Any religious society, military or fire company, literary, charitable or benevolent association, other than colleges, universities, academies or seminaries, or any grand or subordinate lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, or of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Knights of Honor, Ancient Order of United Workmen, Independent Order of Mutual Aid, Good Templars, or any other secret benevolent association or organization, may by the consent of a majority of its members become bodies corporate under this act, by filing the charter required by this act, electing directors or trustees, and performing the things as are directed in the case of other corporations; and when so organized shall have all the powers and privileges and be subject to all the restrictions in this act contained, for the objects named in the charter, and shall have the same power to make bylaws for the regulation of their affairs as other corporations, and shall have the power to adopt a bylaw to reduce the number of its directors or trustees to not less than three, and to incorporate with that number, and to prescribe their term of office, and to do and perform all other acts in accordance with the objects of the said lodges respectively. Such directors or trustees shall not usurp or exercise the functions of the officers in charge of the spiritual affairs of any society.
K.S.A. 17-1701