21-609.

Societies declared to be corporations; power to acquire and hold property; charter, constitution; filing of copy required.

Each of said organizations, lodges or societies shall have power to receive bequests of real and personal property, to hold and convey both real and personal property, to lease property and to do all other things usually done by corporations for the purpose for which organized. In order to own, hold and convey real estate, each organization mentioned in section 21-608, shall file with the Secretary of State, for itself, a certified copy of the charter of the state organization, if there be one, or if there be no state organization then of the supreme or national organization, duly certified as a true copy thereof by the secretary or other like officer of such state organization, or supreme or national organization, as the case may be, under the official seal thereof; Provided, that if such state organization shall not exist under or by virtue of a charter from any grand, supreme or national governing body, but is working under and by virtue of its own constitution, then such organization shall file with the Secretary of State a correct copy of such constitution certified to by its secretary or other like officer, as a true copy of such constitution under the official seal of such state organization. Each of the subordinate organizations mentioned in section 21-608, and working under a charter from a state, supreme, or national organization shall, for itself, file with the clerk of the county in which such subordinate organization is located, a copy of the charter or constitution under which it is working, duly certified as a true copy thereof, by the secretary or other like officer thereof, under the official seal thereof, and such societies shall be thereafter entitled to all the privileges and rights incident to bodies corporate so long as they retain their respective organization and charters aforesaid.