Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor 233
(c) The original Vestry Act governed all the then existing Parishes
of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the State, but the General
Assembly of Maryland subsequently passed the General Religious
Corporations Act of 1802, Chapter 111, and thereafter some of the
Protestant Episcopal Churches now within the Diocese of Easton
became incorporated under said Chapter 111 of the Acts of 1802,
and the amendments thereof, sometimes hereinafter referred to as
"Separate Congregations"; and
(d) By authority of the Convention granted by the original Vestry
Act some of the original Parishes may have been divided into two
or more separate Parishes and some united into one Parish; and
(e) Some of the Parishes or Separate Congregations may have
been created under the original Vestry Act, or otherwise, as above
stated, prior to the Maryland Constitution of 1851, and thus may
have irrepealable charters, but some of them may have been formed
since the effective date of the Constitution of 1851; therefore
Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That fifteen new sections be and they are hereby added to Article 23
of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1951 Edition and 1956 Supple-
ment), title "Corporations", sub-title "Religious Corporations", said
new sections to be known as Sections 288A to 288-O, inclusive, to
be under the new sub-heading "Protestant Episcopal Church—
Diocese of Easton", to follow immediately after Section 288 of said
Article and prior to the present Section 288A, and to read as follows:
Protestant Episcopal Church — Diocese of Easton
288A. INTERPRETATION—
(a) As used in this sub-heading the following terms shall have
the following meanings except as otherwise expressly provided or
may result by necessary implication:
(b) "Assistant Priest or Minister" means the clergyman appointed
to assist the Rector.
(c) "By-laws" means the rules or laws authorized by statute to
be adopted by a Parish or Separate Congregation for the govern-
ment of its affairs to the extent the Parish or Separate Congregation
may choose.
(d) "Cathedral Council" means that body elected by the congre-
gation of Trinity Cathedral at Easton to exercise such of the func-
tions ordinarily performed by a Vestry which are not prohibited by
diocesan canonical mandate.
(e) "Church" means the building in which divine worship is held,
and may include a chapel or other building of a Parish.
(f) "Churchwarden" shall include an assistant churchwarden.
(g) "Congregation" means the whole body of enrolled members
in a Parish.
(h) "Contributor" shall include a person who has performed a
service without charge as well as a donor of money or goods.
(i) "Convention" means the governing body of the Diocese, which
was created by Chapter 23 of the Acts of 1870, and amendments
thereof.
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