ART. 23] FRATERNAL BENEFICIARY ASSOCIATIONS. 247

ness fraudulently or is not carrying out its contracts in good faith, he
shall notify the association of his findings and state in writing the
grounds of his dissatisfaction, and after reasonable notice require such
association, on a date named, to show cause why its license should not be
revoked. If on the date named in said notice such objections have not
been removed to the satisfaction of the said commissioner, or the associa-
tion does not present good and sufficient reasons why its authority to
transact business in this State should not at that time be revoked, he
may revoke the authority of the association to continue business in this
State. All decisions and findings of the commissioner made under the
provisions of this section may be reviewed by proper proceedings in any
court of competent jurisdiction, as provided in section 244.

1912, ch. 824, sec. 30A.

244L. (Exemption of Certain Societies.) Nothing contained in this
sub-title shall be construed to affect or apply to grand or subordinate
lodges of Masons, Odd Fellows or Knights of Pythias (exclusive of the
insurance department of the Supreme Lodge Knights of Pythias, and
the Junior Order of United American Mechanics; exclusive of the
Beneficiary Degree or insurance branch of the National Council Junior
Order United American Mechanics) or associations which limit their
membership to any one hazardous occupation, nor to similar associations
which doi not issue insurance certificates, nor to an association of local
lodges of a society now doing business in this State which provides
death benefits not exceeding three hundred dollars to any one person,
or disability benefits not exceeding three hundred dollars in any one
year to any one person, or both, nor to any contract of reinsurance busi-
ness on such plan in this State, nor to domestic associations which limit
their membership to the employees of a particular city or town, desig-
nated firm, business house or corporation, nor to domestic lodges, orders
or associations of a purely religious, charitable and benevolent descrip-
tion, which do not provide for a death benefit of more than one hundred
dollars, or for disability benefits of more than one hundred and fifty
dollars to any one person in any one year; provided, always, that any
such domestic order or society which has more than five hundred mem-
bers, and provides for death or disability benefits, and any such domestic
lodge, order or society which issues to any person a certificate providing
for the payment of benefits, shall not be exempt by the provisions of this
section, but shall comply with all the requirements of this sub-title. The
insurance commissioner may require from any society such information
as will enable him to determine whether such society is exempt from the
provisions of this sub-title. No society which is exempt by the pro-
visions of this section from the requirement of this sub-title shall give
or allow or promise to give or allow, to any person any compensation for
procuring new members. Any fraternal beneficiary association hereto-
fore organized and incorporated and operating within the definition set
forth in sections 229, 230 and 231, providing for benefits in case of