Business Law

Submitted to: Hazrat Wali Khatak

Submitted by: Misbah Habib

Tehmina

Maria Yaqoob

Faiza

Anam

How to register a society (NGO) for Educational purpose under society’s registration act of 1860

Registration of Society

A registered society implies that the society has a legal entity which binds the members to a certain extent. The society enjoys a legal status separate from its members and can acquire and hold property and can sue and be sued. The registration of the society is to be done under the act wherever obtaining and not in the state where the benefit is claimed Sec 3 (2) of the Act means that the society which seeks registration should not have a name identical with that of another society which was previously registered and whose registration is subsisting. All the subscribers (minimum 7) should sign the memorandum of association and the signatures should be attested by an Oath Commissioner, Notary Public, Gazetted Officer, Advocate, Chartered Accountant or magistrate 1st Class with their rubber/official stamp and complete address. However persons desirous of forming a society should also become members of the first Governing Body. The Rules and regulations of the Society should be signed by atleast 3 members of the Governing Body.

The following documents are required to be filed with the registrar (or respective registering authority of the respective state):

Covering letter requesting for registration

1. The memorandum of association in duplicate along with a certified copy. The memorandum should be typed with serially numbered pages.

2. Duplicate copy of the rules and regulations of the society duly signed3. Where there is a reference to any particular existing places of worship, sufficient

documentary proof establishing legal competence and control of applicant society over such place should be filed.

4. Affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper of appropriate value sworn by the president or secretary of the society stating relationship with the subscribers duly attested.

5. Documentary proof such as House Tax receipt, rent receipt in respect of premises shown as registered office of the society or no objection certificate from the owner of the premises.

6. The society can be registered with a nominal fee of Rs.50/- which is payable in cash or demand draft

7. After verification of the documents and ensuring the compliance of provisions the registrar certifies the registration of the society.

8. It should be noted that it cannot be presumed that the society is duly registered under the Act by just obtaining the certificate of registration from the Registrar, but it is presumed to be registered by the copies of the Rules and regulations and memorandum being certified under Sec 19 the Act

However, once the society becomes registered and obtains its legal entity, the activities and the members become bound by the objects of the memorandum.

An unregistered society does not enjoy the legal status and therefore exists in fact and not under the law.

Memorandum of Association

Memorandum is the charter of the society. It is the document depicting and describing the objects of its existence and its operations.

The memorandum as per the Principal Act (Section 2) and Acts passed by various state governments should contain the:

Name of the Society

The objects of the Society

The names, addresses and occupation of the members of the governing body

The place of the registered office of the Society

The memorandum should be a neatly typed document on good quality durable paper with serially numbered pages since these documents are to be kept as permanent records. Also, there should be a one and a half margin on left side of each sheet of paper while typing and it should be typed on one side only.

The memorandum should also contain the names, addresses and full signatures of the seven and more persons subscribing their name to the memorandum of association. The signatures should be duly witnessed and attested.

Along with the memorandum of association, a certified true copy of the Rules and Regulations of the Society signed by at least three of the members of the first governing body should be filed.

Rules and Regulations:

The rules and regulations of the society are framed to guide the members of the governing body or the persons entrusted with management of the society to regulate the functions of the society and for its internal management.

These rules and regulations help in achieving the objects of the society and are binding on its members.

A copy of the rules and regulations certified to be correct by not less than three members are required to be filed with the registrar along with the other documents at the time of the registration of the society.

The rules and regulations also lay down the rules for the meetings. The rules should normally contain guidelines for meetings, quorum, proxy, minutes, and resolutions.

It cannot be presumed that a society is duly registered under the Act by just obtaining the certificate of registration from the registrar, but it is presumed to be registered by the copies of the Rules and Regulations and the Memorandum of Association being certified under Section 19 of the Act.

Member(s) in the memorandum shall be a person(s) who has been admitted according to the rules and regulations of the society and should have paid the subscription and signed the list of members. No person shall be entitled to vote or be counted as a member in any of the proceedings of the society whose subscription has been in arrears for a period exceeding three months.

The rights and duties of these members are:

Right:

Right to receive notices

Right to vote

Right to receive copies of the bye laws

Right to receive statement of accounts

Right to attend general meetings

Duties and Liabilities:

To work towards attainment of the objectives of the society

To attend the meetings regularly and exercise their democratic right as and when necessary.

A society may act against the members for:

- Recovery of arrears of membership subscription

- Recovery of any retained property or damages to the property caused by the members

- For moris-utilisation/ mis-appropriation of funds of the society

- Forging any deed, document, money receipt etc. causing loss of fund or loss of credibility of the society.

Governing Body:

Governing Body under the Act can be said to be consisting of the Governor’s council, Committee, trustees or some other body by whatever name called to whom or to which by the rules and regulations of the society the management of its affairs is entrusted. Property belonging to the society registered under the Act is deemed to be vested in the Governing Body of the society if not vested in trustees.

General Body:

General Body comprises of all the members who have subscribed to the memorandum of the society

In certain NGO’s there is no distinction between the General Body and the Governing Body. It is permissible to have common members among both the General Body and the Governing Body. However for good governance, sometimes there are more members in the general body from which the Governing Body is elected in the Annual General Meeting

Meetings

General Meetings: Annual General Meeting (AGM) is a meeting of the general body i.e. of all the members who have subscribed to the memorandum of the society normally held once in a year to discuss and approve the important matters like review of yearly activities, approval of audited accounts, and appointment of auditor. The AGM is to be conducted within six months of the end of the financial year since the annual activities and accounts are adopted in this meeting.

Other general meetings can also be called during the year to discuss certain matters of importance if required. Such meetings are called the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).

All members of the society have a right to participate in the meeting.

Board Meetings / Governing Body Meetings: The meetings of the Governing Body are held to take administrative decisions for the organization. These meetings are held as per the time interval specified in the rules and regulations of the society. They can also be held more frequently if need arises for them. Generally the meetings should be held at at least in an interval of three months if the time interval for holding the governing body meetings is not specified in the rules and regulations. These meetings are important for an organization since these meetings the matters related to management of the organization is taken in collective manner.

Notice: A notice for every meeting should be given to all the members according to the time limit as mentioned in the bye laws and the time limit for issue of the notice for any meeting should be provided in the bye laws. The notice for the meetings has to be given in writing. Generally a 21 days’ notice should be given for a general meeting and 7 days notice for a governing body meeting.

Agenda:

Along with the notice for the meeting, the ‘Agenda’ for the meeting should be enclosed which provides the details regarding the relevant items to be discussed during the meeting.

Quorum:

The bye laws of the organization should also specify the quorum required for different meetings. ‘Quorum’ implies the minimum number of members who must be present in the meeting to make the proceedings of the meeting valid. If the required quorum is not present then the meeting is generally adjourned to the same day of the next week, at the same time and the same place. In case the quorum is still not present in the adjourned meeting then the meeting can be taken as a valid meeting. However proxies are not considered as part of the quorum.

Proxy:

A member entitled to attend and vote in a meeting can appoint a proxy on his behalf who can attend and vote in the meeting who is referred to as the Proxy .A proxy form has to be filled up and submitted at least 2 days before the date of the meeting of the society.

Minutes:

It is important to record the minutes of the meetings since they are the formal record of the proceedings of the meetings. The minutes can be recorded on loose sheets chronologically prepared and bound together or a bound register. The pages of the minutes should be serially numbered.

The minutes of the previous meeting are to be read and confirmed at the beginning of a meeting. Thereafter the minutes are signed by the chairman and subsequently they cannot be altered or corrected.

The members are required to sign the attendance register during the meeting.

In case of a combined general body and governing body meeting, care should be taken to write separate minutes for the General Body meeting and the Governing Body meeting. Also care should be taken to maintain the required quorum as required for the type of meeting being conducted

Resolutions:

For any decisions taken at the meetings by the members, to formally apply the decisions a resolution stating the decision taken has to be passed in writing. It is required for the organization to mention the decision taken during the meeting in the shape of a resolution along with the number of votes in favor and against the decision

While framing the rules and regulations the number of members required to pass a resolution is to be mentioned in the rules and regulations.

A society after its registration may require at any time to change its name, or to alter, abridge or amend its objects and /or the rules and regulations at any time. A society may be required to change or alter its objects, rules and regulations at any time for any reasons or if the Government requires it.

Alteration/ Amendment of Memorandum of Association:

The memorandum of a society contains the aims and objectives of the society within which the society has to operate. Any activity undertaken beyond the aims and objectives specified in the memorandum shall make the activity invalid. Section 12 of the Societies Registration Act 1860 gives the procedure for alteration, amendment or abridgement of the aims and objectives .The Act gives a specific procedure which is very systematic and the steps mentioned has to be adopted as given the Act. The Section 12 in the Act is given as:

‘Whenever it shall appear to the governing body of any society registered under this Act, which has been established for any particular purpose or purposes, that it is advisable to alter, extend, or abridge such purpose to or for other purposes within the meaning of this Act, or to amalgamate such society either wholly or partially with any other society, such governing body may submit the proposition to the members of the society in a written or printed report, and may convene a special meeting for the consideration thereof according to the regulations of the society; but no such proposition shall be carried into effect unless such report shall have been delivered or sent by post to every member of the society ten days previous to the special meeting convened by the governing body for the consideration thereof, not unless such proposition shall have been agreed to by the votes of three-fifths of the members delivered in person or by proxy, and confirmed by the votes or three-fifths of the members present at a second special meeting convened by the governing body at an interval of one month after the former meeting.’

The procedure given in the Act is mandatory and not optional. In a decision of Allahabad High Court, Shridhar Mishra vs. Jaichander Vidyalankar AIR 1959, it has been stated that:

‘It is impossible to accept the suggestion that a society is not bound by the Societies Registration Act .A private institution need not get itself registered under the Societies Registration Act. But if an institution chooses to get itself registered under the Act, the institution is bound by the provisions of the Act, whether the procedure laid down in Sec.12 of the Act is directory or mandatory is another question. But a society registered under the Act cannot altogether ignore Sec.12 of the Act.’The proposal for alteration or extension of the purposes of the society has to be passed at the special meeting convened by a special majority of members.

Section 12 of the Societies Registration Act 1860 has laid down the following steps for alteration, extension or abridgement of the aims and objectives of a society which have to be followed:

Submission of the proposal by the governing body to the members of the society

10 days’ notice to members about holding of a special meeting,

Convening a special meeting for the consideration of the proposal,

Approval of the proposal by 3/5th of members,

Convening second special meeting after a month, and

Confirmation by 3/5th of members present at the second special meeting

Certain State Acts have more provisions regarding the alteration of the objects clause. Some of these provisions are:

Section 9 of the Karnataka Societies Registration Act states that the changes should be filed with the Registrar within 30 days along with a fee of Rs. 20.The order of Registrar refusing to register amendment is appealable in the court of law.

Section 11 of Madhya Pradesh Act states the circumstances in which the Registrar may order amendment of objects clause.

Section 9 of the West Bengal Societies registration Act states that the resolution should be passed by 3/5th majority. The amendments should be filed with the registrar within 30days.

Section 9 of the Telangana Area Societies Registration Act states that the resolution for the alteration is required to be voted by 2/3rd majority of members present.

Change of name of the Society:

During the course of its working the members of the society might feel a need to change the name of their society, however, the Societies Registration Act 1860 does not specify any specific procedure for change of the name of the society. For the change of the name, the society has to follow the same procedure which has been laid down in the Act under Section 12.However certain State Governments have inserted amendments in the Societies Registration Act giving procedure for change of name, specifying how the society can change the name by passing a resolution in the General meeting with consent of appropriate majority of its members.

In general, various state acts under section 12,12A,12B give the following procedure for change of the name of the society:

Convene a general meeting for the purpose of the change of the name

A resolution should be passed by a majority

The notice in writing of the change of name, which has to be signed by the Secretary of the society along with seven members(as in case of the registration of the memorandum of association), should be submitted to the registrar.

The name of the society if accepted by the registrar is registered and the change of name is effected from the date of the registration. However the registrar may refuse to register the change of name in case the name proposed is identical to some other society or for reasons that the name may be deceiving to the public or the name suggests patronage of Government or connection with any body constituted by the Government or any other authority. The change of name does not affect any legal proceedings which are already present for the society.Various State Governments have provisions related to change of name inserted in the Societies registration Act like:

Section 12 of Delhi (Amendment) Act, Goa, Diu and Daman(Amendment)Act, Himachal Pradesh (Amendment)Act state that the resolution should be adopted by 3/5th of the majority.

Section 12A 12B, 12C of Bihar (Amendment) Act, Gujarat (Amendment) Act, Maharashtra (Amendment) Act, Pondicherry (Amendment) Act, Orissa (Amendment) Act state that the resolution should be passed by 3/5th majority.

Gujarat (Amendment) Act, Maharashtra (Amendment)Act, Orissa (Amendment) Act also specify that the resolution after being adopted by 3/5th of majority should be confirmed at a subsequent meeting and a certified copy of change in name should be obtained from the registrar on payment of fees of Re.1.

Section 12,12A 12B,12C of Assam (Amendment)Act, Nagaland(Amendment)Act, U.P. Amendment Act, M.P. Act, Rajasthan Act state that the resolution should be adopted by 2/3rd of the majority.

TamilNadu Act states that the resolution should be adopted by 3/4th of the majority.Every society registered under the Act may sue and be sued in the name of the President, Chairman or principal secretary or trustees as determined by the rules and regulations of the society.

The Societies Registration Act, 1860 

Societies or NPO’s which are registered under The Societies Registration Act, 1860 are for the promotion of literature, science or the fine arts or for the diffusion of useful knowledge, the diffusion of political education or for charitable purposes. Any seven or more persons associated for any literary, scientific, charitable purpose, the diffusion of useful knowledge, the foundation or maintenance of libraries or reading rooms for general use, public museums, galleries of paintings or works of art, collections of natural history, mechanical and philosophical inventions, instruments or designs, management, overseeing, monitoring and providing supervisory cover to local institutions such as primary schools, middle schools, high schools, dispensaries, basic health units and rural centres and other health institution, population welfare facilities, water

supply and sanitation faculties may form themselves into a society under the Act subscribing their names to a memorandum of association filing the same with the Registrar of Societies.

Following are the list of documents you required for the registration of a Welfare Society.

1- At least 7 members of trust/trustees. If you are registering Society then you need 25 members.2- You also need a land or money which you want to donate for the trust. Land is more preferable for the registration of Trust/Society3- An office with rent agreement/ownership papers of that land.4- Memorandum of Trust5- Article/Objective of trust in casino online short form and in detai

THE SOCIETIES REGISTRATION ACT, 1860[2]

(Act XXI of 1860)

[21 May 1860]

An Act for the Registration of Literary,

Scientific and Charitable Societies:

Preamble.− WHEREAS it is expedient that provision should be made for improving the legal condition of societies established for the promotion of literature, science, or the fine arts, or for the diffusion of useful knowledge, [3][the diffusion of political education] or for charitable purposes; it is enacted as follows:-

1.Societies formed by memorandum of association and registration.− Any seven or more persons associated for any literary, scientific or charitable purpose, or for any such purpose as is described in section 20 of this Act, may by subscribing their names to a memorandum of association and filing the same with the Registrar of Joint-stock Companies [4][* * *] form themselves into a society under this Act.

2. Memorandum of association.− The memorandum of association shall contain the following things (that is to say)−

The name of the society:

The objects of the society:

The names, addresses, and occupations of the governors, council, directors, committee or other governing body to whom, by the rules of the society, the management of its affairs is entrusted.

A copy of the rules and regulations of the society, certified to be a correct copy by not less than three of the members of the governing body, shall be filed with the memorandum of association.

Registration fee.− Upon such memorandum and certified copy being filed, the Registrar shall certify under his hand that the Society is registered under this Act. There shall be paid to the Registrar for every such registration such fee as the Provincial Government may direct, and all fees so paid shall be accounted for to the Provincial Government.

4. Annual list of managing body to be filed.− Once in every year, on or before the fourteenth day succeeding the day on which, according to the rules of the society, the annual general meeting of the society is held, or, if the rules do not provide for an annual general meeting, in the month of January, a list shall be filed with the Registrar of Joint-stock Companies of the names, addresses and occupations of the governors, council, directors, committee or other governing body then entrusted with the management of the affairs of the society.

5. Property of society how vested.− The property, movable and immovable, belonging to a society registered under this Act, if not vested in trustees, shall be deemed to be vested, for the time being, in the governing body of such society, and in all proceedings, civil and criminal, may be described as the property of the governing body of such society by their proper title.

6. Suits by and against societies.− Every society registered under this Act may sue or be sued in the name of the president, chairman, or principal secretary, or trustees, as shall be determined by the rules and regulations of the society, and, in default of such determination, in the name of such person as shall be appointed by the governing body for the occasion:

Provided that it shall be competent for any person having a claim or demand against the society, to sue the president or chairman, or principal secretary or the trustees thereof, if on application to the governing body some other officer or person be not nominated to be the defendant.

7. Suits not to abate.− No suit or proceeding in any Civil Court shall abate or discontinue by reason of the person by or against whom such suit or proceedings shall have been brought or continued, dying or ceasing to fill the character in the name whereof he shall have sued or been sued, but the same suit or proceedings shall be continued in the name of or against the successor of such person.

8. Enforcement of judgment against society.− If a judgment shall be recovered against the person or officer named on behalf of the society, such judgment shall not be put in force against the property, movable or immovable, or against the body of such person or officer, but against the property of the society.

The application for execution shall set forth the judgment, the fact of the party against whom it shall have been recovered having sued or having been sued, as the case may be, on behalf of

the society only, and shall require to have the judgment enforced against the property of the society.

9.Recovery of penalty accruing under bye-law.− Whenever by any bye-law duly made in accordance with the rules and regulations of the society, or, if the rules do not provide for the making of bye-laws, by any bye-law made at a general meeting of the members of the society convened for the purpose (for the making of which the concurrent votes of three-fifths of the members present at such meeting shall be necessary), any pecuniary penalty is imposed for the breach of any rule or bye-law of the society, such penalty, when accrued, may be recovered in any Court having jurisdiction where the defendant shall reside, or the society shall be situate, as the governing body thereof shall deem expedient.

10. Members liable to be sued as strangers – Recovery by successful defendant of costs adjudged.− Any member who may be in arrear of a subscription which, according to the rules of the society he is bound to pay, or who shall possess himself of or detain any property of the society in a manner or for a time contrary to such rules, or shall injure or destroy any property of the society, may be sued for such arrear or for the damage accruing from such detention, injury or destruction of property in the manner hereinbefore provided.

But if the defendant shall be successful in any suit or other proceeding brought against him at the instance of the society, and shall be adjudged to recover his costs, he may elect to proceed to recover the same from the officer in whose name the suit shall be brought, or from the society, and in the latter case shall have process against the property of the said society in the manner above described.

11.Members guilty of offences punishable as strangers.− Any member of the society who shall steal, purloin or embezzle any money or other property, or willfully and maliciously destroy or injure any property of such society, or shall forge any deed, bond, security for money, receipt, or other instrument, whereby the funds of the society may be exposed to loss, shall be subject to the same prosecution, and, if convicted, shall be liable to be punished in like manner as any person not a member would be subject and liable to in respect of the like offence.

12.Societies enabled to alter, extend or abridge their purposes.− Whenever it shall appear to the governing body of any society registered under this Act, which has been established for any particular purpose or purposes, that it is advisable to alter, extend or abridge such purpose to or for other purposes within the meaning of this Act, or to amalgamate such society either wholly or partially with any other society, such governing body may submit the proposition to the members of the society in a written or printed report and may convene a special meeting for the consideration thereof according to the regulations of the society.

But no such proposition shall be carried into effect unless such report shall have been delivered or sent by post to every member of the society ten days previous to the special meeting convened by the governing body for the consideration thereof, nor unless such proposition shall

have been agreed to by the votes of three-fifths of the members delivered in person or by proxy, and confirmed by the votes of three-fifths of the members present at a second special meeting convened by the governing body at an interval of one month after the former meeting.

13.Provision for dissolution of societies and adjustment of their affairs − Assent required − Government consent.− Any number not less than three-fifths of the members of any society may determine that it shall be dissolved, and thereupon it shall be dissolved forthwith, or at the time then agreed upon, and all necessary steps shall be taken for the disposal and settlement of the property of the society, its claims and liabilities, according to the rules of the said society applicable thereto, if any, and, if not, then as the governing body shall find expedient, provided that, in the event of any dispute arising among the said governing body or the members of the society, the adjustment of its affairs shall be referred to the principal Court of original civil jurisdiction of the district in which the chief building of the society is situate; and the Court shall make such order in the matter as it shall deem requisite:

Provided that no society shall be dissolved unless three-fifths of the members shall have expressed a wish for such dissolution by their votes delivered in person, or by proxy, at a general meeting convened for the purpose:

Provided that [6][whenever any Government] is a member of or a contributor to, or otherwise interested in, any society registered under this Act, such society shall not be dissolved without the consent of the Government of the Province of registration].

14.Upon a dissolution no member to receive profit − Clause not to apply to joint-stock companies.− If upon the dissolution of any society registered under this Act there shall remain after the satisfaction of all its debts and liabilities any property whatsoever, the same shall not be paid to or distributed among the members of the said society or any of them, but shall be given to some other society, to be determined by the votes of not less than three-fifths of the members present personally or by proxy at the time of dissolution, or in default thereof, by such Court as aforesaid:

Provided, however, that this clause shall not apply to any society which shall have been founded or established by the contributions of shareholders in the nature of a Joint-stock Company.

15.Member defined − Disqualified members.− For the purposes of this Act a member of a society shall be a person who, having been admitted therein according to the rules and regulations thereof, shall have paid a subscription or shall have signed the roll or list of members thereof, and shall not have resigned in accordance with such rules and regulations; but in all proceedings under this Act no person shall be entitled to vote or to be counted as a member whose subscription at the time shall have been in arrear for a period exceeding three months.

16.Governing body defined.− The governing body of the society shall be the governors, council, directors, committee, trustees or other body to whom by the rules and regulations of the society the management of its affairs is entrusted.

Supersession of governing body of a society.−

(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the memorandum of association, rules or regulations of a society registered under this Act, if, after such inquiry as may be necessary, the Provincial Government is of the opinion that the governing body of the society−

(a) is unable to discharge or persistently fails in discharging its duties, or

(b) is unable to administer its affairs or meet its financial obligations, or

(c) Generally acts in a manner contrary to public interest or the interests of the members of the society,

the Provincial Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare the governing body to be superseded for such period, not exceeding one year, as may be specified in the notification .Provided that the declaration shall not be made without giving to the society to be affected thereby an opportunity of being heard.]

(2) On the publication of a notification under sub-section (1),−

(a) The office-bearers and other members of the governing body shall cease to hold office; and

(b)All functions of the governing body shall, during the period of supersession, be performed by a governing body constituted by the Provincial Government from among the members of the society.

(3) On the expiry of the period of supersession, the governing body of the society shall be reconstituted in accordance with its memorandum of association, rules and regulations.]

17.Registration of societies formed before Act − Assent required.− Any company or society established for a literary, scientific or charitable purpose, and registered under [10]Act XLIII of 1850, or any such society established and constituted previously to the passing of this Act but not registered under the said Act XLIII of 1850, may at any time hereafter be registered as a society under this Act; subject to the proviso that no such company or society shall be registered under this Act unless an asset to its being so registered has been given by three-fifths of the members present personally, or by proxy, at some general meeting convened for that purpose by the governing body.

In the case of a company or society registered under Act XLIII of 1850, the directors shall be deemed to be such governing body.

In the case of a society not so registered, if no such body shall have been constituted on the establishment of the society, it shall be competent for the members thereof, upon due notice, to create for itself a governing body to act for the society thenceforth.

18.Such societies to file memorandum, etc., with Registrar of Joint-Stock Companies.− In order to any such society as is mentioned in the last preceding section obtaining registry under this Act, it shall be sufficient that the governing body file with the Registrar of Joint-stock Companies a memorandum showing the name of the society, the objects of the society, and the names, addresses and occupations of the governing body, together with a copy of the rules and regulations of the society certified as provided in section 2, and a copy of the report of the proceedings of the general meeting at which the registration was resolved on.

19. Inspection of documents − Certified Copies.− Any person may inspect all documents filed with the registrar under this Act on payment of a fee of one rupee for each inspection, and any person may require a copy or extract of any document or any part of any document, to be certified by the registrar, on payment of two annas for every hundred words of such copy or extract; and such certified copy shall be prima facie evidence of the matters therein contained in all legal proceedings whatever.

20. To what societies Act applies.− The following societies may be registered under this Act:-

Charitable societies, societies established for the promotion of science, literature, or the fine arts, for instruction, the diffusion of useful knowledge, [15][the diffusion of political education], the foundation or maintenance of libraries or reading rooms for general use among the members or open to the public, or public museums and galleries of painting and other works of art, collections of natural history, mechanical and philosophical inventions, instruments, or designs.