In the case of Creswill v. Grand Lodge Knights of Pythias of Georgia, 1911, the U.S Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a fraternal benefit society could legally change its benefits structure without violating contractual obligations to existing members. The plaintiff, Mr. Creswill, had joined the Knights of Pythias under an agreement that he would receive certain death benefits upon his passing for his beneficiaries. However, after joining and paying dues for several years, the organization changed their bylaws to reduce these benefits significantly. Creswill sued on grounds that this action violated his contract rights as protected by Article I Section 10 (the Contract Clause) of the United States Constitution which prohibits states from enacting any law impairing obligation contracts. The court ruled in favor of Creswill stating that membership in such societies constitutes a binding contract between both parties and changes cannot be made unilaterally or retroactively without consent from all involved parties. This decision upheld principles regarding sanctity and inviolability of contracts while also setting precedent about how laws governing fraternal organizations should be interpreted when it comes to member's rights and expectations.

In the dissenting opinion for Creswill v. Grand Lodge Knights of Pythias of Georgia, it was argued that the majority's decision to deny a writ of error on grounds that no federal question had been presented was incorrect. The dissent contended that there were indeed federal questions involved in this case, specifically relating to due process and equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. It was further asserted that these constitutional issues should have been addressed by the court rather than dismissed outright. The dissent also criticized what they saw as an overly narrow interpretation of jurisdictional requirements by the majority, arguing instead for a broader understanding which would allow more cases involving potential violations of civil rights to be heard at a national level.