ODDFELLOWSHIP

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 47, 24 August 1931, Page 9

ODDFELLOWSHIP

FAREWELL TO GRANLt SIRE ■:,',■,, ■: j,-,,,; ..;■■ .-... '-.. . . V .',

St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, was crowded on Saturday evening, the occasion being a farewell-to the Grand Sire of the, Independent Order of Oddfellows, .Bro. L. Deans Ritchie,- of i Dunedin, '.'who holds jurisdiction over New Zealand and Australia. He left last evening by the Limited on his way to Auckland,' where she joins the mail; steamer Niagara eh-route to Canada to attendVthe convocation'of the. Sovereign Grand Lodge, to open, at Toronto next month. Amongst those present were Bri G. F. Rudkin, District Deputy Grand Master for Wellington, Bro, G. P. Gandy, District Deputy Grand Master of the Hutt Valley/Sister Tahiwi, Lady District Deputy Grand Master.Bro. F. J. Jones, Chief Patriarch, and a number of other prominent Oddfellows. Part of the evening was devoted to dancing, the music for which was provided; by IBrol '-.'M. D. Wallis, and Bro. Wells acting as M.C. • Bro. Rudkin wished the-guest of the evening bon voyage and a safe return. Bro. Ritchie :well deserved the honour of being chosen as the representative of Australia and New. Zealand at the coming convocation.. .*-■■:,■.■.....,.... '.-.-

, ; In reply, Bib. Ritchie reviewed the rapid growth of the friendly societies? movement in ;the Dominion.1 •' > - : ;• ;The new (Jrand. Master of the Sovereign Grand Lodge would be sponsored at the convocation in Toronto by himself as Grand Sire- of' Australia and New Zea, land and the". Grand Sire of "Germany, while' there Would be present representatives of many of'the foreign jurisdictions; This gave some idea: of the':wideilnflueoce of the Iridependent.vOrderj.. and wherever a. New Zealand .brother go. lie. could find fellowship,in the British .Empire-, as ivell.as in -many foreign countries.*. The speaker,said he was the third.New ' Zealander to occupy the high office of Grand Sire of, Australasia. He was preceded by Bro. Herbert JV Williams,-of'Wellington* m yie 'nineties, and by Bro.: William'Reid, of Dunediii, in' the early part of-the present century, but he. was the f rst Grand Sire resident, in; New Zealand to have the honour, of -visiting-a.convocation of the Sovereign Grand. Lodge during... .his period of. office." He was going to Canada, as. the representative of more than 60,000 Oddfellows of the Independent Order in" the- two Dominions over which his office gave him jurisdiction. '■'■■'' Bro. Pitchie expects to reach' Wellington on his return on 16th November.