THE ORDER OF DRUIDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 301, 17 December 1912, Page 6

THE ORDER OF DRUIDS.

(To the Editor.* Sir, —There is no necessity for mc to enter into a newspaper controversy over matters in connection with our Order, which must be settled first on the floor of our Lodges, and second at our Grand Lodge meetings, where every member geta a. fair and just hearing. I would just like to state that the executive have taken th» trouble to visit most of the lodges, and place these most important matters fairly before the members, and that when it was my pleasure to visit the Gisborne lodge, on the 18th of last month, and I took considerable to explain the position. I thought by the aceptance of my remarks that every member — including Mr. Bold, who was present, and had his opportunity to speak—was thoroughly satisfied; also, our local district president called a meeting, at which every member was invited to attend and place his views before the meeting, for and against the alterations, which, of course, again gave Mr. Bold the chance to divulge the secrets which he holds in his possession to make the death scheme a. success. With reference to liability, I thought it was patent to every member that, in quoting it, it was the possible liability of the Society. So far as there being any trouble over the proposed amendments, I must mention that none whatever has been brought officially under our notice, nor do I personally know of any existing; but if it is assumed that opposition is trouble, which any reform will bring about, then that is another matter. Now, all that the present executive desire is to place the Order on a sound basis as regards increased death benefits, so that they will enjoy the same proud position as all our other benefits axe enjoying at the present time; but if Mr. Bold can show us how to give a £100 death, benefit for 10/6, whicii actuaries say w3l cost 30/8 as the lowest possible rate, taking our average age at 33, he wfli be doing something which will gain for him the admiration of every Friendly Society member in New Zealand. We, as the responsible body for the time being of our Order, axe quite content to take the figures approved by qualified actuaries, but are very loth to accept the opinions of the would-be actuaries. I might mention that in working out our new scheme we have fully taken into account all lapses, as owing to adequate scales of contributions they wiH leave something behind them, whereas, in the old scheme, there was no accumulation of funds, therefore nothing to be gained by members leaving, except that they passed the liability on to a smaller number to carry. If Mr. Bold will inform mc of bia postal address I wHI be pleased to inform him of «ny arr-mgorncnte. made-far