§ 240-a. Historic military commands. 1. Historic military commands are those independent military organizations located within the state as were on the twenty-third day of April, eighteen hundred eighty-three and are now in existence, and whose members associate themselves together at regular meetings and elect their officers in accordance with their respective rules and regulations or constitutions and by-laws.
2. The Old Guard of the City of New York, the Troy Citizens Corps, the Utica Citizens Corps, the One Hundred Twenty-fourth New York State Volunteers and the Veteran Corps of Artillery of the state of New York, are designated as historic military commands.
3. The adjutant general may issue a certificate of election under the seal of the chief of staff to officers of historic military commands elected pursuant to the rules and regulations or constitutions and by-laws of their respective commands. Such certificate of election shall be in a format approved by the adjutant general and shall be provided by the command at no cost to the state. Elected officers of historic military commands may take their oath of office before any officer of the organized militia of the state.
4. Historic military commands and independent military organizations defined in section two hundred forty of this chapter are not units of the militia of the state.
