4507 - Juvenile members.

§ 4507. Juvenile members. (a) An authorized society may admit to adult  insurance  membership  any  person not less than fifteen years of age at  nearest birthday. Any person so admitted prior to attaining the full age  of eighteen years  shall  be  deemed  competent  to  contract  for  life  insurance benefits, and to exercise and enjoy every right, privilege and  benefit  provided  by any life insurance certificate on the life of such  minor subject to the limitations contained in section four thousand five  hundred eight of this article as to the designation of beneficiary.    (b) Any such society may provide in its constitution  or  by-laws  for  the  admission,  as  juvenile  insurance  members, of children less than  eighteen years of age at nearest birthday. They shall have no  voice  or  vote  in  the  management  of the insurance affairs of the society. Life  insurance benefits may be  made  payable  upon  the  lives  of  juvenile  members,  upon  the application of some adult person, in accordance with  the by-laws, rules or regulations of such society, and in amounts  which  shall  not  exceed  the  limits  specified in section three thousand two  hundred seven of this chapter.    (c) Juvenile members insured under  certificates  issued  pursuant  to  this  section, if eligible for adult membership, shall be transferred to  and become members of the adult branch of the society upon attaining the  minimum age for adult membership under the laws  of  the  society.  Upon  such transfers made pursuant hereto, the mortuary reserve funds accruing  against  such  certificates  and an equitable share of any surplus funds  pertaining thereto shall likewise be transferred to the  adult  mortuary  fund.    (d)  Any  such  society  may  provide  in  its  by-laws  that mortuary  payments,  meaning  that  portion  of  contributions  allocated  to  the  mortuary  fund  and to reserves on outstanding contracts, received under  new certificates issued on or  after  January  first,  nineteen  hundred  thirty-nine, covering the lives of juvenile members, may be mingled with  the  mortuary  or reserve funds held on classes of adult certificates on  which adequate reserves are maintained not lower than those required  by  the  minimum standards of valuation prescribed by this article for adult  certificates  issued  on  or  after  January  first,  nineteen   hundred  thirty-nine.  Except  as hereinbefore provided, every such society shall  maintain the mortuary and reserve funds on insurance  on  the  lives  of  juvenile  members and the accretions thereto, separate and distinct from  all other funds of the society, and the same shall be held  as  a  trust  fund  available  exclusively  for  the  payment  of  benefits under such  contracts.    (e) Any such society  insuring  the  lives  of  juvenile  members  may  provide  in its by-laws, rules and regulations for payment on account of  the society's juvenile expense fund,  and  that  such  payments  may  be  mingled with the general expense funds of the society.