Section 4509. Certificates; applications; effect of changes in corporate documents

Every authorized society shall issue to each insured  member,  except a spouse or children under the age of twenty-one years insured as
  members pursuant to subsection (b) of section four thousand five hundred
  five  of this article, a certificate specifying the amount or amounts of
  insurance benefits provided thereby.  The application for insurance, and
  the  declaration  of  insurability,  if  used  in  lieu  of  a   medical
  examination  as  herein provided, shall be signed by the applicant, and,
  unless   society does not make the application a part of the contract or
  agreement with the member or applicant, a copy thereof shall be attached
  thereto, and all statements made  by  the  applicant  therein  shall  be
  deemed  representations and not warranties. Every adult insurance member
  entitled to life insurance benefits shall, as to  each  application  for
  life  insurance,  have  furnished evidence of insurability acceptable to
  the society. The certificate, together with any riders  or  endorsements
  attached  thereto,  the  articles  of  incorporation,  constitution  and
  by-laws  of  the  society,  and  the  application  and  declaration   of
  insurability, if any, attached as aforesaid, shall constitute the entire
  contract,  as  of  the  date  of  issuance,  between the society and the
  insured member; and copies of the same, certified by  the  secretary  or
  corresponding  officer of such society, shall be received in evidence to
  show the  terms  and  conditions  of  such  contract.  In  the  case  of
  certificates  that  provide  that the death benefit or other certificate
  provisions may be changed by  written  application  or  by  the  written
  notice  of  exercise of one or more options provided in the certificate,
  or automatically by the terms of the certificate,  the  certificate  may
  also contain a provision that when such written application or notice of
  exercise  of  an  option  is  accepted by the society or a notice of any
  change is issued by the society and,  in  each  case,  a  copy  of  such
  application   or  notice  is  returned  by  mail  or  delivered  to  the
  certificate holder at the certificate holder's last post office  address
  known  to  the  society, such application or notice shall become part of
  the entire contract between the parties.    Any  changes,  additions  or
  amendments  to  said  articles of incorporation, constitution or by-laws
  duly made or enacted subsequent to  the  issuance  of  any  certificate,
  other  than  a  certificate  or  contract  providing  variable  benefits
  pursuant  to  a  separate  account,  shall  bind  the  member  and   his
  beneficiaries,  and shall thereafter govern and control the agreement in
  all respects, except  that  no  change,  addition,  or  amendment  shall
  destroy  or  diminish  benefits which the society contracted to give the
  members as of the date of issuance.