Lodges Were Unaffected By Social Security

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31225, 24 November 1966, Page 13

Lodges Were Unaffected By Social Security

When social security was introduced by legislation into New Zealand many people believed that state-supplied benefits would spell the end of friendly societies.

This did not turn out to be the case. The last 10 years has seen an upward trend in membership brought about by a new approach to the present needs of the public. The trend to greater self-re-liance is likely to expand and the logical organisations to which the public will turn for the provision of benefits are the friendly societies with their long experience and established financial resources.

Dublin in September, 1966, was the venue of a conference of voluntary health organisations and report from that conference confirms this trend.

Even in countries which provide state social security benefits, voluntary organisations are growing, in some cases dramatically. In the United Kingdom, over 5,000,000 people contribute to voluntary health insurance organisations. In Australia the government health scheme is operated by way of subsidy entirely through voluntary health

organisations, which include friendly societies. Prominent speakers at the Dublin Conference believed that there was a change of thinking by many governments in favour of voluntary systems and greater self-reli-ance. More Members Another reason for the revival of interest in friendly societies as shown by the increasing membership of Manchester Unity, is the growing disparity between state benefits and present-day costs. Members of a lodge are personally known to one another and to the officers.

It is in this atmosphere that the benefits of membership are provided and herein lies one of the chief advantages of voluntary insurance schemes.

The Manchester Unity Friendly Society is an entirely mutual organisation. All profits are held in trust for the enhancement of members’ benefits.

From the moment of joining, every member has an

equal voice and vote in the affairs of his lodge. The Manchester Unity Friendly Society is constituted on three levels of government.

Lodges, which are responsible for their domestic affairs and from whom members are elected to form district committees of management.

Districts, such as the North Canterbury district, which are responsible for the lodges within their areas and from which representatives are elected to speak and vote at biennial movable conferences. The society or central body which, through the board of directors elected at movable conferences, controls the society in its national aspects in accordance with the resolutions of such conferences. Every district, of which there are 12 attached to the New Zealand order, holds an annual conference which, through the elected representatives from lodges, determines matters of district policy. The biennial movable conference, comprising elected representatives from all districts, is the supreme controlling body for New Zealand and its resolutions, subject to certain rights reserved to districts and lodges are binding on the society as a national unit.

Thus our society has a blend of local, district and national government.