Jurisdictional Complaint

A peculiar case came up during the year which resulted in placing a Virginia brother in a situation which would be amusing if it were not serious, – making him an expelled Mason in one jurisdiction and a member in good standing in another. The grand master cited the case as follows: “On November 11, I received, through R. Wor. C. W. Trenary. a complaint from Unity lodge, No. 146, Virginia, against the action of Fairfax lodge, No. 96, West Virginia, charging that the lodge in West Virginia had tried and expelled a member of Unity lodge claiming he was a non-affiliate and under their jurisdiction. I wrote to Unity lodge asking them to send me a copy of their records, showing the time the brother had applied for membership and the date of his election, and I find that he was not a member of the Virginia lodge when the summons was served on him, but was living within its jurisdiction, and was elected to membership before his trial came off, and so informed the West Virginia lodge, which fact they ignored and proceeded to try him, and expelled him from the rights and benefits of Masonry. A copy of their records has been sent to me. I did not receive the last papers in connection with this case until November 26th, too late for me to take it up with the grand master of West Virginia before the meeting of this grand lodge and the expiration of my term of office.”

The American Tyler, Vol. XVII. No. 23, June 1, 1903 page 543

Note: R. Wor. C. W. Trenary is a past master of Unity lodge No. 146 in 1899