The draft of this constitution was submitted on September 27, 1928, to a Consulting Committee, consisting of representatives of five Russian Chicago Schools, by I. Voronko, member of the Commission for Unifying the Schools connected with the Russian National Orthodox Society. The draft was approved unanimously, and copies of it were sent to all Russian school societies in order that they might examine them and be induced to join the Union of Russian People's Schools.

I. Name and Objects of the Organization.

Article 1) The name of the organization is: Soyuz Russkikh Narodnykh Shkol (Union of Russian People's Schools), abbreviated thus: S.R.N.Sh. 2) The Organization pursues the following objects: (a) To unify the Russian people's schools, and other Russian schools of a similar type in Chicago, suburbs and neighboring states, on the foundation of a systematized program and of mutual help; (b) To promote the material welfare of the schools belonging to this unifying organization by uniting their efforts to arrange 2benefit entertainments, lectures, collections of offerings, etc.; (c) To provide the schools with textbooks, manuals, school supplies, furnishings, etc.;(d) To take care of the improvement of the educational status of the children by arranging appropiate lectures, forums and consultations with the parents; (e) To foster the devolopment in the children of the feelings of friendship and solidarity by arranging clubs for the youth, evening entertainments, festivities etc.; (f) To strive to improve the cultural status of the colony; and (g) To endeavor to become acquainted with kindred American organizations and to get into close contact with them.

Article 3) The organization has a seal with the following inscription in Russian and English: Soyuz Russkikh Narodnykh Shkol (Union of Russian People's Schools), Chicago, Ill.

II. Pull Fledged and Honorary Members.

Article 4) Every Russian school society can become a full fledged member of the Union of Russian People's Schools, if it is located in the region of the United States of North America delineated above, and if it accepts without any reservations the constitution of this organization.

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Article 5) Every school society (or school) which accepts the constitution of this organization shall send to the next succeeding regular assembly of the S.R.N.Sh. two duly authorized delegates, provided with suitable credentials; no preliminary application for membership in the S.R.N.Sh. is necessary.

Article 6) A delegate of a school which desires to join the S.R.N.Sh. must not be a person who, though a member of the respective school society, did not send his children to that school throughout the year; neither is a member of the school society, if he is a bachelor, eligible as a delegate.

Article 7) Every school which has joined the S.R.N.Sh. shall send, on a basis of equality, the same number of delegates, irrespective of the number of members in its school society and of pupils in its classes.

Article 8) The delegate of a school shall be sent to the S.R.N.Sh. for one whole school year. In Russian schools belonging to the S.R.N.Sh. the school year is supposed to begin on September 10, even though, in reality, in some schools the classes may begin at an earlier date.

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Article 9) Together with the delegates each school society shall send to the S.R.N.Sh. also one teacher, irrespective of the number of teachers conducting classes in that school. The teacher thus sent shall have the same rights as the school delegates.

Article 10) Beside full fledged members, by which are meant school societies, the S.R.N.Sh. has the right to elect to its membership as honorary members also individuals. A person who has rendered the S.R.N.Sh. some signal service is eligible to honorary membership in the S.R.N.Sh. Honorary members are also selected among Russian writers, pedagogues, scientists. Honorary members are elected by a majority vote of two thirds of the whole membership of the S.R.N.Sh.

III. Administrative Board, Committees and Assemblies.

Article 11) In the beginning of the school year, not later than on October 10, the Union of Russian People's Schools shall elect from its membership an administrative board and committees.

Article 12) The administrative board of the S.R.N.Sh. shall consist of three 5persons: the president, the treasurer, and the recording secretary. All the members of the administrative board shall be elected by a simple majority of votes.

Article 13) Before the treasurer of the S.R.N.Sh. takes over his office he shall furnish to the S.R.N.Sh. a bond the amount of which shall be fixed by the general assembly.

Article 14) Besides the administrative board the S.R.N.Sh. shall elect, at the first assembly after the beginning of the school year, three committees: a controlling committee, an economic committee, and a pedagogic committee. Each committee elects its own chairman and secretary. The chairman of the pedagogic committee must be a teacher.

Article 15) The committees are enjoined to invite to all their sessions one of the members of the administrative board who shall have the right of a deciding vote.

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Article 17) When necessary, subcommittees may be appointed by the standing committees; managers of libraries, book stores and stationary supplies, directors of choruses and orchestras, organizers of lectures, etc. may be elected.

Article 18) All committees and subcommittees communicate with each other through the intermediary of the administrative board.

Article 19) Meetings of the S.R.N.Sh. shall be of three kinds: annal, regular and special. Regular general assemblies shall be called by the president not less than once every month; special meetings may be called in case of necessity by the administrative board of the S.R.N.Sh.

Article 20) Letterheads etc. shall be kept by the secretary, and the seal by the president of the administrative board.

IV. Principles of the Unification of School Societies into the S.R.N.Sh. Article 21) Every school society joining the S.R.N.Sh. remains an entirely self-governing body as far as its business activities are concerned.

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Article 22) In order to eliminate competition, all school societies belonging to the S.R.N.Sh. shall observe the same minimum rate for tuition fees and membership fees.

Article 23) Schools, belonging to the S.R.N.Sh., officially accept the new orthography; nevertheless, if a school wished to become a member of the S.R.N.Sh., while using the old orthography, it may continue to do so, but must not expect the S.R.N.Sh. to provide it with textbooks conformable to that orthography.

Article 24) The teaching of religion, of whatever denomination, shall not concern the S.R.N.Sh. Each school can organize the tuition of religion in the way most suitable to its requirements. Neither shall the S.R.N.Sh. carry on any specifically anti-religious activities in the colony.

Article 25) The invitation of a person to teach in a school affiliated with the S.R.N.Sh. shall require the sanction of the pedagogic committee of the S.R.N.Sh.

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Article 26) Persons desiring to be accepted as teachers in a school affiliated with the S.R.N.Sh. have to give to the pedagogic committee proofs of the fact that he possesses the necessary qualifications for holding such a position. If a candidate does not possess any certificates, he has to pass an intelligence test, both written and oral, in the Russian language, corresponding to the program of Russian European high schools.

Article 27) Because of educational considerations, pupils of schools, affiliated with the S.R.N.Sh., when attending public meetings, evening entertainments, lectures, etc., shall wear badges, made of material, having a round or rhombie shape, and bearing distinctive initials, such as "D," for the M.F. Dostoyevsky Memorial School; "T," for the L.N.Tolstoy Memorial School, etc.

Article 28) The tuition fees for orphans who are pupils of schools affiliated with the S.R.N.Sh. are paid out of a special scholarship fund of the S.R.N.Sh. The same fund defrays also the expenses for the tuition of honor students of both sexes, recommended by the pedagogic committee.

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Article 29) Any new forms of eventual relations between the S.R.N.Sh. and the schools shall be regulated by special instructions, to be worked out by general assemblies of the S.R.N.Sh. Also, any annual assembly of the S.R.N.Sh. shall have the right of amending the present constitution and by-laws of the Union of Russian People's Schools.

V. Liquidation of the Organization.

Article 30) In the case of the liquidation of the S.R.N.Sh. all the property of the Organization, but by no means that of the separate schools, shall be turned over to the R.N.P.O. (Russian People's Orthodox Society).