The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-03-23
AN ACT Oh: The LEGISLATURE.
Law Requiring All Mutual and Benefit Organizations
to Deposit 100000.
An Act for the Regulation and Control OF
FraternaI Benefit Associations.

Section |. Be it enacted by tie
General Ass emily Of the State of South
Carolina, that any corporation, soeleIy'
oder, or voluntary association WIN,
out a capital stock, organized ana
carried on solely for the mutual oi ne
tit of its members and their oenenci-
aries, and not for profit, by q lodge
system with ri u~alistic form OF WORT
and a representative form or govern
ment, and which may make provision
for the payment of benefits, in Accord
ance with Section 3 hereof, IS hereby
declared to be a fraternal beneht
association.
Sec. 9. Any association having a
supreme governing or Legislative o0dy'
and subordinate lodges or branches,
by whatever name known, into Wnlcn
members of one race only shall oe
elected and initiated i'll accordance
with its constitution, rules, regu-
lations and prescribed rituallstlc ctre-
monies, which supreme or governing
body shall meet at least every 1ourlh
wear, and the subordinate lodges OF
branches shall be required by the laws
of such association to hold regular or
stated meetings at least once each
mouth. shall be deemed to be opera
ting on the lodge system. Any, SUCH
association shall be deemed to have a
representative form of government
when it shall require in its consll-
tntion and laws that there be a SUI
preme legislative or governing DodS
comnosed of representatives elected
dire ctly or indirectly by the MEMBERS
together with such members as may
ne prescribed by its constitution and
laws: provided, that the elective mem
hers shall constitute a maJorlty ID
number, and have not less than d
majority of the votes nor less thah the
votes required to amend It's consul
tution and laws: Provided, further,
that provision shall he made Tor the
election of at least n representative
to the supreme governing BODY from
the membership in this Safe.
Sec. 3. Every association trans
acting business under this Act may
nrovide for the payment of natural or
accidental death benefits, and may
provide for the payment of Dement'S ID
case of temporary or permanent Ehy,
steal disability, either as the result OF
disease or accident. Such association
shall have the power 10 gram SUE.
render values, not to exceed the mel
vaIue of the certificates, less any sur
render charges specified by the laws
of the association, and may pro'ioe
for the placing of and payment iHr
monuments to the memory OF us ue-
ceased members. And each sucn
association shall keep II separate fund
for expenses, and no part OF any o'her
fnnd shall be used for expenses or IN
collecting, djrbursing or investing
the reserve or disability funds, but all
snch ex e shall be paid out OF the
exnense fund of such association.
Sec. 4. The payment of death
benefits shall be confined to wife, hus-
band, relative by blood to b fourth
degree, ascending OF descending, step
mother. step-children, children by.
legal adoption, or to a person OF b.
sons dependent upon the neLlo
Provided. thai II, af'er the lssuancG VI
tho original certificate, the member
shall become dependent upon n
charity of an individual or OF an IN
stitulion, he shall have the priyilet e,
with the consent of the association,
10 make such individual Or institution
his beneficiary. Within the above
restrictions. each member shall have
the right TO d. sigpate his beneficiary,
and from time TO time have the same
changed in accordance with the laws,
rules or regulations of the association,
and no beneficiary shall have or obtain
apv y,s'ed interest in the said beneht
until the same has become due and pay
able upon the death Of said member:
Provided. that any association may,
by its laws, limit The scope OF bench
Charles within the above classes.
Sec. 5. An association may ad-
NIT to beneficial membership any per
son not less than sixteen o more
than sixty years of age, who has been
examined by u competent physician,
and whose examination has been su.
pervised and approved as provided by
the laws Of the association; Provided,
That when a de aih benefit is less tina
one hundred dollars a medical inspec-
ton only may he required: And pro-
vided, further, That any association
which does not promise natural death
be1 efts shall not lie required to make
any such examination, and any beDe-
ficiary member of such association,
who shall apply for a certificate pro,
vidipg for disability benefits, need
not he required TO pass an additional
medical examination therefor. Moth
ing herein contained shall prevent
such association from accepting gen.
eral or social members.
Sec. 6. Every certificate issued
BIZ any such association shall specify
the maximum amount Of benefit pro-
vided thereby, and shall provide that
the certificate, the charter or articles
of the association, the cOnstitu on and
law s Of the association and the appli-
cation for membership and medical
examination. signed by the applicant,
shall constitute the agreement between
the association and the member: pro-
vided, that any changes, additions, or
amendments, to said charter or ar
ticles of association, the constitution
and laws, duly made or enacted sub
sequent to the issuance of the benefit
certificate shall bind the member and
his beneficiaries and shall govern and
control the contract in all respects the
same as though such changes, &ddi-
tons, or amendments, had been made
prior thereto and were in force at the
lime of the application for member
ship.
Sec. I. No subordinate body or
any of its officers or members shall
have the power or authority to waive
any of the provisions of the laws and
o~nofifntinn IF fhA QslnPIatInn and