PRESENTATION.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 53, 14 February 1913, Page 6

PRESENTATION.

The officersand members of the Loyal j Pride of Kaitangata Lodge took the j opportunity at" its meeting last Thursday evening of showing to Dr Fit?.- j gerald the esteem in which he is held j as modical officer to the lodge. The doc- , tor, who lately resigned his position as J lodge surgeon on account of his broken health and consequent departure from the district, had been medical/officer to the lodge since its inception, more than 19, years ago, and the members considered they were simply doing a duty when they asked Dr and Mrs Fitzgerald to accept a small token of their goodwill and esteem. , Upon the various chairs being vacated, Dr Fitzgerald was introduced into the lpdge room and given a place upon the dais. The N.G., 8r0..M. .1. Morrison, on making the presentation, said he had a very pleasant duty to perform in carrying out what the'lodge thought was their duty. The brethren viewed with sincere regret the departure from Kaitangata of Dr and Mrs Fitzgerald. The doctor had been associated with the lodge as its medical officer for such a long period that the brethren really looked upon him as one of themselves" and a brother. The brethren had thought of adding their quota to and joining in with the citizens iu their presentation, but considered that -Dr and Mrs Fitzgerald would appreciate much more any token coming directly from the lodge itself. He would ask the doctor to accept for himself an. enlarged photo of spine of the Past Grand Masters of the lodge, and ! also to accept for Mrs Fitzgerald a silver condiment service, together with half a dozen silver teaspoons, to show to her that her many good works in Kaitangata were appreciated and remembered. He hoped that the health of the doctor would soon be sufficiently improved to allow him to start his practice in Dunedin and continue to alleviate the sufferings of those who had occasion to seek his aid, and "may his life be long, bright, happy *nd prosperous in the new home to which he was going in Duricdin. (Applause.) Permanent Secretary Bro. McFadyen, P.G. Bro. Lavery, P.G. Bro. Myers, P.G. Bro. H. Cuthbertson, P.G. Bro. Edwards, P.G. Bro. T. Middlemass and Bro. Ratcliffe also spoke, expressing their regret at the loss to the lodge aud the district caused by the doctor's leaving Kaitangata. Each speaker expressed the opinion that, Dr Fitzgerald would be very much missed, for he ,had at all times taken a keen interest in the wel--1 fare of the place, and when he had time i for recreation he had also been the : mainstay of the old but now extinct cricket, club. His part in the final for the district championship at one time brought the coveted honours to Kaitangata, and old members would never forget that match. The speakers also said that it did not often happen that any doctor could be' medical officer to a lodge or society aud carry on his duties for over 19 years without friction arising ou either side, but how pleasing it was to remember that throughout all those years nothing but good feeling and perfect harmony prevailed between the doctor and the lodge. Dr Fitzgerald in reply said that, although lie was not an Oddfellow himself, he had been for so long a period happily associated with the members of this lodge that lie felt himself just as one of them, and felt like calling them brothers. He heartily thanked them for 1 the handsome present, and assured members that he could appreciate it as coming directly fromithe lodge itself. He would have been even more than satis- ' fied and extremely gratified with their expressions of goodwill and appreciation alone. He must especially thank

them for their kindly thoughts and presents to his wife, without whose help he would have been heavily handicapped in carrying out what he had done, anid what iie considered was his duty to the lodge and also to Kaitangata and the districts round about. Few indeed could thoroughly realise what the help of a good wife was to a medical man. Her interest in the welfare of himself and the people of Kaitangata had helped him greatly. This, assistance was the means of his responding promptJy to any call, and no one knew better than himself what a relief it was to those anxious hearts in homes of sickness that the entrance of their doctor brought about. He hail attended in practically every home in Kaitangata, and knew the people so well that he

could always enter into their joys, and was it to be wondered at that, upon occasions when the highest Physician of all called to claim to own, his own heart was torn with grief through the grief and sorrow of those wHom he knew so well?. He could see upon the handsome photograph just presented to himself some of those whom he had known in their boyhood, and he had seen them grow up to become members of tho lodge and also become officers of it too, and to become so they had at one time to pass their medical examination at his hands. He thus knew what a fine healthy and strong body of members this lodge possessed. As before stated, he had been associated with the lodge since its inception, and he could carry his mind back to the acquaintances he had known among the oldest members, among whom were Constable Poole, Mr Bevin, Mr McLaren and many others, some of whom had. he was sorry to say,

passed away. This was the only Oddfellows' Lodge he had been associated with, and although-he had heard some doctors speak in a disparaging manner of tho lodges to which they were medical officers, and also 'heard some lodge members Speak in a like manner of their medical officer, it, was gratifying to know that in Kaitangata there had been no friction, and he never said anything i it what was good of this lodge. He

./as grateful to the lodge for the treatment and courtesy shown him. Ho had

never grudged going out when called upon by members, because he knew that

lodge members never sent for him to attend trivial cases. When some doctors gave up their lodge practice it occasionally meant friction inside the lodge, or their doctor had a swelled

head or became too big for lub boots. That had not been the experience of the Kaitangata lodge or his,own, and although lie did not know whether he ! would be associated with any of the | lodges in Dunedin, he could assure those I present that if he was ho. would eer-. : taiuly not consider it beneath him to be !j%o associated. As he had always tried "to fulfil his duties to Kaitangata, so would he do to all whether with lodges or otherwise. In the examination of candidates he had always studied both, the interests of those candidates and the lodge. Speaking for his wife and family, he said that all his married life' had been spent, here, and they wore all as sorry at leaving Kaitangata as he' himself was. The splendid photograph just given him would be hung with pride in his consulting room in Dunedin, whilst their gifts to Mrs Fitzgerald, being of a utility nature as well as handsome, would always grace their table, to be pointed out to many as the gifts of the Kaitangata Lodge of Oddfellows, and these gifts would in time be handed down to his family, by whom they would indeed be treasured. By his health giving way now his hopes that he could spend his life here and by-and-by ask Kaitangata to appoint his son as an assistant or even as their doctor were not to be realised. However, that Could not be helped now. He again thanked the members for their presents, and their action would never be forgotten. Dr Fitzgerald then shook hands with each of those present, and before leaving all hands were joined and each voice was raised to the singing of "Auld Lang Syne."