TCA Articles of Incorporation
As Amended August 1972
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Department of State Corporation Bureau
Article I. The name of the corporation is Train Collectors Association.
Article II. The location and Post Office address of its registered office in this Commonwealth is P.O. Box 248, Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania 17579.
Article III. The Corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, educational-scientific purposes as defined and limited by Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), including, but not limited to:
The bringing together of persons interested in collecting and operating tinplate trains, and related items. The meaning of the word “tinplate” appearing in the above statement of purposes, as applied to trains, means any toy model trains which are produced on a mass production basis. The word “tinplate” stems historically from the first toy model trains produced back in 1850-1860, which were truly TIN, and came to mean over the years any toy model trains made repetitively, as distinguished from trains made one at a time by craftsman or model makers.
The education of members of the Association by the holding of meetings, maintaining a directory of collectors, and publishing periodicals and other literature of interest to members, and otherwise providing educational and informational material not only to the membership of the Association but to historians and other interested persons as well.
The promotion of fellowship among persons interested in and the establishment of standards for collecting and operating tinplate trains and related items to the mutual benefit of collectors thereof, and for the preservation of these items for their historic beauty and value and, to conduct any and all activities and programs that will promote these ends.
The cooperation with individuals and with other organizations in exhibiting tinplate trains and related items and to disseminate full information regarding the manufacture, history and mechanism of tinplate trains and related items and the repair thereof.
The making of distributions for such purposes to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).
No members of the corporation shall receive any pecuniary gain or profit, incidental or otherwise, from its activities, except that the corporation shall be authorized to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article III hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the corporation shall be carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. The corporation shall not carry on any activity not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law).
Article IV. The corporation is to have perpetual existence.
Article V. The officers of this corporation shall consist of: a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other officers and assistant officers as may be prescribed by the Bylaws.
Article VI. All conditions, qualifications, requirements, privileges and regulations as to membership in the corporation, including voting rights, and the number, powers and duties of the Board of Directors shall be fixed and governed by the Bylaws of the Corporation subject to the provisions of the Constitution of the United States and of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Article VII. The corporation is organized on a nonstock basis and shall have no authority to issue shares of capital stock.
Article VIII. If the corporation is to be dissolved, the Board, of Directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all of the liabilities of the corporation, dispose of all of the assets of the corporation conclusively for the purposes of the corporation in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Board of Directors shall determine. Any of such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the corporation is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and granted exclusively for such purposes.
