1140                           LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 553

not be suspended, revoked or refused, he may suspend or refuse the
license of the society to do business in this State until satisfactory
evidence is furnished to him that such suspension or refusal should
be withdrawn or he may revoke the authority of the society to do
business in this State.

(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be taken or construed
as preventing any such society from continuing in good faith all
contracts made in this State during the time such society was legally
authorized to transact business herein.

310.    Organization—Incorporation.

The organization of a society shall be governed as follows:

Seven (7) or more citizens of the United States, a majority of
whom are citizens of this State, who desire to form a fraternal
benefit society, may make, sign and acknowledge before some officer,
competent to take acknowledgment of deeds, articles of incorporation,
in which shall be stated:

(a)   The proposed corporate name of the society, which shall not
so closely resemble the name of any society or insurance company
as to be misleading or confusing;

(b)   The purposes for which it is being formed and the mode in
which its corporate powers are to be exercised. Such purposes shall
not include more liberal powers than are granted by this subtitle,
provided that any lawful social, intellectual, educational, charitable,
benevolent, moral, fraternal or religious advantages may be set forth
among the purposes of the society; and

(c)   The names and residences of the incorporators and the names,
residences and official titles of all the officers, trustees, directors, or
other persons who are to have and exercise the general control of
the management of the affairs and funds of the society for the first
year or until the ensuing election at which all such officers shall be
elected by the supreme legislative or governing body, which election
shall be held not later than one year from the date of the issuance
of the permanent certificate.

311.    Filing Articles and Documents—Preliminary Certificate.

Such articles of incorporation, duly certified copies of the consti-
tution, laws and rules, copies of all proposed forms of certificates,
applications therefor, and circulars to be issued by the society and
a bond conditioned upon the return to applicants of the advanced
payments if the organization is not completed within one year, shall
be filed with the Commissioner, who may require such further infor-
mation as he deems necessary. The bond with sureties approved by
the Commissioner shall be in such amount, not less than five thou-
sand dollars ($5,000) nor more than twenty-five thousand dollars
($25,000), as required by the Commissioner. All documents filed are
to be in the English language. If the purposes of the society conform
to the requirements of this subtitle and all provisions of the law have
been complied with, the Commissioner shall so certify, retain and
file the articles of incorporation and furnish the incorporators a pre-
liminary certificate authorizing the society to solicit members as
hereinafter provided.