586 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 377

(23) The masculine pronoun, wherever used, shall include
the feminine pronoun.

2. Name and Date of Establishment. A retirement system
is hereby established and placed under the management of
the Board of Trustees for the purpose of providing retirement
allowances and other benefits under the provisions of this Ar-
ticle, for employees of the State of Maryland. The retirement
system so created shall be established as of October first, nine-
teen hundred and forty-one. It shall have the powers and
privileges of a corporation, and shall be known as the "Em-
ployees' Retirement System of the State of Maryland", and by
such name all of its business shall be transacted, all of its
funds invested, and all of its cash and securities and other
property held in trust for the purpose for which received.

3. Membership. The membership of the retirement system
shall consist of the following:

1. Any person who shall become an employee as herein
defined after the date of establishment shall become a member
of the retirement system as a condition of employment, and
shall not be entitled to receive any pension or retirement
allowance from any other pension or retirement system sup-
ported wholly or in part by the State of Maryland, anything
to the contrary notwithstanding.

(2) Any person who is an employee on the date of estab-
lishment, except any person specifically excluded under Sub-
section (3) of this section, shall become a member as of that
date, unless within a period of thirty days next following
such employee shall file with the Board of Trustees on a
form prescribed by the Board a notice of his election not to
be covered in the membership of the system and a duly exe-
cuted waiver of all present and prospective benefits which
would otherwise inure to him on account of his participation
in the retirement system.

(3) Persons who are employees as herein defined on the
date of establishment and who are covered by any existing
law providing for the retirement of employees wholly or in
part at the expense of the State, shall be entitled to member-
ship in this retirement system, and may become members by
filing with the Board of Trustees on a form prescribed by the
Board a duly executed waiver of all benefits which might inure
to them under the provisions of the laws under which they are
covered.

(4) Any employee who elects under Sub-section (2) of this
Section not to become a member, may thereafter apply for
and be admitted to membership; but no such employee shall
receive prior service credit unless he becomes a member with-
in the first year following the date of establishment.