1. |
Appointment
of USBFS as Administrator
|
2. |
Services
and Duties of USBFS
|
A. |
General
Fund Management:
|
(1) |
Act
as liaison among Fund service providers.
|
(2) |
Supply:
|
a. |
Corporate
secretarial services.
|
b. |
Office
facilities (which may be in USBFS’s, or an affiliate’s, own offices).
|
c. |
Non-investment-related
statistical and research data as needed.
|
(3) |
Coordinate
the Trust’s board of trustees’ (the “Board of Trustees” or the “Trustees”)
communications, such as:
|
a. |
Prepare
meeting agendas and resolutions, with the assistance of Fund counsel.
|
b. |
Prepare
reports for the Board of Trustees based on financial and administrative
data.
|
c. |
Evaluate
independent auditor.
|
d. |
Secure
and monitor fidelity bond and director and officer liability coverage,
and
make the necessary Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) filings
relating thereto.
|
e. |
Prepare
minutes of meetings of the Board of Trustees and Fund shareholders.
|
f. |
Recommend
dividend declarations to the Board of Trustees and prepare and distribute
to appropriate parties notices announcing declaration of dividends
and
other distributions to shareholders.
|
g. |
Provide
personnel to serve as officers of the Trust if so elected by the Board
of
Trustees, attend Board of Trustees meetings and present materials for
Trustees’ review at such meetings.
|
(4) |
Audits:
|
a. |
Prepare
appropriate schedules and assist independent auditors.
|
b. |
Provide
information to the SEC and facilitate audit process.
|
c. |
Provide
office facilities.
|
(5) |
Assist
in overall operations of the Fund.
|
(6) |
Pay
Fund expenses upon written authorization from the Trust.
|
(7) |
Keep
the Trust’s governing documents, including its charter, bylaws and minute
books, but only to the extent such documents are provided to USBFS
by the
Trust or its representatives for safe
keeping.
|
(8) |
Monitor
arrangements under shareholder services or similar
plan.
|
B. |
Compliance:
|
(1) |
Regulatory
Compliance:
|
a. |
Monitor
compliance with the 1940 Act requirements, including:
|
b. |
Monitor
Fund's compliance with the policies and investment limitations as set
forth in its prospectus (the “Prospectus”) and statement of additional
information (the “SAI”).
|
c. |
Perform
its duties hereunder in compliance with all applicable laws and
regulations and provide any sub-certifications reasonably requested
by the
Trust in connection with any certification required of the Trust pursuant
to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “SOX Act”) or any rules or
regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder, provided the same shall
not
be deemed to change USBFS’s standard of care as set forth
herein.
|
d. |
Monitor
applicable regulatory and operational service issues, and update Board
of
Trustees periodically.
|
(2) |
Blue
Sky Compliance:
|
a. |
Prepare
and file with the appropriate state securities authorities any and
all
required compliance filings relating to the qualification of the
securities of the Fund so as to enable the Fund to make a continuous
offering of its shares in all states.
|
b. |
Monitor
status and maintain registrations in each state.
|
c. |
Provide
updates regarding material developments in state securities regulation.
|
(3) |
SEC
Registration and Reporting:
|
a. |
Assist
Fund counsel in annual update of the Prospectus and SAI and in preparation
of proxy statements as needed.
|
b. |
Prepare
and file annual and semiannual shareholder reports, Form N-SAR, Form
N-CSR, and Form N-Q filings and Rule 24f-2 notices. As requested by
the
Trust, prepare and file Form N-PX
filings.
|
c. |
Coordinate
the printing, filing and mailing of Prospectuses and shareholder reports,
and amendments and supplements thereto.
|
d. |
File
fidelity bond under Rule 17g-1.
|
e. |
Monitor
sales of Fund shares and ensure that such shares are properly registered
or qualified, as applicable, with the SEC and the appropriate state
authorities.
|
(4) |
IRS
Compliance:
|
a. |
Monitor
the Trust’s status as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), including
without limitation, review of the following:
|
b. |
Calculate
required distributions (including excise tax distributions).
|
C. |
Financial
Reporting:
|
(1) |
Provide
financial data required by the Prospectus and
SAI.
|
(2) |
Prepare
financial reports for officers, shareholders, tax authorities, performance
reporting companies, the Board of Trustees, the SEC, and independent
accountants.
|
(3) |
Supervise
the Fund’s custodian and fund accountants in the maintenance of the Fund’s
general ledger and in the preparation of the Fund’s financial statements,
including oversight of expense accruals and payments, the determination
of
net asset value and the declaration and payment of dividends and other
distributions to shareholders.
|
(4) |
Compute
the yield, total return, expense ratio and portfolio turnover rate
of each
class of the Fund.
|
(5) |
Monitor
the expense accruals and notify the Trust’s management of any proposed
adjustments.
|
(6) |
Prepare
monthly financial statements, which include, without limitation, the
following items:
|
a. |
Schedule
of Investments.
|
b. |
Statement
of Assets and Liabilities.
|
c. |
Statement
of Operations.
|
d. |
Statement
of Changes in Net Assets.
|
e. |
Cash
Statement.
|
f. |
Schedule
of Capital Gains and Losses.
|
(7) |
Prepare
quarterly broker security transaction summaries.
|
D. |
Tax
Reporting:
|
(1) |
Prepare
and file on a timely basis appropriate federal and state tax returns
including, without limitation, Forms 1120/8610, with any necessary
schedules.
|
(2) |
Prepare
state income breakdowns where relevant.
|
(3) |
File
Form 1099 for payments to disinterested Trustees and other service
providers.
|
(4) |
Monitor
wash sale losses.
|
(5) |
Calculate
eligible dividend income for corporate shareholders.
|
3. |
Compensation
|
4. |
Representations
and Warranties
|
A. |
The
Trust hereby represents and warrants to USBFS, which representations
and
warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of
this
Agreement, that:
|
(1)
|
It
is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction
of its
organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted,
to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations
hereunder;
|
(2)
|
This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Trust in
accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and
legally
binding obligation of the Trust, enforceable in accordance with its
terms,
subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and
other
laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of
creditors
and secured parties; and
|
(3)
|
It
is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects
with all
applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has
obtained
all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now
conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment
binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract
binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution
or
performance of this Agreement.
|
B. |
USBFS
hereby represents and warrants to the Trust, which representations
and
warranties shall be deemed to be continuing throughout the term of
this
Agreement, that:
|
(1)
|
It
is duly organized and existing under the laws of the jurisdiction
of its
organization, with full power to carry on its business as now conducted,
to enter into this Agreement and to perform its obligations
hereunder;
|
(2)
|
This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by USBFS
in
accordance with all requisite action and constitutes a valid and
legally
binding obligation of USBFS, enforceable in accordance with its terms,
subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and
other
laws of general application affecting the rights and remedies of
creditors
and secured parties; and
|
(3)
|
It
is conducting its business in compliance in all material respects
with all
applicable laws and regulations, both state and federal, and has
obtained
all regulatory approvals necessary to carry on its business as now
conducted; there is no statute, rule, regulation, order or judgment
binding on it and no provision of its charter, bylaws or any contract
binding it or affecting its property which would prohibit its execution
or
performance of this Agreement.
|
5. |
Standard
of Care; Indemnification; Limitation of Liability
|
A. |
USBFS
shall exercise reasonable care in the performance of its duties under
this
Agreement. USBFS shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake
of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with its
duties
under this Agreement, including losses resulting from mechanical
breakdowns or the failure of communication or power supplies beyond
USBFS’s control, except a loss arising out of or relating to USBFS’s
refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this Agreement or from
its
bad faith, negligence, or willful misconduct in the performance of
its
duties under this Agreement. Notwithstanding any other provision of
this
Agreement, if USBFS has exercised reasonable care in the performance
of
its duties under this Agreement, the Trust shall indemnify and hold
harmless USBFS from and against any and all claims, demands, losses,
expenses, and liabilities of any and every nature (including reasonable
attorneys’ fees) that USBFS may sustain or incur or that may be asserted
against USBFS by any person arising out of any action taken or omitted
to
be taken by it in performing the services hereunder (i) in accordance
with
the foregoing standards, or (ii) in reliance upon any written or oral
instruction provided to USBFS by any duly authorized officer of the
Trust,
as approved by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, except for any and
all
claims, demands, losses, expenses, and liabilities arising out of or
relating to USBFS’s refusal or failure to comply with the terms of this
Agreement or from its bad faith, negligence or willful misconduct in
the
performance of its duties under this Agreement. This indemnity shall
be a
continuing obligation of the Trust, its successors and assigns,
notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement. As used in this
paragraph, the term “USBFS” shall include USBFS’s directors, officers and
employees.
|
B. |
In
order that the indemnification provisions contained in this section
shall
apply, it is understood that if in any case the indemnitor may be asked
to
indemnify or hold the indemnitee harmless, the indemnitor shall be
fully
and promptly advised of all pertinent facts concerning the situation
in
question, and it is further understood that the indemnitee will use
all
reasonable care to notify the indemnitor promptly concerning any situation
that presents or appears likely to present the probability of a claim
for
indemnification. The indemnitor shall have the option to defend the
indemnitee against any claim that may be the subject of this
indemnification. In the event that the indemnitor so elects, it will
so
notify the indemnitee and thereupon the indemnitor shall take over
complete defense of the claim, and the indemnitee shall in such situation
initiate no further legal or other expenses for which it shall seek
indemnification under this section. The indemnitee shall in no case
confess any claim or make any compromise in any case in which the
indemnitor will be asked to indemnify the indemnitee except with the
indemnitor’s prior written consent.
|
C. |
The
indemnity and defense provisions set forth in this Section 5 shall
indefinitely survive the termination and/or assignment of this
Agreement.
|
D. |
If
USBFS is acting in another capacity for the Trust pursuant to a separate
agreement, nothing herein shall be deemed to relieve USBFS of any of
its
obligations in such other capacity.
|
E. |
The
obligations assumed by a particular Fund hereunder shall be limited
in all
cases to such Fund and to the assets of that Fund
only.
|
6. |
Data
Necessary to Perform Services
|
7. |
Proprietary
and Confidential Information
|
8. |
Records
|
9. |
Compliance
with Laws
|
10. |
Term
of Agreement; Amendment
|
11. |
Duties
in the Event of Termination
|
12. |
Assignment
|
13. |
Governing
Law
|
14. |
No
Agency Relationship
|
15. |
Legal-Related
Services
|
16. |
Services
Not Exclusive
|
17. |
Invalidity
|
18. |
Notices
|
19. |
Rights
and Obligations of Each Fund.
|
20. |
Multiple
Originals
|