N.Y. Mil. Law § 240-a

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