1206 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [Cri. 492

and laws for a supreme legislative or governing body, com-
posed of representatives elected either directly or indirectly
by the members, together with such other members as may be
prescribed by its constitution and laws; provided, that the
elective members shall constitute a majority in number and
not have less than two-thirds of the votes, nor less than the
votes required to amend its constitution and laws; and pro-
vided further, that the meetings of the supreme or governing
body, and the election of officers, representatives or delegates
shall be held as often as once in four years. The members,
officers, representatives or delegates of a fraternal beneficiary
association shall not vote by proxy.

SEC. 146. Exemptions. Except a? herein provided, such
association shall be governed by this act and shall be exempt
from all provisions of the insurance laws of this state, not
only in its governmental relations with the state, but for every
other purpose, and no law hereafter enacted shall apply to them
unless they be expressly designated therein.

SEC. 147. Benefits. Every association transacting business
under this act shall provide for the payment of death benefits,
and may provide for the payment of benefits in case of tem-
porary or permanent physical disability, either as a result of
disease, accident or old age; provided, the period of life at
which the payment of benefits for disability on account of
old age shall commence, shall not be more than seventy years;
and may provide for monuments or tombstones to the memory
of its deceased members and for the payment of funeral bene-
fits. Such association shall have the power to give a member,
when permanently disabled or on attaining the age of seventy,
all or such portion of the face value of his certificate, as the
laws of the association may provide; provided, that nothing
in this act contained shall be so construed as to prevent the
issuing of benefit certificates for a term of years less than
the whole of life which are payable upon the death or dis-
ability of the member occurring within the term for which
the benefit certificate may be issued. Such association shall,
upon written application of the member, have the power to
accept a part of the periodical contributions, in cash, and
charge the remainder, not exceeding one-half of the periodical
contribution, against the certificate with interest payable or
compounded annually at a rate not lower than four per cent
per annum; provided, that this privilege shall not be granted
except to associations which have readjusted or may hereafter