National Circle, Daughters of Isabella v. National Order of the Daughters of Isabella

232 F. 907, 1916 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1702
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. New York
DecidedMay 19, 1916
StatusPublished

This text of 232 F. 907 (National Circle, Daughters of Isabella v. National Order of the Daughters of Isabella) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National Circle, Daughters of Isabella v. National Order of the Daughters of Isabella, 232 F. 907, 1916 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1702 (N.D.N.Y. 1916).

Opinion

RAY, District Judge

(after stating the facts as above). The bill of complaint alleges that the complainant, National Circle, Daughters of Isabella, came into existence as follows; That in May, 1897, a voluntary fraternal secret benefit organization was formed in the city of New Haven, county of New Haven, state of Connecticut, and that it adopted a constitution and ritual based upon and drawing moral lessons from the historical connection of Isabella, the queen of Spain, with the dispatch of Christopher Columbus upon the voyage which resulted in the discovery of America. That in the year 1900 this organization adopted, and that its members publicly wore, a society pin upon the face and front of which appeared certain letters and symbols by [909]*909which such members were known to each other and to the public as “Daughters of Isabella,” and that said name became the name by which said members were known among themselves and to and by many persons not connected with such association. That on the 12th day of February, 1904-, the members of said voluntary organization passed a vote that they should become incorporated, and March 4, 1904, passed a vote to become incorporated under the name and title of “Daughters of Isabella, No. 1, Auxiliary to Russell Council, No. 65, Knights of Columbus.” That March 7, 1904, said organization became incorporated under said last-mentioned name under and pursuant to the laws of the state of Connecticut. That for the seven years prior to this' time said organization had been carrying on its said work under the name “Daughters of Isabella,” and by said name was publicly known, and also among the members thereof. That said corporation, without capital stock, was duly organized as a secret fraternal benefit society for women of the Catholic faith under the same constitution and using the same pin, ritual, etc., as had been used by said association prior to said incorporation, and that the members of the said association became members of such corporation, which succeeded to all the rights, etc., of such association. That no other corporation or organization at such times had acquired the right to use as a designating part of its name the words “Daughters of Isabella.” That November 5, 1904, the said articles of incorporation were so amended under the laws of the state of Connecticut as to allow the said corporation to form and establish subordinate branches and lodges thereof, and to give to them and to the members thereof the name and title “Daughters of Isabella.” That between March 7, 1904, and July 25, 1907, under and pursuant to such articles of corporation and the amendments thereof, said corporation established “in the state of Connecticut and elsewhere” subordinate lodges or branches thereof under the name and title of “Daughters of Isabella” and that such subordinate lodges or branches had a membership of more than J,500. That in January, 1907, the General Assembly of the state of Connecticut, at the request of said incorporators and of the duly accredited representatives of such subordinate branches, and on application therefor, granted a special charter to the complainant by which the said incorporators and those to be associated with them were created a body politic and corporate under the name and title, “the National Circle, Daughters of Isabella,” with authority to establish branches “in Connecticut and elsewhere.” That such charter was accepted and the organization was perfected, and the original organization, corporation, and subordinate branches became and now are a part of and affiliated with said complainant, “the National Circle, Daughters of Isabella.” The bill of complaint then alleges as follows:

“12. Your orator further alleges that under and pursuant to the provisions of said charter granted to the plaintiff by the General Assembly of Counecticut as aforesaid, said corporation was given power to locate and establish state and district circles, as local or subordinate circles, or other branches or divisions thereof, under the name of ‘Daughters of Isabella,’ composed of members of the order in any town or city iu the state of Connecticut, or in any other state of the United States, or in any other country, [910]*910and said state, district, or local circles, or other branches or divisions, when so established, to be governed and managed by such laws, by-laws, rules, and regulations as said corporation shall determine, and further providing that said corporation may enforce such laws, by-laws, rules, and regulations against any such state, district, or local circle or circles, or other branches or divisions, in any court of this state, or of any other state of the United States. A copy of said charter is attached hereto as Exhibit A and made a part hereof.
“13. Your orator further alleges that, under and pursuant to the authority conferred by said charter, your orator has established many subordinate lodges or branches in the following states: Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, and Nebraska.”

Defendant’s Incorporation and Acts.

The bill of complaint then alleges and states that June 24, 1903 (prior to the date of complainant’s incorporation), John E. Carberry and seven others, as incorporators, were granted articles of incorporation under and pursuant to the laws of the state of New York (General Incorporation Daws [Consol. Laws, c. 23]) under the name and title “Daughters of Isabella,” which articles of incorporation were amended August 7, 1905, by which amendment the title of said New York corporation was changed to “the National Order of the Daughters of Isabella,” under which name and title it has ever since been known. The bill of complaint also alleges: That said New York corporation as originally incorporated had. no authority under its said articles of incorporation and has acquired no power since, under the laws of the state of New York or of any other state, to establish subordinate branches or lodges in the state of New York or any other state of the United States or elsewhere. That the defendant, the National Order of the Daughters of Isabella, has established in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, New Jersey, Maryland, District of Columbia, Georgia, and other states of the United States local lodges or branches of said (defendant) corporation, the members of which are women known among themselves and to the public at large as “Daughters of Isabella,” and that said local lodges or branches are known to the members thereof and to the public as “the Daughters of Isabella,” and are not known or designated by any other name, except by a distinguishing name adopted by each branch. The bill of complaint further alleges:

“17.

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Bluebook (online)
232 F. 907, 1916 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1702, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-circle-daughters-of-isabella-v-national-order-of-the-daughters-nynd-1916.