Section 36. Every society authorized to do business in the commonwealth shall appoint in writing the commissioner and each successor in office to be its true and lawful attorney upon whom all lawful process in any action or proceeding against it shall be served, and shall agree in such writing that any lawful process against it which is served on said attorney shall be of the same legal force and validity as if served upon the society, and that the authority shall continue in force so long as any liability remains outstanding in the commonwealth. Copies of such appointment, certified by said commissioner, shall be deemed sufficient evidence thereof and shall be admitted in evidence with the same force and effect as the original thereof might be admitted.

Service shall only be made upon the commissioner, or if absent, upon the person in charge of his office. It shall be made in duplicate and shall constitute sufficient service upon the society. When legal process against a society is served upon the commissioner, he shall forthwith forward one of the duplicate copies by registered mail, prepaid, directed to the secretary or corresponding officer. Such service shall be made at least thirty days prior to the return day of the writ, and a society shall not be required to appear or file an answer, pleading or defence in less than thirty days after such service of any other process not commenced by writ. Legal process shall not be served upon a society except in the manner herein provided. At the time of serving any process upon the commissioner, the plaintiff or complainant in the action shall pay to the commissioner a fee of two dollars.