N.Y. RCO Law § 52 — New York Code / Act RCO / Article 3-A / Section 52
Provisions governing meetings for incorporation
Status: in_force

§ 52. Provisions governing meetings for incorporation. 1. At the\nmeeting for incorporation, held in pursuance of such notice, the\nqualified voters, until otherwise decided as hereinafter provided, shall\nbe all persons of full age who have statedly worshipped with such church\nand have regularly contributed to its support, according to its usages,\nfor at least one year or since it was formed.\n  2. At such meeting the presence of a majority of such qualified\nvoters, at least six in number, shall be necessary to constitute a\nquorum, and all matters or questions shall be decided by a majority of\nthe qualified voters voting thereon.\n  3. The meeting shall be called to order by one of the signers of the\ncall. There shall be elected at such meeting from the qualified voters\nthen present, a presiding officer, a clerk to keep the record of the\nproceedings of the meeting and two inspectors of election to receive the\nballots cast. The presiding officer and the inspectors shall decide the\nresult of the ballots cast on any matter and shall be the judges of the\nqualifications of the voters.\n  4. If the meeting shall decide that such unincorporated church or\ncongregation shall become incorporated, the meeting shall also decide\nupon the name of the proposed corporation, the number of laymen trustees\nthereof, which shall be three, six or nine, and the date, not more than\nfifteen months thereafter, on which the first annual election of the\nlaymen trustees shall be held; and it may, by a two-thirds vote, decide\nthat all members of the unincorporated church, of full age, in good and\nregular standing, who have statedly worshipped with such church, but who\nhave not contributed to the financial support thereof, shall also be\nqualified voters at such meeting; and that such church members, who for\none year next preceding any subsequent corporate meeting, shall have\nstatedly worshipped with such church and have been members thereof in\ngood and regular standing, but have not regularly contributed to the\nfinancial support thereof, shall be qualified voters at such corporate\nmeetings.\n  5. Such meeting shall thereupon elect by ballot from the persons\nqualified to vote thereat one-third of the number of the laymen trustees\nso decided on, who shall hold office until the first annual election of\nlaymen trustees thereof, one-third of the number of such laymen trustees\nwho shall hold office until the second annual election of trustees\nthereafter, and one-third of such number of laymen trustees who shall\nhold office until the third annual election of trustees thereafter, or\nuntil the respective successors of such laymen trustees shall be\nelected.\n  6. Such meeting shall also elect by ballot a clerk of the corporation,\nwho shall hold office until the close of the next annual meeting.\n  7. Such meeting shall also designate by a vote by ballot two of the\nlaymen trustees so elected, who shall be wardens of the church, whose\nterms of office as wardens shall be one year or until their respective\nsuccessors are elected from among the remaining laymen trustees.\n