Participation in this plan shall not give any right to any employee to be retained in the employ of the employer nor shall it interfere with the right of the employer to discharge any employee and to deal with such employee without regard to the effect that such treatment might have upon participation in this plan.
As used herein, the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender and the singular shall include the plural in all cases where such meaning would be appropriate. Headings of articles and sections are inserted only for convenience of reference and are not to be considered in the construction of the plan.
The employer shall furnish to the plan administrator (and where applicable, the trustee) information in the employer's possession as the plan administrator and the trustee shall require from time to time to perform their duties under the plan.
Should any provisions of this plan be held illegal or invalid for any reason, said illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of this plan, and the plan shall be construed and enforced as if said illegal and invalid provisions had never been inserted herein.
If any participant shall be physically or mentally incapable of receiving or acknowledging receipt of any payment of pension benefits hereunder, the plan administrator, upon the receipt of satisfactory evidence that such participant is so incapacitated and that another person or institution is maintaining the participant and that no guardian or committee has been appointed for the participant, may provide for such payment of pension benefits hereunder to such person or institution so maintaining the participant, and any such payments so made shall be deemed for every purpose to have been made to such participant.
The income and principal of the pension fund are for the sole use and benefit of the participants of this plan, and, to the extent permitted by law, shall be free, clear and discharged from and are not to be in any way liable for debts, contracts or agreements, now contracted or which may hereafter be contracted, and from all claims and liabilities now or hereafter incurred by any participant or beneficiary.
If any benefit shall be payable under the plan to or on behalf of a participant who has died, if the plan provides that the payment of such benefits shall be made to the participant's estate, and if no administration of such participant's estate is pending in the court of proper jurisdiction, then the plan administrator, at its sole option, may pay such benefits to the surviving spouse of such deceased participant, or, if there be no such surviving spouse, to such participant's then living issue, per stirpes; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall prevent the plan administrator from insisting upon the commencement of estate administration proceedings and the delivery of any such benefits to a duly appointed executor or administrator.
Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to give any participant or beneficiary any interest in any specific property of the pension fund or any right except to receive such distributions as are expressly provided for under the plan.
Subject to the provisions of the Act and unless otherwise specifically required by other applicable laws, no past, present or future officer or agent of the employer or plan administrator shall be personally liable to any participant, beneficiary or other person under any provision of the plan.