Section 195. Organization and conduct of corporate meetings; qualification of voters thereat  


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  • At a corporate meeting of an incorporated church  to  which  this  article is applicable the following persons, and no others,
      shall be qualified voters, to wit: All persons who are then  members  in
      good  and  regular  standing  of  such  church  by  admission  into full
      communion or membership therewith  in  accordance  with  the  rules  and
      regulations  thereof,  and of the governing ecclesiastical body, if any,
      of the denomination or order to which the church belongs,  or  who  have
      been  stated  attendants  on  divine  worship  in  such  church and have
      regularly contributed to the financial support thereof during  the  year
      next  preceding  such  meeting;  and any other church incorporated under
      this article, may at  any  annual  corporate  meeting  thereof,  or  any
      corporate  meeting called pursuant to the provisions of this article, if
      notice of the intention so to do has been given with the notice of  such
      meeting,  determine that thereafter only members of such church shall be
      qualified voters at corporate meetings thereof.  The  presence  at  such
      meetings  of  at  least  six  persons qualified to vote thereat shall be
      necessary to constitute a quorum. The action of  the  meeting  upon  any
      matter  or  question  shall  be  decided  by a majority of the qualified
      voters voting thereon, a quorum being present. The first  named  of  the
      following  persons who is present at such meeting shall preside thereat,
      to wit:  The minister of such church, the officiating minister  thereof;
      the  officers  thereof  in  the  order  of  their age beginning with the
      oldest, any qualified  voters  elected  therefor  at  the  meeting.  The
      presiding  officer  of the meeting shall receive the votes, be the judge
      of qualifications of voters and declare the result of the votes cast  on
      any matter. The polls of an annual corporate meeting shall continue open
      for  one hour, and longer in the discretion of the presiding officer, or
      if required by a majority of the qualified  voters  present.    At  each
      annual  corporate  meeting,  successors to those trustees whose terms of
      office then expire, shall  be  elected  from  the  qualified  voters  by
      ballot, for a term of three years thereafter.