ODDFELLOWSHIP.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 773, 23 March 1910, Page 4

ODDFELLOWSHIP.

r The. fifth biennial.-iheeting of the ■ : New-. M.TJ. ■1:Q.0.F. will open in_Napief;on' v Easter ■Monday'. , : . tho whole of -the districts' of : tho' ; North Island,- and ; six-'disfricts .in:'the South Island, will ;1» ;inclu'ding-..the :North : ~whicli has justireeontly become; "affiliated; "Several important, .matters. ;are ■to: :bo.- considered, .including , an insurance'or. extra'fuii.e.rakb£ncnt-. fund, to which members'can contributoifor an "incroased funeral benefit,-.on-'.sound and equitable'lines, the payments'teing- on n graduated scale according. It is also proposed to .establieh/-a'-. c fcentrai funoral fund in order"-to-Spread the liabilities over the wholo..of'the-.society, instead"of: : -byer distnets '.;as'"at pre-Jias-'.aire*:ly niado provision whereby ohembers removing :rroni. join lodges-, at. tho..samo-rate.-of. .eontributioii as they.;■ paid : .ui,;'the ;lodge from which they have removed..:;..;.;. v.. . The. difQc.tora-.jepprt :that;.'-.srace the last meeting, eleven--new ;branch6s have been established, •J-tind-'-.'althougU tho wavo qf depression': thSt haS'-beeh passing over the ■Dominion. '"has'';-inilitated agnihst a- lajge ship'."y'efc , tho progress has beon'steady. Tho Manchester. Unity.- will Tcelobrato its centenary iii October-next; and preparations are . throughout the wholo of -th'e'-'-society- to celebrate tho event in a fitting :;hianhor: Tho numerical returns of the XJiiity show a membership :of.a-,033,701/i.Aritl. tho financial:: position" , is ! .'dive tho members have-reason to be'pfoud. Tho total funds now amount to £14,335,731, being -ari increase"'of .£l3,SC3.qvcr the previous year, nndf.thc'gr.eaf 'aim of the society has been to attain financial soundness, llio first complete valuation of the Order made in 1870 showed a deficiency of £1,343,4-17, but the directors., determined:-:to with this, unsatisfactory --position, and have persevered Viintil, ht- the eighth valuation in 1907, it was shown that there.was a surplus of £407,625.