ODDFELLOWS' SPLIT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 48, 25 February 1914, Page 7

ODDFELLOWS' SPLIT.

POSITION OF SECEDING I,OBGE A "KICK-OUT" RESOLUTION. ETHK.- OF BROTHERLY LOVE.

The gMThsion of die largest, nldr-M, and wealthiest lodge fruin llie Auckland district of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellow s in consequence of the proposed consolidation of the sick funds of the Order in the district, wns the subject of a warm dii-eussion at the annual district meeting held in Auckland to-day. In the rourse of his address the ProTincial (J rand Master (Bro. W*. said the Inriir had seceded on the ground that it would have to part with its valuable property, and be placed on the same footing a* the poorest lodge in tbe Dominion. "A committee of .-even or einht members was ?et up. and circulatPfl a number of documents containin* most erroneous and misleading statements." continued the Provincial Grand .Master. "I will he>-c mention one from a circular dated loth July: 'Members niilst yot who do not vote, or vote against secession will (if secession is carried I. cease to be members of the lod ff e.' I. with the approval of the committee of management, issued a circular "to the members of the lodge setting out the true position and effect of sece.-xiion, and also pointing out misleading statements in the lodge's circulars. Every statement in this circular is absolutely true, and can he substantiated. The members, however, followed the oft-reiterated advice of the lodge circulars and voted for secession. When the ascertainment is made I am afraid the merrrbers will have a rude awakening and will realise, when too late, that they have been misled and deceived by the committee which issued these circulars." A VIGOROUS PROTEST. The iliccussir'j arose on the moving of the. resolutions of the District Management Committee, one of which was: — "That the district officers omleuvour to iave a summoned meeting of tlie members of the Fountain of Friendship lxxige touvened on -Mrd July. 19K , .. 1n tbe Lodge Boom, Lome Street, to consider secession: the officers of the Society and Lhstrict to attend such meeting."

Bro. K. L. Ziman. objecting to the resolution, commented upon what he described as the "insulting remarks" of the P.M.Ci. in his address. (Loud cries of "No! , ") Proceeding, Bro. Ziman declared that in the form the resolution appeared on the business paper it looked as thought the Fountain of Friendship Lodge had never given the officers of the district a chance of saying anything on the subject. The fact was that three weeks before the district officers wrote to the lodge, the lodge wrote to them and invited them to discuss the very subject. The district officers replied declining to come. Then six days before the big meeting, the district officers TVTotc saying that they wanted to come and tben they were refused. ]n justice to his lodge it should be madp clear that throughout the district officers had been welcomed.

The corresponding secretary informed the meeting that the invitation to attend the meeting came on June 2S—a considerable time after many of tile circulars had been circulated—and only two days before the meeting. The district committee considered that the invitation came too late, seeing thai the lodge had already resolved to eecede from the Society. Subsequently they received a communication from Wellington asking if it would be possible to hold a meeting to consider the question of secession, and on July 17 the district committee asked the Fountain of Friendship Lodge if the lodge meeting could be summoned, and they replied that they could not see their way to comply with the request. The meeting decided to endorse the resolution. ON" BROTHERLY LOVE. The Fountain of Friendship deputies returned to the attack on llesolution 24, "That tlie Auckland District Committee be recommended to remove from office the members of the seceding Fountain of Friendship Lodge, who now hold office in the district."

Bro. G. Leydon declared that the resolution carried its own condemnation and prored that the action of the district committee had not been imbued with the brotherly love so often spoken about. They had been told that there was no brotherly love in the Fountain of Friendship Lodge, but the more they examined the actions of the management committee during the last twelve month?, the more it showed this absence of brotherly love. Apart from brotherly love, would it not have been better to put the resolution more gently and to have deleted the words "remove from office"? He moved an amendment substituting the phrase "be requested to resign." This was seconded, but pjiother deputy pointing out the resignations of two members of the lodge had already been accepted, suggested "that the resolution should be expunged. "It is like kickinj a dead man." he observed. Bro. J. Warren (Gisborne): The questroa of brotherly love is summed up in fourteen weeks' contributions. (Laughter.) Bro - E- ('■■ Saunters (Waihil declared that in the literature the lodge had K»ued there had been no brotherly love shown towards the management" committee. He held that the resolution was a proper one, and that the resignations should have been handed in before. Bro. Ziman held that the resolution w as a reflection, only upon the responsible committee, but' on nearly 700 members, some of whom have been 'members of the Order a* long as fifty years. Other deputies protested again'st'what tncy termed a "kick-out" resolution, but tie amendment was defeated and the a «ion of the committee endorsed. A further protest was made against » decieion of the District .Management to inform Bro. C.\ Westphal "at the jewel which he won for introducing the largest number of candidates iqiV he Kountain of Friendship Lodcre in "i- may be obtained at the District uiambers. The objectors held that the jewel should be duly presented, but the, ■neeting again proved inexorable. Immediately aftor the luncheon inter--1 tllc figures from the actuary's report regarding the secession of the Loyal ■mountain of Friendship Lodge were submitted:—To be paid by lodee. section 3, (d) £S.I4S. IP) £80". (h) £17!). (it i1',813. total £2fi.220. To he received by 'odge under 4. £1.522. Balance to °c paid by lodge. £24.008. T'nere were ' lurther amounts to lie ndded to this of which the lodges would be duly advised. The mooting thrn proceeded 'io debate the notir-p «,f motion from the District ■ Management Committee. "That the sick funds of the lodges in the •incklund district lip consolidated n nd the . necessary alterations be made in the District Rules to effect such consolidation." (Discussion i< sroceedinc-)