N.Y. Religious Corporations Law § 50-ff: Annual and special corporate meetings

§ 50-ff. Annual and special corporate meetings. 1. The annual

corporate meeting of every church or congregation incorporated under

this article shall be held at the time and place fixed by its by-laws,

or if no time and place is so fixed, then at a time and place to be

fixed by its trustees, but to be changed only by a by-law adopted at an

annual meeting; or if not otherwise fixed, such annual corporate meeting

shall be held on the date said certificate of incorporation was

executed, unless the same fall due on a Sunday or legal holiday in any

year, in which case said annual corporate meeting shall be held the day

following.

2. A special corporate meeting of any such church may be called by the

trustees thereof, on their own motion, and shall be called on the

written request of at least ten qualified voters of such church.

3. The trustees shall cause notice of the time and place of its annual

corporate meeting, and the names of any trustees whose successors are to

be elected thereat, and if a special meeting, of the business to be

transacted thereat, to be publicly read by the minister of such church

or any of the trustees thereof at a regular meeting of the church for

public worship, on the two successive Sundays immediately preceding such

meeting.

4. The annual corporate meeting shall be governed with respect to its

organization and election of laymen trustees, clerk of the corporation

and qualifications of voters (except with respect to age qualifications

of voters as provided in section four-a) by the same provisions as set

forth in this article for the incorporation of said church, except, that

the duly ordained and regularly appointed rector or vicar shall preside,

or if there be a vacancy in such office, one of the wardens shall

preside, the congregation in such case voting by ballot for its

presiding officer.

5. The same provisions shall apply to a special corporate meeting.

6. At the annual corporate meeting the trustees shall cause to be

prepared and read thereat a budget giving the approximate amount of

money needed for the maintenance of worship, the administration of the

temporal affairs of the church and for the care of the property, and

such other regular and special items as shall be brought to the

attention of the meeting, which budget shall be discussed and decided

upon, ratified or amended by the said meeting by majority vote, with

ample provision made to raise such funds by whatever usages the church

shall elect.