax Benefit.
(m)
Expiration. Each provision of this Article II, Section 12, shall apply until such time as
the Board of Trustees determines in its sole discretion that such provision is no longer necessary for the for the purposes set forth
in Article II, Section 12, subsection (c)(ii) or otherwise necessary or advisable.
Section
13. Limitations of Liability of Shareholders
(a)
Except as may be otherwise provided in this Declaration (including, without limitation, Article II,
Section 12(h) regarding damages) and the Bylaws, Shareholders shall have the same limitation of personal liability as is extended to shareholders
of a private corporation for profit incorporated in the State of Delaware and no Shareholder shall be subject in such capacity to any
personal liability whatsoever to any Person in connection with Trust Property or the acts, obligations or affairs of the Trust or any
Series.
(b)
Except as may be otherwise provided in this Declaration (including, without limitation, Article II,
Section 12(h) regarding damages) and the Bylaws, if any Shareholder or former Shareholder of any Series shall be held to be personally
liable solely by reason of a claim or demand relating to such Person being or having been a Shareholder, and not because of such Person’s
acts or omissions, the Shareholder or former Shareholder (or such Person’s heirs, executors, administrators, or other legal representatives
or in the case of a corporation or other entity, its corporate or other general successor) shall be entitled to be held harmless from
and indemnified against all loss and expense arising from such claim or demand, but only out of the assets held with respect to the particular
Series of Shares of which such Person is or was a Shareholder and from or in relation to which such liability arose. The Trust, on behalf
of the applicable Series, may, at its option, assume the defense of any such claim made against such Shareholder. Neither the Trust nor
the applicable Series shall be responsible for satisfying any obligation arising from such a claim that has been settled by the Shareholder
without the prior written notice to, and consent of, the Trust and Series, as applicable.
ARTICLE
III.
Trustees
Section 1. Number,
Election and Tenure
(a)
Prior to a public offering of shares there may be a sole Trustee. Thereafter, the number of Trustees
shall be the number fixed from time to time by a written instrument signed by a majority of the Continuing Trustees then in office, or
by resolution approved at a duly constituted meeting by a majority of the Continuing Trustees then in office.
(b)
The Board of Trustees shall be divided into three Classes: Class I, Class II and Class III. The number
of the Trustees in each class shall be determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees may determine by resolution
those Trustees who shall be elected by Shareholders of a particular Series or Class of Shares (e.g., by a Series or Class of preferred
shares) and may set forth in the Bylaws of the Trust or elsewhere the procedures for the qualification, nomination, appointment, and election
of such Trustees. The term of office of Class I Trustees shall expire on the date of the first annual meeting of Shareholders or special
meeting in lieu thereof following the effective date of the registration statement relating to the Shares under the Securities Act. The
term of office of Class II Trustees shall expire on the date of the second annual meeting of Shareholders or special meeting in lieu thereof
following the effective date of the registration statement relating to the Shares under the Securities Act. The term of office of Class
III Trustees shall expire on the date of the third annual meeting of Shareholders or special meeting in lieu thereof following the effective
date of the registration
statement relating to the Shares under
the Securities Act. At each subsequent annual election, the Trustees chosen to succeed those whose terms are expiring shall be identified
as being in the same class as the Trustees whom they succeed, and shall be elected for a term expiring at the time of the third succeeding
annual meeting of Shareholders, or thereafter in each case when their respective successors are elected and qualified. The number of trusteeships
shall be apportioned among the classes by the Board of Trustees so as to maintain the number of Trustees in each class as nearly equal
as possible.
(c)
In the event that less than the majority of the Trustees holding office have been elected by the
Shareholders, the Trustees then in office shall call a Shareholders’ meeting for the election of Trustees.
(d)
Each Trustee shall serve during the lifetime of the Trust until he or she dies; resigns; has reached
the mandatory retirement age, if any, as set by the Trustees; is declared incompetent by a court of appropriate jurisdiction; or is removed,
or, if sooner, until the next meeting of Shareholders called for the purpose of electing Trustees and until the election and qualification
of his or her successor.
Section 2. Effect
of Resignation, Removal or Death
(a)
A Trustee may resign at any time by written instrument signed by him or her and delivered to any
officer of the Trust or to a meeting of the Trustees. Such resignation shall be effective upon receipt unless specified to be effective
at some other time. Except to the extent expressly provided in a written agreement with the Trust, no Trustee resigning and no Trustee
removed shall have any right to any compensation for any period following his or her resignation or removal, or any right to damages on
account of such removal. Upon the resignation of a Trustee, each such resigning Trustee shall execute and deliver such documents as the
remaining Trustees shall require for the purpose of conveying to the Trust or the remaining Trustees any Trust Property held in the name
of such resigning Trustee.
(b)
A Trustee may be removed only for cause by action of the Shareholders taken by the holders of shares
with at least seventy-five (75) percent of the votes then entitled to be cast in an election of Trustees, or, in the case of Trustees
elected by holders of senior securities, only by action of the holders of such senior securities with at least seventy-five (75) percent
of the votes then entitled to be cast by the holders of such senior securities. As used in this Section 2(b) of Article III, “senior
securities” has the meaning assigned to such term by Section 18 of the 1940 Act and “cause” means (1) willful misconduct
or gross negligence which is materially injurious to the Trust, (2) fraud or embezzlement or (3) a conviction of, or a plea of “guilty”
or “no contest” to, a felony. Upon the removal of a Trustee, each such removed Trustee shall execute and deliver such documents
as the remaining Trustees shall require for the purpose of conveying to the Trust or the remaining Trustees any Trust Property held in
the name of such removed Trustee, but the failure to do so shall in no way impair the rights of the successor Trustee.
(c)
The death, declination to serve, resignation, retirement, removal or incapacity of one or more Trustees,
or all of them, shall not operate to annul the Trust or any Series or to revoke any existing agency created pursuant to the terms of this
Declaration.
Section
3. Vacancies
(a)
Whenever a vacancy in the Board of Trustees shall occur, the remaining Continuing Trustees may fill
such vacancy by appointing an individual having the qualifications described in this Article and the Bylaws, consistent with the limitations
of the 1940 Act, by a written instrument signed by a majority of the Continuing Trustees then in office.
(b)
If the Shareholders of any Series or Class of Shares are entitled separately to elect one or more
Trustees, a majority of the remaining Continuing Trustees or the sole remaining Continuing Trustee elected by that Series or Class may
fill any vacancy among the number of Trustees elected by that Series or Class.
(c)
Any vacancy created by an increase in Trustees may be filled by the appointment of an individual
having the qualifications described in this Article and the Bylaws, consistent with the limitations of the 1940 Act, made by a written
instrument signed by a majority of the Continuing Trustees then in office.
(d)
Whenever a vacancy in the number of Trustees shall occur, until such vacancy is filled as provided
herein, the Trustees in office, regardless of their number, shall have all the powers granted to the Trustees and shall discharge all
the duties imposed upon the Trustees by this Declaration.
(e)
No vacancy shall operate to annul this Declaration or to revoke any existing agency created pursuant
to the terms of this Declaration.
Section 4. Meetings
(a)
The Board of Trustees may set forth in the Bylaws or elsewhere the requirements for the conduct of
meetings of the Board of Trustees and any committee of the Trustees, including requirements as to notice of meetings, quorum for meetings,
voting, and actions taken by written consent.
Section
5. Powers
(a)
The Trustees in all instances shall act as principals for and on behalf of the Trust and their acts
shall bind the Trust. Subject to the provisions of this Declaration, the business of the Trust shall be managed by the Trustees, and the
Trustees shall have all powers necessary or convenient to carry out that responsibility, including the power to engage in securities transactions
of any kind on behalf of the Trust. The Trustees may perform such acts as, in their sole discretion, are proper for conducting the business
of the Trust.
(b)
The Trustees shall have exclusive and absolute control over the Trust Property and over the business
of the Trust to the same extent as if the Trustees were the sole owners of the Trust Property and business in their own right, but with
such powers of delegation as may be permitted by this Declaration.
(c)
Except as otherwise expressly provided in the Bylaws, the Continuing Trustees shall have the exclusive
power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of the Bylaws and to make new Bylaws.
(d)
The enumeration of any specific power herein shall not be construed as limiting the aforesaid powers.
Such powers of the Trustees may be exercised without order of or resort to any court. Without limiting the foregoing, and except as otherwise
expressly provided in the Declaration and the Bylaws, the Trustees may:
(i)
enlarge or reduce the number of Trustees, specifying the date when such action shall become effective,
and fill vacancies caused by enlargement of their number or by the death, resignation, retirement or removal of a Trustee;
(ii)
elect and remove, with or without cause, such officers and appoint and terminate such agents as they
consider appropriate;
(iii)
appoint from their own number and establish and terminate one or more committees, consisting of one
or more Trustees, that may exercise any of the powers and authority of the Board of Trustees, except to the extent that the Trustees so
determine;
(iv)
employ one or more custodians of the assets of the Trust and authorize such custodians to employ
sub-custodians and to deposit all or any part of such assets in a system or systems for the central handling of securities or with a Federal
Reserve Bank;
(v)
employ an Administrator for the Trust and authorize such Administrator to employ sub-administrators;
employ an Investment Adviser to the Trust and authorize such Investment Adviser to employ sub-advisers; retain a transfer agent or a shareholder
servicing agent, or both;
(vi)
provide for the issuance and distribution of Shares by the Trust directly or through one or more
Principal Underwriters or otherwise;
| (vii) | redeem, repurchase and transfer Shares pursuant to applicable law; |
(viii)
set record dates for the determination of Shareholders with respect to various matters;
(ix)
declare and pay dividends and distributions to Shareholders of the Trust or of each Series from the
assets of the Trust or such Series; and
(x)
and in general delegate such authority as they consider desirable to any officer of the Trust, to
any committee of the Trustees, to the Continuing Trustees, to any agent or employee of the Trust, or to any Investment Adviser, Investment
Manager, Administrator, sub-adviser, sub-manager, sub-administrator, custodian, transfer or shareholder servicing agent, or Principal
Underwriter.
(e)
Any determination as to what is in the interests of the Trust made by the Trustees in good faith
shall be conclusive. In construing the provisions of this Declaration, the presumption shall be in favor of a grant of power to the Trustees.
(f)
Unless otherwise specified in this Declaration or in the Bylaws or required by law, any action by
the Trustees shall be deemed effective if approved or taken by a majority of the Trustees present at a meeting of Trustees at which a
quorum of Trustees is present, within or without the State of Delaware.
(g)
Without limiting the foregoing, the Trustees shall also have the power and authority to cause the
Trust (or to act on behalf of the Trust) to:
(i)
invest and reinvest cash and other property, to hold cash or other property uninvested, and to subscribe
for, invest in, reinvest in, purchase or otherwise acquire, own, hold, pledge, sell, assign, transfer, exchange, distribute, write options
on, lend or otherwise deal in or dispose of or enter into contracts for the future acquisition or delivery of securities and other instruments
and property of every nature and kind, including, without limitation, shares or interests in open-end or closed-end investment companies
or other pooled investment vehicles, common and preferred stocks, warrants and rights to purchase securities, all types of bonds, debentures,
stocks, negotiable or non-negotiable instruments, loans, obligations, participations, other evidences of indebtedness, certificates of
deposit or indebtedness, commercial papers, repurchase agreements, bankers’ acceptances, derivative instruments, and other securities
or properties of any kind, issued, created, guaranteed, or sponsored by any and all Persons, including without limitation, states, territories,
and possessions of the United States and
the District of Columbia and any
political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, and foreign government or any political subdivision of the United States Government
or any foreign government, or any international instrumentality, or by any bank or savings institution, or by any corporation or organization
organized under the laws of the United States or of any state, territory, or possession thereof, or by any corporation or organization
organized under any foreign law, or engage in “when issued” or delayed delivery transactions and in all types of financial
instruments and hedging and risk management transactions; change the investments of the assets of the Trust; and to exercise any and all
rights, powers, and privileges of ownership or interest in respect of any and all such investments of every kind and description, including,
without limitation, the right to consent and otherwise act with respect thereto, with power to designate one or more Persons to exercise
any of said rights, powers, and privileges in respect of any of said instruments;
(ii)
sell, exchange, lend, pledge, mortgage, hypothecate, lease, or write options (including, options
on futures contracts) with respect to or otherwise deal in any property rights relating to any or all of the assets of the Trust or any
Series;
(iii)
vote or give assent, or exercise any rights of ownership, with respect to stock or other securities
or property and to execute and deliver proxies or powers of attorney to such Person or Persons as the Trustees shall deem proper, granting
to such
Person or Persons such power and discretion
with relation to securities or property as the Trustees shall deem proper;
(iv)
exercise powers and right of subscription or otherwise which in any manner arise out of ownership
or securities;
(v)
hold any security or property in any form, whether in bearer, unregistered or other negotiable form,
or in its own name or in the name of a custodian or sub- custodian or a nominee or nominees or otherwise;
(vi)
consent to or participate in any plan for the reorganization, consolidation or merger of any corporation
or issuer of any security which is held in the Trust; to consent to any contract, lease, mortgage, purchase or sale of property by such
corporation or issuer; and to pay calls or subscriptions with respect to any security held in the Trust;
(vii)
join with other security holders in acting through a committee, depositary, voting trustee or otherwise,
and in that connection to deposit any security with, or transfer any security to, any such committee, depositary or trustee, and to delegate
to them such power and authority with relation to any security (whether or not so deposited or transferred) as the Trustees shall deem
proper, and to agree to pay, and to pay, such portion of the expenses and compensation of such committee, depositary or trustee as the
Trustees shall deem proper;
(viii)
compromise, arbitrate or otherwise adjust claims in favor of or against the Trust or any matter in
controversy, including, but not limited to, claims for taxes;
(ix)
enter into joint ventures, general or limited partnerships and any other combinations or associations;
(x)
borrow funds or other property or otherwise obtain credit or utilize leverage in the name of the
Trust exclusively for Trust purposes and in connection therewith issue notes or other evidence of indebtedness and to mortgage and pledge
the Trust Property or any part thereof to secure any or all of such indebtedness;
(xi)
endorse or guarantee the payment of any notes or other obligations of any Person, to make contracts
of guaranty or suretyship, or otherwise assume liability for payment thereof, and to mortgage and pledge the Trust Property or any part
thereof to secure any of or all of such obligations;
(xii)
purchase and pay for entirely out of Trust Property such insurance as the Trustees may deem necessary
or appropriate for the conduct of the business, including, without limitation, insurance policies insuring the assets of the Trust or
payment of distributions and principal on its portfolio investments, and insurance policies insuring the Shareholders, Trustees, officers,
employees, agents, Investment Advisers, Principal Underwriters, or independent contractors of the Trust, individually against all claims
and liabilities of every nature arising by reason of holding, being or having held any such office or position, or by reason of any action
alleged to have been taken or omitted by any such Person as Trustee, officer, employee, agent, Investment Adviser, Principal
Underwriter, or independent contractor,
including any action taken or omitted that may be determined to constitute negligence, whether or not the Trust would have the power to
indemnify such Person against liability;
(xiii)
adopt, establish and carry out pension, profit-sharing, share bonus, share purchase, savings, thrift
and other retirement, incentive and benefit plans and trusts, including the purchasing of life insurance and annuity contracts as a means
of providing such retirement and other benefits, for any or all of the Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust;
(xiv)
operate as and carry out the business of an investment company, and exercise all the powers necessary
or appropriate to the conduct of such operations;
| (xv) | enter into contracts of any kind and description; |
(xvi)
employ as custodian of any assets of the Trust one or more banks, trust companies or companies that
are members of a national securities exchange or such other entities as the Commission may permit as custodians of the Trust, subject
to any conditions set forth in this Declaration or in the Bylaws;
(xvii)
employ auditors, counsel or other agents of the Trust, subject to any conditions set forth in this
Declaration or in the Bylaws;
| (xviii) | interpret the investment policies, practices, or limitations of any Series or |
Class;
| (xix) | establish separate and distinct Series with separately defined investment |
objectives and policies and distinct
investment purposes, and with separate Shares representing beneficial interests in such Series, and to establish separate Classes, all
in accordance with the provisions of Article II;
(xx)
allocate, to the fullest extent permitted by Section 3804 of the Delaware Act, assets, liabilities
and expenses of the Trust to a particular Series and liabilities and expenses to a particular Class or to apportion the same between or
among two or more Series or Classes, provided that any liabilities or expenses incurred by a particular Series or Class shall be payable
solely out of the assets belonging to that Series or Class as provided for in Article II;
(xxi)
engage in any other lawful act or activity in which a statutory trust organized under the Delaware
Act may engage subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act; and
(xxii)
The Trust or any Series shall not be limited to investing in obligations maturing before the possible
termination of the Trust or any such Series. The Trust shall not in any way be bound or limited by any present or future law or custom
in regard to investment by fiduciaries. The Trust shall not be required to obtain any court order to deal with any assets of the Trust
or take any other action hereunder. The Trust may pursue its investment program and any other powers as set forth in this Section 5 of
Article III either directly or indirectly
through one or more subsidiary vehicles at the discretion of the Trustees or by operating in a master feeder structure.
(h)
Except as prohibited by applicable law, the Trustees may, on behalf of the Trust, buy any securities
from or sell any securities to, or lend any assets of the Trust to, any Trustee or officer of the Trust or any firm of which any such
Trustee or officer is a member acting as principal, or have any such dealings with any Investment Adviser, Administrator, Principal Underwriter,
distributor or transfer agent for the Trust or with any Interested Person of such person. The Trust may employ any such person, or entity
in which such person is an Interested Person, as broker, legal counsel, registrar, Investment Adviser, Administrator, Principal Underwriter,
distributor, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, shareholder servicing agent, custodian or in any other capacity upon customary
terms.
(i)
The Trustees shall have power to collect all property due to the Trust; to pay all claims, including
taxes, against the Trust Property or the Trust, the Trustees or any officer, employee or agent of the Trust; to prosecute, defend, compromise
or abandon any claims relating to the Trust Property or the Trust, or the Trustees or any officer, employee or agent of the Trust; to
foreclose any security interest securing any obligations, by virtue of which any property is owed to the Trust; and to enter into releases,
agreement and other instruments.
(j)
The Trustees shall have the power to determine whether and to what extent, and at what times and
places, and under what conditions and regulations, the accounts and books of the Trust shall be open to inspection by Shareholders. No
Shareholder shall have any right to inspect any account, book, or document of the Trust, including, but not limited to, the Share ledger,
except as required by the Bylaws or by applicable law to be made available to Shareholders of record for a proper purpose in such capacity.
(k)
Subject to Article II, Section 9, the Trustees shall have the power to pay, directly or indirectly
through contractual arrangements, out of the assets or income of the Trust any expenses and disbursements, including, but not limited
to, interest charges, taxes, brokerage fees and commissions; expenses of pricing Trust portfolio securities; expenses of sale, addition
and reduction of Shares; insurance premiums; applicable fees, interest charges and expenses of third parties, including the Trust’s
investment advisers, managers, administrators, distributors, custodians, transfer agents, shareholder servicing agents and fund accountants;
fees of pricing, interest, dividend, credit and other reporting services; costs of membership in trade associations; telecommunications
expenses; funds transmission expenses; auditing, legal and compliance expenses; costs of forming the Trust and its Series and maintaining
its and their existence; costs of preparing and printing the prospectuses, statements of additional information, and Shareholder reports
of the Trust and each Series and delivering them to Shareholders; expenses of meetings of Shareholders and proxy solicitations therefor;
costs of maintaining books and accounts; costs of materials distribution, web site, stationery and supplies; fees and expenses of the
Trustees; compensation of the Trust’s officers and employees and costs of other personnel performing services for the Trust or any
Series; costs of Trustee meetings; Commission registration fees and related expenses; registration fees and related expenses under state
or foreign securities or other laws; and for such non-recurring items as may arise, including litigation to which the Trust or a Series
(or a Trustee or officer of the Trust acting as such) is a party, and for all losses and liabilities by them incurred in administering
the Trust. The Trustees shall have a lien on the
assets belonging to the appropriate
Series, or in the case of an expense allocable to more than one Series, on the assets of each such Series, prior to any rights or interests
of the Shareholders thereto, for the reimbursement to them of such expenses, disbursements, losses and liabilities.
This Article shall not preclude the Trust
from directly paying any of the aforementioned fees and expenses.
Section 6. Ownership
of Assets of the Trust
The assets of the Trust and each
Series shall be held separate and apart from any assets now or hereafter held in any capacity other than as Trustee hereunder by the Trustees
or any successor Trustees. Title to all of the assets of the Trust shall at all times be considered as vested in the Trust, except that
the Trustees shall have power to cause legal title to any Trust Property to be held by or in the name of one or more of the Trustees,
or in the name of the Trust, or in the name of any other Person as nominee, on such terms as the Trustees may determine. The right, title
and interest of the Trustees in the Trust Property shall vest automatically in each Person who may hereafter become a Trustee. Upon the
resignation, removal or death of a Trustee, he or she shall automatically cease to have any right, title or interest in any of the Trust
Property, and the right, title and interest of such Trustee in the Trust Property shall vest automatically in the remaining Trustees.
Such vesting and cessation of title shall be effective whether or not conveyancing documents have been executed and delivered. No Shareholder
shall be deemed to have a severable ownership in any individual asset of the Trust or any right of partition or possession thereof, but
each Shareholder shall have a proportionate undivided beneficial ownership in the Trust or Series.
Section
7. Execution of Advisory, Management and Distribution Arrangements
(a)
Subject to such requirements and restrictions as may be set forth under federal and/or state law
and in the Bylaws, including, without limitation, the requirements of Section 15 of the 1940 Act, the Trustees may, at any time and from
time to time, contract for exclusive or non-exclusive advisory, management and/or administrative services (including, in each case, one
or more sub-advisory, sub-management or sub-administration services) for the Trust or for any Series (or Class thereof) with any corporation,
trust, association, or other organization, including any Affiliated Person; and any such contract may contain such other terms as the
Trustees may determine, including, without limitation, authority for the Investment Adviser or Administrator to supervise and direct the
investment of all assets held, and to determine from time to time without prior consultation with the Trustees what securities and other
instruments or property shall be purchased or otherwise acquired, owned, held, invested or reinvested in, sold, exchanged, transferred,
mortgaged, pledged, assigned, negotiated or otherwise dealt with or disposed of, and what portion, if any, of the Trust Property shall
be held uninvested and to make changes in the Trust’s or a particular Series’ investments; authority for the Investment Adviser
or Administrator to delegate certain or all of its duties under such contracts to qualified investment advisers and administrators, or
such other activities as may specifically be delegated to such party.
(b)
The Trustees may also, at any time and from time to time, contract with any corporation, trust,
association, or other organization, appointing it exclusive or non-exclusive distributor or Principal Underwriter for the Shares of one
or more of the Series (or Classes) or other securities to be issued by the Trust. Every such contract (i) shall comply with such requirements
and restrictions as may be set forth under federal and/or state law and in the Bylaws, including, without limitation, the requirements
of Section 15 of the 1940 Act, (ii) may contain such other terms as the Trustees may determine, and (iii) may provide for the repurchase
or sale of securities of the Trust by such other party as principal or as agent of the Trust and may provide that such other party may
enter into selected dealer agreements with registered securities dealers and brokers and servicing and similar agreements with persons
who are not registered securities dealers to further the purposes of the distribution or repurchase of the securities of the Trust.
(c)
The Trustees are also empowered, at any time and from time to time, to contract with any Persons
to provide such other services to the Trust as the Board of Trustees determines to be in the best interests of the Trust and the applicable
Series, including appointing it or them to act as the custodian, transfer agent dividend disbursing agent, fund accountant, and/or shareholder
servicing agent for the Trust or one or more of its Series. Every such contract shall comply with such requirements and restrictions as
may be set forth under federal and/or state law and in the Bylaws or stipulated by resolution of the Trustees.
(d)
The Trustees may adopt a plan or plans of distribution with respect to Shares of any Series or Class
and enter into any related agreements, whereby the Series or Class finances directly or indirectly any activity that is primarily intended
to result in sales of its Shares, subject to the requirements of applicable laws and regulations.
(i)
any of the Shareholders, Trustees, or officers of the Trust is a shareholder, director, officer,
partner, trustee, employee, Investment Adviser, Administrator, sub-adviser, sub- administrator, Principal Underwriter, distributor, or
affiliate or agent of or for any corporation, trust, association, or other organization, or for any parent or affiliate of any organization
with which an advisory, management, or administration contract, or Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or transfer
agent, shareholder servicing agent or other type of service contract may have been or may hereafter be made, or that any such organization,
or any parent or affiliate thereof, is a Shareholder or has an interest in the Trust; or that
(ii)
any corporation, trust, association or other organization with which an advisory, management, or
administration contract or Principal Underwriter’s or distributor’s contract, or transfer agent or shareholder servicing agent
contract may have been or may hereafter be made also has an advisory, management, or administration contract, or Principal Underwriter’s
or distributor’s or other service contract with one or more other corporations, trusts, associations, or other organizations, or
has other business or interests,
shall not affect the validity of any such
contract or disqualify any Shareholder, Trustee or officer of the Trust from voting upon or executing the same, or create any liability
or
accountability to the Trust or its Shareholders,
provided approval of each such contract is made pursuant to the requirements of the 1940 Act.
Section 8. Ownership
of Shares
Any Trustee, officer or agent of the
Trust may acquire, own, and dispose of Shares to the same extent as if he were not a Trustee, officer or agent. The Trustees may issue
and sell and cause to be issued and sold Shares to, and redeem such Shares from, any such Person or any firm or company in which such
Person is interested, subject only to the general limitations contained herein or in the Bylaws relating to the sale and redemption of
such Shares.
Section 9. Limitation
of Liability
(a)
Except as required by federal law, including applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, no Trustee, officer,
employee or agent of the Trust shall owe any fiduciary duties to the Trust, any Class or Series thereof, or to any Shareholder or any
other Person. The Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the Trust shall only have the duty to perform their respective obligations
expressly set forth herein in a manner that does not constitute bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard
of their respective duties as a Trustee, officer, employee or agent expressly set forth in this Declaration of Trust. Without limiting
the foregoing, the Trustees have no fiduciary duty to take action, or to consider taking any action, to narrow any discount by which the
Trust’s Shares may trade to the net asset value of such Shares, nor shall there be a “fiduciary exception” to the attorney-client
privilege as described in United States v. Jicarilla, 564 U.S. 162 (2011), United States v. Mett, 178 F.3d 1058 (9th Cir. 1999), or similar
law with respect to any communications between any Trustee and legal counsel, regardless of whether, among other things, the Trust pays
the legal fees of such counsel, such counsel’s legal advice was given for managing the Trust and not for personal advice to the
Trustees, and such communications were not made in anticipation of litigation.
(b)
To the extent that, at law or in equity, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent has duties (including
fiduciary duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust or any Class or Series thereof, to the Shareholders or to any other Person,
a Trustee, officer, employee or agent acting under this Declaration of Trust shall not be liable to the Trust, to the Shareholders or
to any other Person for his or her reliance on the provisions of this Declaration of Trust. The provisions of this Declaration of Trust,
to the extent that they restrict the duties and limit the liabilities of the Trustees, officers, employees or agents otherwise existing
at law or in equity, replace such other duties and liabilities of such Trustees, officers, employees or agents.
(c)
Except as otherwise expressly set forth herein, the Trustees, officers, employees and agents of the
Trust shall not have any personal liability to any Person other than the Trust, any Class or Series thereof, or any Shareholders for any
act, omission or obligation of the Trust or any Trustee, and then only for acts constituting bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence
or reckless disregard of duties expressly set forth in this Declaration of Trust. No Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust
shall be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders for any act or omission or any conduct whatsoever (including any breach of fiduciary
duty and the failure to compel in any way any former or acting Trustee to redress any breach of fiduciary duty or trust or for any errors
of judgment or mistakes of fact or law); provided that nothing contained
herein shall protect any Trustee, officer,
employee or agent against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of bad
faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties as an officer, employee or agent as expressly
set forth herein.
(d)
A Trustee shall only be liable for his or her own bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence,
or reckless disregard of his or her duties expressly set forth herein, and for nothing else, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment
or mistakes of fact or law. Subject to the foregoing: (i) the Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect
or wrongdoing of any other Person, including any officer, agent, employee, independent contractor or consultant, nor shall any Trustee
be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee;
(ii) the Trustees may rely upon advice
of legal counsel or other experts with respect to the meaning and operation of this Declaration of Trust and their duties as Trustees
hereunder, and shall be under no liability for any act or omission in accordance with such advice or for failing to follow such advice;
and (iii) the Trustees shall be fully protected in relying upon the records of the Trust and upon information, opinions, reports, or statements
presented by another Trustee or any officer, employee, or other agent of the Trust, or by any other Person, as to matters reasonably believed
to be within such Person’s professional or expert competence, including information, opinions, reports, or statements as to the
value and amount of the assets, liabilities, profits, or losses of the Trust, or the value and amount of assets or reserves, or contracts,
agreements, or other undertakings that would be sufficient to pay claims and obligations of the Trust or to make reasonable provision
to pay such claims and obligations, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount of assets from which distributions to Shareholders
or creditors of the Trust might properly be paid. The appointment, designation, or identification of a Trustee as chair of the Trustees,
a member or chair of a committee of the Trustees, an expert on any topic or in any area (including an audit committee financial expert),
or the lead independent Trustee, or any other special appointment, designation, or identification of a Trustee, shall not impose on that
Person any standard of care or liability that is greater than that imposed on that Person as a Trustee in the absence of the appointment,
designation, or identification, and no Trustee who has special skills or expertise, or is appointed, designated, or identified as aforesaid,
shall be held to a higher standard of care by virtue thereof. In addition, no appointment, designation, or identification of a Trustee
as aforesaid shall affect in any way that Trustee’s rights or entitlement to indemnification or advancement of expenses. The Trustees
shall not be required to give any bond or other security, nor any surety if a bond is obtained.
(e)
All Persons extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trust shall look
only to Trust Property or to the assets of any applicable Class or Series that such Person extended credit to, contracted with or has
a claim against, and neither the Trustees nor the Shareholders, nor any of the Trust’s officers, employees, or agents, whether past,
present, or future, shall be personally liable therefor.
(f)
Every written obligation, note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate, or undertaking and every
other act or thing whatsoever executed or done by or on behalf of the Trust or any Class or Series thereof, or the Trustees or officers
by any of them in connection with the Trust or any Class or Series thereof shall conclusively be deemed to have been executed or done
only in or with respect to his, her or their capacity as Trustee or Trustees, or officer or officers, as the case may be, and such Trustee
or Trustees, or officer or officers shall not be
personally liable thereon. At the Trustees’
discretion, any written obligation, note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate, or undertaking made or issued by the Trustees or by
any officer or officers may give notice that this Declaration of Trust contains a limitation on liability and such written obligation,
note, bond, contract, instrument, certificate, or undertaking may, if the Trustees so determine, recite that the same was executed or
made on behalf of the Trust or the applicable Class or Series thereof by a Trustee or Trustees in such capacity and not individually,
or by an officer or officers in such capacity and not individually, and that the obligations of such instrument are not binding upon any
of them or the Shareholders individually but are binding only on the assets and property of the Trust, or the assets held with respect
to the applicable Class or Series thereof only, and not against the assets of the Trust generally or the assets held with respect to any
Class or Series thereof, and may contain such further recital as such Person or Persons may deem appropriate. The omission of any such
notice or recital shall in no way operate to bind any Trustees, officers, or Shareholders individually.
Section 10. Indemnification
(a)
The Trust shall indemnify and advance expenses to its currently acting and former Continuing Trustees
to the fullest extent that indemnification of trustees is permitted by the Delaware Act. The Trust shall indemnify and advance expenses
to its currently acting and former officers to the same extent as its Continuing Trustees and to such further extent as is consistent
with law. The Board of Trustees may by Bylaw, resolution or agreement make further provision for indemnification of Trustees, officers,
employees, and agents to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware Act. No provision of this Article III, Section 10 shall be effective
to protect or purport to protect any Trustee or officer of the Trust against any liability to the Trust or its Shareholders to which he
would otherwise be subject by reason of bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties expressly
set forth herein. No amendment to the Declaration shall affect the right of any person under this Article III, Section 10 based on any
event, omission, or proceeding prior to such amendment.
ARTICLE IV.
Shareholders
Section 1. Meetings
Meetings of the Shareholders shall
be called and notice thereof and record dates therefore shall be given and set as provided in the Bylaws.
Section 2. Voting
(a)
The Shareholders shall have power to vote only with respect to the election or removal of Trustees
as provided in Article III hereof, and with respect to the approval of certain transactions as provided in Article V and Article VI, Section
3 hereof, and such additional matters relating to the Trust or the applicable Series as may be required by applicable law, this Declaration,
the Bylaws, or any registration of the Trust with the Commission (or any successor agency), or as the Trustees may consider necessary
or desirable.
(b)
Each whole Share shall be entitled to one vote as to any matter on which it is entitled to vote
and each fractional Share shall be entitled to a proportionate fractional vote.
(c)
Unless provided elsewhere in this Declaration, on any matters submitted to a vote of the Shareholders,
all Shares of the Trust then entitled to vote shall be voted in aggregate, except when required by the 1940 Act, Shares shall be voted
by individual Series;
| (d) | There shall be no cumulative voting in the election of Trustees. |
| (e) | Shares may be voted in person or by proxy. |
(f)
Until Shares of a Series or Class are issued, the Trustees may exercise all rights of Shareholders
of that Series or Class and may take any action required by law, this Declaration, or the Bylaws to be taken by the Shareholders with
respect to that Series or Class. Shares held in the treasury shall not confer any voting rights on the Trustees and shall not be entitled
to any dividends or other distributions declared with respect to the Shares.
Section 3. Quorum
and Required Vote
The provisions regarding the constitution
of a quorum and the required vote for actions taken at meetings of the Shareholders shall be set as provided in the Bylaws.
Section 4. Proxies
(a)
A proxy may be given in writing. The Bylaws may provide that proxies may also, or may instead, be
given by an electronic or telecommunications device or in any other manner.
Section 5. Record
Dates
For the purpose of determining the
Shareholders of the Trust or any Series or Class who are entitled to receive payment of any dividend or of any other distribution, the
Trustees may from time to time fix a date, which shall be before the date for the payment of such dividend or such other payment, as the
record date for determining the Shareholders of the Trust, such Series or Class having the right to receive such dividend or distribution.
Without fixing a record date, the Trustees may for distribution purposes close the register or transfer books for the Trust or for one
or more Series or Classes at any time prior to the payment of a distribution. Nothing in this Article IV, Section 5 shall be construed
as precluding the Trustees from setting different record dates for the Trust, different Series or Classes.
Section 6. Additional
Provisions
The Bylaws may include further provisions
for Shareholders, votes, and meetings and related matters.
ARTICLE V.
Requirements for the Approval of Certain
Transactions
Section 1. Required
Vote
Notwithstanding anything else contained
herein or in the Bylaws, a favorable vote of the holders of at least seventy-five (75) percent of the outstanding Shares of each affected
Series or Class voting separately as a Series or Class, shall be required to approve, adopt or authorize (i) a merger or consolidation
or share exchange of the Trust, such Series or Class with any other entity, other than an entity ninety (90) percent or more of which
is owned by the Trust, (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust (other than in the regular course of its investment
activities), or (iii) a liquidation or dissolution of the Trust, unless such action has previously been approved, adopted or authorized
by the affirmative vote of at least seventy-five
(75) percent of the total number of Trustees,
in which case the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of each affected Series or Class, voting separately
as a Series or Class, shall be required. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the approval of any affected Series or Class of the Trust shall
not be required for any mortgage, pledge, or creation of any other security interest in any or all of the assets of the Trust or any Series,
whether or not in the ordinary course of its business, or for the exercise of the rights and remedies provided with respect thereto.
ARTICLE VI.
Net Asset Value, Distributions and Redemptions
Section 1. Determination
of Net Asset Value
The net asset value of each outstanding
Share of the Trust or any Series shall be determined at such time or times on such days as the Trustees may determine, in accordance with
the 1940 Act. The method of determination of net asset value shall be determined by the Trustees and shall be as set forth in the registration
statement or as may otherwise be determined by the Trustees. The power and duty to make the net asset value calculations may be delegated
by the Trustees and shall be as generally set forth in the registration statement or as may otherwise be determined by the Trustees. The
net asset value per Share shall be determined separately for each Series or Class at such times as may be prescribed by the Trustees or,
in the absence of action by the Trustees, as of the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on each day for all or part of which
such Exchange is open for unrestricted trading.
Section 2. Distributions
Shareholders are entitled to
receive dividends and distributions in such amounts and at such times as may be determined by the Trustees, as the Trustees may deem necessary
or desirable. Distributions pursuant to this Article VI, Section 2 may be among the Shareholders of record of the applicable Series or
Class of Shares at the time of declaring a distribution or among the Shareholders of record at such later date as the Trustees shall determine
and specify. The Trustees may always retain from the net profits such amount as they may deem necessary to pay the debts or expenses of
the Trust or the applicable Series or to meet obligations of the Trust or the applicable Series, or as they otherwise may deem desirable
to use in the conduct of its affairs
or to retain for future requirements
or extensions of the business. Inasmuch as the computation of net income and gains for Federal income tax purposes may vary from the computation
thereof on the books, the above provisions shall be interpreted to give the Trustees the power in their discretion to distribute for any
fiscal year as ordinary dividends and as capital gains distributions, respectively, additional amounts sufficient to enable the Trust
to avoid or reduce liability for taxes.
Section 3. Redemptions
The Shares of the Trust or any Series are
not redeemable by Shareholders.
Notwithstanding anything else contained
herein or in the Bylaws, a favorable vote of (a) at least seventy-five (75) percent of the total number of Trustees, including a majority
of the Trustees who are not Interested Persons of the Trust, (b) at least seventy-five (75) percent of the outstanding Shares of each
Class or Series of the Trust (which includes common shares and preferred shares together) and (c) at least seventy-five (75) percent of
all votes of preferred shares, if any, of the Trust, voting as a separate class, shall be required to approve, adopt or authorize an amendment
to the Declaration that makes the Shares of the Trust a “redeemable security” (as that term is defined in section 2(a)(32)
of the 1940 Act).
Section 4. Disclosure
of Ownership
The holders of Shares or other securities
of the Trust shall, upon demand, disclose to the Trustees, in writing, such information with respect to direct and indirect ownership
of Shares or other securities of the Trust as the Trustees deem necessary to comply with the provisions of the Code, the 1940 Act or other
applicable laws or regulations, or to comply with the requirements of any other taxing or regulatory authority.
ARTICLE VII.
Duration, Termination, Reorganization
and Amendments
Section 1. Duration
Subject to possible termination
in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 of this Article VII, the Trust created hereby shall continue without limitation of time.
Section
2. Termination of the Trust or Any Series or Class
(a)
The Trust or any Series of Shares or Class thereof may be terminated at any time in accordance with
Article V.
(b)
Upon the requisite Shareholder vote or action by the Trustees to terminate the Trust or any one or
more Series or any Class thereof, after paying or otherwise providing for all charges, taxes, expenses, and liabilities, whether due or
accrued or anticipated, of the Trust or of the particular Series or any Class thereof as may be determined by the Trustees, the Trust
shall in accordance with such procedures as the Trustees may consider appropriate reduce the remaining assets of the Trust or of the affected
Series or Class to distributable form in cash or other securities, or any combination thereof, and distribute the proceeds to the Shareholders
of the
Series or Classes involved, ratably
according to the number of Shares of such Series or Class held by the Shareholders of such Series or Class on the date of distribution.
Thereupon, the Trust or any affected Series or Class shall terminate and the Trustees and the Trust shall be discharged of any and all
further liabilities and duties relating thereto or arising therefrom, and the right, title, and interest of all parties with respect to
the Trust or such Series or Class shall be canceled and discharged.
(c)
Upon termination of the Trust, following completion of winding up of its business, the Trustees shall
cause a certificate of cancellation of the Certificate of Trust to be filed in accordance with the Delaware Act, which Certificate of
Cancellation may be signed by any one Trustee.
Section 3. Reorganization
(a)
The Trustees may, without Shareholder approval, unless such approval is required by applicable law
or by the terms of Article V of this Declaration:
(i)
cause the Trust to merge or consolidate with or into one or more trusts (or Series thereof to the
extent permitted by law), partnerships, associations, corporations, or other business entities (including trusts, partnerships, associations,
corporations, or other business entities created by the Trustees to accomplish such merger or consolidation);
(ii)
cause any one or more Series (or Classes) of the Trust to merge or consolidate with or into any one
or more other Series (or Classes) of the Trust, one or more trusts (or Series or Classes thereof to the extent permitted by law), partnerships,
associations, corporations;
(iii)
cause the Shares to be exchanged under or pursuant to any state or federal statute to the extent
permitted by law; or
(iv)
cause the Trust to reorganize as a corporation, limited liability company, or limited liability partnership
under the laws of Delaware or any other state or jurisdiction.
(b)
Any agreement of merger or consolidation or exchange or certificate of merger may be signed by a
majority of the Trustees and facsimile signatures conveyed by electronic or telecommunication means shall be valid.
(c)
Pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of Section 3815(f) of the Delaware Act, and notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Declaration or the Bylaws, an agreement of merger or consolidation approved by the Trustees
in accordance with this Article VII, Section 3 may effect any amendment to the governing instrument of the Trust (including the Bylaws)
or effect the adoption of a new governing instrument of the Trust.
(d)
The Trustees may create one or more statutory trusts to which all or any part of the assets, liabilities,
profits, or losses of the Trust or any Series or Class thereof may be transferred and, consistent with the requirements of Article V of
this Declaration, may provide for the conversion of Shares in the Trust or any Series or Class thereof into beneficial interests in any
such newly created trust or trusts or any Series of Classes thereof.
(e)
The approval of the Trustees shall be sufficient, to the extent consistent with Article V of this
Declaration, to cause the Trust, or any Series thereof, to sell and convey all or substantially all of the assets of the Trust or any
affected Series to another Series of the Trust or to another entity to the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, for adequate consideration,
which may include the assumption of all outstanding obligations, taxes, and other liabilities, accrued or contingent, of the Trust or
any affected Series, and which may include Shares or interest in such Series of the Trust, entity, or Series. Without limiting the generality
of the foregoing, this provision may be utilized to permit the Trust or any Series to pursue its investment program through one or more
subsidiary vehicles or to operate in a master-feeder structure.
Section 4. Amendments
(a)
Except as specifically provided in this Article VII, Section 4, the Trustees may, without Shareholder
vote, restate, amend, or otherwise supplement this Declaration. Shareholders shall have the right to vote on:
(i)
any amendment that is determined by the Trustees to affect the Shareholders’ right to vote
granted in Article III, Sections 1 and 2 (regarding the election and removal of Trustees), Article V (regarding merger, sale of assets,
or liquidation of the Trust) and Article VI, Section 3 (regarding the conversion of Shares to “redeemable securities”) hereof;
| (ii) | any amendment to this Article VII, Section 4; |
(iii)
any amendment that may require the Shareholders’ vote under applicable law or by the Trust’s
registration statement, as filed with the Commission; and
| (iv) | any amendment submitted to the Shareholders for their vote by the |
Trustees.
(b)
The Trustees may not amend this Declaration to alter or amend the percentage of voting Shares required
to approve any transaction or matter which requires a specific Shareholder vote under this Declaration unless an equivalent vote of Shareholders
has authorized such alteration or amendment. Notwithstanding anything else herein, no amendment hereof shall limit the rights to insurance
or its coverage, advances, indemnification or other benefit with respect to any acts or omissions of Persons covered thereby prior to
such amendment nor shall any such amendment limit the rights to indemnification, as provided in the Bylaws with respect to any actions
or omissions of Persons covered thereby prior to such amendment. The Trustees may, without Shareholder vote, restate, amend, or otherwise
supplement the Certificate of Trust as they deem necessary or desirable.
(c)
A favorable vote of (a) at least seventy-five (75) percent of the total number of Trustees, including
a majority of the Trustees who are not Interested Persons of the Trust, (b) at least seventy-five (75) percent of the outstanding Shares
of each Series or Class of the Trust (which includes common shares and preferred shares together) and (c) at least seventy-five (75) percent
of all votes of preferred shares, if any, of the Trust, voting as a separate class, shall be required to approve, adopt or authorize an
amendment to this Article VII, Section 4.
ARTICLE VIII.
Miscellaneous
Section
1. Liability of Third Persons Dealing with Trustees
No Person dealing with the Trustees shall
be bound to make any inquiry concerning the validity of any transaction made or to be made by the Trustees or to see to the application
of any payments made or property transferred to the Trust or any Series or upon such Trustees’ order.
Section 2. Filing
of Copies, References, Headings
The original or a copy of this
Declaration and of each restatement and/or amendment hereto shall be kept at the office of the Trust where it may be inspected by any
Shareholder. Anyone dealing with the Trust may rely on a certificate by an officer of the Trust as to whether or not any such restatements
and/or amendments have been made and as to any matters in connection with the Trust hereunder; and, with the same effect as if it were
the original, may rely on a copy certified by an officer of the Trust to be a copy of this Declaration or of any such restatements and/or
amendments. In this Declaration and in any such restatements and/or amendments, references to this Declaration, and all expressions such
as “herein,” “hereof,” and “hereunder,” shall be deemed to refer to this Declaration as amended or
affected by any such restatements and/or amendments. Headings are placed herein for convenience of reference only and shall not be taken
as a part hereof or control or affect the meaning, construction or effect of this Declaration. Whenever the singular number is used herein,
the same shall include the plural; and the neuter, masculine and feminine genders shall include each other, as applicable. This Declaration
may be executed in any number of counterparts each of which shall be deemed an original.
Section
3. Applicable Law
(a)
This Declaration and the Trust created hereunder are to be governed by and construed and enforced
in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware. The Trust shall be of the type commonly called a statutory trust, and without limiting
the provisions hereof, the Trust specifically reserves the right to exercise any of the powers or privileges afforded to statutory trusts
or actions that may be engaged in by statutory trusts under the Delaware Act, and the absence of a specific reference herein to any such
power, privilege, or action shall not imply that the Trust may not exercise such power or privilege or take such actions.
(b)
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, there shall not be applicable to the Trust, the
Trustees, or this Declaration either the provisions of Section 3540 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code or any provisions of the laws (statutory
or common) of the State of Delaware (other than the Delaware Act) pertaining to trusts that relate to or regulate: (i) the filing with
any court or governmental body or agency of trustee accounts or schedules of trustee fees and charges; (ii) affirmative requirements to
post bonds for trustees, officers, agents, or employees of a trust; (iii) the necessity for obtaining a court or other governmental approval
concerning the acquisition, holding, or disposition of real or personal property; (iv) fees or other sums applicable to trustees, officers,
agents, or employees of a trust; (v) the allocation of receipts and expenditures to income or principal; (vi) restrictions or limitations
on the permissible nature,
amount, or concentration of trust investments
or requirements relating to the titling, storage, or other manner of holding of trust assets; or (vii) the establishment of, including
but not limited to, fiduciary or other standards or responsibilities of trustees except as expressly provided in this Declaration.
Section
4. Provisions in Conflict with Law or Regulations
(a)
The provisions of this Declaration are severable, and if the Trustees shall determine, with the advice
of counsel, that any such provision is in conflict with the 1940 Act, the regulated investment company provisions of the Code and the
regulations thereunder, the Delaware Act, or with other applicable laws and regulations, the conflicting provision shall be deemed never
to have constituted a part of this Declaration; provided, however, that such determination shall not affect any of the remaining provisions
of this Declaration or render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination.
(b)
If any provision of this Declaration shall be held invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction,
such invalidity or unenforceability shall attach only to such provision in such jurisdiction and shall not in any manner affect such provision
in any other jurisdiction or any other provision of this Declaration in any jurisdiction.
Section 5. Writings
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable
laws and regulations:
(a)
all requirements in this Declaration or in the Bylaws that any action be taken by means of any writing,
including, without limitation, any written instrument, any written consent or any written agreement, shall be deemed to be satisfied by
means of any electronic record in such form that is acceptable to the Trustees; and
(b)
all requirements in this Declaration or in the Bylaws that any writing be signed shall be deemed
to be satisfied by any electronic signature in such form that is acceptable to the Trustees.
DIVIDEND AND INCOME FUND
BYLAWS
As of September 13, 2023
These Bylaws are made and adopted
pursuant to Article IV of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Dividend and Income Fund dated as of the date hereof, as from time
to time amended (hereinafter called the “Declaration”). All words and terms capitalized in these Bylaws and not otherwise
defined herein shall have the meaning or meanings set forth for such words or terms in the Declaration.
ARTICLE
I
REGISTERED OFFICE
Section 1. Registered Office. The
registered office of the Trust in the State of Delaware shall be located in Wilmington, Delaware, or such other place as determined by
the President of the Trust. The Trust may, in addition, establish and maintain such other offices and places of business as the Board
of Trustees may, from time to time, determine or the business of the Trust may require.
ARTICLE
II SHAREHOLDERS
Section 1. Place of Meeting.
All meetings of the Shareholders shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust or at such other place as may from time
to time be designated by the Board of Trustees and stated in the notice of such meeting.
Section 2. Annual Meetings.
The Trust shall hold an annual meeting of its Shareholders to elect Trustees and transact any other business within its powers, provided
so long as the Trust is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), the Trust is not
required to hold an annual meeting in any year in which the election of Trustees is not required to be acted upon under the 1940 Act.
The annual meeting, if any, shall be held at such date, time, and place or by remote communication, as the Board of Trustees, or any duly
constituted committee of the Board, shall determine. Except as provided otherwise in the Declaration, these Bylaws, or the Delaware Act,
no business may be considered at an annual meeting unless specified in the notice or raised by the chairman of the meeting appointed or
otherwise made pursuant to Section 10 of this Article II. The failure to hold an annual meeting does not invalidate the Trust's existence
or affect any otherwise valid act of the Trust.
Section 3. Special Meetings.
(a)
General. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, President, or Board of Trustees may call a special meeting of the Shareholders.
Any such special meeting shall be held at such date, time, and place or by remote communication as may be designated by the Chairman of
the Board of Trustees, President, or Board of Trustees, whoever has called the meeting. Subject to subsection (b) of this Article II,
Section 3, a special meeting of Shareholders shall also be called by the Secretary of the Trust upon the written request of Shareholders
entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.
(b)
Shareholder Requested Meetings. (1) Any Shareholder of record (a “Shareholder of record” is hereby defined
for all purposes of these Bylaws as a Shareholder whose name and address appears on the Trust’s share ledger pursuant to Article
VI hereof) seeking to have Shareholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the Secretary (the “Record
Date Request Notice”) by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of Trustees to fix a record date to determine
the Shareholders entitled to request a special meeting (the “Request Record Date”). The Record Date Request Notice shall set
forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one or more Shareholders of record
as of the date of signature (or their agents duly authorized in writing), shall bear the date of signature of each such Shareholder (or
such agent) and shall set forth all information relating to each such Shareholder that must be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for
election of Trustees in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant
to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act. Upon receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Trustees
may fix a Request Record Date. The Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than 90 days after the close of business
on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board of Trustees. If the Board of Trustees, within
20 days after the date on which a valid Record Date Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record
Date and make a public announcement of such Request Record Date, the Request Record Date shall be the close of business on the 90th day
after the first date on which the Record Date Request Notice is received by the Secretary.
(2)
In order for any Shareholder to request a special meeting (“Shareholder Requested Meeting”), one or more written requests
for a special meeting signed by Shareholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing) as of the Request Record Date entitled
to cast not less than a majority (the “Special Meeting Percentage”) of all of the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting
(the “Special Meeting Request”) shall be delivered to the Secretary. In addition, the Special Meeting Request shall set forth
the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to the matters set forth in the Record
Date Request Notice received by the Secretary), shall bear the date of signature of each such Shareholder (or such agent) signing the
Special Meeting Request, shall set forth the name and address, as they appear in the Trust’s books, of each Shareholder signing
such request (or on whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed), the class, series, and number of all Shares which are owned by
each such Shareholder, and the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned by such Shareholder beneficially but not of record, shall
be sent to the Secretary by registered mail, return receipt requested, and shall be received by the Secretary within 60 days after the
Request Record Date. Any requesting Shareholder may revoke his, her, or its request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation
delivered to the Secretary.
(3)
The Secretary shall inform the requesting Shareholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice of
meeting (including the Trust’s proxy materials). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Secretary shall not be required
to notify Shareholders entitled to notice of the Shareholder Requested Meeting and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition
to the documents required by paragraph (2) of this Article II, Section 3(b), the Secretary receives prior payment of such reasonably estimated
cost.
(4)
In the case of any Shareholder Requested Meeting, such meeting shall be held at such date, time, and place, if any, and the means
of remote communication, if any, by which Shareholders and proxy holders may be considered present in person and may vote at the such
meeting, as may be designated by the Board of Trustees; provided, however, that the date of any Shareholder Requested Meeting shall be
not more than 90 days after the record date for such meeting (the “Meeting Record Date”); and provided further that if the
Board of Trustees fails to designate, within 20 days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is actually received by the Secretary
(the “Delivery Date”), a date, time, or place, if any, or the means of remote communication, if any, by which Shareholders
and proxy
holders may be considered present in person and may vote
at the such meeting, for a Shareholder Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m. local time on the 90th day after
the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a Business Day (as defined below), on the first preceding Business Day; and provided
further that in the event that the Board of Trustees fails to designate a place for a Shareholder Requested Meeting within 20 days after
the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust. In fixing a date for any special meeting,
the Board of Trustees may consider such factors as it deems relevant within the good faith exercise of business judgment, including, without
limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered, the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for the meeting, and any plan
of the Board of Trustees to call an annual meeting or a special meeting. In the case of any Shareholder Requested Meeting, if the Board
of Trustees fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within 30 days after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the
30th day after the Delivery Date shall be the Meeting Record Date.
(5)
If written revocations of requests for the Shareholder Requested Meeting have been delivered to the Secretary and the result is
that Shareholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing), as of the Request Record Date, entitled to cast less than the
Special Meeting Percentage have delivered, and not revoked, requests for a Shareholder Requested Meeting to the Secretary, the Secretary
shall: (i) if the notice of meeting has not already been given to all Shareholders, refrain from giving the notice of the meeting to all
Shareholders and send to all requesting Shareholders who have not revoked such requests written notice of such revocation of a request
for the meeting, generally without identifying from whom the revocation was received, or (ii) if the notice of meeting has been given
to all Shareholders, revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before the commencement of the meeting. Any request for a Shareholder
Requested Meeting received after the occurrence of (i) or (ii) above shall be considered a new Record Date Request Notice pursuant to
Article II, Section 3 hereof.
(6)
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the President, or the Board of Trustees may appoint independent inspectors of elections
to act as the agent of the Trust for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of any purported Special
Meeting Request received by the Secretary. For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no such purported request
shall be deemed to have been delivered to the Secretary until the earlier of (i) ten Business Days after receipt by the Secretary of such
purported request and (ii) such date as the independent inspectors certify to the Trust as to whether the valid requests received by the
Secretary represent at least a majority of the issued and outstanding Shares that would be entitled to vote at such meeting. Nothing contained
in this paragraph (6) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the Trust shall not be entitled to contest the validity of
any request, whether during or after such ten Business Day period, or to take any other action (including, without limitation, the commencement,
prosecution, or defense of any litigation with respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation).
(7)
For purposes of these Bylaws, “Business Day” shall mean any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for trading.
Section 4. Notice of Meetings. Not
less than 10 nor more than 90 days before each Shareholders' meeting, the Secretary shall give notice in writing or by electronic transmission
of the meeting to each Shareholder entitled to vote at, or entitled to notice of, such meeting. The notice shall state: (1) the time of
the meeting, the place of the meeting, if any, and the means of remote communication, if any, by which Shareholders and proxy holders
may be deemed to be present in person and may vote at the meeting; and
(2) the purpose of the meeting, if: (i) the meeting is a
special meeting; or (ii) notice of the purpose is required by any other provision of the Delaware Act. For purposes of this Article II,
Section 4, notice is given to a Shareholder when it is: (i) personally delivered to the Shareholder; (ii) left at the Shareholder's residence
or usual place of business; (iii) mailed to the Shareholder at the Shareholder's address as it appears on the records of the Trust; or
(iv) transmitted to the Shareholder by an electronic transmission to
any address or number of the Shareholder at which the
Shareholder receives electronic transmissions. If mailed, notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail
addressed to the Shareholder as aforesaid; if transmitted to the Shareholder by an electronic transmission, notice shall be deemed to
be given when sent to any address or number of the Shareholder at which the Shareholder receives electronic transmissions. Notice of any
Shareholders’ meeting need not be given to any Shareholder who before or after the meeting delivers a written waiver or a waiver
by electronic transmission which is filed with the records of Shareholders meetings, or to any Shareholder who is present at such meeting
in person or by proxy. Notice of adjournment of a Shareholders’ meeting to another time or place need not be given if such time
and place are announced at the meeting. Irregularities in the notice of any meeting to, or the non-receipt of any such notice by, any
of the Shareholders shall not invalidate any action otherwise properly taken by or at such meeting.
Section 5. Quorum;
Adjournment of Meetings. At a meeting of Shareholders the presence, in person or by proxy, of not less than one-third of the votes
entitled to be cast at the meeting constitutes a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under the Declaration, these
Bylaws, or any applicable statute for the vote necessary for the adoption of any measure. Whether or not a quorum is present, at any meeting
of the Shareholders the chairman of the meeting shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time to a date not more than
150 days after the original record date without further notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which
a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.
The Shareholders
present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and convened, may continue to transact business until adjournment,
notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough Shareholders to leave less than a quorum.
Section 6. Voting. Unless
otherwise provided by the Declaration, at a meeting of Shareholders each whole Share shall be entitled to one vote on each matter on which
it is entitled to vote and each fractional Share shall be entitled to a proportionate fractional vote. To be approved, adopted, or authorized
at a meeting of Shareholders, a matter must receive in the event it has been approved by a majority of the Continuing Trustees the affirmative
vote of a majority of all the votes cast at the meeting at which a quorum is present or, in the event it has not been so approved by the
Continuing Trustees, the affirmative vote of at least 75% of the outstanding Shares of the Trust entitled to be voted at the meeting at
which a quorum is present, provided in each event, however, more or fewer votes cast may be required to approve any matter if so provided
by the Declaration, these Bylaws, or any applicable statute. The vote upon any question shall be by ballot whenever requested by any person
entitled to vote, but, unless such a request is made, voting may be conducted in any way approved by the meeting. Abstentions and broker
non-votes will be included for purposes of determining whether a quorum is present at a Shareholders’ meeting but will not be treated
as votes cast. Abstentions and broker non-votes, therefore, will have no effect on proposals which require a plurality or majority of
votes cast for approval, but will have the same effect as a vote “against” on proposals requiring a majority or other specified
percentage of outstanding voting securities for approval.
Section 7. Inspectors.
The Continuing Trustees, in advance of any meeting, may, but need not, appoint one or more individual inspectors or one or more entities
that designate individuals as inspectors to act at the meeting or any adjournment thereof. If an inspector or inspectors are not so appointed
or if appointed not deemed appropriate by the chairman of the meeting, the chairman of the meeting may at any time appoint one or more
new or replacement inspectors. In case any person who may be appointed as an inspector fails to appear or act, the vacancy may be filled
by appointment made by the Continuing Trustees or by the chairman of the meeting. Each inspector so appointed shall first subscribe an
oath or affirmation to execute faithfully the duties of inspector at such election with strict impartiality and
according to the best of his or her ability, and shall after
the election make a certificate of the result of the vote taken. No candidate at the meeting for the office of Trustee shall be appointed
such inspector.
Subject to the direction and supervision
of the chairman of the meeting, the inspectors, if any, shall determine the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each,
the shares represented at the meeting, the existence of a quorum, the validity and effect of proxies, and shall receive votes, ballots
or consents, hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, count and tabulate all votes,
ballots, or consents, determine the result, and do such acts as are proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all Shareholders.
Each such report shall be in writing and certified by him or her or by a majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at
such meeting. If there is more than one inspector, the certified report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors. The determination
of such inspector or inspectors as to the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each, the shares represented at the meeting,
the existence of a quorum, the form, validity and effect of proxies or ballots, all challenges and questions arising in connection with
the right to vote, the count or tabulation of all votes, ballots or consents, and all other matters upon which their certificate would
be based shall be deemed final and conclusive, and such inspectors’ determinations shall not be subject to challenge or review prior
to or following the issuance of their certificate, unless such challenge or review is approved by the vote of a majority of the Continuing
Trustees. If no challenge or review is so approved, all documents of whatever kind and nature relating to any matters upon which the certificate
could be based may be discarded by the officers of the Trust in their sole discretion after 30 days of issuance of the inspectors’
certificate.
Section 8. Shareholders Entitled to Vote.
If the Board of Trustees, or any duly constituted committee of the Board, sets a record date for the determination of Shareholders entitled
to notice of or to vote at any Shareholders’ meeting in accordance with these Bylaws, each Shareholder of the Trust shall be entitled
to vote, in person or by proxy, each Share standing in his name on the books of the Trust on such record date. If no record date has been
fixed and these Bylaws do not otherwise provide for a record date in the circumstances, the record date for the determination of Shareholders
entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Shareholders shall be the later of the close of business on the day on which notice of
the meeting is first mailed or otherwise given or the thirtieth day before the meeting, or, if notice is waived by all Shareholders, at
the close of business on the tenth day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held.
Section 9. Validity
of Proxies, Ballots. In an uncontested matter or uncontested election of a Trustee or Trustees, a Shareholder may cast the votes
entitled to be cast by the Shares owned of record by the Shareholder in person or by proxy executed by the Shareholder or the Shareholder’s
duly authorized agent in any manner not prohibited by law. In the event of a proposal by anyone other than the Continuing Trustees is
submitted to a vote of the Shareholders of the Trust, or in the event of any proxy contest or proxy solicitation or proposal in opposition
to any proposal by the officers or Trustees of the Trust, Shares may be voted only by written proxy or in person at a meeting. Unless
a proxy provides otherwise, it shall not be valid more than eleven months after its date. At every meeting of the Shareholders, all proxies
shall be received and taken in charge of and all ballots shall be received and canvassed by the Secretary of the Trust or the person acting
as secretary of the meeting before being voted, who shall decide all questions touching the qualification of voters, the validity of the
proxies, and the acceptance or rejection of votes, unless an inspector of election has been appointed for the meeting in which event such
inspector of election shall decide all such questions as provided in Section 7 of this Article II.
Section 10. Organization and Conduct
of Shareholders’ Meetings. Every meeting of Shareholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Continuing
Trustees to be chairman of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment, by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees or, in the
case of a vacancy in the office or absence or unwillingness
of the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, by one of the following officers present at the meeting: the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees,
if there be one, the President, the officers of the Trust in their order of rank or seniority, or, in the absence of such officers, a
chairman chosen by the Shareholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by Shareholders present in person or by proxy. The Secretary,
or, in the Secretary’s absence, an Assistant Secretary, or in the absence of both the Secretary and Assistant Secretaries, a person
appointed by the Board of Trustees or, in the absence of such appointment, a person appointed by the chairman of the meeting shall act
as secretary. In the event that the Secretary presides at a meeting of the Shareholders, an Assistant Secretary, or in the absence of
Assistant Secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Trustees or the chairman of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the
meeting. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of Shareholders shall be determined by the chairman of
the meeting. The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations, and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion
of such chairman, are appropriate, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the
meeting; (b) limiting attendance at the meeting to Shareholders of record of the Trust, their duly authorized proxies, and other such
individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) requiring proof of identification and ownership as a Shareholder of record
or authorization as proxy; (d) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to Shareholders of record of the Trust entitled to
vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies, and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (e) limiting
the time allotted to questions or comments by participants; (f) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) removing any Shareholder
or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules, or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the meeting;
and (h) recessing or adjourning the meeting to a later date and time and place announced at the meeting. Unless otherwise determined by
the chairman of the meeting, meetings of Shareholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.
Section 11. Action Without a Meeting.
Any action required or permitted to be taken by Shareholders at a meeting of Shareholders may be taken without a meeting if (a) all Shareholders
entitled to vote on the matter consent to the action in writing, (b) all Shareholders entitled to notice of the meeting but not entitled
to vote at it sign a written waiver of any right to dissent and (c) the consents and waivers are filed with the records of the meetings
of Shareholders.
Section 12. Advance Notice of Shareholder
Nominations for Trustee and Other Shareholder Proposals.
(a)
Annual Meetings of Shareholders. (1) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Trustees and the proposal
of other business to be considered by the Shareholders may be made at an annual meeting of Shareholders (i) pursuant to the Trust’s
notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Trustees, or any duly constituted committee of the Board, or (iii) by any
Shareholder of the Trust who was a Shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Article II, Section
12(a) and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with this Article II, Section
12(a).
(2)
For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a Shareholder pursuant to clause (iii) of
subsection (a)(1) of this Article II, Section 12, the Shareholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of
the Trust and such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by the Shareholders. To be timely, a Shareholder’s
notice shall set forth all information required under this Article II, Section 12 and shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal
executive office of the Trust not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of mailing of the
notice for preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that either the date of the mailing of the notice
for the annual meeting is
advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary
of the date of the mailing of the notice of the preceding year’s annual meeting or there was no annual meeting in the preceding
year, notice by the Shareholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the 120th day prior to the date of the mailing of the
notice of such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to the date of the mailing of
the notice for such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first
made. In no event shall the public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting commence a new time period for the
giving of a Shareholder’s notice as described above. No Shareholder may give a notice to the secretary described in this Article
II, Section 12(a)(2) unless such Shareholder holds a certificate or certificates, as the case may be, for all Trust shares owned by such
Shareholder, and a copy of each such certificate shall accompany such Shareholder’s notice to the secretary in order for such notice
to be effective.
Such Shareholder’s notice shall
set forth: (i) as to each individual whom the Shareholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a Trustee, (A) the name,
age, business address, and residence address of such individual, (B) the class, series, and number of any Shares of the Trust that are
beneficially owned by such individual, (C) the date such shares were acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, (D) the determination
of such Shareholder as to whether any such individual is, or is not, an interested person (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940
Act) (“Interested Person”) of the Trust, and information regarding such individual that is sufficient, in the discretion of
the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof or any authorized officer of the Trust, to verify such determination, (E) sufficient information
to enable the Nominating Committee of the Board of Trustees to make the determination as to the proposed nominee’s qualifications
required under Article III, Section 2(b) of the Bylaws and (F) all other information relating to such individual that is required to be
disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of Trustees in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or
is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder
(including such individual’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a Trustee if elected);
(ii) as to any other business that the Shareholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a description of the business desired to be brought
before the meeting, the reasons for proposing such business at the meeting, and any material interest in such business of such Shareholder
and any Shareholder Associated Person (as defined in subsection (c)(4) of this Article II, Section 12, below), individually or in the
aggregate, including any anticipated benefit to the Shareholder and any Shareholder Associated Person therefrom; (iii) as to the Shareholder
giving the notice and any Shareholder Associated Person, the class, series and number of all Shares of the Trust which are owned by such
Shareholder and by such Shareholder Associated Person, if any, and the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned beneficially but
not of record by such Shareholder and by any such Shareholder Associated Person; and (iv) as to the Shareholder giving the notice and
any Shareholder Associated Person covered by clauses (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (2) of this Section 12(a), the name and address of
such Shareholder, as they appear on the Trust’s share ledger and current name and address, if different, and of such Shareholder
Associated Person.
(3)
Notwithstanding anything in this subsection (a) of this Article II, Section 12 to the contrary, in the event the Board of Trustees
increases or decreases the number of Trustees in accordance with Article III, Section 2(a) of these Bylaws, and there is no public announcement
of such action at least 100 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a Shareholder’s
notice required by this Article II, Section 12(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions
created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust not later than the
close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Trust.
(b)
Special Meetings of Shareholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of Shareholders as shall
have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Trust’s notice of meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to the Board
of Trustees may be made at a special meeting of Shareholders at which Trustees are to be elected (i) pursuant to the Trust’s notice
of meeting,
(ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Trustees or
(iii) provided that the Board of Trustees has determined that Trustees shall be elected at such special meeting, by any Shareholder of
the Trust who is a Shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Article II, Section 12 and at the time
of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Article II,
Section 12. In the event the Trust calls a special meeting of Shareholders for the purpose of electing one or more individuals to the
Board of Trustees, any such Shareholder may nominate an individual or individuals (as the case may be) for election as a Trustee as specified
in the Trust’s notice of meeting, if the Shareholder’s notice required by subsection (a)(2) of this Article II, Section 12
shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive office of the Trust not earlier than the 120th day prior to such special
meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following
the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Trustees
to be elected at such meeting. In no event shall the public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of a special meeting commence
a new time period for the giving of a Shareholder’s notice as described above. No Shareholder may give a notice to the Secretary
described in this Article II, Section 12(b) unless such Shareholder holds a certificate or certificates, as the case may be, for all Trust
shares owned by such Shareholder, and a copy of each such certificate shall accompany such Shareholder’s notice to the Secretary
in order for such notice to be effective.
(c)
General. (1) Upon written request by the Secretary or the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof, any Shareholder
proposing a nominee for election as a Trustee or any proposal for other business at a meeting of Shareholders shall provide, within five
Business Days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), written verification, satisfactory
in the discretion of the Board of Trustees or any committee thereof or any authorized officer of the Trust, to demonstrate the accuracy
of any information submitted by the Shareholder pursuant to this Article II, Section 12. If a Shareholder fails to provide such written
verification within such period, the information as to which written verification was requested may be deemed not to have been provided
in accordance with this Article II, Section 12.
(2)
Only such individuals who are nominated in accordance with this Article II, Section 12 shall be eligible for nomination for election
as Trustees, and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of Shareholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance
with this Article II, Section 12. The chairman of the meeting shall have the sole and final power to determine at any time prior to or
at the meeting whether a nomination or any other business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case
may be, in accordance with this Article II, Section
12. No action by the Trust or any other person shall be
deemed an amendment or waiver of the requirements of this Article II, Section 12 unless approved by a resolution adopted by the Continuing
Trustees.
(3)
For purposes of this Article II, Section 12, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure (i) reported by the Dow Jones
News Service, Associated Press or comparable news service, (ii) in a document publicly filed by the Trust with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, or (iii) in a document posted on the Trust’s website or disseminated by the Trust through a press release distribution
service.
(4)
For purposes of this Article II, Section 12, “Shareholder Associated Person” of any Shareholder shall mean (i) any
person controlling, directly or indirectly, or acting in concert with,
such Shareholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of Shares
of the Trust owned of record or beneficially by such Shareholder and (iii) any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control
with such Shareholder Associated Person.
(5)
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Article II, Section 12, a Shareholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements
of the Declaration and Bylaws (including, without limitation, Article III, Section 2 regarding qualifications), state law, and the Exchange
Act and the 1940 Act and any rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Article II, Section 12. Nothing
in this Article II, Section 12 shall be deemed to affect any right of a Shareholder to request inclusion of a proposal in, nor the right
of the Trust to omit a proposal from, the Trust’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the
Exchange Act.
ARTICLE
III
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Section 1. Powers.
Except as otherwise provided by law, by the Declaration or by these Bylaws, the business and affairs of the Trust shall be managed under
the direction of, and all the powers of the Trust shall be exercised by or under authority of, its Board of Trustees.
Section 2. Number of Trustees: Qualifications.
(a)
Number of Trustees. The total number of Trustees of the Trust shall be fixed in the manner set forth in the Declaration.
(b)
Qualifications. (1) To qualify as a nominee for a Trusteeship or election as a Trustee, an individual, at the time of
nomination or election as the case may be, (i)(A) shall be a resident United States citizen and have substantial expertise, experience
or relationships relevant to the business of the Trust, (B) shall have a master’s degree in economics, finance, business administration
or accounting, a graduate professional degree in law from an accredited university or college in the United States or the equivalent degree
from an equivalent institution of higher learning in another country, or a certification as a public accountant in the United States,
or be deemed an "audit committee financial expert" as such term is defined in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (or other applicable
law); and (C) shall not serve as a Trustee or officer of another closed end investment company unless such company is sponsored or managed
by the Trust’s investment manager or investment adviser or by an affiliate of either; and (D) shall not serve or have served within
the past 3 years as a trustee of any closed-end investment company which, while such individual was serving as a trustee or within one
year after the end of such service, ceased to be a closed-end investment company registered under the 1940 Act, unless such individual
was initially nominated for election as a trustee by the board of trustees of such closed-end investment company, or (ii) shall be a current
Trustee of the Trust.
(2)
In addition, to qualify as a nominee for a Trusteeship or election as a Trustee at the time of nomination or election as the case
may be, (i) an incumbent nominee shall not have violated any provision of the Conflicts of Interest and Corporate Opportunities Policy
(the “Policy”), adopted by the Board on May 8, 2012, as subsequently amended or modified, and (ii) an individual who is not
an incumbent Trustee shall not have a relationship, hold any position or office or otherwise engage in, or have engaged in, any activity
that would result in a violation of the Policy if the individual were elected as a Trustee.
(3)
In addition, to qualify as a nominee for a Trusteeship or election as a Trustee at the time of nomination or election as the case
may be, a person shall not, if elected as a Trustee, cause the
Trust to be in violation of, or not
in compliance with, applicable law, regulation or regulatory interpretation, or the Declaration, or any general policy adopted by the
Board of Trustees regarding either retirement age or the percentage of Interested Persons and non-Interested Persons to comprise the Trust’s
Board of Trustees.
(4)
The Nominating Committee of the Board of Trustees, in its sole discretion, shall determine whether an individual satisfies the
foregoing qualifications. Any individual not so nominated by the Nominating Committee of the Board of Trustees shall be deemed not to
satisfy the foregoing qualifications, unless the Nominating Committee adopts a resolution setting forth the affirmative determination
that such individual satisfied the foregoing qualifications. Any individual who does not satisfy the qualifications set forth herein,
unless waived by the Nominating Committee, shall not be eligible for nomination or election as a Trustee and the selection and nomination,
or recommendation for nomination by the Board of Trustees, of candidates for election by the Nominating Committee shall be deemed to be
its determination such qualifications are satisfied or waived for such candidate.
Section 3. Election. Unless all
nominees for Trustee are approved by a majority of the Continuing Trustees, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 50% of the
outstanding Shares of the Trust entitled to be voted shall be required to elect a Trustee. If all nominees for Trustee are approved by
a majority of the Continuing Trustees, a plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient
to elect a Trustee.
Section 4. Vacancies and Newly Created
Trusteeships. Any Trustee elected to fill a vacancy shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the Trusteeship in
which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies.
Section 5. Place of Meeting. The
Trustees may hold their meetings, have one or more offices, and keep the books of the Trust, at any office or offices of the Trust or
at any other place as they may from time to time by resolution determine, or in the case of meetings, as they may from time to time by
resolution determine or as shall be specified or fixed in the respective notices or waivers of notice thereof.
Section 6. Regular Meetings.
The Board of Trustees from time to time may provide by resolution for the holding of regular meetings and fix their time and place as
the Board of Trustees may determine. Notice of such meetings need not be in writing, provided that notice of any change in the time or
place of such meetings shall be communicated promptly to each Trustee not present at the meeting at which such change was made in the
manner provided in Section 8 of this Article III for notice of special meetings.
Members of the Board of Trustees or any committee designated
thereby may participate in any meeting of such Board or committee, regular or special, by means of a conference telephone or similar communications
equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time, and participation by such means
shall constitute presence in person at a meeting, to the extent not inconsistent with the 1940 Act.
Section 7. Special Meetings.
Special meetings of the Board of Trustees may be held at any time or place and for any purpose when called by the Chairman of the Board,
the President, or a majority of Continuing Trustees then in office.
Section 8. Notice. Notice
of any special meeting of the Board of Trustees shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic means (including email, meeting
invitation or otherwise), facsimile transmission, United States mail, or courier to each Trustee at his or her business or residence address.
Notice by personal delivery, telephone, electronic means,
or facsimile transmission shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice by United States mail shall be given at least
three days prior to the meeting. Notice by courier shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting. Telephone notice shall
be deemed to be given when the Trustee or his or her
agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which the Trustee or his or her agent is a party. Electronic means notice
shall be deemed to be given upon transmission of the communication to the electronic address given to the Trust by the Trustee. Facsimile
transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Trust by
the Trustee and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt. Notice by United States mail shall be deemed to be given when deposited
in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Notice by courier shall be deemed to be given when deposited
with or delivered to a courier properly addressed. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or
special meeting of the Board of Trustees need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute, the Declaration or these
Bylaws.
Section 9. Waiver
of Notice. No notice of any meeting of the Board of Trustees or a committee of the Board need be given to any Trustee who is present
at the meeting or who waives notice of such meeting in writing (which waiver shall be filed with the records of such meeting), either
before or after the meeting.
Section 10. Approvals.
(a)
Quorum and Voting. At all meetings of the Board of Trustees, the presence of a majority of the Trustees then in office
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business by the Board. In the absence of a quorum, a majority of the Trustees present
may adjourn the meeting, from time to time, until a quorum shall be present. The action of a majority of Trustees present at a meeting
at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Trustees, unless (1) the concurrence of a greater proportion is required
for such action by law, by the Declaration, or by these Bylaws or (2) the concurrence of the Continuing Trustees is required for such
action, in which case the action of a majority of Continuing Trustees present at a meeting at which a majority of the Continuing Trustees
is present shall be the action of the Board of Trustees. If enough Trustees have withdrawn from a meeting to leave less than a quorum
but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of a majority of Trustees, which is not less than the number necessary to approve the matter
if a quorum were constituted, shall be the action of the Board of Trustees, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required
for such action by applicable law, by the Declaration, or these Bylaws.
(b)
Interested Persons. Except as prohibited by applicable law, (i) the Trustees may, on behalf of the Trust, buy any securities
from or sell any securities to, or lend any assets of the Trust to, any Trustee or officer of the Trust or any firm of which any such
Trustee or officer is a member acting as principal, or have any such dealings with any investment adviser, administrator, principal underwriter,
distributor or transfer agent for the Trust or with any Interested Person of such person, and (ii) the Trust may employ any such person,
or entity in which such person is an Interested Person, as broker, legal counsel, registrar, investment adviser, administrator, principal
underwriter, distributor, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, shareholder servicing agent, custodian or in any other capacity upon
customary terms.
Section 11. Action Without a Meeting.
Except as otherwise limited by the 1940 Act, any action which may be taken at any meeting of the Board of Trustees or of any committee
thereof may be taken without a meeting if the number of the Trustees, or members of a committee, as the case may be, required for approval
of such action at a meeting of the Trustees or of such committee consent to such action in writing or by electronic means, and such consent
is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board or committee. Such consent shall be treated for all purposes as a vote taken at
a meeting of Trustees.
Section 12. Compensation of Trustees.
Except as otherwise provided in this Article III, Section 12, Trustees shall be entitled to receive such compensation from the Trust for
their services as may from time
to time be determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees.
A Trustee who is an Affiliated Person of a holder of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Trust shall not be entitled to fees
or expenses arising out of service as a Trustee of the Trust.
ARTICLE
IV COMMITTEES
Section 1. Number, Tenure and Qualifications.
The Continuing Trustees may appoint from among the Trustees an Executive Committee, an Audit Committee, a Nominating Committee, and other
committees, composed of one or more Trustees, to serve at the pleasure of the Continuing Trustees.
There shall also be a Committee of the Board of Trustees
consisting solely of all Continuing Trustees then in office, which Committee shall have the power to take all actions delegated to the
Continuing Trustees by the Declaration or these Bylaws.
Section 2. Powers.
The Board of Trustees may delegate to committees appointed under Section 1 of this Article IV any of the powers of the Board of Trustees,
except as prohibited by law.
Section 3. Meeting. Notice
of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Trustees. A majority of the members
of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee. The act of a majority of the
committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee. The Continuing Trustees may designate a chairman of any committee,
and such chairman or, in the absence of a chairman, any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the Committee)
may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall other provide.
Section 4. Telephone Meeting.
Members of a committee of the Board of Trustees may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone, internet, or similar
communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting
by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.
Section 5. Written Consent by Committee.
Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Trustees may be taken without a meeting, if
a consent to such action is executed in writing or by electronic means by each member of the committee and such written consent is filed
with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.
Section 6. Vacancies. Subject
to the provisions hereof, the Continuing Trustees shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to fill
all vacancies, to designate alternate members to replace any absent or disqualified member, or to dissolve any such committee.
Section 7. Executive
Committee. Unless otherwise provided by resolution of the Board of Trustees, when the Board of Trustees is not in session the
Executive Committee shall exercise the powers of the Board of Trustees between meetings of the Board to the extent permitted by law to
be delegated and not delegated by the Board to any other committee.
ARTICLE V
OFFICERS
Section 1. General. The officers
of the Trust shall be a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer, and may include one or more Vice Chairman, Vice Presidents, Assistant
Secretaries or Assistant Treasurers, and such other officers as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 of this
Article V.
Section 2. Election, Tenure and Qualifications.
The officers of the Trust, except those appointed as provided in Section 10 of this Article V, shall be nominated by the Chairman and
elected by the Board of Trustees at its first meeting or such meetings as shall be held prior to its first annual meeting, and thereafter
from time to time as appropriate. Except as otherwise provided in this Article V, each officer elected by the Board of Trustees shall
hold office until his successor shall have been elected and qualified. Any person may hold one or more offices of the Trust.
Section 3. Removal
and Resignation. Whenever in the judgment of the Board of Trustees the best interest of the Trust will be served thereby, any
officer may be removed from office by the vote of a majority of the Continuing Trustees, or the Executive Committee, given at any time.
Any officer may resign his office at any time by delivering a written resignation to the Board of Trustees, the President, the Secretary,
or any Assistant Secretary. Unless otherwise specified therein, such resignation shall take effect upon delivery. Such resignation shall
be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Trust.
Section 4. President. The
President shall be the chief executive officer of the Trust and, in the absence or unwillingness of the Chairman of the Board or Vice
Chairman or if no Chairman of the Board or Vice Chairman has been elected, shall preside at all Shareholders’ meetings. Subject
to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, the President shall have general charge of the business, affairs and property of the Trust
and general supervision over its officers, employees and agents. Except as the Board of Trustees may otherwise order, the President or
may sign in the name and on behalf of the Trust all deeds, bonds, contracts, or agreements. The President shall exercise such other powers
and perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board of Trustees.
Section 5. Chairman. The Chairman
shall be the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and shall preside at all Trustees’ meetings and Shareholders’ meetings. The
Chairman shall be a Continuing Trustee. Except as the Board of Trustees may otherwise order, he may sign in the name and on behalf of
the Trust all deeds, bonds, contracts, or agreements. He shall exercise such other powers and perform such other duties, or delegate them
as permitted by law or the Board of Trustees, as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board of Trustees.
Section 6. Vice Chairman. The
Board of Trustees may from time to time elect from among the Continuing Trustees a Vice Chairman who shall have such powers and perform
such duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Board, or the President. At the request
of, or in the absence or unwillingness or in the event of the disability of the Chairman of the Board, the Vice Chairman may perform all
the duties of the Chairman of the Board or the President and, when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions
upon such representative officers.
Section 7. Vice President.
The Board of Trustees may from time to time elect one or more Vice Presidents who shall have such powers and perform such duties as from
time to time may be assigned to them by the Board of Trustees or the President, as the case may be. At the request or in the absence or
disability of the President, as the case may be, the Vice President (or, if there are two or more Vice Presidents, then the senior of
the Vice Presidents present and able to act) may perform all the duties of the President and, when so acting, shall have all the powers
of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President.
Section 8. Treasurer and Assistant Treasurers.
The Treasurer shall be the principal financial and accounting officer of the Trust and shall have general charge of the finances and books
of account of the Trust. Except as otherwise provided by the Board of Trustees, he shall have general supervision of the funds and property
of the Trust and of the performance by the Custodian of its duties with respect thereto. He shall render to the Board of Trustees, whenever
directed by the Board, an account of the financial condition of the Trust and of all his transactions as Treasurer; and as soon as possible
after the close of each fiscal year he shall make and submit to the Board of Trustees a like report for such fiscal year. He shall perform
all acts incidental to the Office of Treasurer, subject to the control of the Board of Trustees.
Any Assistant Treasurer may perform such duties of the
Treasurer as the Treasurer or the Board of Trustees may assign, and, in the absence of the Treasurer, he may perform all the duties of
the Treasurer.
Section 9. Secretary and Assistant Secretaries.
The Secretary shall attend to the giving and serving of all notices of the Trust and shall record all proceedings of the meetings of the
Shareholders and Trustees in books to be kept for that purpose. He shall keep in safe custody the seal of the Trust, and shall have charge
of the records of the Trust, including the stock books and such other books and papers as the Board of Trustees may direct and such books,
reports, certificates and other documents required by law to be kept, all of which shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection
by any Trustee. He shall perform such other duties as appertain to his office or as may be required by the Board of Trustees.
Any Assistant Secretary may perform such duties of the
Secretary as the Secretary or the Board of Trustees may assign, and, in the absence of the Secretary, he may perform all the duties of
the Secretary.
Section 10. Subordinate Officers.
The Board of Trustees from time to time may appoint such other officers or agents as it may deem advisable, each of whom shall have such
title, hold office for such period, have such authority and perform such duties as the Board of Trustees may determine. The Board of Trustees
from time to time may delegate to one or more officers or agents the power to appoint any such subordinate officers or agents and to prescribe
their respective rights, terms of office, authorities and duties.
Section 11. Remuneration. The
salaries or other compensation of the officers of the Trust shall be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board of Trustees, except
that the Board of Trustees may by resolution delegate to any person or group of persons the power to fix the salaries or other compensation
of any subordinate officers or agents appointed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 of this Article V.
Section 12. Surety Bonds. The Board
of Trustees may require any officer or agent of the Trust to execute a bond (including, without limitation, any bond required by the 1940
Act and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission) to the Trust in such sum and with such surety or sureties
as the Board of Trustees may determine, conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties to the Trust, including responsibility
for negligence and for the accounting of any of the Trust’s property, funds or securities that may come into his hands.
ARTICLE VI
SHARES
Section 1. Shares of Beneficial Interest.
The interest of each Shareholder of the Trust shall be represented by shares of beneficial interest in such form as the Board of Trustees
may from time to time prescribe. The Board of Trustees may authorize the issuance of certificated and uncertificated shares by the Trust,
and may prescribe procedures for the issuance and registration or transfer thereof, and with
respect to such other matters relating to certificated
and uncertificated shares as the Board of Trustees may deem appropriate. To the extent permitted by law, such authorization may affect
previously issued and outstanding shares represented by certificates whether or not such certificates shall have been surrendered to the
Trust.
In the event that the Board of Trustees
authorizes the issuance of uncertificated shares of beneficial interest, the Board of Trustees may, in its discretion and at any time,
discontinue or re-continue the issuance of share certificates and may, by written notice to the registered owners of each certificated
share, require the surrender of share certificates to the Trust for cancellation. Such surrender and cancellation shall not affect the
ownership of shares of the Trust.
Section 2. Transfer of Shares.
Shares of the Trust shall be transferable on the books of the Trust by the holder thereof in person or by his duly authorized attorney
or legal representative (i) if a certificate or certificates have been issued, upon surrender and cancellation of a certificate or certificates
for the same number of shares of the same class, duly endorsed or accompanied by proper instruments of assignment and transfer, with such
proof of the authenticity of the signature as the Trust or its agents may reasonably require, or (ii) as otherwise prescribed by the Board
of Trustees. The Shares of the Trust may be freely transferred, and the Board of Trustees may, from time to time, adopt rules and regulations
with reference to the method of transfer of the Shares of the Trust. The Trust shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any
Share as the absolute owner thereof for all purposes, and accordingly shall not be bound to recognize any legal, equitable, or other claim
or interest in such share on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise
expressly provided by law or the statutes of the State of Delaware.
Section 3. Share Ledgers. The
share ledgers of the Trust, containing the names and addresses of the Shareholders and the number of shares held by them respectively,
shall be kept at the principal office of the Trust or, if the Trust employs a transfer agent, at the offices of the transfer agent of
the Trust. The share ledgers of the Trust shall be considered confidential and shall not be made available, except as required by applicable
law to be made available to Shareholders of record for a proper purpose in such capacity.
Section 4. Transfer
Agents and Registrars. The Board of Trustees or the President may from time to time appoint or remove transfer agents and/or registrars
of transfers of Shares of the Trust, and it may appoint the same person as both transfer agent and registrar.
Section 5. Fixing of Record Date.
The Board of Trustees or any committee thereof may fix in advance a date as a record date for the determination of the Shareholders entitled
to notice of, or to vote at, any Shareholders’ meeting or any adjournment thereof, or to express consent to action in writing without
a meeting, or to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution, or to be allotted any other rights, or for the purpose of any
other lawful action, provided that (1) such record date shall not exceed 150 days preceding the date on which the particular action requiring
such determination will be taken; (2) the transfer books shall remain open regardless of the fixing of a record date; and (3) in the case
of a meeting of Shareholders, the record date shall be at least 10 days before the date of the meeting.
Section 6. Lost, Stolen or Destroyed
Certificates. In the event that the Board of Trustees discontinues the issuance of share certificates, thereafter shares represented
by lost, stolen, or destroyed certificates shall be deemed registered and transferrable on the books of Trust. Before registering shares
represented by lost, stolen, or destroyed certificates on the books of Trust, the Board of Trustees or any officer authorized by the Board
may, in its discretion, require the owner of the lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate (or his legal representative) to give the Trust
a bond or other indemnity, in such form and in such amount as the Board or any such officer may direct and with such surety or sureties
as may be
satisfactory to the Board or any such officer, sufficient
to indemnify the Trust against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft, or destruction of any such
certificate.
ARTICLE VII
FISCAL YEAR AND ACCOUNTANT
Section 1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal
year of the Trust shall be as ordered by the Board of Trustees.
Section 2. Accountant. The Trust
shall employ an independent public accountant or a firm of independent public accountants as its Accountants to examine the accounts and
financial statements of the Trust. The employment of the Accountant shall be conditioned upon the right of the Trust to terminate the
employment forthwith without any penalty by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities at any Shareholders’ meeting
called for that purpose.
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCEMENT
OF EXPENSES
To the maximum extent permitted by
the Delaware Act and, to the extent applicable, the 1940 Act, the Trust shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination
of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding
to (a) any individual who is a current or former Continuing Trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust and who is made a party to the
proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or
(b) any individual who, while a Continuing Trustee, officer,
or employee of the Trust and at the request of the Trust, serves or has served in a similar capacity for another entity and who is made
a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The Trust may, with the approval of its Board of Trustees,
provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to a Continuing Trustee who served a predecessor of the Trust in any of the capacities
described in (a) or (b) above and to any officer, or employee of a predecessor of the Trust.
Neither the amendment nor repeal
of this Article, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Bylaws or Declaration inconsistent with this Article, shall
apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding paragraph with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred
prior to such amendment, repeal, or adoption.
No provision of this Article VIII
shall be effective to protect or purport to protect any Continuing Trustee, officer, or employee of the Trust against liability to the
Trust or its Shareholders 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.
ARTICLE IX
ADOPTION, ALTERATION, OR REPEAL OF
BYLAWS; SEVERABILITY
Except as otherwise expressly
provided in these Bylaws, the Continuing Trustees shall have the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws
and to make new Bylaws. If any provision of these Bylaws, or the application thereof to any person or entity or any circumstance, is invalid
or unenforceable, (i) a suitable and equitable provision shall be substituted therefor in order to carry out, so far as may be valid and
enforceable, the intent and purpose of such invalid or unenforceable provision, and (ii) the remainder of these Bylaws and the application
of such provision to other persons,
entities or circumstances shall not
be affected by such invalidity or unenforceability, nor shall such invalidity or unenforceability affect the validity or enforceability
of such provision, or the application thereof, in any other jurisdiction.
ARTICLE
X
EXCLUSIVE FORUM
Unless the Trust consents in writing to
the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, in the event that the Court of Chancery does
not have jurisdiction, the Superior Court of the State of Delaware) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive
forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Trust, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty
owed by any Trustee or officer or other employee of the Trust to the Trust or to the Shareholders of the Trust, including, for purposes
of this Article, record and beneficial owners, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Trust or any Trustee or officer or other
employee of the Trust arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware Statutory Trust Act or the Declaration or these Bylaws, (iv) any
action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Declaration or these Bylaws, or (v) any action asserting a claim
against the Trust or any Trustee or officer or other employee of the Trust that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine.
If any action within the scope of this
Article is filed in a court other than the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the Superior Court of the State of Delaware (a
“Foreign Action”) in the name of any Shareholder, such Shareholder shall be deemed to have consented to (i) the personal jurisdiction
of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware or the Superior Court of the State of Delaware in connection with any action brought
in any such court to enforce this Article X, and (ii) having service of process made upon such Shareholder in any such action by service
upon such Shareholder’s counsel in the Foreign Action as agent for such Shareholder.
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