750
Membership,
Government.
C o u n c i l of administration.
PUBLIC LAW 605-AUG. 20, 1954
[68
STAT.
(3) to adopt, use, and alter a corporate seal; (4) to choose such officers, managers, agents, and employees as the activities of the corporation may require; (5) to adopt, amend, and alter a constitution and bylaws; not inconsistent with the laws of the United States or any State in which the corporation is to operate, for the management of its property and the regulation of its affairs; (6) to contract and be contracted with; (7) to take by lease, gift, purchase, grant, devise, or bequest from any public body or agency or any private corporation, association, partnership, firm, or individual and to hold absolutely or in trust for any of the purposes of the corporation any property, real, personal, or mixed, necessary or convenient for attaining the objects and carrying into effect the purposes of the corporation, subject, however, to applicable provisions of law of any State (A) governing the amount or kind of property which may be held by, or (B) otherwise limiting or controlling the ownership of property by, a corporation operating in such State; (8) to transfer, convey, lease, sublease, encumber and otherwise alienate real, personal or mixed property; and (9) to borrow money for the purposes of the corporation, issue bonds therefor, and secure the same by mortgage, deed of trust, pledge or otherwise, subject in every case to all applicable provisions of Federal and State laws; and (10) to do any and all acts and things necessary and proper to carry out the objects and purposes of the corporation. SEC. 5. Eligibility for membership in the corporation and the rights, privileges, and designation of classes of members shall, except as provided in this Act, be determined as the constitution and bylaws of the corporation may provide. Eligibility for membership in the corporation shall be limited to male blood relatives of persons who served between April 12, 1861, and April 9, 1865, as soldiers or sailors of the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Revenue-Cutter Service, and of such State regiments as were called into active service and were subject to orders of United States general officers between the dates above mentioned and were honorably discharged therefrom at the close of such service or who died in such service. SEC. 6. The supreme governing authority of the corporation shall be the national encampment thereof, composed of such officers and elected representatives from the several States and other local subdivisions of the corporate organization as shall be provided by the constitution and bylaws: Provided, That the form of the government of the corporation shall always be representative of the membership at large and shall not permit the concentration of the control thereof in the hands of a limited number of members or in a selfperpetuating group not so representative. The meetings of the national encampment may be held in any State or Territory or in the District of Columbia. SEC. 7. (a) During the intervals between the national encampments, the council of administration shall be the governing board of the corporation and shall be responsible for the general policies, program, and activities of the corporation. (b) Upon the enactment of this Act the membership of the initial council of administration of the corporation shall consist of the present members of the council of administration of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the corporation described in section 18 of this Act, or such of them as may then be living and are qualified members of said council of administration, to wit: Major General Ulysses
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