110 CORPORATIONS. [ART. 23

band or affianced wife of the member, or to persons dependent
upon the member for food, lodging, clothing or education, and to
none other; provided, that payment can only be made to a bene-
ficiary by reason of dependency when it is established by docu-
mentary proof to the satisfaction of the executive officers of such
association that the fact of such dependency as herein provided,
existed at the member's death, and no benefit certificate shall issue
designating a beneficiary by way of dependency, unless such
dependency shall be fully set forth, in writing, and established by
documentary proof to the satisfaction of said executive officer,
prior to the issuance thereof. A benefit shall not be assignable
except to the beneficiaries above specified, and then only by the
consent of such association, attested by its seal and the signature
of its supreme secretary and supreme executive officer; but the
member may surrender his benefit certificate and have a new one
issued to any one or more of the beneficiaries, as above specified,
in the manner provided by the constitution and laws of such
association. Such associations shall be governed by the provis-
ions of section 143E to section 143 B, both inclusive, of this
article, and shall be exempt from the provisions of the insurance
laws of this State, and no law hereafter passed shall apply to
them unless they be expressly designated therein; provided, that
any corporations or associations, orders or societies, operating on
the lodge system and having ritualistic work in their lodges,
councils or societies, whose business it is, in whole or in part, to
pay, at the expiration of a fixed period of not less than five
years, a sum not exceeding the maximum amount named in their
certificates or paying dividend withdraw at surrender, or old age
benefits, or paying such certificates at the expiration of life
expectancy, may conduct their business in the State under the
provisions governing fraternal beneficiary societies, orders or
associations, with this exception, that no such corporation or
association shall be permitted to begin, do or continue business
in this State, until it shall have first deposited with the Insurance
Commissioner of this State, the sum of ten thousand dollars in
dividend bearing securities, satisfactory to said commissioner, as
a guarantee for the payment of certificates issued by it, which
deposit shall be constantly maintained at that amount; provided,
however, that any such corporation or association organized