1360                                   LAWS OF MARYLAND                              Ch. 653

(C)     "TRUSTEES" TO BE DESIGNATED "VESTRYMEN." THE
"TRUSTEES" SPECIFIED IN THE GENERAL RELIGIOUS
INCORPORATION ACT, WITH RESPECT TO PARISHES AND
SEPARATE CONGREGATIONS GOVERNED BY THIS SECTION 275,
SHALL BE STYLED "VESTRYMEN."

(D)   POWER TO ADOPT BY-LAWS; CHARTER AMENDMENTS NOT
REQUIRED TO COMPLY HEREWITH. EACH PARISH AND SEPARATE
CONGREGATION SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION MAY ADOPT BY-LAWS
GOVERNING ITS CORPORATE AND TEMPORAL AFFAIRS,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE
QUALIFICATION OF ITS VOTERS AT CONGREGATIONAL MEETINGS
AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A MINIMUM VOTING AGE, WHICH
MAY NOT BE LESS THAN SIXTEEN. THE BY-LAWS MAY BE
ADOPTED AT ANY REGULAR OR SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL
MEETING CALLED FOR THAT PURPOSE IF APPROVED BY A
MAJORITY OF THE QUALIFIED VOTERS VOTING ON THE QUESTION.
IN ALL OTHER RESPECTS NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THIS SECTION,
THE PROVISIONS OF THE GENERAL RELIGIOUS INCORPORATION
ACT SHALL REGULATE THE CORPORATE AND TEMPORAL AFFAIRS
OF THESE PARISHES AND SEPARATE CONGREGATIONS, AND, TO
THE EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
UNITED STATES OR OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND, THE CHARTERS
OF ALL THESE PARISHES AND SEPARATE CONGREGATIONS SHALL
BE DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN AMENDED HEREBY TO CONFORM
HEREWITH. ANY SUCH PARISH OR SEPARATE CONGREGATION,
HOWEVER, AT ITS OPTION AND FROM TIME TO TIME MAY FILE
WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ASSESSMENTS AND TAXATION
APPROPRIATE ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT AS PROVIDED IN
SECTION 264 OF THE GENERAL RELIGIOUS INCORPORATION ACT.

(E)  PARISH BOUNDARIES. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION AFFECTS
THE GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES OF PARISHES (AS
DISTINGUISHED FROM SEPARATE CONGREGATIONS NOT HAVING
PRESCRIBED GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES) WITHIN THE DIOCESE
OF MARYLAND EXISTING ON JULY 1, 1973. NO PARISH MAY BE
SUBDIVIDED INTO A NEW PARISH OR ADDED, IN WHOLE OR IN
PART, TO AN EXISTING PARISH UNLESS APPROVED BY A
MAJORITY VOTE OF THE VESTRY OF VESTRIES OF THE PARISH OR
PARISHES AFFECTED BY THE SUBDIVISION OR ADDITION. (F) THE
CORPORATE EXISTENCE AND THE RIGHTS, POWERS AND
PRIVILEGES OF PARISHES AND SEPARATE CONGREGATIONS
WITHIN THE DIOCESE OF MARYLAND INCORPORATED UNDER THE
VESTRY ACT OR BY SPECIAL ACT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
PRIOR TO JULY 1, 1973, SHALL IN NO WISE BE DIMINISHED OR
IMPAIRED BY THIS SECTION 275.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That nothing herein
contained has any application to parishes and separate congregations within the
Diocese of Easton or the Diocese of Washington of the Protestant Episcopal
Church within the State of Maryland.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That The captions and
section headings in this Act are for purposes of convenience and identification
only, and shall not be deemed a part of the text.