FRIENDLY SOCIETIES

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20571, 13 June 1932, Page 3

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES

DOMINION COUNCIL MEETS

Thu second annual meeting of the Dominion Council of Friendly Societies was held in the llecliabites Chambers, Wellington, recently, when 18 delegates assembled, representing a Friendly Society membership of over 77,000. The Societies represented were as follows: Manchester Unity of Oddfellows (N.Z. Branch), Otago District, Lyttelton District; Independent Order of Oddfellows, N.Z.; United Order of Druids, Grand Lodge, North Island; Ancient Order of Foresters, Wellington District, Otago District, United Canterbury District; Independent Order of Rechabites, Central District; Protestant Alliance Australasia; Grand United Order of Oddfellows, Auckland Transport Club (Auckland Tramways Employees). Mr 11. 8. M. Quigley, Dannevirke, presided, and in his presidential address referred to tlio splendid co-opera-tion of all Societies in spreading a knowledge of the activities and beneficent work of Friendly Societies, and the influence for good it had on the community life of the people of the Dominion. As an Advisory Board the Dominion Council had fully justified its existence during the past year, enabling immediate action to be taken in watching legislative matters and other proposals affecting Friendly Society management and general administration. Legislation Discussed. A very extensive order paper was discussed. Support for the proposal to recommend the amendment of the Friendly Societies Act regarding the date of closing Dodge books waa not unanimous, and no action was taken. Another important amendment to the I' riendly Societies Act, regarding the guarantee of interest where benefit moneys had been invested in buildings, j was overwhelmingly defeated, the con- I ference realising that the Act had been I a most useful safeguard to prevent I elaborate constructions out of Friendly ! Society benefit moneys. j Keport on Activities. The executive reported that during the year they had carefully watched progress, and had obtained information from various Friendly Societies and Hospital Guarantee Associations throughout New Zealand. The general report was that a fairly amicable state of relations existed between their Associations and Hospital Boards. In some localities, however, Hospital Boards, when approached in respect to an equitable limited liability of the charged fees, were inclined to expect a more [ considerable advance for the treatment of Friendly Society members than statistics showed they received from admittances from the general public. It was resolved to recommend -the various Friendly Society Councils to approach the Boards for a revision of the fees charged in some localities for special diagnosis. In spite of the general depression a report disclosed that the membership of all Friendly Societies operating in the Dominion had been very satisfactorily maintained. This factor was undoubtedly due to the careful investigations made to assist members in distressed circumstances, and in this respect various proposals were submitted to maintain the benefits for deserving unemployed and distressed members. Several of the proposals involved actuarial investigation, and it was resolved to submit the proposals to the actuary for hia report and recommendations. Officers were elected for the ensuing year as follows:—President, Mr H. S. M. Quigley, Dannevirke; vice-presi-dents, Mr A. W. O. Travers, Wellington, and Air J. Macfie, Dunedin; secretarytreasurer, Mr A. G. Shrimpton, Wellington; auditor, Mr T. Fathers, Wellington.