SECRETARY'S CERTIFICATE


I, John J. Morris, Secretary of Lincoln Benefit Life Company, a Nebraska
corporation (this "Company"), do hereby certify that the following is a true,
complete, and correct copy of the resolution of the Board of Directors of
this Corporation adopted at a meeting held May 17, 1990, at which a quorum
was present and that said resolution is in full force and effect:

            BE IT RESOLVED, That the Company, pursuant to the provisions of
       Section 402.01 of the Nebraska Insurance Code, hereby establishes a
       separate account designated Lincoln Benefit Life Variable Life Account
       (hereinafter "Variable Life Account") for the following use and
       purposes, and subject to such conditions as hereinafter set forth.

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Variable Life Account shall be
       established for the purpose of providing for the issuance by the
       Company of such variable life or such other contracts ("Contracts") as
       the President may designate for such purpose and shall constitute a
       separate account into which are allocated amounts paid to or held by
       the Company under such Contracts; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the income, gains and losses,
       whether or not realized, from assets allocated to Variable Life
       Account shall, in accordance with the Contracts be credited to or
       charged against such account without regard to other income, gains, or
       losses of the Company; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the fundamental investment policy of
       Variable Life Account shall be to invest or reinvest the assets of
       Variable Life Account in securities issued by investment companies
       registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as
       the Finance Committee may designate pursuant to the provisions of the
       Contracts; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That five investment divisions be, and
       hereby are, established within Variable Life Account to which net
       payments under the Contracts will be allocated in accordance with
       instructions received from contractholders, and that the President be,
       and hereby is, authorized to increase or decrease the number of
       investment divisions in Variable Life Account as deemed necessary or
       appropriate; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That each such investment division shall
       invest only in the shares of a single mutual fund or a single mutual
       fund portfolio of an investment company organized as a series fund
       pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the President and Treasurer be and
       they hereby are, authorized to deposit such amount in Variable Life
       Account or in each investment division thereof as may be necessary or
       appropriate to facilitate the commencement of the Account's
       operations; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the President of the Company be, and
       is hereby, authorized to change the designation of Variable Life
       Account to such other designation as it may deem necessary or
       appropriate; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the appropriate officers of the
       Company, with such assistance from the Company's auditors, legal
       counsel and independent consultants or others as




       they may require, be, and they hereby are, authorized and directed to
       take all action necessary to: (a) register Variable Life Account as a
       unit investment trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
       amended; (b) register the Contracts in such amounts, which may be an
       indefinite amount, as the officers of the Company shall from time to
       time deem appropriate under the Securities Act of 1933; and (c) take
       all other actions which are necessary in connection with the offering
       of said Contracts for sale and the operation of Variable Life Account
       in order to comply with the Investment Company Act of 1940, the
       Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Securities Act of 1933, and other
       applicable federal laws, including the filing of any amendments to
       registration statements, any undertakings, and any applications for
       exemptions from the Investment Company Act of 1940 or other applicable
       federal laws as the officers of the Company shall deem necessary or
       appropriate; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the President and the General
       Counsel, and either of them with full power to act without the other,
       hereby are severally authorized and empowered to prepare, execute and
       cause to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
       behalf of Variable Account and by the Company as sponsor and
       depositor, a Form of Notification of Registration, a Registration
       Statement registering Variable Life Account as an investment company
       under the Investment Company Act of 1940, and a Registration Statement
       registering the variable life insurance contracts under the Securities
       Act of 1933; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the appropriate officers of the
       Company be, and they hereby are, authorized on behalf of Variable Life
       Account and on behalf of the Company to take any and all action that
       they may deem necessary or advisable in order to sell the Contracts,
       including any registrations, filings and qualifications of the
       Company, its officers, agents and employees, and the Contracts under
       the insurance and securities laws of any of the states of the United
       States of America or other jurisdictions, and in connection therewith,
       to prepare, execute, deliver and file all such applications, reports,
       covenants, resolutions, applications for exemptions, consents to
       service of process and other papers and instruments as may be required
       under such laws, and to take any and all further action which said
       officers or counsel of the Company may deem necessary or desirable
       (including entering into whatever agreements and contracts may be
       necessary) in order to maintain such registrations or qualifications
       for as long as said officers or counsel deem them to be in the best
       interests of Variable Life Account and the Company; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the General Counsel of the Company
       be, and hereby is, authorized in the names and on behalf of Variable
       Life Account and the Company to execute and file irrevocable written
       consents on the part of Variable Life Account and of the Company to be
       used in such states wherein such consents to service of process may be
       requisite under the insurance or securities laws therein in connection
       with said registration or qualification of Contracts and to appoint
       the appropriate state official, or such other person as may be allowed
       by said insurance or securities laws, agent of Variable Life Account
       and of the Company for the purpose of receiving and accepting process;
       and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the President of the Company be, and
       hereby is, authorized to establish criteria by which the Company shall
       institute procedures to provide for a pass-through of voting rights to
       the owners of such Contracts as required by the applicable laws with
       respect to securities owned by Variable Life Account; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the President of the Company is
       hereby authorized to execute such agreement or agreements on such
       terms and subject to such modifications as



       deemed necessary or appropriate (i) with a qualified entity that will
       be appointed principal underwriter and distributor for the Contracts
       and (ii) with one or more qualified banks or other qualified entities
       to provide administrative and/or custodial services in connection with
       the establishment and maintenance of Variable Life Account and the
       design, issuance, and administration of the Contracts; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That since it is expected that Variable
       Life Account will invest in the securities issued by one or more
       investment companies, the appropriate officers of the Company are
       hereby authorized to execute whatever agreement or agreements as may
       be necessary or appropriate to enable such investments to be made; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the appropriate officers of the
       Company, and each of them, are hereby authorized to execute and
       deliver all such documents and papers and to do or cause to be done
       all such acts and things as they may deem necessary or desirable to
       carry out the foregoing resolutions and the intent and purposes
       thereof.

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Company intends to issue
       variable life insurance contracts in certain states which require that
       the Company adopt, by formal action of the Board of Directors, written
       statements specifying the Company's Standards of Suitability and the
       Company's Standards of Conduct with regard to the issuance and sale of
       such variable life insurance contracts.

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That neither the Company nor its agents
       shall make a recommendation to an applicant to purchase variable life
       insurance contracts or issue variable life insurance contracts in the
       absence of reasonable grounds to believe the purchase of such contract
       is not unsuitable for such applicant on the basis of information
       furnished after reasonable inquiry of such applicant concerning the
       applicant's insurance and investment objectives, financial situation
       and needs and any other information known to the insured or to the
       agent making the recommendation;

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That neither the Company, its officers,
       directors, nor employees will engage in any act, practice or course of
       business in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or
       indirectly, by such person of any security held or to be acquired by
       the variable life separate account or any separate account of the
       Company, in contravention of such rules and regulations as the
       Securities and Exchange Commission may adopt to define and prescribe
       means reasonably necessary to prevent, such acts, practices, or
       courses of business conduct as are fraudulent, deceptive or
       manipulative, including requirements for the adoption of codes of
       ethics by registered investment companies and investment advisers of
       and principal underwriters for, such investment companies establishing
       such standards as are reasonably necessary to prevent such acts,
       practices or courses of business as are fraudulent, deceptive or
       manipulative.


       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand as Secretary of the
Company and affixed the corporate seal this 7th day of February, 1994.



                                       /s/John J. Morris
                                   --------------------------------------
                                   John J. Morris, Secretary
(SEAL)