§ 161. The meeting for incorporation. At the meeting for
incorporation, held in pursuance of such notice, the qualified voters,
until otherwise decided as hereinafter provided, shall be all persons of
full age who have statedly worshiped with such church and have regularly
contributed to its support, according to its usages, for at least one
year or since it was formed. At such meeting the presence of a majority
of such qualified voters, in person, or by proxy duly authorized in
writing, at least six in number, shall be necessary to constitute a
quorum, and all matters or questions shall be decided by a majority of
the qualified voters voting thereon. The meeting shall be called to
order by one of the signers of the call. There shall be elected at such
meeting, from the qualified voters then present, a presiding officer, a
clerk to keep the record of the proceedings of the meeting and two
inspectors of election to receive the ballots cast. The presiding
officer and the inspectors shall decide the result of the ballots cast
on any matter, and shall be the judges of the qualifications of the
voters. If the meeting shall decide that such unincorporated church
shall become incorporated, the meeting shall also decide upon the name
of the proposed corporation, the number of the trustees thereof, which
shall be three, six or nine, and the date, not more than fifteen months
thereafter, on which the first annual election of the trustees thereof
shall be held; and it may, by a two-thirds vote, decide that all members
of the unincorporated church, of full age, in good and regular standing
who have statedly worshiped with such church but who have not
contributed to the financial support thereof, shall also be qualified
voters at such meeting, and that such church members, who, for one year
next preceding any subsequent corporate meeting, shall have statedly
worshiped with such church and have been members thereof in good and
regular standing, but have not regularly contributed to the financial
support thereof, shall be qualified voters at such corporate meetings.
Such meetings shall thereupon elect by ballot from the persons qualified
to vote thereat one-third of the number of trustees so decided on, who
shall hold office until the first annual election of trustees
thereafter, one-third of such number of trustees who shall hold office
until the second annual election of trustees thereafter, and one-third
of such number of trustees who shall hold office until the third annual
election of trustees thereafter, or until the respective successors of
such trustees shall be elected. Such meeting shall also elect by ballot
a clerk of the corporation, who shall hold his office until the close of
the next annual meeting.