N.Z. FREEMASONS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 126, 28 May 1919, Page 4

N.Z. FREEMASONS.

GRAND LODGE IN SESSION. < 1 PAST YEAR'S WORK. » 1 PROPOSED WAR MEMORIAL. , (From Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHCROH, this day. The sittings of the Grand Lodge ot Xew Zealand Freemasons at Christchurch includes on this occasion a wel- . come home to brethren who have re- , turned from active service, added to which a lot of space in the reports submitted to-day deal with questions , arising out of the war. The appeal , which was made to the lodges at tile , annual communication held in Weliing- ; toil last year, on behalf or Hie move- | ment to establish on the portion of the , French front occupied by the Xew Zealand Forces a canteen to be known as the Cheer-o Hutment, under the management of the Y.M.CA., resulted m the raising of a fund of £1000, towards which the District Grand Lodge of Auckland, E.C., made a substantial contribution. Of this, £500 had been expended upon the maintenance of the hutment up to the time of the armistice, and £1100 remains on hand. It is proposed, still to utilise the balance Tor the benenc | of members of the Expeditionary Force, j and correspondence has taken place witn j the Y.M.CA. as to the best method orj carrying out this object. A proposal \ will be made to Grand Lodge that it | shall combine with others ln the erection I of a building for the social and reerea-j tive enjoyment of men in the grounds ot Kintj George V. Hospital, Rotorua. The special war benevolent fund which has exceeded in amount the £ 10,000 which was aimed at, the fund to its credit being now £13,342, the claims upon this fund as yet having been small, and it has been laid down from the outset that ant' benefits derivable shall be additional to and outside of any com-. pensation or reward provided for soldiers by the State or by patriotic societies and institutions of other kinds. "Out of the fund of benevolence, a sum of £081 has been expended durimr'the year in the relief of some 30 cases ot distress. Of special funds created m different years by the responses ot lodges to circular appeal* for the assist-1 ance of particular cases, there are 161 now in existence. For the office of erana | master the only candidate nominated is : the Hon. Mr. Justice Her'tnan, who will be elected by jreneral consent of the craft for his second term of office. Other leading members of• the executive, who are unopposed, are the following:— Grand treasurer. V.W. Bro. J. T. Kinggrand repistrar, V.W. Bro. O. W. Nell-' son; president of board of general purposes, V.W. Bro. .T. J. Essan: president of board of benevolence. R.W. Bro. H. H. Seaton, all of Wellimrton, where the Grand Lodge office is at present located, and will remain for the next 12 months. The number of lodses on the register of the Grand Lodsre is now 210. The grand secretary reports that all the lod<rp„ ln the territory are in a sound condition financially, and that the members have responded cheerfully and liberally to the many calls upon their purses, necessitated by the war and arising out of war conditions. It is proposed that the next annual conummu- I cation shall be held at Dunedin.