FRIENDLY SOCIETIES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 15, 18 July 1923, Page 2

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES

LODGE CONFERENCES

NEW ZEALAND DELEGATES.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, Ist June.

. - Mr. R; Darlow '(Auckland), -the-Dis--:trict Secretary of the Ancient Order of [Foresters, will dttend the annual. meet-; |ing of the High Court of Foresters'to be '.held at Portsmouth in August, and while !he is in-London lie will place a wreath at the Cenotaph on -behalf of; the Foresters of New -Zealand. '-"-He:'is- also, the ■bearer of letters written by the children ;of Birkenhead -.school addressed-,to the children .attendin'g'ith.e Birkenhea'd' seh'obli .near. Liverpool, and these he intends personally -to deliver.l :It -is 43' years since Mr.,-Darlo\y .was last. in. England, and he ia'delightdff to'be' back on a visit. He finds improvements in many .direc.tions'in this'long interval.'' 1 : At' aiv early j date he.will-visit, his^birthplaoe in -Nprthhamptonshire. ■ Afterwards he. will | travel, in the -Micllan'ds, and .in -Scotland. I -'Hr'; John' Clark : (Auckland)': left the ■ Orvieto at Toulon and travelled overland •. tb Euglan'd''in. time" to .arrive in; Scarborough for I 'the' annual cohferenc'e of the ; Manchester .Unity;'of -Oddfellows,, at i which 700* members ;were present, Mr. jGFark 'being'the'only- representative-of : New; Zealand/ ' "He had' a wonderful ;reception-and a very interesting" time; in ■ jScarbqrongh, - Ho -conveyed fraternal 'greetings'.' (roiti New Zealand •branches, jrtnd he hadihs permission of the Grand ! Master of New Zealand and the" Grand i Secretary-of. New-Zealand to speak for ; 1'5,000, menibsrs, of;'whoriv'43oo;belonged jfco'.. Auckland', ./district. , .Mr!.. Clark' mentioned that his co'nriec'tioii with-Odcl- | fellowship, went back.through his father -to 1859, sand he wks/jp'roud of the fact I that although- he,-had lost his father.'in" 1875',jhe: liacl. a' mother wjio \vas stall 'on i£he.,.Oddfellows'' register ..of Auckland. In New .Zealand, he said; tHey'had .many | things,which see'medrto be automatiic-rto ■them, over, which they .in.'England seemed fo.ha-ve difficulty. ■' '."If" an Odd-' jfellow went from' the Old Country-.to INew Zealand : he, had only to-:go to the ; secretary, and he was put oh th'e.:bopks; ■subject: to passing -the:doctor... . It f had jbeenj.said. .from time., immemorial'that; ithey.did not--want rules—3lf.houghr.they.--.acted on precedent. Althoiigh he Had: ■arrived as ,a. stranger ;in;;Englknd r-'only 'just -in time- for 'the-meeting .neialready. ,felt thoroughly -at' home. ■..'■"'; ■• . ! ■ .'Speaking of the work in.New; Zealand 'Brother Cla'rk-mentioned.-that in one case-:they-had'paid: £1500 to oft'a sick/member,. ■ami he never heard anythih'gsaja'abPUt Jit. Tliat^vas' OddfelioSv-ship/ifi '';N'c}v Zealand; -anyhow. ' They =f>aicl it' choir-' itully.. .. It., was paid to r it'gold miner- ! who .-lost his; eyesight.; -,- They ■.'stretched :a.point and' treated it': as ' sicknessi HeIspmetimes thought: 'that" they, did 'not' jpay enough -.money for. sick. .; In New. 'Zealand they paid sick-benefits for 12: .months, at..£l a. .week,, always providing; itlie ihemb'er-paid ; the 'contribution : necessary;' 'When a man ..was sick he ; often had a.little bit 'in' .the ■bank, and hedrew; from"this, and then just as it -was ;getting-low, he'got another knock:by the : allowance^ cut-down-to half.-. He-thought, jthe.sickness allowance shdiild be-£l a;week 'for itwelve months: In Auckland they paid £1 a week for a year ,and then paid 10s a .week afterwards^ :If -an unmarried, brother ■ died, ■ his ;relative's..'recei.ved\£3o-; if wife predeceased a brother the 1, allpwande : was .£lO imd.£2o.on the death.of'.the'brdth'er. l '.He was proud to be a member'pf-'the •Auckland''District; : which : favoured the :consolidationn 'of ihecsick arid funeralfund. "He did- ; n6t 'Want 'them ;to' jthink lie \v\is' in favour; of centralisation.'They carried "consolidatioh .in.the :ttiek-,' ; land'District:in 1913; and it was: a good! ijob :they.;did- so; becafise' the" war came ialong autT-mariybf. the" w.eaker. lodges had' ' to' be helped by >ths ktrtmger -lodges, v-rn'i ,the. Auckland''District they.'were in. a i stronger position than'ever. Last year; !fchey made 800, members arid lost'2oo. ' ; 'Mr..-Clark" •returned -'to' London' this'■ ,week .in ..time.to.. attend. _the .Printers' •:Conference- -with-.- Mr, T. C. 'Ooull'i They both had'an excellent, jreceptibri and-'.are' .'enjoying /.their visit: immensely, 'Brother. Clark, .on behalf! jof the -Manchester Unity 'of New Zea-. !land,..intends to place a .wreath'..at.theV iGenotarih to-morrow. It will bear' the! !'inscription : "To the glory; of Gocfand in ■remembrance" of the Manchester Unity' : of Oddfelows.of .New -Zealand who- made ;the,:shprevhe sacrmciV for"King. 1 Honour,; and' Liberty," in' the .'Great War,' 1914----;1919.. Their names liveth •- fpii evei\ .'Frpmiheir Brother "Oddfellows'm New; I.Zfealsirid." ' Mr.; Clark' Will, be accom- : paraed-by-Mr.-.'J, .K,-Campbell,-:pf.-tliei 'High.Commissioner's, Office, and;frietfds.' i v ;;Mr....Clark expects tp_be: in' the Old I^Land' for six "or; eight .jyeeks.- '" He"';isijfeping; to .Sqotland' before leaving -forj!New Zealand via' the United States and' 'Canada. 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