FRIENDLY SOCIETIES’ GOOD WORK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23083, 22 October 1949, Page 4

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES’ GOOD WORK

one of our oldest community organisations, the Loyal Gisborne Lodge, Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows, is celebrating its seventy-fifth birthday. 'With pride it can point to the fact that it was the first of the friendly societies to establish itself in Gisborne, dating back to the troublous days of Te Ivooti. Since that time it has prospered greatly and has brought incalculable benefits in the form of comradeship, counsel and security to the thousands whose names have passed through its membership rolls. Despite the diversities and counter-attractions of modern community life the Loyal Gisborne Lodge still retains a strong membership and its affairs are flourishing. In this respect it is more fortunate than many other lodges throughout the Dominion.

The friendly society movement generally is fighting a hard battle today. After going tlirough the difficulties associated with disturbed conditions in a newly settled land its'fortunes were in the ascendancy until the depression of the ’thirties. It then met with a series of reverses, total membership falling from 107,167 in 1930 to 100.237 three years later, but subsequently rising again to a peak of 113,709 by the end of 1938. The introduction of the Government’s social security scheme, however, was a blow from which it has never recovered.

Last year in the Dominion four new lodges were established, but 20 existing institutions were compelled to close their doors. The number of new members admitted by lodges was 2959, but 4331 existing members died or left. Total membership at the end of the year was 77,134, a. decrease of 36,575 on 1938. There has, however, because of prudent investments, been a steady increase in total funds held by friendly societies. At December 31 they were £6,568,039, or £BS/3/- per member. The return from these funds enabled the payment last year of sickness and funeral benefits £79.000 in excess of the amount contributed by members. Although conditions have changed, the friendly society movement has still an important part to play, and it is lioped that the excellent, work of the past will be continued in the future. Todaygood wishes arc extended to M.U.1.0.0.F. members in view of the seventy-fifth anniversary, but, at the same time 1 ho hope is expressed that all the lodges in the Gisborne district will continue to flourish.