Tennessee Code Title 56. Insurance § 56-18-112

(a)(1) If a stock life insurance corporation determines to become a mutual life insurance corporation, it may, in carrying out any plan to that end under this chapter, acquire any shares of its own stock by gift, bequest or purchase.

(2) Until all of the shares are acquired, any shares so acquired shall be assigned and transferred on the books of the corporation to five (5) trustees for the corporation, and shall be held by them in trust and be voted as a unit by them at all corporate meetings at which stockholders have a right to vote, until all of the capital stock of the corporation is acquired, when the entire capital stock shall be retired and cancelled and, thereupon, the corporation shall be made and become a mutual life insurance corporation without capital stock.

(3) Before undertaking any of the duties of appointment, each trustee shall file with the company a verified acceptance of the appointment and a declaration that the trustee will faithfully discharge all duties as trustee, and shall give bond as required by the mutualization plan.

(4) All dividends and other sums received by the trustees on the shares of stock so acquired by them, shall, after paying the necessary expenses of executing the trust, be added to and become a part of the surplus earned by the company.