New York Consolidated Laws, Benevolent Orders Law - BVO § 3-a. [Subordinate bodies as corporate entities;  liability of officers and members for obligations]

A subordinate lodge, chapter, post, council, commandery, temple, court or other organization entitled to file a certificate of election of trustees under section two of the benevolent orders law shall, while the warrant or charter for said lodge, chapter, post, council, commandery, temple, court or other organization, is in force so as to entitle it to operate as a subordinate body of the grand lodge or other grand body under whose jurisdiction it operates, be deemed to be a corporate entity for the purpose of making contracts, incurring liabilities, and acquiring rights, and of suing and being sued in the courts of this state in its own name, but may not take, hold, lease, mortgage, convey or otherwise dispose of real property unless it shall have filed the certificate required by section two of the benevolent orders law.  In the absence of fraud or bad faith, the members, officers and trustees of a lodge, chapter, post, council, commandery, temple, court or other organization, enumerated in section two of the benevolent orders law, shall not be personally liable for its debts, obligations or liabilities.