Court Opinion

ID: 6662541
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-07-20 21:03:16.46528+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:00:13.246405
License: Public Domain

Fawcett, J.,
dissenting.
The resolution of the executive council, which is the crux of this case, was not legislation, but simply a declaration by the executive council of the manner in which the business affairs of the corporation, over which the executive council had general control, should thereafter be managed. It seems to me to be a strained construction of the action of the Supreme Forest, or of the purpose of the elected delegates and other members of *638the Supreme Forest in taking such action, to say that the Supreme Forest, by article VI of its amended and substituted articles of incorporation, adopted May 22, 1907, would enact that “the supreme executive council shall have the general control and management of the business affairs of this corporation except during the session of the Supreme Forest,” unless the Supreme Forest intended to place in the hands and under the general control of the supreme executive council the management of all the business affairs of the corporation. That the Supreme Forest intended that the supreme executive council should have all the power of the Supreme Forest itself in the general control and management of the business affairs of the corporation is shown by the closing words, “except during the session of the Supreme Forest.” It seems to me that it logically follows that the Supreme Forest, which, when in session, has undoubted exclusive, general control and management of the business of the corporation, realized that when the Supreme Forest was not in session there should be some body, composed of more than one person, which should be invested -with the powers possessed by the Supreme Forest when in session. To “control” means: “To exercise control over; hold in restraint or check; subject to authority; direct; regulate; govern; dominate: To have superior force or authority over; overpower.” To “manage” means: “To control or direct by administrative ability; regulate or administer; have the guidance or direction of: To control, restrain, or lead by keeping in a desired state or condition: * * * To arrange, fashion, contrive, effect, or carry out by skill or art; carry on or along; bring about.” Century Dictionary. The Supreme Forest was undoubtedly made up of educated and intelligent delegates, convened to represent a great organization. They must be presumed to have meant just what the language which they employed imports. It thereby wisely gave to the supreme executive council general control and management of all the busi*639ness affairs of the corporation at all times except during the sessions of the Supreme Forest itself. It seems to me that it cannot be doubted that, in giving the supreme executive council general control and management of all the business affairs of the corporation, it thereby made the supreme executive council supreme in the control and management of the business affairs of the corporation, which included the general control and direction of all of the officers and representatives of the corporation through whom the business affairs of the corporation are managed, which would, clearly, include the supreme guardian. Any other construction would be to hold that the Supreme Forest intended to give to the supreme guardian sole and exclusive control of all the important business of the corporation, involving the appointment of field agents, the most important membership producing branch of the business of the corporation, and the arbitrary fixing of their compensation, involving the expenditure of thousands upon thousands of dollars of the corporation’s money, and leave this individual official of the corporation in the control and management of substantially all the business affairs of the corporation, independent of and free from the supervision and direction of the supreme executive council, to which council the Supreme Forest gave the general control and manage ment of the business affairs of the corporation, except during the session of the Supreme Forest itself. Clearly, it intended that during the intervals between sessions of the Supreme Forest the supreme executive council should be supreme in its general control and management of every branch of the business affairs of the corporation. The resolution adopted by the supreme executive council was a mere order in the course of the management of the business affairs of the corporation, and not a matter of legislation. It did not create an emergency requiring the unanimous vote of all members of the council present or the submission to referendum vote of the members of the Supreme Forest. Hence, it is immaterial that *640one member of the supreme executive council protested that the resolution was in conflict with the laws of the order, and refused to participate in the adoption of the same. If it was simply an act or order in the course of the management of the business affairs of the corporation, and not legislation, the order could be made by the vote of a majority of the supreme executive council, and would be binding upon every official of the corporation charged with the performance of any part of the business affairs of the corporation. In other words, I hold that the supreme executive council, as to the general control and management of all the business affairs of the corporation, is, when the Supreme Forest is not in session, supreme and absolute; and, if any officer or agent of the corporation refuses to obey the directions of the supreme executive council, she or he immediately becomes subject to removal by such council.
The fact that the Supreme Forest created certain offices, including that of supreme guardian, and defined their duties, cannot be construed as a grant to such officers of powers in the management of the' business affairs of the corporation, independent of and superior to the supreme executive council, to which, its very name and the language employed clearly show, the Supreme Forest intended to give all the powers in the control and management of the business of the corporation, during its vacation, which it had itself when in session.
The fact that the supreme executive council had, prior to the time now complained of, never deemed it necessary to give directions to the supreme guardian, cannot be construed to mean that it had at all times prior thereto recognized or acknowledged the ■ supreme guardian as being independent of, and not subject to, the direction and control of the supreme executive council.
In view of what I have said, my judgment is that the restraining order granted herein should be discharged and relator’s petition dismissed.