1366                           LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 649

the persons severally electing and elected, and to elect and to be
elected thereafter, and also the name, style or title of the corpora-
tion by which it shall thereafter be known, and the name of the
church, society or congregation choosing the same.

263.    Same—Acknowledgment and delivery of copy to Depart-
ment.

The plan, agreement or regulation, so acknowledged [, together
with a copy thereof, shall be delivered for record by the said
trustees to the State Tax Commission in the manner and with the
effect provided in Section 269 of this article.] shall be included as part
of the articles of incorporation of any such corporation, together
with a designation in such certificate of the political subdivision of
this State in which its principal place of worship is located, the
mailing address of its principal place of worship and the designation
of the name and address of the resident agent of said corporation,
who shall be a citizen of the State of Maryland and shall actually
reside therein. Said articles of incorporation shall be delivered for
record by the said trustees to the Department in the manner and
with the effect provided in Section 269 of this Article.

264.    Same—Amendment.

Every such plan, agreement or regulation, heretofore or hereafter
determined upon in the manner provided for in Section 261 of this
article, may be amended from time to time and in the manner
following:

(4) Delivery of articles of amendment to [State Tax Commis-
sion ] Department.—Such articles of amendment, [together with a
copy thereof,] shall be delivered for record by the trustees to the
[State Tax Commission] Department in the manner and with the
effect provided in Section 269 of this article.

268. Validation of defectively organized corporation and vali-
dation where plan not properly filed or kept.

If any church or congregation organized or incorporated as a
religious corporation since the year eighteen hundred under any
law of this State hath failed or omitted within the time prescribed
by said law to file in the proper office for record the agreement, plan
or certificate of incorporation adopted by the said church or con-
gregation and if the said agreement, plan or certificate of incorpo-
ration hath heretofore, though after the time prescribed by said
law, been filed for record in the proper office, then, in such case,
the said agreement, plan or certificate of incorporation having been
so filed for record shall be effective for creating and making the
said church or congregation a proper and lawful religious body
corporate, and the same is hereby made a religious body corporate,
at, from and after the date of the said agreement, plan or certificate
of incorporation, in all respects, and to all intents and purposes, as
if the said agreement, plan or certificate of incorporation had been
duly filed for record within the time prescribed by such law, and
the failure to file the agreement, plan or certificate of incorporation
shall in nowise affect the validity or effect of the said church or con-
gregation as a valid and lawful religious body corporate, and all
the proceedings, acts and transactions carried on, done and per-
formed in the name or under the authority of such agreement, plan