Chap. 541.—An ACT to incorporate Roanoke Lodge, No. 197, Benevolent and Pro-
tective Order of Elks, of Roanoke, Virginia.

Approved April 2, 1902.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That the persons
now and hereafter constituting the membership of Roanoke Lodge, num-
ler one hundred and ninety-seven, Benevolent and Protective Order of
Elks, of Roanoke, Virginia, a charitable and benevolent association, be,
and they are hereby, made and constituted a bedy politic and corporate
under the name and style of “Roanoke Lodge, number one hundred and
ninety-seven, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks,” and by that name
it shall have perpetual succession and a common seal, may contract and
he contracted with, sue and be sued, may acquire by gift, grant, or pur-
chase, and subject to the wishes and under the direction of a majority of

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the members thereof in good standing at a lawful meeting thereof, accord.
ing to the laws of the association, may rent, sell, convey, invest, im.
prove, encumber, and otherwise manage or dispose of said property o:
any part or parts thereof, and may borrow money, and issue evidences 01
debt therefor in such sums, for such time, and in such manner as to the
said majority of such meeting may seem proper, and secure the same b\
deed of trust or otherwise on its property.

2. The trustees of said lodge, or their successors in office, under the
seal of said lodge, are authorized and empowered to execute and delive:
deeds, deeds of trust, or mortgages upon said property, real or personal.
or both; and for the purpose of executing and carrying out the power
hereby conferred on the said corporation, the raid trustees shall be, and
they are hereby, authorized to execute such papers and instruments as
may be necessary and proper under the direction of said lodge, according
to the laws and regulations of that body, and to attach the seal of the
said lodge to such papers and instruments, and there shall be no persona!
liability on said trustees, nor on any of the members of said lodge, for
such acts or the acts of said corporation, nor shall said corporation
be required to issue any stock or have any capital stock. The amount of
land acquired by said lodge shall not at any one time exceed two acres in
any city, nor three hundred acres in any county of Virginia, and the
amount of property so acquired, both real and personal, shall not aggre-
gate in value at any one time more than fifty thousand dollars, and sa
long as said lodge shall be a charitable and benevolent association said
property shall be exempt from all State, county, and municipal taxation.
The title to all of said property shall be vested in said trustees, or their
successors in office, to be held by them for the use and benefit of said cor-
poration.

3. The said corporation shall have the power to make such rules, regu-
lations, and laws for its government and for the expulsion of its mem-
bers as to it may seem proper, with the right to forfeit all interest in its
property on the part of any member ccasing to be a member in good
standing of said lodge.

4, This act shall be in force from its passage.