ODDFELLOWS CONFER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 164, 24 April 1935, Page 5

ODDFELLOWS CONFER.

MANCHESTER UNITY. THE NEW ZTEALAND BRANCH. (Special to the " Guardian.") CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The conference of the New Zealand branch of the Manchester Unity of the Independent Order of Oddfellows was continued yesterday. The. report by the Grand Secretary on the International Conference was presented in the form of a brochure of 27 pages, the reception of which was moved by Bro. A. G. Shrimpton, the official delegate to London. Bro. J. McLeod, also a delegate to London, spoke in glowing terms of the work of Bro. Shrimpton at the International Conference.

Election of Officers. Brother A. C. Blair, Deputy-Grand Master, was unanimously elected Grand Master of the New Zealand Branch. For Deputy-Grand Master, Bro. W. McMillan, of the Good Intent Lodge, Auckland, was elected. In re-electing Bro. W. H. Madeley to the position of Grand Trustee, a hearty vote of appreciation of his loyal and faithful services as one of the trustees Avas carried. The following directors were elected: Bros. E. W. Guise (Wellington), N. J: McKay (Taranaki), J. E. Allan, P: A. Smith (Auckland), N. B. Bellringer (Taranaki) and C. J. Holsey (North Canterbury). Mr E. W. A. Kellow, P.P.A. (N.Z.) was re-elected Society Auditor. The delegates from Wellington district extended an invitation to the conference to hold the 1937 meeting there. The invitation was accepted, and the Wellington district thanked. Wellington submitted a suggestion that in future the directors should be represented by two of their number instead of six. The remit was lost. The conference went into committee to discuss methods of voting for the election of officers, and ,on resuming decided that the method of polling be referred to the directors to report to the next movable conference as to the desirability of amendments. ; On the recommendation of the directors, wider and clearer interpretations have been placed on the conditions croverning the investment of the funds of the society. The new conditions have been drafted to conform with the terms of the Friendly Societies Act.

Juvenile Membership. Lengthy proposals for the control of juvenile 'lodges were submitted' by Brother N. Bruce on behalf of the directors. Generally, the proposals are that persons of either sex between the ages of three to sixteen years may he admitted to membership, (a) as junior members of adult lodges, or (b) as members of a juvenile lodge registered under the Friendly Societies Act, or (c) in an auxiliary juvenile branch of an adult lodge. A monthly contribution of 2d for all entry ages will provide funeral benefits ranging from £5 to £lO according to age. On the attainment of the age of 16, a junior member can he admitted to an adult lodge without payment of initiation fees. Physical disability or financial difficulties at the age of 16 may allow a member to remain in the junior lodge until the age of 18. The objects of a juvenile lodge will be to render assistance to members when sick, to assure a sum of money in the death of a member, to provide medical attendance and medicine to members, payment of endowments or bonuses and the payment of the transfer fee when members are initiated into adult lodges. Clearances. An important step was taken, when a remit from the Auckland district was adopted allowing for clearance surrender values to be paid when members transfer from one lodge to another within the New Zealand branch, except in the case of clearances from one lodge to another in consolidated districts. To bring the clearance, age within the branch in line with that operating m the cases of members transferring from lodges outside the New Zealand branch, the clearance age in New Zealand is to be raised from 45 to 51 years.