ODDFELLOWSHIP

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 66, 19 March 1931, Page 15

ODDFELLOWSHIP

GRAND LODGE SITTING

SESSION IN AUCKLAND

* . (By Telegraph.) (Special to "The .'Evening'"Post."). . i ■-■':■■ ■ '':•■.' ;'". AUCKLAND, This- Day,: ■ The 'twenty-third biennial session of the Grand Lodge of ■ New ; Zealand, 1.0.0.E,, opened 'on' Tuesday; in;. Star, of Auckland Lodgerobm'at' 10 a.m.;Vith' representatives ■presen'ti.:from "all/parts of the," Dominion, including the. follow-. ing 'members 'of the .executive:—Bro.; D; F. .Siriillie, Grand Master; Bro; J; I.' G. Sbirierville, Deputy.'..Grand;:.Master;: Bro. "Ai-'J.VGuy, Grand ■:Warden;" Bro.: Wi. P., Crooke, Grand •Secretary;^Bro.■ L, Deans .Ritchie, Grand Treasurer;,...and. Bro;.' J. .Skinner, Grand. Trustee.■ ~ ""'., "' In addition to- the-'rogularVsession. cp'mmit'te'es,'- special ■ ''committees'.' have been." set; up to':deal withth.e division; o£ ; districts,:(including :Brb. H. Dames, .Wei--; lington)V and transfer- of Gti-and'Lodge : -from'ibunedni .td'-Wellington; (including Bro.' G;;'T;; Budkin', .Well&gtoh)'. Fur-: ther'-special''committees .to ;;deal",' with'; earthquake' relief arid ;;■ unemployment; have-yet-tobe appointed.':;..;'';'l':. '■'■'/'■■;■ ; i*" ; Reports of the- executive' -Show rithat 'the > membership. /of 'the: ■"• society.: ',;in:'' creased -by 318-in' 1929'and'280 in 1930, the1 total membership • now" standing at: .17,404.-.-Sinco the:last session; ten';neAV lodges h'avie been openedi'The Sick..-and: Funeral Funds inerea.sed, by,£.20j761;in' 1929; and"« 23,125 iri.lOSO^^and .the^assets'.of' the'society ;now 'exceed "£.325,----000.'' P.uring. jthe' past 'two yearsX'l746. members haye-recpived'..the-/maternity| i'bonus.';•'" ':'. '■'-...:" "• .. ' v v:'•'■ •■',':• ■ "''■''':■ ••'■" " .: :The.:valuation :>(Sp'ort-::'as : -at. ;:31stv.Dev. comber,-..1927, was '•submitted..-'as:: ; £ol-; lows:-rr:';; ■•:•■■..'.; '■ f i ■■./'-. ■:'::\ l^-:.fh:'.-'. :\ '": .:' - <y;:.. y l '■■/ SW$. CIiAIMS. 1,;.' V.;;.. > ■"'' :''A Comparison, .of '■tSer,.'actual cost^of ths .sic.k:,claims in", respe&t -of.,male;'and, female members .during .the quinquennium has been made .wittf-the..' New Zea-; land friendly soeietie-s' experience,, and the results;, of„ this' comparison; are.;..- as follow:--Maie Members: Actual .cost, :£4?,714;- expected,,£51,753);;amount;pf aetualbelow: expected- cost/- £2039;- percentage , of, actual-, below-expected,- foat, &9';: per cent.' Pemale, Members:: Actual cost;. £ 1814; expected'cost (male,stand-: ard),r: £1076;'■.amount^ o£lacl;ual:,v.above / expected cost;; £738;; : percentage upfi, actual above expected cost,: 68.6 , per 'cent. ..''•''■ •■ -: a -■•;■•••:. ■'■•■■■•••;;"•■''-.■..•v'v •'■■■■■•/>;■ • H The1 following consolidated:valuation b'alanee-she.et■ represents) the. p.psitioiuof the 1 society-as a whole, as, at 31st December, '.1927:—Present ivalue, of ■..sickness liabilities, £482,564; present yalup of 'i-'fuiesralMiabilities, - £138,896; surj plus, ;£ 81,006 -total, £702,466.;, Worth: ofrsick'and funeral funds, .£252,7,77;; present-Value1 of future :bpntributions,. £449,689;. t0ta1,.:£702;466:;;.:;.V.:'. .■■,■•" . > The;.following statement, consolidates tiiei results of the .\valuation ,;balance : sheets: at 1927; the corresponding ! figurcs in... respect of, the -192.2 valuation being shown invpafenth'eses for..'comparative; purposes:"—:' - ■;'..,'., '• . .\'■' ■■'• -: • '-~■■ •.•'„■ •„■ ■, i) General sick fund, surplusi. £48,283 ££24 829); general' funeral fund,, surplus; i£31,804 X£14,904):; ,uet^surplus (males), £80,087 V(£39,733).: Bebjkah sick and funeral: fund,, surplus,: £919 (—}• deficiency, — (£3lo);:whble sociey, surplus; £81,006 (£39,423); de.greo pf solvency..22s 7d) (21s ;9d): The. abovo'. 'aggregato ■.''■:. valuation balancesheet discloses a? total, surplus of .£Bl,----006, •which,:. however, '..js'subject -,tq a reduction.of £13,50,0; in respect'qf .t^e surplus appropriation authbrised:,invl9.2B for.the nucleus of an-additional. sickjipss. allowance: fund; (supplementing vtne : old: membjersi/third'pe'riod'oick:; allowance by"2s 6d:per'-week); < 'At:the.:previous'■',':valuation, there' was a 1 net: sur-; .plus 0f:'£39'423,:.,and as: £5565 was I appropriated during' the guinquenniuin under review, it will -bo seen that the net improvement f brHhe poriod' ; amounts ■to::£47^.4V:.;;i'.' .^'.■V:;'::'--Wiv::":-;';.' ;■■ ■;; .The main faetomc.o.ntvibuting to this highly satisfactory improvement were:1 (1)' The high . interest, yield: on investments; (2) a 'saying ;in: the; sick.claims of mal^-membei-s; (3)' tlie- favourable incidence .of the mortality >exp^enence; and (4)' profits "from secessions; 1 ;;;., ■~, In his covering,report,.the;-Gqyern-ment Actuary,: Mr^C.;:'Gdstelow,; said:^ f'L- desire' to ■> congratulate -the, society; on/ the great;improyemont 'shown.'by valuation; and: on ,the financial position aiow; attained.. :If the\sowety concentrates on the earoful selection:of new members arid makes periodical 'investigation, into tho: (sickness claims ot some .of rthose lodges which consistently experience excess sickness, and in addition keeps the.'funds invested at the most remunerative rate 'of .interest con- '■ sistent .'with.;seciirity,:;thJß iuture^ean be faced1 ,with confidence." :,■;■,■ ,' ' ", ■ . In addition to'the foregoing matters, . several other." subjects'. of •; importance -to/New Zealand Oddfellows have been discussed, including!the revision,of : the constitution',1 for -which■'•tho Wellington > members of.Grand Lodge—Bros. G. i. Eudkin, F. 'J. Jones, and H;.D.ainc—were appointed, ft ' special.'. committee: Other. matte.rs^included-; on' the roTder paper""ar.e:' v the' -standardisation; -of;:.regalia, revision/of electoral rules,, mcdiJal examination form, provision of^resignatiori certificates, improved Past Grands'-:-diplomas, . creation of standing committees on legislation and. judiciary' matters, increasing? the'" guarantees, of financial.\officers,.report of the Now ■ Zealand dolegatos to1 the 19.29 session of.the Grand Lodge of Australasia, and! ;.tho: T.epbrt. of tho - spocial committee appointed last S9ssibn :to cbngider.:.'the .bookkeeping 'system',of tho Grand Lodge office: , •. ..;;-. '. . . ;■ It- is"expected .that the .session- will terminate on Friday. 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