ODDFELLOWSHIP.

Evening Star, Issue 7859, 16 March 1889, Page 4

ODDFELLOWSHIP.

The M.U.1.0.0.F. hold their half-yearly session at Balclutha to-day. The following report of the Executive was submitted :

Brethren, Before proceeding to the regular items of business to be dealt with in their annual report, your officers feel it to be worthy of note that our annual meeting this year will be third which has taken place at Balclutha within a comparatively short space of time. This fact to indicate that there is something particularly attractive to our delegates in connection with the town of Balclutha, which, considering the extensive territory over which the jurisdiction of our society extends, speaks volumes in praise of the locality, and also of the hearty welcome which has always been extended to officers and delegates by our brethren of the Loyal Dalton Lodge.

STATISTICS. Referring to the numerical and financial progress of the society, wo feel assured that the following summary of lodge returns for the year 1888 will be gratifying to all, indicating as it does that notwithstanding the much spoken of exodus of population, ami the comparatively depressed times experienced during the year, we have managed to materially improve our position both in point of membership and of funds. The numerical statement for the year 1888 is as follows: —Number of members (Ist January. 1888), 1,656 ; admitted during the year, 179; total, 1,835. Deducting the total number left—namely, by arrears 101, by clearance 14, and by deaths 12—makes a total of 127. The membership at the year is 1,708, showing a net gain in membership for the year of 52. The summary of receipts and expenditure for the year is as follows : Receipts: Total value of lodge funds Ist January, 1888, L 44.906 Os Id ; sick and funeral fund, entrance fees, Ll3O 2s 6d ; sick and funeral fund contributions, L 2,404 8s sd; funeral claims refunded by district, L 390 ; sick and funeral fund interest, L 2,357 19s 5d ; other sick and funeral fund receipts, L7O Os 9d ; management fund (contributions and levies), L 2.675 17s 7d ; management fund interest, L9l 19s 8d ; other management fund receipts, L 370 Os Od ; receipts other funds, LSO 18s Id ; making a total of L 53.453 7s. Fixpenditure: Sick pay, L 1,796 Os lid; funeral claims, L 370 ; funeral levies to district, L 317 12s 9d ; other sick and funeral fund expenditure, LlB4 I2s lid; medical attendance and medicine, L 1,947 17a Cd ; salaries and fees, L 452 Us 7d ; other management fund expenditure, L 754 Iss sd; expenditure on account of other funds, L2B 8s 6d ; total value lodge funds (31st December, 1888), L 47.601 Is 5d ; making a total of L 53.453 7s.

The total value of the society, including funds of the central body, i5L48,279 18s lid, as against L 45,651 19s 2d at the 31st December, 1887, being an increase in the funds for the year of L 2.627 19s 9d. The number of deaths during the year have been twelve members and fifteen members’ wives, as against ten members and four members’ wives during 1887, thus showing a very large increase in the death rate, a circumstance which is to be sincerely regretted. We also regret to find that the sickness experience of the society for the year has been exceedingly heavy; the amount of sickness being 2,348 weeks 5 days as against 1,848 weeks 2 days for 1887. The average sickness per member is found to be 1 week 2 days 15 hours as compared with an average of 1 week 19 hours for 1887 ; whilst the average amount of sick pay per member is LI Is as compared with I6s IOJd for 1887. Referring to the sickness in the individual lodges we beg to submit the following particulars in regard to the heaviest sufferers, as suggesting food for reflection, and inciting us to continued prudence and care ip the management of our financial affairs; Waitahuna Lodge: Average sickness per member, 4 weeks 5 days 18 hours ; average amount of oiok pay

per member, L 3 2s 7d. Oamaru Lodge; Average sickness per member, 3 weeks 3 days 4 hours ; average amount of sick pay per member, L‘2 16s lid. Prince of Wales Lodge: Average .sickness per member, 2 weeks 4 clays 3 hours ; average amount of sick pay per member, LI 11s Gd. Roxburgh Lodge: Average sickness per member, 3 weeks fl days 18 hours; average amount of sick pay per member, L 3 2s 4d. We would commend these figures for the careful consideration of those brethren who have a tendency to under-estimate the liabilities of the society in regard to sickness and death. The average sickness in remaining lodges varies from 1 week 4 days 2 hours per member in the Blue Spur Lodge to 17 hours in the Nasehy Lodge, and the average amount of sick pay per member from LI 9s in the Palmerston Lodge to 2s Id in the Nasehy Lodge. The average rate of interest realised on sick and funeral fund capital during the year is found to be L 5 13s 9d cent,, taking the district as a whole, as against L 5 17s for 1887, thus showing a decrease of 3s 3d per cent, in the interest earned. This of course may be the result of greater difficulty being now experienced in finding profitable investments ; but it strikes us on looking down the column of rates realised by the various lodges that in the case of some of them there is reason to expect better things. Take, for example, the Waipori Lodge, with an average of only L 3 Os 3d per cent. ; the Roxburgh Lodge, with L 3 8s; and the Hand and Heart Lodge, with L 49s 3d. We may be wrong, hut we think that in cases such as these there is a possibility of an improvement being effected by attention being given to the subject of investments. , , The aggregate indebtedness of management to sick and funeral funds has been reduced during the year by the sum of Ll6 18s 2d, and now stands at Lll3 18s 3d. in the case of three lodges the sick and funeral fund has been encroached upon for management purposes, but in two of them the amounts are trifling, and m the third we understand that provision has been made to repay the sum. FROFOSITION OF THE NORTH WESTLAND district re establishment of extra insurance fund in connection with THE ORDER in NEW ZEALAND. In conformity with resolution of district meeting of the 12th September last, your officers have taken this proposition into consideration, and as a result beg to report that they do not feel justified in recommending the scheme for your approval They are of opinion that it would be travelling somewhat [out of the proper functions of a friendly society to enter into competition with existing id the matter of life insurance pure and simple, and in reply to the argument that the_ funeral benefits at present granted by societies do not make satisfactory provision lor the widows and orphans of deceased members, would point out that it is competent for any branch of our Order to meet this difficulty under existing rules by the establishment of a widow and orphans’ fund.

.TCVENIT.E BRANCHES. Your officers have to report that the new rule in regard to the establishment of juvenile branches in connection with our society was duly forwarded to Wellington for registry. In reply to our a PP^ a *' l f , “» however, we have been informed that the Revising Barrister cannot see his way to pass the rule in consequence of the maximum age of juvenile members under section 13 of the Friendly Societies Act being limited to sixteen years. Had we been seeking to register a branch already established in conformity with our rule we could certainly understand the force of the Bevising Barrister’s objection, but as we were doing no such thing, and merely desired to have the rule embodied in our general code for the purpose of instruction in regard to the establishment of juvenile branches, and that in such rule we held the society free from all monetary liability on account of juvenile members, we must confess that we can see no greater objection to register our rule than could be raised in the ease of general rule 18, which actually gives carle, blanche in regard to the age of juvenile members and everything else except monetary liability, and yet that rule appears to have been registered by the Imperial (and accepted by our own Friendly Society) authorities without demur. We, however, being merely laymen, cannot presume to dispute the correctness of the Revising Barrister’s ruling on the subject, and therefore, as shown by the business paper, we have decided to remit the ruk back to you for further consideration, and beg to recommend that such amendments bo made in regard to the age of juvenile members as will remove the Revising Barrister’s objection.

CONCLUSION. In regard to the business paper before you, we think the several items are sufficiently self-explanatory to obviate the necessity of supplementary remarks on our part, The paper as a whole bears evidence that an active and intelligent interest in questions affecting the welfare of the society still continues to animate our brethren, and we hope that such will always be the case. Of those who have recently joined our ranks we are pleased to find that a very large proportion are of that desirable class, young members; and it has also been satisfactory to us to observe in many instances the ready coraprehension of these young members with respect tc the objects of the society and the conduct of its business, and it must also be satisfactory to the old ipfsmbenj who have so steadfastly and earnestly stuck to the duty of promoting the welfare of the society all through to find that we have amongst us young brethren ready and willing to assist in the work, and to fill their places in the natural course of things. Indeed, we think it worthy of remark here, that there seems to be a growing knowledge amongst the community generally in regard to the true objects of societies such as ours ; the number of those who join through a passing whim or out of mere curiosity is every day becoming less, and candidates for admission now pay far more attention than formerly to the soundness of a society’s financial regulations and the prospect of its being able to the end to pay the promised benefits. Whether the advancement in knowledge in respect to the true functions of friendly societies is the result of our liberal educational system, or arises from the educational influence of the more general publication in recent times of friendly society affairs, or both, it is not necessary for us here to inquire. The existence of the fact should be sufficient for our guidance in the future, implying as it does that, in the progress of friendly societies, as in most other things, “ the survival of the fittest” is a proposition to be taken into account, Wm. Smellie, Prov. G.M. John Wood, Deputy Prov. G.M. P. Black, Prov. C.S. James Robin, Treasurer. W. Ibbotson, P.P.G.M. Dunedin, 23rd February, 1889.