necessary to constitute a quorum, and all matters or questions shall be decided by a majority of the qualified voters voting thereon. There shall be elected at said meeting from qualified voters then present, a presiding officer, a clerk to keep the record of the proceedings of the meeting and two inspectors of election to receive the ballots cast. The presiding officers and the inspectors shall declare the result of the ballots cast on any matter, and shall be the judges of the qualifications of voters. If the meeting shall decide that such unincorporated church shall become incorporated, the meeting shall also decide upon the name of the proposed corporation, the number of the trustees thereof, which shall be three, six or nine, and the date, not more than fifteen months thereafter, on which the first annual election of the trustees thereof shall be held, and shall decide also whether those who, from the time of the formation of such church or during the year preceding the meeting for incorporation, have statedly worshipped with such church and have regularly contributed to the financial support thereof, shall be qualified voters at such meeting for incorporation, and whether those who, during the year preceding the subsequent corporate meetings of the church shall have statedly worshipped with such church and shall have regularly contributed to the financial support thereof, shall be qualified voters at such corporate meetings. Such meeting shall thereupon elect by ballot from the persons qualified to vote thereat onethird of the number of trustees so decided on, who shall hold office until the first annual election of trustees thereafter, and onethird of such number of trustees who shall hold office until the second annual election of trustees thereafter, and one-third of such number of trustees who shall hold office until the third annual election of trustees thereafter, or until the respective successors of such trustees shall be elected. (Added by chap. 336 of 1896, § 9.) § 69. The certificate of incorporation. If the meeting shall decide that such unincorporated church shall become incorporated, the presiding officer of such meeting and the two inspectors of election shall execute a certificate setting forth the name of the proposed corporation, the number of the trustees thereof, the names of the persons elected as trustees and the terms of office for which they were respectively elected and the county and town, city or village in which its principal place of worship is or is intended to be located. On the filing and record Baptist Churches. S$ 70-71 ing of such certificate after it shall have been acknowledged or proved as hereinbefore provided, the persons qualified to vote at such meeting and those persons who shall thereafter, from time to time, be qualified voters at the corporate meetings thereof, shall be a corporation by the name stated in such certificate, and the persons therein stated to be elected trustees of such church shall be the trustees thereof, for the terms for which they were respectively elected and until their respective successors shall be elected. (Added by chap. 336 of 1896, § 9.) 70. Time, place and notice of corporate meetings.-The annual corporate meeting of every incorporated Baptist church shall be held at the time and place fixed by or in pursuance of law therefor, if such time and place be so fixed, and otherwise, at a time and place to be fixed by its trustees. A special corporate meeting of any such church may be called by the board of trustees thereof, on its own motion, and shall be called on the written request of at least ten qualified voters of such church. The trus tees shall cause notice of the time and place of its annual corporate meeting, and of the names of any trustees whose successors are to be elected thereat; and, if a special meeting, of the business to be transacted thereat, to be publicly read by the minister of such church or any trustee thereof at a regular meeting of the church for public worship, on the two successive Sundays immediately preceding such meeting. (Added by chap. 336 of 1896, $ 9.) § 71. Organization and conduct of corporate meetings; qualifications of voters thereat.-At a corporate meeting of an incorporated Baptist church the qualified voters shall be all persons of full age who are then members of such church in good and regular standing by admission into full communion or membership therewith, or who have statedly worshipped with such church and have regularly contributed to the financial support thereof during the year next preceding such meeting; but any incorporated Baptist church may at any annual corporate meeting thereof, if notice of the intention so to do has been given with the notice of such meeting, decide that thereafter only members of such church of full age and in good and regular standing by admission into full communion or membership therewith shall be qualified voters at the corporate meetings. At such corporate meetings the presence of at least six persons qualified to vote thereat shall be necessary to constitute a quorum, and all matters or questions shall be decided by a majority of the qualified voters voting thereon. There shall be elected at said meeting from the qualified voters then present, a presiding officer, a clerk to keep the records of the proceedings of the meeting and two inspectors of election to receive the ballots cast. The presiding officer and the inspectors of election shall declare the result of the ballots cast on any matter and shall be the judge of the qualifications of voters. At each annual corporate meeting, successors to those trustees whose terms of office then expire, shall be elected by ballot from the qualified voters, for a term of three years thereafter, and until their successors shall be elected. (Added by chap. 336 of 1896, § 9.) § 72. Changing date of annual corporate meetings.—An annual corporate meeting of an incorporated Baptist church may change the date of its annual meeting thereafter. If the date fixed for the annual meeting shall be less than six months after the annual meeting at which such change is made, the next annual meeting shall be held one year from the date so fixed. For the purpose of determining the terms of office of trustees, the time between the annual meeting at which such change is made and the next annual meeting thereafter shall be reckoned as one year. (Added by chap. 336 of 1896, § 9.) § 73. Changing number of trustees.-An incorporated Baptist church may, at an annual corporate meeting, change the number of its trustees to three, six or nine, or classify them so that the terms of one-third expire each year, provided that notice of such intended change or classification be included in the notice of such annual corporate meeting. No such change shall affect the terms of the trustees then in office, and if the change reduces the number of trustees, elections shall not be held to fill vacancies caused by the expiration of the terms of trustees until the number of trustees equals the number to which the trustees were reduced. Whenever the number of trustees in office is less than the number so determined on, sufficient additional trustees shall be elected to make the number of trustees equal to the number so determined on. The trustees so elected up to and including onethird of the number so determined on, shall be elected for three years, the remainder up to and including one-third of the number so determined on for two years, and the remainder for one year. (Added by chap. 336 of 1896, § 9.) § 74. Meetings of trustees.-Meetings of the trustees of an incorporated Baptist church shall be called by giving at least twenty-four hours' notice thereof personally or by mail to all the trustees and such notice may be given by two of the trustees, but by the unanimous consent of the trustees a meeting may be held without previous notice thereof. A majority of the whole number of trustees shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting lawfully convened. (Added by chap. 336 of 1896, § 9.) 75. The creation and filling of vacancies among trustees of such churches.-If any trustee of an incorporated Baptist church declines to act, resigns or dies, or having been a member of such church ceases to be such member, or not having been a member of such church, ceases to be a qualified voter at a corporate meeting thereof, his office shall be vacant, and such vacancy may be filled by the remaining trustees until the next annual corporate meeting of such church, at which meeting the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term. (Added by chap. 336 of 1896, § 9.) § 76. Control of trustees by corporate meetings of such churches; salaries of minister. The trustees of an incorporated Baptist church shall have no power to settle or remove a minister or to fix his salary or without the consent of a corporate meeting, to incur debts beyond what is necessary for the administration of the temporal affairs of the church and for the care of the property of the corporation; or to fix or change the time, nature or order of the public or social worship of such church. (Added by chap. 336 of 1896, § 9.) § 77. Transfer of property to Baptist corporations.—Any incorporated Baptist church, created by or existing under the laws of the state of New York, having its principal office or place of worship in the state of New York, or whose last place of worship was within the state of New York, is hereby authorized and empowered, by a vote of two-thirds of its qualified voters present and voting therefor, at a meeting regularly called for that purpose, to transfer and convey any of its property, real or personal, which it now has or may hereafter acquire, to any religious, charitable or missionary corporation connected with the Baptist denomination and incorporated by or organized under any law or laws of the state of New York, either solely, or among other purposes, to establish or maintain, or to assist in establishing or maintaining churches, schools, or mission stations or to erect, or assist in the erection of such buildings as may be necessary for any of such purposes, and on or without the payment of any money or other consideration therefor, and upon such transfer or conveyance being made, the title to and the ownership and right of possession of the property so transferred and conveyed shall be vested in and conveyed to such grantee; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall impair or affect in any way, any existing claim upon or lien against any property so transferred or conveyed, or any action at law or legal proceeding, and subject in respect to the amount of property the said grantee may take and hold to the restrictions and limitations of existing laws. (Added by chap. 336 of 1896, § 9.) VIL ARTICLE VI. 1902097 SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR THE INCORPORATION AND GOVERNMENT OF CONGREGATIONAL AND INDEPENDENT CHURCHES. SECTION 78. Notice of meeting for incorporation. 78a. The meeting for incorporation. 78c. Time, place and notice of corporate meetings. 78d. Organization and conduct of corporate meetings; qualifications of voters thereat. 78e. Changing date of annual corporate meetings. 78f. Changing number of trustees. 78g. Meetings of trustees. 78h. Vacancies among trustees. 781. Limitation of powers of trustees. 78j. Election and salary of ministers. § 78. Notice of meeting for incorporation.-Notice of a meeting for the purpose of incorporating an unincorporated Congregational or Independent church shall be given as follows: The notice shall be in writing, and shall state, in substance, that a meeting of such unincorporated church will be held at its usual place of worship at a specified day and hour, for the purpose of incorporating such church, electing trustees thereof, and selecting a corporate name therefor. The notice must be signed by at least six persons of full age, who have statedly worshipped with such church and have regularly contributed to its support, according to its usages, for at least one year or since it was formed. A copy of such notice shall be publicly read at a regular meeting of such unincorporated church for public worship, on the two successive Sundays immediately preceding the meeting, by the |