MR. JUSTICE BORST

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 272, 11 August 1920, Page 7

MR. JUSTICE BORST

WELCOMED BY ODDFELLOWS. Members of tho Southern Cross and Zealandia Lodges and the eißterß of tho liebekah Lodges of the Independent Order of Oddfellows A.0., assembled in tho Dominion Farmers' Conference Hall last evening to welcome the Hon. Mr. Justice H. V. Borst, Grand Sire of the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the Independent Order of Oddfellows. The Chief Justice !Sir Robert Stout) presided, having the guest of tho ovening on his left and Ero. E. Kobb, Grand Master of the Grand lodgo of New Zealand on his right. Seated at tho guest tablo were lira. Borst, Mr. J. P. Luke, Mayor. Ero. 0. T. Sullivan, District Deputy-Grand Mastor, and Mrs. Sullivan, Bro. P. Levi, and Sir William Hall-Jones.

After tho loyal toast had been disposed of the Oil ie 1* Justice proposed tho toast of tho "Sovereign Grand Lodge," and in doing so, said that he was an Oddfellow of fifty years, but he may bo termed a. lapsed Oddfellow for since he had come to Wellington ho had not kept up his membership. In Mr. Justico Borat, they had a representative of tho American nation, and they wcro glad to welcome him and Mrs. Borst, and they wißhed them a pleasant stay in New Zealand.

Mr. Justice Borst, who is a forcible public speaker, spoke in a humorous strain. Referring to the Oddfellows he paid that the order was established a year over the century at Baltimore by five Englishmen, and it had now spread throughout Canada and had reached Europe. Tho order existed in Switzerland, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Norway. As showine tho brotherly feeling filiating in tho order he stated that a few months ago there was a great disaster in Minnesota, and 150 Oddfellows lost their homes. He issued an appeal for funds, and ho received' by cablegram 134 dollars from Oddfellows in Yokohama, There were now in America 3,000,000 Oddfellows over 21 years of age, and there were a million women in the Rebekah Lodges. The order was not built on tho thoory that it should be an insurance./ It was founded for the' brotherhood of man, I! was founded upon the idea that they should help one another, and if they could bring about universal brotherhood thoy would have universal peace. In tendering the Oddfellows of New Zealand a bit ofadvico the visitor told a very amusing 6tory, Mrs. Vanderbilt, who is reported' to be tho wealthiest woman in the world, during tho war took up Red Cross work and went to Prance. Among the first soldiers from the United States was a reiriment from Wlnconsin. Mrs. Va-nder-bilt arraneed a dance for the boyß, and one private not knowing her asked her to dance, which she did; he came for a second and a third dance, but when he came for the fourth time she remarked that she had already- danced threo times with him. He said that she had, and that lie admired her. Mrs. Vanderbilt asked him who ho was. He replied that ho was Private —, of Winsconsin, and asked who she was. She replied: "I am Mrs. Vanderbilt," and the private retorted: "That's ri/it Birdie, flv high." That, said Bro. Borst. was his advice to OddfellowE, "fly high." Other toasts honoured were the "Grand Lodqe of New Zealand," proposed by Bro. O. T. Sullivan, D.D.G.M., and' responded to by the Grand Master, Bro. B. Kobb; "Kindred Societies," proposed by Bro. Leigh Hunt, Past Grand: "Absent Com--1 rades," proposed by Bro. A. Morgan, "Friendly Societies Department," nroposed by Sir William Hall-Jones, responded to by Mr. .7. li. Hares, Registrar of Friendly Societies, and the ladies. An excellent musical programme was provided, and tho gatheriug proved a very great success.