Terms Used In Virginia Code > Title 38.2 > Chapter 41 > Article 2 - Membership

• Adult: means a person 18 years of age or more. See Virginia Code 1-203
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Benefit member: means an adult member who is designated by the laws or rules of the society to be a benefit member under a benefit contract. See Virginia Code 38.2-4103
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. ^{Source: FDIC}
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Laws: means the society's articles of incorporation, constitution and bylaws, however designated. See Virginia Code 38.2-4103
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lodge: means subordinate member units of the society, known as camps, courts, councils, branches or by any other designation. See Virginia Code 38.2-4103
• Person: means any association, aggregate of individuals, business, company, corporation, individual, joint-stock company, Lloyds type of organization, organization, partnership, receiver, reciprocal or interinsurance exchange, trustee or society. See Virginia Code 38.2-100
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• Process: includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. See Virginia Code 1-237
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Rules: means all rules, regulations or resolutions adopted by the supreme governing body or board of directors which are intended to have general application to the members of the society. See Virginia Code 38.2-4103
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Society: means fraternal benefit society, unless otherwise indicated. See Virginia Code 38.2-4103
• State: means any commonwealth, state, territory, district or insular possession of the United States. See Virginia Code 38.2-100