Section 240-A. Historic military commands

1. Historic military commands
  are those independent military organizations located within the state as
  were on the twenty-third day of April, eighteen hundred eighty-three and
  are now in existence, and whose members associate themselves together at
  regular meetings and elect  their  officers  in  accordance  with  their
  respective rules and regulations or constitutions and by-laws.
    2. The Old Guard of the City of New York, the Troy Citizens Corps, the
  Utica  Citizens  Corps,  the  One  Hundred  Twenty-fourth New York State
  Volunteers and the Veteran Corps of Artillery of the state of New  York,
  are designated as historic military commands.
    3.  The adjutant general may issue a certificate of election under the
  seal of the chief of staff to officers  of  historic  military  commands
  elected  pursuant  to  the  rules  and  regulations or constitutions and
  by-laws of their respective commands. Such certificate of election shall
  be in a format approved by the adjutant general and shall be provided by
  the command at no cost  to  the  state.  Elected  officers  of  historic
  military  commands  may  take their oath of office before any officer of
  the organized militia of the state.
    4. Historic military commands and independent  military  organizations
  defined  in  section  two hundred forty of this chapter are not units of
  the militia of the state.