Section 161. The meeting for incorporation  


Latest version.
  • At  the  meeting  for
      incorporation, held in pursuance of such notice, the  qualified  voters,
      until otherwise decided as hereinafter provided, shall be all persons of
      full age who have statedly worshiped with such church and have regularly
      contributed  to  its  support, according to its usages, for at least one
      year or since it was formed. At such meeting the presence of a  majority
      of  such  qualified  voters,  in  person, or by proxy duly authorized in
      writing, at least six in number, shall  be  necessary  to  constitute  a
      quorum,  and  all matters or questions shall be decided by a majority of
      the qualified voters voting thereon.   The meeting shall  be  called  to
      order  by one of the signers of the call. There shall be elected at such
      meeting, from the 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
      officer  and  the inspectors shall decide the result of the ballots cast
      on any matter, and shall be the judges  of  the  qualifications  of  the
      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 it may, by a two-thirds vote, decide that all members
      of the unincorporated church, of full age, in good and regular  standing
      who   have  statedly  worshiped  with  such  church  but  who  have  not
      contributed to the financial support thereof, shall  also  be  qualified
      voters  at such meeting, and that such church members, who, for one year
      next preceding any subsequent corporate  meeting,  shall  have  statedly
      worshiped  with  such  church  and have been members thereof in good and
      regular standing, but have not regularly contributed  to  the  financial
      support  thereof,  shall be qualified voters at such corporate meetings.
      Such meetings shall thereupon elect by ballot from the persons qualified
      to vote thereat one-third of the number of trustees so decided  on,  who
      shall   hold   office  until  the  first  annual  election  of  trustees
      thereafter, one-third 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. Such meeting shall also elect by  ballot
      a clerk of the corporation, who shall hold his office until the close of
      the next annual meeting.