Insurance Code (usually included in commercial codals)
Section 271. (1) An annual meeting of members shall be held at ten o'clock in the morning of the fourth Tuesday of March of each year at the principal office of the insurer, unless a different time or place be provided in the by-laws.
(2) Special meetings of the members, for any purpose or purposes whatsoever, may be called at any time by the president, or by the board of directors, or by one or more members holding not less than one-fifth of the voting power of such insurer, or by such other officers or persons as the by-laws authorize.
(3) Notice of all meetings of members whether annual or special shall be given in writing to the members entitled to vote by the secretary, or an assistant secretary, or other person charged with that duty, or if there be no such officer, or in case of his neglect or refusal, by any director or member. At the option of the insurer such notice may be imprinted on premium notices of receipts or on both.
A notice may be given by such insurer to any member either personally, or by mail, or other means of written communication, charges prepaid, addressed to such member at his address appearing on the books of the insurer, or given by him to the insurer for the purpose of notice. If a member gives no address, notice shall be deemed to have been given him if sent by mail or other means of written communication addressed to the place where the principal office of the insurer is situated, or if published at least once in some newspaper of general circulation in the place in which said office is located.
Notice of any meeting of members shall be sent to each member entitled thereto not less than seven days before such meeting, unless the by-laws provide otherwise.
Notice of any meeting of members shall specify the place, the day and the hour of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted.
Notice of an annual meeting to be held at the time and place specified in sub-paragraph one of this section shall be sufficiently given if published at least once in each of four successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the place in which the principal office of such insurer is located, and if so published no other notice of such meeting shall be required.
(4) The presence in person or by proxy of five per centum of the members entitled to vote at any meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, unless otherwise provided by the by-laws.
(5) Each such member shall have one vote at any meeting of members regardless of the number of policies or the amount of insurance that such member holds and regardless of whether such policies are policies of life insurance, or of health and accident insurance, or both. Any member entitled to vote shall have the right to do so either in person or by an agent or agents authorized by a written proxy executed by such person or his duly authorized agent and filed with the secretary of such insurer.
(6) The directors of the insurer in office at the time the insurer is mutualized as provided in this chapter shall continue in office until the first annual meeting of members. At the first annual meeting of members and at each annual meeting thereafter directors shall be elected by the members for the term or terms authorized by this chapter.
(7) The articles of incorporation or the bay-laws may provide that the directors may be divided into two or more classes whose terms of office shall expire at different times, but no terms shall continue longer than six years. In the absence of such provisions, each director, except members of the board of directors at the time the insurer is mutualized, shall be elected for a term of one year. All directors shall hold office for a term for which they are elected and until their successors are elected and qualified. A director may, but need not be a member or policyholder of the insurer of which he is acting as director. Vacancies in the board of directors may be filled by a majority of the remaining directors, though less than a quorum, and each director so elected shall hold office until the next annual meeting.
(8) All insurers mutualized under the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to all other applicable provisions of this Code and of the Corporation Law.