Golden Lodge No. 13, I.O.O.F. v. Easley, 7
| Decision Date | 21 March 1996 |
| Docket Number | I,No. 94CA1625,No. 7,7,94CA1625 |
| Parties | GOLDEN LODGE NO. 13, I.O.O.F. and Golden Links Junior LodgeO.O.F., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. Michael EASLEY, Individually, and as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge, I.O.O.F., and Robert Robbins, Individually, and as Deputy Grand Master, Defendants-Appellees. . II |
| Court | Colorado Court of Appeals |
Robinson & Robinson, P.C., William F. Robinson, III, Denver, for Plaintiffs-Appellants.
Montgomery, Little & McGrew, P.C., Kevin J. Kuhn, John R. Riley, Englewood, for Defendants-Appellees.
Opinion by Judge CRISWELL.
Plaintiffs, Golden Lodge No. 13, I.O.O.F., and Golden Three Links Junior Lodge No. 7, I.O.O.F., appeal from the district court's judgment dismissing, without prejudice, their complaint against defendants, Michael Easley and Robert Robbins, Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master, respectively, of the Grand Lodge of Colorado, I.O.O.F., because of the failure of plaintiffs to exhaust their internal remedies provided by the laws and regulations of the organization of which both plaintiffs and the Grand Lodge of Colorado are subordinate bodies. Because we conclude that such dismissal is not a final judgment and is not a ruling that we have jurisdiction to review, we dismiss the appeal.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) is an international philanthropic fraternal organization. I.O.O.F. consists of the Sovereign Grand Lodge, the supreme governing body of the Order; grand lodges, like the Grand Lodge of Colorado, which are chartered by the Sovereign Grand Lodge and which preside over and govern local lodges in a particular geographic area; and local lodges, like plaintiff Golden Lodge, which are chartered by their respective grand lodge.
Grand Lodge of Colorado is the supreme governing body of the organization within Colorado. Easley, as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Colorado, was the highest ranking I.O.O.F. official in the state. The Grand Lodge of Colorado's functions include requiring compliance with all of its and of the Sovereign Lodge's laws by its subordinate lodges.
According to Golden Lodge's complaint, in January 1993, Easley, alleging that Golden Lodge and its members had violated various rules and regulations of the I.O.O.F., suspended Golden Lodge's charter and took over its assets, which included a lodge building in downtown Golden, Colorado. Easley provided Golden Lodge with a list of the charges against it and met with its officers who requested that he reconsider his decision; he...
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