ODDFELLOWSHIP.

Press, Volume XXI, Issue 2401, 16 April 1873, Page 2

ODDFELLOWSHIP.

KANGIOEA ODDFELOWS LODGE.

OPENING NEW HALL. We may certainly fully congratulate the Loyal Rangiora Lodge of Oddfellows upon the great success of the opening ceremonies of the new hall. The weather at one time it was feared, would tend to detract from Monday's proceedings, but happily the scudding showers were by no means so heavy as anticipated, and as the day wore on the weather cleared up. For some time it has been found that the hall in which the members of the Lodge held their meetings was becoming too small, therefore it was decided to erect a larger hall' and one at the same time which could, if occasion required it, be let for meetings and public entertainments. A plan for a new hall was drawn out and a contract accepted, from Bro. RobinsoD, who some months ago began with the work, and on Monday last the hall had been finished with the exception of the plastering, which the contractor was unable to get men to carry out in time. The new hall, which is built on to the old ball, is a handsome looking building 36ft x 24ft, with a stud of 14ft, and lighted with two large mullioned windows. There is also a porch 12ft x 10ft with a stud of 12ft. The outside is weather boarded. Above the entrance are the words, " M.U.1.0.0.F., 1873, Oddfellows' Hall," and printed on the fan light are the words, "Loyal Rangiora Lodge." The interior is wainecoted, and then the walls will be plastered to the ceiling. The ceiling ia of timber, and with the wainscoting when varnished, will have a good appearance. For the event the walls had been decorated with floral and evergreen designs, the words, " Friendship, Love, and Truth " being conspicuous on the walls. About 200 persons had assembled at 5 o.m at the hall, and were provided with tea as quickly as they could obtain seats The catering was undertaken by Messrs llobertson and George, bakers, who did themselves great credit. The several tables were presided over by Mesdames Blackett, George, Manning, the Misses Josling (2), and Miss Stapleforth. obieiVi 4^

scntatives from the various regalia; perhaps those from Ka&Si J*?' viators were the most nnmcron? V tl>c ticed P.P.G.M. Abraham T ?° a °" P.P.G.M. Kent, and P.P.Q.M. £ nn !{| wtc ", the City of Christchurch LoS a S o£ Forater, Benevolent Loci™ • pT I, N -». P.M. Simpson, and P.O. \v! Wr'iMu . ric > Loyal Kaiapoi Lodge ; V.G. BrocW 1 *J e Volunteer Lodge ; and the officer's of !^ Q Rangiora Lodge, viz, N.G. Blarl-ou nh ° Bnrt, V.G. Truman (elective), E S rj' M, and Permanent Secretary Robinson f gct *< ing round the room we were pleased t * so many of the influential residenta ofV Cc giora taking part in affair. Tea otm- ♦?" room was cleared. > 'he In connection with the ceromonv of ing the hall there were sports during 6 ?' afternoon on the ground of the R ■ Cricket Club, consisting of a cricW por * between this club, and the membl^S 1 Oddfellows; and various games of fLn . The cricket match was commenced kfu Oddfellows going to the wickets and 15° principal scoring was done by Bnrt v was at the wickets for a long tiran f W . ° 11. The innings closed for 36. Aftpr a iouming for lunch to the Ploutjh T n « f, R.C.C. handled the willow, making ff tbo pectable score of 64, or 28 more than opponents. During this innings the •* put a stop to the play for some titm* thua left the game to be decided by « innings, although the Oddfellows played ; their second innings, in which they ra&a better stand than in their first, making £ runs. The game was thus won h» tt R.C.O. by the first innings. 7 thc The following is the score :— ODDFELLOWS, Ist Innings. W. A. Burt, c Thome, b Morton —. Free, b Good "• ll C. Kent, b Good " "• 3 J. Wheeler, b Good ... '" "' « E. C. Forster, b Good ... '" "' ° W. Wright, b Thome ... "' '" ; W. Terry, not out " t "' * L. Hunuibell, c and b Thorne "' '" I H. Dudding, b Merton ... "j '" jj J. Blackburn, c Chapman, b Merton " n T. Blackburn, c Turton, b Merton '" a Byes, 2 ; leg-byes, 7 ; wides, 2 ',[[ jj 8.0.C. » let Innings. W. P. Turton, Ibw, b Free ... n F. Thome, run out ... " "* ? C. Merton, b Bart "', "" L. C. Williams, c Kent, b Free " '" * T. Chapman, b Kent *"' I W. Eckersley, b Burfc "' J E. R. Good, run out ... ," "* 1 T. May, h Kent - " '" * T. S. Fester, st Free ... ",[ '" » R. Chapman, b Burt '" , K. Carter, npt out " '" n Byes. 12; Icg-byes, 1; wides,"*" "', ls S4 At the entertainment the room was quits filled, and several were unable to obtain admittance. On the platform were Bro Sawtell (in the chair), Mr T. W. Maude M.P.C., and Mr John Marehman. ' In opening the meeting, the Chairman in some complimentary terms, referred to the good building which the M.U.,1.0.0.F. were that day openiug at Rangiora, and'said that it was only a few years since the Order was established in Rangiora, rig., in 1860 and now they numbered ninety-eight mem' bers, and he had heard that their numbers would probably coon be increased. He was not an old oddfellow, but he had been connected with a lodge long enough to know the advantages of the society. It waa an insurance company on the best mutual principle. Aβ they would bo aware that the word " Friendship, Love, and Truth " conveyed to them the principles which they promoted, and they would understand that if any of their members were in sickness, that they received the attention they required, On this account every one ought to take advantage of such a society, and he trusted that many of hie hearers would take this matter in hand at once. There was oao district — the Ellesmere— where ha to astonished they had not established a and its inhabitants were deserving of census He complimented the inhabitants oi <& district on the progress they had made in Oddfellowehip, and he hoped that they would soon have two lodges in their district, so that one would assist the other in carrying cat improvements, if possible, in their management, as was the case in the Christehsrcli lodges. To show the progress of the Manchester Unity, he then proceeded to read some interesting extracte from the report in the " Manchester Guardian" of the proceedings of the meeting of the A.M.C, He impressed upon the young men tbst they ought to join the Order. It would not in necessary to make a long speech, but ha hoped the members would persuade as many as possible to become members of the lodga He begged to thank them for the honored having voted him to the chair. Hehopd the meeting would maintain their usual order while the programme was gone thxosgl [Cheers.] The following programme waa tuengp through :—Song, " Her bright smile hannii mc still," Mr J. Carder ; speech, by the BtJ B.W. Dudley, "On the duty of making piw* eion for the future"; reading, "Pickwick in the Pound," Mr Maude. The chairman apologised for the absence of Mr Yule and Mr Lane from Lyttelton. " Song, " Hyfretty Jane," Mr J. Carder. Bbo. J. J. Robinson, P.S. of the Rangiora lodge, who was called upon, and was received with loud applause, gave an accotiai of the rise and progress of Oddfellowß sfc Rangiora. In 1860 there were one or two residents who stirred themselves to get a lodge of the Manchester Unity. He was one of the fourteen who were initiated in October o! that year, and he was glad to see more than one of that number present. They then had s a small room to meet in, but now they to" apparently got on so well as to get the p sent building. The members of the 1# now were 98. The last balance sheet up b January, shewed the value of the Lo^p} 9 be £666 18s Bd, only when the nm hnUH was paid for they would have it in property instead of money. Among those preset waa glad to see Brothers Kent and Grants who took part in the opening of the Imfi and there waa also present P.P.G.M. AM* , hams, whom they looked upon as the f&& & of Oddfellowship in Canterbury, faf cheers). Brother Abrahams would bf-anfl-bye, perhaps, address them. (Beoew cheers). T Song, Bro. Brocker; a yam, ty ßr . Marshman, which caased rounds of langM"' song, " Black Turf," Bro. Hickland; e»S> . " Belle of Sydney," Mr Rose. , l P.P.G.M. Abrahams explained the so* vantages of Oddfellowship. and the WbW of the Order in Canterbury. If they calW> him the father, he said he was proud fcosej so many of his boys present. They : excuse his making a long speech, &8 he tf« within twelve days of being sixty-nine? 63 ;* of age, and he was not able to address tie® so fully as he should have liked. f j Song, " Come back to Erin "-Mr * | Carder. - A vote of thanks was proposed by F.i •"• Stevens, and seconded by G.M. Bvb% ," the chairman, which was carried by ac-' mation. ff The "National Anthem" was then sfe i and the meeting broke up to resolve iw- V | into a dancirg party. The devotees « j Terpsichore kept it up fast and furious an early hour next clay. Supper ms v &i i vided during the ball in the anterooJi w A* special train with the j visitors, left Rangiora at twelve mwnip u i Dr Septimus Hansard writes Jo 'jj I "Times: ,, —"Perhaps the most 1 part of the large audience which 1 Dr Carpenter's lecture in the onon. , ult | Town Hall, on Tuesday, was a body « (J)S | deaf mutes, seventy in number, to w ' oaa i I whole lecture was interpreted iXk .^ & 0 1 signs by the Rev W. Staiuer, the i in charge of the deaf aud dumb in | of London, who intends to interpret w . | the whole series of eight lectures on , successive Tuesday, I