Page:North Dakota Reports (vol. 48).pdf/311

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OLSON v. GRAND LODGE
287

permit, upon blanks to be provided by the Grand Lodge, and that any such member who failed to avail himself of such options would forfeit all of his rights and benefits for himself or his beneficiary, notwithstanding the fact that he might continue to pay regular assessments and lodge dues and the Grand Lodge may have known of his entry into such service.

Attached to the beneficiary certificate, issued to the insured member, appears the following:

“This beneficiary certificate is issued and accepted upon the express consent of the member that in the event he engage in military, naval, submarine, or zrial service in time of war, without first obtaining a permit signed by the Grand Master Workman and Grand Recorder, and availing himself of one of the options adopted by the advisory board of said Grand Lodge at its meeting held on September 1, 1917 (numbered one, two or three) the amount payable upon this beneficiary certificate in the event of his death during such service shall be the reserve actually maintained by the Grand Lodge in respect to this beneficiary certificate.”

On June 23, 1918, the insured through the selective service law became a private in Company B, 313th Engineers, of our army, while at war with Germany. He went to France with his company. On July 29, 1918, Mr. Kiland (apparently a local officer of the order) wrote the plaintiff, as follows:

“I am in receipt of money order from you for $2.92 being for assessment No. 6 and lodge dues. This will serve as a receipt. Being that Uenry is in the service he will have to sign the inclosed application for war permit, which they require to hold. As I do not know his address, I wish that you would send it to him and have him sign it and return to us as soon as possible.”

The insured did not present nor sign the application for a war permit. The extra war premium was not paid.

On October 8, 1918, the insured, while in France in a hospital under the control of our government, afflicted with influenza, died, without ever having been in the zone of hostilities. Up to the time of his death all regular and other assessments and dues upon his insurance certificate and due the lodge had been paid. On November 11, 1918, the advisory board of the Grand Lodge adopted a resolution which provided that the board recommended to the finance committee the allowance of all claims in behalf of members in the service who had not received war permits upon the basis of 20 per cent. under option 2.