ODDFELLOWSHIP.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 126, 20 February 1908, Page 9

ODDFELLOWSHIP.

\ DISTRICT MEETING ' ' (rHOM vSPEOIAL. COBItEaPONDENX7) ..m-. ' ■ Faatherston, February- 18. . VThd:• '.meeting., of i the■; Independent.: •Order ' ofi,-., 'Oddfellows | wa's': > concluded :■ at,; ■ Ecath'erit6n ; r.on "Tuesday •• afterriqon,,.; -There' •was a good attendanco 'of delegates. ■ Bro, C.. P. • Brockelbank, G.M.,-presided. .' The; Following.,resolutions: were • ; earrie'd; 'That;it;is expedient, to take into, considerar, L tion'.the, (advisability of centralising, tho':sickfund of the New Zealand branch—That- the District; .(jomniittee 'IjbrMommeridedfto .'pro-.' vido a rule: that lodges holding property or .■money not at- present,allocated to. anyfLodge. fund,-or that' may receivo;,donations- aiid. ; tho : ■ donor.; does-not; .state'-to. -which, of. the: Lodge, donation!'is the. same shall-:ba allocated as follows: 40 per cent, sick fundj 40 per cent;, funeral fund, and< 20 .per 'cent.^managementi.'fund,—That tho Movablo .Committee bo recommended tp make provision in the- 'general rulesV -for; charging expenses in appeals' to ,the, Board of •Directors andjd3istiictfl™cn»suoh! appeals- are; .'considered to he .frivolous;.'..- ... Ofßcors wore clcctcTTaa ?follows: —P.G.M., Bro. J. F. O Sulhvan; P.D.G.M., Bro. 0. D. Robertson; P.'J'., Bro. T. S. Powell; auditor, 'J. Foster ;*boo!{ owammers, -Bro. M; Maxton ■* and \T. •Palmer; rhanage-'•mont,-Bros.;Guise, A.J.-! ' Ibbot-- ; son, ; v'l.':|'Haigli Ei'-;committed,'Bros.• \V. H;'"Madeley, W. Hdbntandeputies to Movable committee, Bros!' 'D."P.. i^Loasby, ;J Gv E. ; Godber, John Smith, W. Guiso, and C. ■D. Robertson; examining, and relieving o£G".cer,' Bro. G. E. Godb^i'.v' ' V' t !M ' ,It i was,,resolved, to.',hold .the, ; next, meetingin Mastertpn. : ' : 1 -.The* Management ;Committe6's. rcpor.t stated that : oil, January '.!,.1907,' the jtotal mcmhorahip 'of,, tho i, .Order as a whple,'..;; including : juveniles, admitted;- and othpr. members, . was % ,11026,509. -..'Thirty-six} ' new lodges.', .wyr'o: .opened, during'.'the', year, these- ; being■iii the Colonies and America. Tho" Directors -,of; tho Unity express, regretithat, the numeri,:c'al, increase is ; bo' much' smaller " than micht ;reasohably ; be expected, and iirgo the branches to do all m,'.thoir ;: power.-to' extend ,tho:,usefulness iof•thoiSociety." The total number of -ibembers 'in: New.; Zealand at -December*-31, 1906,, was 20,155,, arid the,' ariionnt- of; funds • •was' £516,284. iii The' question of annncrcased' funeral bonefit: is.vstill'.unsettled.- ~Tho. Mov-; ablo- .Committee '-will -open 'in New Plymouth ion 'Easter, ; Monday- when it .is.expected that' •8omo,!;vory- important 'matter's" will- bo con-r sulered; Tho .Loyal Grcytown Lodgo is recommonding i t-ho- district: to, place on tho order,), paper for ' tho "Movable Committed,I'.'That' it'is expcdiorit-to take iiito cbnsidera--> tiori tho:' advisability',of centralising tho sick' fund; of-;:tho New, Zealand Branch." ' The Committee ; we're jof, the - 'opinion ' that - the central bod;r should take charge of the funeral benefits as is now done by'the districts, , and so'spread :'tho. liability over/'a largor iiura-. bor, and give greater facilities for increase . i'ng the funeral benefit's. The- Lodge opened s "at i Kiibirniq'.iisVm'akinc • steady progress. Tho increase in.-'the.'membership; - district is, much greater "than last l year there is,. howover, .-still necessity for continued energy. Th : e. totaK-membership is over'?2ooQ.'-\ ; , Bros. D. P. Loasby, J. Smith, W. 'Guiso; G, E. Godber, T. S.- -Ppwell,- i W.-;,H.' Madelejr, ; and A. J. Ibbotson wore appointed an Arbitration Committeo. : ' .

The.-,deputies to '.the i.Movabld Committee, wero' authorised to, support: the, establishing of mixed^ lodges. , .. , ... / i

: -It was resolved that the business sheet of •the'B.M.C, be referred, to the. deputies ap-. with power to act as they deem it best. . '.

, _ As .the P.G.M. plect was: absent, it.was,decided 'that the installation- of officers take place at Loyal .Britannia Lodge on February! 24: ; Tho best-.thanks of the meeting were accorded Loyal Unity Lodge for tho mamiorj •in;which 'they had ontertainpd the deputies,! and £5 jras granted, towards tho expenses. , ; V| A hearty Bro., Brockelbank,, P.P.G31., and ,• it. Was.-.ref solved to plac'o his narao. upon.-tho District. -Mont Board. Also that he 'should receive, ,tho P.P.G.M. degree and be presented,•.with a P.P.G.M. jewel*' ,; : ; 1 -. Loyal• Antipodean Lodge,'asked-whether a •lodge could grant a. clearance card under section'A, rule 00, such' lodge having a. de..ficit' and the lpdga 'to .'whom v the member wishes to deposit.it'hnving:a surplus. It wa3 resolved tp'answor !'Yes. :'i: ~ . \ Tfc was 'resolved that, a committee, be- set.', up to devise ways and means' of popularising the district and Order.

The ; meeting:(leoicied;.that the: district .was. not .prepared to. guarantee nny.-amount-ito--wards the Socioty's proposcd insuranco fund.- . The delegates decision at the conferchco between ,tho. Now Zealand .'Friendly: Societies and New Zealand Branch of tiio British Mediohl Association,was approved. . . - Thb, Hose--, of,. Sharon , Lodge was recommended, to take steps to get a batter.return for money invested in land and buildings.'-' . Tho statement of funds .shows—To balance —Funeral fund; £3539 7s. Qd; ;• management -'fundi £97- 'sa. lid;; loan fund,;£l4lo': district members- fund, £213 19s. 5d.; relief fund, £49 Is.; cheques uiipresented, £8 is. 3d; total, £5607 14s. Id. Tlie visiting delegates were entertained at a banquet on Monday night.,,