Approval or refusal—Appellate review

The director, not later than six months after receipt of the proposed articles and bylaws shall endorse upon each copy thereof the word "approved" or "refused" and the date thereof. In case of refusal, he or she shall forthwith return one copy of the articles and bylaws to the incorporators, and the refusal shall be final unless the incorporators, or a majority of them, within thirty days after the refusal, appeal to the superior court of Thurston county. The appeal may be accomplished by the incorporators preparing a notice of appeal, serving a copy of it upon the director, and filing the notice with the clerk of the court, whereupon the clerk, under the direction of the judge, shall give notice to the appellants and to the director of a date for the hearing of the appeal. The appeal shall be tried de novo by the court. At the hearing a record shall be kept of the evidence adduced, and the decision of the court shall be final unless appellate review is sought as in other cases.