141. The first alleged wrongful act came on the tails of an attempted coup that occurred on October 10, 2015 at an annual meeting of Plaintiff USC-SJ Tennessee. View cart for details. Plaintiff claims that its "current territorial jurisdictions include the following states and territories: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, England, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Korea, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, West Virginia, Western Europe, Republic of Liberia, Hawaiian Islands, the Philippine Islands, and 'such other areas as USC-SJ Tennessee may ordain." is comprised of Five Separate Ancient Free and Accepted Masonic (A.F. After reviewing the briefing, and for the reasons that follow, the Court hereby GRANTS IN PART and DENIES IN PART Defendants' motions to dismiss. This attempt was unsuccessful, and on October 16, 2015, six days after their coup failed, Slaughter, Williams, and Wilkins incorporated USC-SJ II under the name "United Supreme Council of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite for the 33 Degree of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, Prince Hall Affiliated." No. A Freemason splinter group that adopted a name similar to the council it left isn't liable for holding itself out as an extension of that council because no one was shown to have been defrauded, the Fourth Circuit said Oct. 30 in an unpublished ruling. Subscribe to Justia's Free Newsletters featuring summaries of federal and state court opinions. As is relevant for the purposes of this motion, USC-SJ I maintains that it has "exclusive authority within [the Southern Jurisdiction] to form, charter and administer unincorporated 'Subordinate Bodies' including, but [sic] limited to, the exclusive authority to confer the Fourth Degree ('Secret Master') through the Thirty Third and Last Degree" ("Grand Inspector General") of Masonry. XXXVIII, 23). In the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, the Supreme Council consists of no more than 33 members, and is presided over by a Grand Commander. This docket was last retrieved on October 17, 2019. Moreover, even if they did believe these assertions, they have not alleged any action that they took as a result of the false representations. The defendants had been members of the United . They also own federal trademark application No. . There is also a trust factor. In other words, they recite the terms of their own Constitution for the proposition that they were entitled to possession of another entity's property. for the Thirty-Third Degree of Freemasonry Southern Jurisdiction, Prince Hall Affiliated," even though USC-SJ DC had only been incorporated for less than one year. Amistad Research Center. Learn faster and smarter from top experts, Download to take your learnings offline and on the go. Ronald A. Seale was elected Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council Southern Jurisdiction, October 3, 2003, and was installed October 7, 2003. The motion to dismiss will be DENIED with respect to the remaining claims. A fourth council was set up in Baltimore, Maryland and a fifth Council in Philadelphia. United States District Judge March 28, 2017Alexandria, Virginia, United Supreme Council v. United Supreme Council of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite for the 33 Degree of Freemasonry, Civil No. These meetings took place during the time period of November 6-20, 2015. Fourth, Plaintiffs allege that Defendants have attempted to take control of "certain financial banking accounts owned and controlled by [Plaintiffs]". The Motion is hereby GRANTED in all other respects. When a Council has a state "within its jurisdiction," Plaintiffs allege that the Council "ha[s] the right to establish its Bodies within the extension of that State's jurisdictional limits and have exclusive jurisdiction thereof." Thus, in order to state a claim for conversion, plaintiffs must show that they were "entitled to the immediate possession of the item alleged to have been wrongfully converted." Tap here to review the details. 33. Now customize the name of a clipboard to store your clips. According to the complaint, there was no such vote, and "Plaintiffs' Constitution . Also in 1864, a separate Supreme Council was formed in New York, which was made up of members from the National Compact Grand Lodge, from which a Southern Jurisdiction split off with the Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. The district court granted the motion with respect to the fraud claim, finding that the plaintiffs had failed, Full title:UNITED SUPREME COUNCIL, 33 DEGREE OF THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH, Court:UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA Alexandria Division. Instant access to millions of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, podcasts and more. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1912 ANTIQUE MAP OF SOUTHERN BAVARIA BAYERN MUNICH AUGSBURG ALPS GERMANY at the best online prices at eBay! In Virginia, fraud requires: (1) a false representation, (2) of a material fact, (3) made intentionally and knowingly, (4) with intent to mislead, (5) reliance by the party misled, and (6) resulting damage to the party misled. Free shipping for many products! The United Supreme Council, AASRM, 33rd And Last Degree Of Freemasonry, For The Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction, USA emerged out of a pursuit to inspire and support the masonic community, and a desire for actions to speak louder than words. Third, Defendants induced members to switch allegiances. Moreover, Plaintiffs have not alleged that any of the Defendants actually took control of these accounts. TX0008-210-759, titled "Constitution & General Regulations of the United Supreme Council, 33 Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, PHA, SJ, USA, Inc." The effective date of registration for Plaintiffs' Constitution is November 16, 2015. Enjoy access to millions of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more from Scribd. Indeed, the Court may not rely on mere "labels and conclusions" or the Complaint's "formulaic recitation of the elements of a given cause of action. For example, shortly after the coup, Defendant Parris (who was then Plaintiffs' Deputy of the Orient of Virginia) "defected to and joined Defendants" in their new order. Free access to premium services like Tuneln, Mubi and more. After a hearing and a full round of briefing, Plaintiffs' original complaint was dismissed without prejudice on December 2, 2016 (Dkt. In 1881-1887, these five merged into 2 United Supreme Councils of the 33rd Degree: one for Northern Jurisdiction and one for Southern . Plaintiffs' fraud claim has no merit. The motion is GRANTED with respect to the claims for fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, and conversion. Something went wrong. Assistance Agency, 745 F.3d 131, 136 (4th Cir. Loyal Ladies Supporting Since 1907 The Order of the Golden Circle is the women's auxiliary of the United Supreme Council, 33, Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Inc. Compl. Plaintiffs United Supreme Council, 33 Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction of the United States ("USC-SJ Tennessee" or "USC-SJ I") and its Washington DC-based predecessor (USC-SJ Predecessor) have brought suit against Defendants United Supreme Council of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite for the 33 Degree of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, Prince Hall Affiliated (USC-SJ II), Ralph Slaughter, Joseph Williams, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia, Free and Accepted Masons, Incorporated ("Grand Lodge"), Roger Brown, and Michael Parris. International shipment of items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges. The Amended Complaint alleges that the amount of money misappropriated by Defendants' "conspiracy . Thus, they do not allege that any of these bank accounts were in their name, but instead assert that, under their Constitution, USC-SJ "shall have custody of the property, real and personal, of a Subordinate Body . . 1847 from byron amerson on Vimeo. Copy to clipboard James A. United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction. (USC-NJ) and the United Supreme Council, Southern Jurisdiction (USC-SJ) in 1881, it did not move forward as planned due to a lawsuit introduced by John G. Jones and Edward H. Morris on behalf of Prince Hall Consistory . 28, 2017). Fifth, as evidence of the conspiracy, Plaintiffs point to a published letter from Roger Brown to Ralph Slaughter on March 3, 2016. In particular, on November 6, Parris met with Brown and non-party Larry D. Christian, who was "an influential former CEO/Grand Master of the Grand Lodge." Seville, and Charles W. Newton. The records and rituals of the Supreme Council, 33, Southern Jurisdiction were lost in a fire that destroyed their headquarters in 1819. . A subscription to PACER is required. Plaintiffs further allege that the name was chosen "for the sole and exclusive purpose of trading upon, usurping, fiscally capitalizing upon and converting the goodwill, historicity, character and reputation of Plaintiffs.". Even assuming this is a material and demonstrably false representation, there is no plausible argument that Plaintiffs relied on this statement. A 33 certificate issued by the United Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree for Southern and Western Jurisdictions of the United States to Richard Theodore Greener, and dated September 8, 1896. We've updated our privacy policy. Prepared for the Supreme council of the thirty-third degree, for the Southern jurisdiction of the United States, and published by its authority by Albert Pike ( Book ) 118 editions published between 1871 and 2020 in English and held by 1,016 WorldCat member libraries worldwide. Description A 33 certificate issued by the United Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree for Southern and Western Jurisdictions of the United States to Richard Theodore Greener, and dated September 8, 1896. Supreme Council for the Southern and Western Jurisdiction (SC-SWJ) 4. Plaintiffs allege that this name "is the same if not substantially and significantly similar, to the name of Plaintiff [USC-SJ I]." The Grand Lodge of the United States was originally the General Grand Masonic Congress on June 27, 1847, in Boston. The immediate predecessor in interest to USC-SJ Tennessee was the USC of the Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the Thirty-Third and Last Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States (USC Predecessor), which was incorporated in 1920 under the laws of the District of Columbia. Auto. In this letter, Parris stated that an "overwhelming majority" of Plaintiffs' members voted to join Defendant USC-SJ II. 2 talking about this. Compl. Active Members of the Supreme Council, 33, SJ, USA Ill. James D. Cole, 33 Sovereign Grand Commander & SGIG at-Large Ill. Joe R. Manning, Jr., 33 Lieutenant Grand Commander & SGIG in Oklahoma Ill. Leonard Proden, 33 Grand Prior & SGIG in the District of Columbia Ill. Robert W. Cockerham, 33 Grand Chancellor & SGIG in Missouri Ill. Joseph C. Harrison, Jr., 33 Grand Minister of State . George Longe papers, 225. In this case, any purported "false representation" would revolve around Defendants' declaration that USC-SJ II is a "legitimate" United Supreme Council. The first Scottish Rite organization among African-Americans was the African Grand Council of 1820 in Philadelphia, which was referred to as a Council of Princes of Jerusalem. This event was titled the "Ninety-First Annual Session, Virginia Council on Deliberation A.A.S.R. This letter granted fraternal recognition of Plaintiff USC-SJ II. There are and will be conversations about Masonic philosophy hidden in allegory and symbolism veiled in a beautiful system of morality. Changing Attitudes ? The General Grand Masonic Congress and the. Looks like youve clipped this slide to already. ILL. Thornton A. Jackson, (DC) 33/96 1878 - 1881, ILL. Rev. Established in 1869, we're an organization driven by progressive ideas, bold actions, and a strong foundation of support. The mission of the United Supreme Council, 33 of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction of the USA is to serve as the College of Freemasonry for aspiring Master Masons seeking more light in the Scottish Rite; thereby, enhancing the knowledge base, providing the moral teachings of the Assuming Plaintiffs' claims of authority are valid, any contrary assertions would have been immediately identifiable as false. Liam O'Grady United States District Judge. Unlike the "oath of fealty" that provides a factual basis for establishing a contract between Plaintiffs and their members, Plaintiffs do not allege a separate contract with the subordinate bodies in their Amended Complaint. 53) was filed by the other three Defendants: USC-SJ II, Parris, Slaughter, and Williams (USC-SJ II Defendants). These demands presume that Plaintiffs knew Defendants' claims were false. The second claim of conversion fails for a different reason. [5] [6] Furthermore, to the extent Plaintiffs can bring claims for "conversion" of their intellectual property, name, and likeness, these allegations are captured by the trademark and unfair competition claims. Am. Car & Truck Safety & Security Accessories, 1912 ANTIQUE MAP OF SOUTHERN BAVARIA BAYERN MUNICH AUGSBURG ALPS GERMANY, Top-rated Plus. From the Philadelphia Council, a Southern and Western Jurisdiction defected with Headquarters at Washington, D.C. This claim is devoid of facts. Bro. Weve updated our privacy policy so that we are compliant with changing global privacy regulations and to provide you with insight into the limited ways in which we use your data. In considering a motion to dismiss, the court accepts as true all of the factual allegations contained in the complaint, construing them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Please allow additional time if international delivery is subject to customs processing. The excerpt they quote reads: "to adopt the name of the original order or to hold themselves out as a branch of that order . As such, Plaintiffs' allegations do not show that Defendants themselves interfered with the ownership rights of the bank accounts. The Supreme Council of the United States Western Jurisdiction was established in 1864 by Baron Auguste Hugo Debulow of the; . Content refers to content such as text, images, or other information that can be posted, uploaded, linked to or otherwise made available by You, regardless of the form of that content. . 48 in stock. They assert that the subordinate bodies were "commissioned and chartered by, and under the exclusive jurisdiction, dominion, and control of, Plaintiffs . The United General Grand Masonic Congress (U.G.G.M.C.) 2014). To survive a motion to dismiss, the Plaintiff must allege enough allegations of fact "to state a claim for relief that is plausible on its face." It reads: Finally, on March 18, 2016, Defendants held a "council of Deliberation annual meeting" in Richmond, Virginia. It is possible that individual members of USC-SJ I relied upon Defendants' statements, but Plaintiffs do not have standing to bring those claims. These meetings culminated in Parris formally appearing before the officers of the Grand Lodge in Roanoake on November 21, 2015. ." It appears that you have an ad-blocker running. Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction (SC-SJ) . Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Conspiracies require some overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy, but "there can be no conspiracy to do an act which the law allows." There are soo many questions that need to be addressed, but I am sooo happy that we have started a dialog that may create some answers to this age-old problem of divide and conquer. The main topic of discussion is Masonry. The company's filing status is listed as Terminated - Ftb Admin . Photographer: LUCAS BARIOULET/AFP/Getty Images, Adopted similar name to council it split from. Grand Lodge Improved, B.P.O.E. Access the Case Summary and Docket Report to access additional information about this case on the US Court's PACER system. . If you reside in an EU member state besides UK, import VAT on this purchase is not recoverable. "To survive dismissal, the complaint must contain enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face." ALL ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THIS VERY SPECIAL WEEKEND IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. 86936462, filed on March 10, 2016, and titled "Order of the Golden Circles." An introduction to Clandestine Freemasonry Ill. Edward M. Thomas petitioned the King David Council, since he was residing in the District of Columbia, for the 33rd degree to be conferred on representative Masons in D.C., and on May 5, 1856, the conferment was made and a council was established. Nor is there an instance of Defendants stealing a practice or ritual (or a description of any practice or ritual), and it is unlikely that these concepts could be classified as personal property in any case. . Authored by Bro Antoine Lilly, MPS. Access additional case information on PACER United Supreme Council 19-1942 | U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit | Justia United Supreme Council, 33 Deg v. United Supreme Council RSS Track this Docket Docket Report This docket was last retrieved on October 17, 2019. The United Supreme Council, AASRM, 33rd Degree, Southern and Western. Reviews (0) The first Scottish Rite organization among African-Americans was the African Grand Council of 1820 in Philadelphia, which was referred to as the Council of Princes of Jerusalem. Click here to review the details. of the World, v. Eureka Lodge No. Make your practice more effective and efficient with Casetexts legal research suite. Economopoulos v. Kolaitis, 259 Va. 806, 814 (2000). This is the Official Page of the United Supreme Council, 33, Southern. At this meeting, Parris, Slaughter and Williams lead a discussion regarding their plan to "takeover Plaintiffs Virginia operations by usurping Plaintiffs' name, Trademarks, Copyrighted Material, financial accounts and other assets . 154. Greener, Richard Theodore, 1844-1922 -- Freemasonry. Plaintiffs' first conversion claim focuses on the bank accounts of its subordinate bodies. United Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree for Southern and Western Jurisdiction of the United States. In addition, Defendants, through their agents Charles V. Hargrave Jr. and Ernest Hardy, Jr., attempted to "invade and/or usurp three (3) banking accounts or securities owned by Plaintiffs, or their Subordinate Body - Alpha & Omega Consistory #9, and kept by the Wells Fargo Bank, Church and High Street, Portsmouth, VA." As a result, on May 16, 2016, Wells Fargo restricted access to the assets because it had "received conflicting information regarding individuals authorized to transact on the business accounts." Sellers declare the item's customs value and must comply with customs declaration laws. Id. Id. The final result was amazing, and I highly recommend www.HelpWriting.net to anyone in the same mindset as me. Instead, Plaintiffs try to draw the connection by affixing the label of "agent" on the signors on these accounts. In New York City, a Supreme Council of the United States was established in 1864. SEC. Alaska shall belong to the Northern also. 2011) (internal quotation marks omitted). Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction, USA, Dealing with the challenges of today requires problem-solvers who bring different perspectives and are willing to take risks. Therefore, the related claim for a conspiracy to commit fraud must necessarily be dismissed as well. In 1871 a fifth was established in Philadelphia, and was named King Fredrick Supreme Council. This was the date of the "Union of 1867", when it merged with the competing Cerneau "Supreme Council" in New York. The United Supreme Council, AASRM, 33rd And Last Degree Of Freemasonry, For The Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction, USA emerged out of a pursuit to inspire and support the masonic community, and a desire for actions to speak louder than words. There will be 5 person teams in the tournament. Finally, they own U.S. THE UNITED SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE ANCIENT ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE FOR THE 33 AND LAST DEGREE OF FREE MASONRY FOR THE SOUTHERN AND WESTERN MASONIC JURISDICTION, U. S. A., GRAND ORIENT WASHINGTON, D. C. is a Louisiana Non-Profit Corporation Or Co-Op (Non-) filed on April 30, 1956. In 1881-1887, these five merged into 2 United Supreme Councils of the 33rd Degree: one for Northern Jurisdiction and one for Southern Jurisdiction. Cincinnati About 4 months after the Cleveland body was chartered, Commander Ray and Illustrious Reason instituted Red Rose Chapter of Rose Croix No. African American Freemasonry & Fraternalism, For more information contact Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library | Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives | 33 Marrett Road | Lexington, MA 02421 | 781-457-4109 | library@srmml.org, 2016-2022 Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & LibraryTerms of Use, 33 certificate issued by the United Supreme Council to Richard Theodore Greener, 1896 September 8. No. Website link will be sent out soon! United Supreme Council, 33 Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Prince Hall Affiliation - Southern Jurisdiction P. O. Co. v. Remley, 270 Va. 209, 218 (2005). Southern & Western Jurisdiction Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite (A.A.S.R.) Under the terms of Plaintiffs' Constitution, "all papers, rituals, monies, rules regulations [sic], assets, and other real or personal property must be returned to Plaintiffs" upon the dissolution of any subordinate body. The Southern Jurisdiction for the United Supreme Council, P.H.A., consists of the states: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, the territories of AZ, NM, the D.C, and AK. This amount includes applicable customs duties, taxes, brokerage and other fees.