Chap. 260.—An ACT to incorporate the Farmers Benevolent Fire
Association of Franklin county.

Approved February 24, 1888.

Whereas it is represented that a number of the citizens of
Franklin county are desirous of forming themselves into a
benevolent association for the purpose of giving aid and
assistance to each other in cases of loss by fire; therefore,

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That |
George M. Helms, James f. English, James H. Turner, Jabez
Abshire, W. H. Muse, George H. T. Greer, P. D. Divers, and
such other persons as are now or hereafter may become
associated with them, be and they are hereby created a body
politic and corporate by the name of the Farmers Benevolent :

ire Insurance Association of Franklin county, and by that
name shall have perpetual succession and a common seal,
which it may alter or renew at its pleasure, and may sue and
be sued, plead and be impleaded, contract and be contracted
with, and make ordinances, by-laws, and regulations consist-
ent with the laws of this state or of the United States, for
the government of all under its authority, for the manage-
ment of its business, and the due and orderly conduct of its
affairs.

2. For the organization of said association, it shall not be.
necessary that any capital stock shall be subscribed, but the
corporation aforesaid, and such other persons as may consent
in writing, may meet and organize at such time and place as
a majority of them may designate, of which reasonable
notice shall be given in some newspaper published at Rocky
Mount, Virginia. The officers of the association shall be a
president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer, and as
many directors as the association may deem necessary, all of
whom shall be elected or appointed in such manner and for
such time as the association shall prescribe. The fees of
membership, the ways and means of raising money to meet
the contingent expenses of the association, apart from losses
by fire, renewals of policies, the admission of new members,
as well as the withdrawal and expulsion of any members,
shall be prescribed and regulated by the by-laws of said asso-
ciation.

3. The said association shall have power to insure its mem- |
bers (who may be citizens of any county) against loss or
losses by fire to an amount not exceeding in any case two-
thirds of the estimated value of the property insured, and in
order to enable it to raise the means of paying its liabilities,
it shall be the duty of the board of directors as soon as may
be after the happening of any fire for which the association
may be responsible for the losses and injury occasioned there-
by, to assemble together and make such assessment upon
each individual member of the association as the by-laws
may authorize and provide for, which said assessment shall
be paid by such member within sixty days from the time of

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its being levied; and if any member or his representative, on
being notified by said association, shall fail to pay his assess-
ment within the period aforesaid, the same may be recovered
in the corporate name of the association, by motion after ten
days’ notice, in the county court of the county where such
member or his representative resides. Proof of the mailing
of the notice of assessment by the officer of the association
charged with that duty shall be sufficient proof of the ser-
vice of notice of said assessment upon any member so as-
sessed.
4. This act shall be in force from its passage.