N.Y. Religious Corporations Law § 195: Organization and conduct of corporate meetings; qualification of voters thereat

§ 195. Organization and conduct of corporate meetings; qualification

of voters thereat. 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.