442 ARTICLE 77.

account of all pensions to pensioners shall be distributable among the active
members of the fund at the time of its discontinuance in proportion to the
respective contributions which they had previously made to the fund, pro-
vided that no member shall receive more than his accumulated contribu-
tions. If the distributable funds are more than sufficient to provide each
member with his accumulated contributions, the excess shall be transferred
to the said city, county, or other political subdivision of the State.

(4) A teacher whose membership in the retirement system is contingent
on his own election and who elects not to become a member, may thereafter
apply for and be admitted to membership; but no such teacher shall receive
prior service credit unless he becomes a member within the first year fol-
lowing the establishment of the retirement system.

(5) The Board of Trustees may, in its discretion, deny the right to be-
come members to any class of teachers whose compensation is only partly
paid by the State or who are serving on a temporary or other than per
annum basis, and it may also in its discretion, make optional with mem-
bers in any such class their individual entrance into membership.

(6) Should any member in any period of six consecutive years after last
becoming a member be absent from service more than five years, or should
he withdraw his accumulated contributions, or -should he become a bene-
ficiary or die, he shall thereupon cease to be a member.

1927, ch. 344, sec. 95.
95. Creditable Service.

(1) Under such rules and regulations as the Board of Trustees shall
adopt each member who was a teacher at any time during the year imme-
diately preceding the establishment of the system and who becomes a mem-
ber during the first year of operation of the retirement system, shall file a
detailed statement of all service as a teacher rendered by him prior to the
date of establishment for which he claims credit, including service in a
similar capacity rendered as a teacher outside the State of Maryland.

(2) The Board of Trustees shall fix and determine by appropriate rules
and regulations how much service in any year is equivalent to one year of
service, but in no case shall more than one year of service be creditable for
all service in one calendar year. Service rendered for the regular school
year in any district shall be equivalent to one year's service.

(3) Subject to the above restrictions and to such other rules and regu-
lations as the Board of Trustees may adopt, the Board of Trustees shall
verify, as soon as practicable after the filing of such statements of service,
the service therein claimed.

(4) Upon verification of the statements of service the Board of Trus-
tees shall issue prior service certificates certifying to each member the
length of service rendered prior to the day of the establishment of the retire-
ment system, with which he is credited on the basis of his statement of
service. So long as membership continues a prior service certificate shall
be final and conclusive for retirement purposes as to such service, provided,
however, that any member may, within one year from the date of issuance