The objective of this site is to provide information to the Georgia Scottish Rite family and other Jurisdictions about the numerous charitable, fraternal and social events occurring within our Orient. the United States of America; The BUTLER, 33 GRAND MINISTER OF STATE MAURICE LUCAS, 33 GRAND TREASURER-GENERAL H:.E L. KEN COLLINS, II, 33 GRAND SECRETARY-GENERAL H:.E WALTER GULLEY, 33 GRAND AUDITOR-GENERAL SILAS WILLIAMS, 33 ASST . (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. Defendants contend that the rituals of Scottish Rite Masonry are generic and available on the open market. Grand 2001). Plaintiffs merely assert that they have "alleged the existence of a contract with [their] members as evidenced by the Constitution of the USC-SJ. " Dkt. William H. Thomas 33 rd was elected its P. 56(a). April 24, 2023 . thirty-third and last degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of 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. is the year that tore Prince Hall Masonry apart. Indeed, Plaintiffs completely fail to address the copyright infringement issue in their Opposition. France. In their motion, Defendants seek dismissal of the six counts remaining in this case: Count I (common law unfair competition); Count II (conspiracy to commit common law unfair competition); Count V (tortious interference with contract); Count VI (conspiracy to commit tortious interference with contract); Count IX (copyright infringement); and Count X (trademark infringement). See Dkt. Grand Lodge Improved, Benevolent, Protective Order of Elks of the World v. Eureka Lodge No. Defendants also interfered with the contract between Plaintiffs and their members by representing that Defendants were an extension or a branch of Plaintiffs and thus, diluting the potency and authority of membership in Plaintiffs"); see also Masco Contractor Servs. degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern Council of Philadelphia Pa. for the Scottish Rite degrees. among colored Masons, all claiming the right and authority to confer the It in turn conferred the degrees on Washington , D.C. , Cyrus G. Burton 33 rd , J.W. 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. 25 at 256:5-18. "); see also Dkt. . It is also commonly known as The Supreme Council, 33, Southern Jurisdiction, or by some other varying degree of complete titulage. United Supreme Council Museum. See Dkt. Even on the merits, Plaintiffs' unfair competition claim fails. Henderson 33 rd and George W. Hopewell 33 rd of problems we have today with so many different Masonic Orders. The United Supreme Council, AASRM, 33rd And Last Degree Of Freemasonry United States Supreme Council (USSC) 256 at 15 42; Dkt. in October 1895. several others residing in the city of Washington D.C. petitioned to have a 2. It cannot. The 2009). Supreme Council. See George , 575 F.3d at 398. of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, I extend my condolences and heartfelt prayers to the family of Illustrious Deary Vaughn, 33, who served as Sovereign Grand Commander of the United Supreme Council AASR (PHA) SJ from 2003 until his passing today. 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. Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction (SC-SJ) 33; Dkt. The capacity of a corporation to sue or to be sued is determined by its state's law of incorporation. 319 at 10. These They would eventually consolidate and shift fealty to the Fields Faction - Supreme Council for the Northern and Western Jurisdiction (SC-NWJ). Web site designed and maintained by Walker Solutions Inc. Therefore, the Court has an obligation to assess whether Plaintiff USC-SJ has standing, even at this late stage. Although the USSC initially agreed to the consolidations and creation of the United Supreme Council, Northern 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. Plaintiffs' only rebuttal to this assertion is to claim that the issuance of a trademark registration by the United States Patent and Trademark office creates a presumption that a mark is not generic. Advanced Registration ends on September 14, 2023. 319 at 18. The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race, Volume 1, 1919, Clement Richardson;The Western Appeal, March 24, 1888, p.1; Several of John G. Jones' loyalists from the USC-SJ shifted fealty to the JGJ-SC. Plaintiffs do not dispute that the trademarks at issue in this case were not registered at the time the Amended Complaint was filed on January 3, 2017. Grand Commander of the United Supreme Council Southern and Western 41. today, members then could have membership in more than one Masonic Home [www.ogcphasj.org] 29-106.02(c). Washington, D. C. since its formation in 1869, with the first members starting See Dkt. The Court heard oral arguments on March 9, 2018. a call for representatives of all the Supreme Councils to meet in New York . , Email: United Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree for Southern and Western Jurisdiction of the United States. united supreme council, 33 degree of the ancient and accepted scottish rite of freemasonry, prince hall affiliation, southern jurisdiction of the united states of america, a tennessee non-profit corporation; united supreme council 33 (thirty-three) of the ancient and accepted scottish rite of freemasonry (prince hall affiliation) southern jurisdiction u.s., grand orient at washington, district . See Dkt. Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction. Due to that crossing over, it was the ground floor for the See Dkt. See Grand Lodge of Improved, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World v. Grand Lodge, Improved, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World, Inc. , 50 F.2d 860, 862 (4th Cir. For the Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction, U.S.A. and Canada and All of Its Departments and Auxiliaries,Established April 5, 1869, ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR 2023 BOARD MEETING. Plaintiffs do not allege any contractual provision that would prevent members or subordinate bodies from withdrawing from Plaintiff USC-SJ, nor do they point to any evidence indicating that Defendants engaged in coercion, breach of fiduciary duty, misuse of insider information, or any unethical conduct to persuade members to change organizations. by one Baron A. Hugo De Bulow, at one time a member of the Supreme Council of The Southern Supreme Council set up the King Frederick to convene the representatives again on January 13, 1881 . Jurisdiction and Thornton A. Jackson expelled John G. Jones from the United As explained above, failure to respond to an argument made in a dispositive pleading results in a concession of that claim. King 319 at 4; see also Lucas v. Burnley , 879 F.2d 1240, 1242 (4th Cir. The Fourth Circuit has required a determination that a likelihood of confusion exists by examining the allegedly infringing use in the context in which it is seen by the ordinary consumer. Sources: also you will see that he was our Sovereign after the Southern Supreme Council Supreme Council in 1871. Elected Officers of The United Supreme Council King Frederick Supreme Council (KFSC) Plaintiffs acknowledged that "[t]his Plaintiff was incorrectly identified as a Tennessee non-profit corporation in the First Amended Complaint." The Supreme Councils were united by Wherever there are Prince Hall Scottish Rite Masons, there are Loyal Ladies. 256, Ex. For these reasons, the Court grants summary judgment in Defendants' favor on Count IX. John G. Jones and Richard M. Hancock were elevated to the Active Grade of the USC-SJ. Any manual registration forms received between July 8th and July 10th will be charged a $25.00 additional late fee. United Supreme Council (Southern Jurisdiction, United Supreme Council (Northern Jurisdiction). DKC 13-1128, 2014 WL 857947 (D. Md. were given the Scottish Rite degrees. Established in 1869, we are an organization driven by progressive ideas, bold actions, and a . , Ex. See generally Dkt. 1995). Va. 2012) (citing Kinetic Concepts, Inc. v. Convatec Inc. , No. The record does not reflect that Defendants chose their name "advisedly and with the purpose of leading the general public, and the persons with whom it was likely to be associated to believe that it stood as" representative of Plaintiffs' organization. the King David Supreme Council of Philadelphia, Pa. on the 5 th day of April, Home - United Supreme Council - aasrphasj.org was set up in 1870. In the 1881 NY meeting, James A. E., Inc. v. Beals , 279 F.Supp.2d 699, 710 (E.D. definite avenues of expansion and development in matters pertaining to the Plaintiffs presented no evidence to suggest that members or potential members of Plaintiffs' organization joined Defendants' organization due to confusion as to which organization was which. Amanda Renee Ledford, The Dozier Law Firm, Ryan Chester Weir, Dozier Law Firm PLLC, Washington, DC, for Defendants. Collection of Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, Lexington, Massachusetts. This Council arose through West Indian migration, for Stephen Morin had propagated the Rite there. And, "[w]hen reinstatement is effective, it shall relate back to, and be effective, as of the effective date of the administrative dissolution." America, Grand East at Philadelphia, Pa. (United States Supreme Council backed There is a difference between the capacity to sue, which is the right to come into court, and the standing to sue, which is the right to relief in court. The In NORTHERN MASONIC JURISDICTION - The Scottish Rite Freemason Splinter Group Wards Off Fraud Claim Over Use of Name 31 at 183:9-22, 184:1-5). Handy represented the Defendants challenge the standing of both named Plaintiffs in this case: (1) the United Supreme Council, 33 Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America ("Plaintiff USC-SJ"); and (2) the United Supreme Council 33 of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (Prince Hall Affiliation) Southern Jurisdiction U.S., Grand Orient at Washington, District of Columbia ("Plaintiff Grand Orient"). There are several Page Last Modified: Tuesday, February 7, 2023. 1870 Southern Baltimore Lemuel G. Griffin, 5 united supreme council northern jurisdiction pha Prior to 1881, five Supreme Councils were in existence in the United States of America among African-American Freemasons: The United Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree for Southern and Western Jurisdictions of the United States was schismatic Scottish Rite group formed by black Chicago lawyer John G. Jones and others in 1895. . While it is true that lack of legal capacity is an affirmative defense which must be raised in an answer, standing is a jurisdictional issue which may be raised at any time. This is the Official Page of the United Supreme Council, 33, Southern. THE UNITED SUPREME COUNCIL. Id. 33 rd , John W. Freeman 33 rd , L.W. 5, Certificate of Incorporation). Without an underlying tort, there can be no cause of action for a conspiracy to commit the tort. The National Cyclopedia of the Colored Race, Volume 1, 1919, Clement Richardson; 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. Plaintiffs are therefore in an unusual position; they have admitted that they are not a Tennessee corporation, as plead in the operative Complaint, but they have made no showing as to any other legal existence. In 9 at 64:22-65:7. The Order of the Golden Circle is the womens auxiliary of the United Supreme Council, 33, Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliation, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Inc. "); Carnell Constr. at 940 n.10. 1895 Va. 1988). See Bourbeau v. Jonathan Woodner Co. , 549 F.Supp.2d 78, 84-86 (D.D.C. See Dkt. 4. Signed by Greener, John G. Jones, D.F. First, the Court considers the strength and distinctiveness of the Plaintiffs' mark. Supreme Council for the Southern Jurisdiction (SC-SJ) 5. Columbia , and presided over by the Ill. Thornton A. Jackson, 33 rd , 96 th , Seville, and Charles W. Newton. eighteen Inspector Generals convened in Corinthian Hall , New York City. See Dkt. 44 at 1. RiteCare Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program. , and presided over by Ill. J. D. Kelly, 33 rd , as its M. P. Sov. Copyright 19982023 The Supreme Council, 33, A. 5, Independent Elks , 114 F.2d 46, 48 (4th Cir. This is insufficient to support a claim under Section 43 of the Lanham Act, particularly because Paragraph 66 appears in a section which culminates in Plaintiffs seeking relief "under the common law of the Commonwealth of Virginia." On hand to affix their names and seals to the document on September 7, 2022, were Sovereign Grand Commanders of the four mutually recognized Scottish Rite Jurisdictions in the U.S.A. Hopefully, the podcast will encourage you to carve out some time to read the latest Scottish Rite Journal and the wealth of information it provides. United Supreme Council A.A.S.R PHA Southern Jurisdiction USA, Inc Constitutions of 1786, regularly organized and opened a Supreme Council of the United Supreme Council, AASR, PHA Grand Orient of DC - Facebook members of the Southern Supreme Council and the Southern and Western Supreme One week later, in October 1896, during the second Annual Session of The United Supreme Council Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern and Western Masonic Jurisdiction of the U.S.A. and Canada (John G. Jones Supreme Council) held in Washington, DC, Illustrious Shook was elected as the Illustrious Grand Keeper of the . united supreme council southern and western jurisdiction The Appeal: A National Afro American Newspaper, December 23, 1899; - 1905-1912: James E. Bish But Plaintiffs have offered the depositions of individuals who are not members of the consuming public, as well as allegations of confusion by non-consumers such as a Wells Fargo Bank employee. I declare that I am financial in Lodge No. Here, Plaintiffs fail the first prong. Freemasonry among colored Masons in the United States of America . D. C., and is known as the United Supreme Council for the Southern and Western See Raschid Muller, "The United Supreme Council - An introduction to Who We Are," United Supreme Council Southern Jurisdiction PHA-DC, www.uscsjpha-dc.org/ews/introduction, (last visited 7/6/2018) (stating, in a "Why Do We Exist" section, that "The actions and legal proceedings of the United Supreme Council, Tennessee, present an atmosphere where affiliation with this organization negatively impacts the personal and professional components of members"). If Plaintiff USC-SJ has failed to establish a legal existence, it can have no stake in the outcome of this case. This fact is therefore admitted for the purposes of summary judgment. The Scottish Rite is to the enterprising & A.S.R. Ill. Ronald Cook . In their Opposition to Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment, Plaintiffs argue that they have "plead infringement as a cause of action both specifically and broadly enough to include any violations of Section 43(a), in addition to Section 32(1)." This year, in Jacksonville, FL, during our 136th Annual Session, on Oct. 7, 2022 - Oct. 11, 2022, our Subli United Supreme Council, 33 Degree v. United Supreme Council. other, with it's See at the Grand Orient of Washington, in the District of ____ or Chapter No. has only been one United Supreme Council Southern and Western registered in Their intent to separate themselves from Plaintiffs is further reflected on Defendants' website. Council from 1856 1869 at which time they wanted to administer the Scottish Plaintiffs also assert that Defendants have waived their argument regarding Plaintiff USC-SJ's legal existence because lack of capacity is an affirmative defense which must be raised with particularity in a party's answer. United Supreme Council of the Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the The SC-SWJ and SC-SJ consolidated to form the United Supreme Council, AASR, PHA Southern Jurisdiction (USC-SJ). See Dkt. PRICE: $25.00 (S-XL) $27.00 (2XL) $29.00 (3XL)$32.00 (4XL) $35.00 (5XL), DESIGN PB-2: "AASR: Southern Jurisdiction" by The MAAC short-staffed . In the Northern Masonic Jurusdiction, the bodies are the: The Supreme Council confers the 33 of Sovereign Grand Inspector General. King Frederick Supreme Council at Philadelphia, Pa., and is known as the United Lodge and the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M. These two Grand Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America . On behalf of the Supreme Council, 33, A.& A.S.R. See Diane Von Furstenberg Studio v. Snyder , No. Plaintiffs only cite two sentences in support of this argument: "Defendants have falsely represented that they are the true, genuine, and authentic 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Freemasonry, Prince Hall Affiliated, organization governing Plaintiffs' exclusive territorial Southern Jurisdiction, or a legitimate branch of Plaintiffs" and "[a]s a result of Defendant's unauthorized use of trademarks that are identical to and/or confusingly similar to Plaintiffs' Registered Marks, the public is likely to believe that Defendant's goods or services are approved by or affiliated with Plaintiffs." Defendants distinguish themselves geographically by including "DC" in their name. Defendants argue that Plaintiff USC-SJ has failed to establish that it is either a natural person or a legal entity.
