N.Y. Religious Corporations Law § 21-a: Corporations for acquiring lands for parsonage or camp-meeting purposes for the Free Methodist denomination

§ 21-a. Corporations for acquiring lands for parsonage or camp-meeting

purposes for the Free Methodist denomination. The district elder and a

majority of the stewards residing in the district elder's district,

elected by an annual conference of the Free Methodist Church

denomination, may become incorporated, for the purpose of acquiring,

maintaining and improving real property, to be used for the purpose of a

district elder's parsonage or for camp-meeting purposes, or for both

such purposes, by acknowledging and filing a certificate, stating the

name and object of the corporation, the name of such annual conference,

and of such district elder's district, the names, residences and

official relations to such district of the signers thereof, the number

of trustees of said incorporation, which shall be three, or some

multiple of three, not to exceed twelve, the names of such trustees,

designating one-third to hold office for three years, one-third to hold

office for two years and one-third to hold office for one year.

On filing such certificate, the district elder and all the stewards of

such district, by virtue of their respective offices, shall be a

corporation by the name, and for the purposes therein stated, and the

persons therein named as trustees shall be the first trustees thereof.

A person holding property in trust for the purpose of a parsonage for

the district elder of the district, or for camp meeting purposes, and

his successors in office, for the Free Methodist church denomination,

may convey the same to a corporation organized for this purpose of

acquiring property within the district in which such property is

situated.

Meetings held under the direction of such corporation, upon camp

grounds owned by such corporation, shall be deemed to be religious

meetings, within the provisions of the law relating to the disturbance

of religious meetings.

When such corporation or camp ground association owns land bordering

on any navigable waters to be used for camp meeting purposes only, such

corporation or association may regulate or prohibit the landing of

persons or vessels at the wharves, piers or shores upon such ground

during the holding of religious services thereon.