964                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 564

tions", subtitle "Religious Corporations", subheading "Protestant
Episcopal Church—Diocese of Easton", be and they are hereby re-
pealed and re-enacted, with amendments, to read as follows:

298.

(b) "Assistant priest or minister" means the clergyman appointed
to assist the rector [.] , and includes an associate rector, curate,
and a vicar, where appropriate.

(aa) "Vestry" means the governing body of a parish or separate
congregation £and may and often does include the "cathedral
council"].

303.

(d)  The vestry shall hold regular meetings at such time and place
as they may adopt by a majority vote from time to time.

Such meetings, unless otherwise provided by the vestry for good
cause, shall be held [not less frequently than] at least quarterly in
each parochial year.

304.

(e)  Subject only to thirty days' prior notice to the ecclesiastical
authority of the diocese, and the right of the ecclesiastical authority
to license or refuse to license, a priest to officiate, the vestry, by a
majority vote of all its members, shall have power and authority
from time to time to call a priest to be the rector of the parish.

The contract with such priest shall be in writing, executed in
triplicate, at the expense of the vestry, one copy to be retained by the
vestry, one copy to be delivered to the priest, and one copy to be filed
with the ecclesiastical authority, and shall specify (i) the emoluments
of the office and the periodic payments thereof; (ii) the agreement as
to the occupation and use of the rectory, any glebe or other land, and
other property belonging to the parish, as well as other perquisites,
if any; (iii) the duration of the contract, if definitely agreed upon, or
in lieu thereof, a statement that the contract shall continue for an
indeterminate period of time; (iv) the notice required to dissolve the
contract, which shall be six months on the part of both parties unless
a greater or lesser time is agreed upon as to either or both; and (v)
such other terms, conditions and provisions as the parties may deem
reasonable and proper.

A certificate of approval signed by the members of the vestry,
being at least a majority thereof, who voted to call the priest to be
the rector, shall be endorsed on or shall be attached to each copy of
the executed contract.

The contract when executed shall remain in force until dissolved by
either party in accordance with the terms thereof, but nothing therein
shall impede the mutual alteration, modification or amendment of
the terms, conditions and provisions of such contract at any time,
but such alteration, modification or amendment thereof as shall be
made shall be reduced to writing, and copies thereof shall be retained
by the vestry, delivered to the priest and filed with the ecclesiastical
authority as is required with respect to the original contract.