INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODDFELLOWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LIII, Issue 9302, 8 March 1907, Page 8

INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODDFELLOWS.

* ANNUAL DISTRICT MEETING AT KAPONGA. (From Our Eltham Correspondent.) The annual district meeting of delegates ' from the various lodges of the Manchester Unity in the Taranaki district of the above Order was held at Kaponga yesterday. There was a. large attendance of brethren, the meeting being the most representative one of the Order ever held ' an the province, every lodge being repre- j sented at the Conference. Visiting brethren, complimented the Kaponga Lodge on the number of members ! elected by that lodge during the past ' year and also on the er.ectoon of their own '

hall. < Provincial Gramd Master Bro. R. J. j Haflicock (Midhirst) presided,, amd in addi- : tion to D.P.G.M. Bro C. D. Sole, Prov. ! Corresponding Secretory Bro. C. E. Bell- J linger, and Wairden Bro W. Hooker, the following delegates vneie present : — ' P.i\G.M. Bio F. Brabant (Waitaia), j P.^ .G.M. Bro Adnsworth, P.G. Bto H. H. ! Ford, P.G. Bro W. Butler, P.G. Bro A. j Hooker (Loyal Egmont Lodge, New Plymouth), P.P.G.M. Bro F. PeppetiE, P.G. " Bro W. J. dela/nd, P.G. Bto H. E. Bellringer (Loyal Excelsior Lodge, New Ply- ' mouth), P.P.D.G.M. Bxo J. S. Mcßobbie, P.G. Bro Campbell, G.M. Bto Smith (Loyal Union' Lodge, Hawera), P.G. Bro OHiver, G.M. Bto Melville (Loyal Kaponga Lodge), P.G. Bro John Russell, G.M. Bro Jafi. Russell (Loyal Manaia Lodge), P.G. Bto H. E. Bennett, P.G. Boro Moumtfort (Loyal Midhirst Lodge), P.G. Bto Burgees (Loyal Stratford Lodge), ' P.P.G.M. Bro F. Amoore, P.G. Bro A. Hansen, PeT. Sec. Bro F. E. Hardy (Loyal Eltham Lodge), P.S. Biro Simmonds (Loyal Toko Lodge), P.G. Bro Mumro (Loyal Opunake-T© Kiiri Lodge). • The Loyal Waitara. Lodge was granted permission to reinstate a member who, . after having been a member for over 20 years, inadvertamtly got out of oompli•ance. The District Officers' (report for the past ' year was read and adopted. The report showed that during the past year the vairious lodges oad increased numerically. Loyal Eltham Lodge, wutlh 41 initiations, showing greatest progress, Loyal Kaponga Lodge occupying seoondi position wriiUi. 27 , ■initiations. ..- j The funds' of the disbriot now stand at i £1 3,372, being an increase of £1116 on, the previous year. During the year £1082 had been paid out for medical benefits and £1063 for sickness. Mention was also> roadie of the visit to the district of the Gxamd Master of the New Zealand branch to *he district meeting held' at Ejst/ham, and of the hospitable entertainment pTovixied by the Loyal Eltham Lodge on <thait occasioni The advisability of establishing lodges in Inglewood «nd Patea was considered, and the ddsfcmct-offioans were empowered to gather information andi to open lodges in these centres if "they consider oit advisable. A resolution was passed' favoring the admission of females into male lodges (in districts where there ame mo female lodges) at a scale of contributions and benefits in accordance with (those charged by female lodges 4 <amd the N.Z.M.C. will be asked to grant this power to districts wishing to have/ the opportunity of availing themselves of this privilege. A District Committee was appointed to go into the matter of making recommendations regarding the revising of rules. Mention was made of the recent deatihs of P.G. Bio W. H. Roberts aoad P.P.G.M. Bto J. C. George, and the Piov. Cornesponding Secretary was instructed to convey the sympathy of the district to the relatives of the dieoaasiadi brethren. The meeting then adjourned for ten minutes- as a mark of .respect to the memory of Bto J. C. George. \ On reeuming the election of district officers for the ensuing year was proceeded with, resulting : — Provincial Grand Mastegr, Bro C. D. Sole (Loyal Egmont ' Lodge, New Plymouth); Prov. Deputy JG.M., Bro F. W. Olliver (Loyal Kaponga Lodge) ; District Warden, Bro W. Hooker (Loyal Egmont Lodge, New Plymouth) ; Prov. Correspondiing Secretary, Bto C. E. Bellringex, (Loyail Excelsior Lodge, New Plymouth); District Auditor, Bro Butler (Loyal Egmont Lodge, New Plymouth). Delegates then adjourned to the Coffee Palace, wheune an excellent luncheon was provided! at the expense of the Loyal Kaponga Lodge. On itesuming the district management levy foT the yeaT was fixed at one shilling per member. The attention of the meeting was called to the odebratdon of the jubillee of Oddfelowship in Taranaki by the Loyal Egmont Lodge, on April 11th. The district officers were instructed to be officially present at the function. It was Tesolved to ask members throughout the district to contribute sixpence peT quarter for the coming year in order to provide a fund for the entertainment of delegates to the N^Z. Movable Committee ' meeting, which will be held at Niew Plymouth in April, 1908. A committee consisting of the present district officers and P.P.G.M.'s Bros tAmoore (Eltham), Ainsworth, Peppfirill (New Plymouth), Brabant (Waitara), and P.G. Bro .Campbell (Hawera) was set up to make arrangemeints in connection with the entertainment of delegates to the New Zealand M.C. meeting. lihe following mominations were made for officers on the Board of N.Z. Directors:—Drp. G.M. Bto C. E. Bellxingef (New Plymouth). Directors: Bro C. E. Bellringer (Niew Plymouth) and Bto Amoore (Eltham). The following deputies were elected to attend the meeting :— P. C.S. Bro C. E. Bellringer, P.P.G.M. Bro F. Brabant, and P. G.M Bro C. D. Sole. fhe question of raising the death benefits of the Order were fully discussed, and it was unanimously resolved to support the scheme submitted by the Board' of Directors in -their report, allowing members the privilege of securing death benefits from the Order totalling £120. The National Annuifcirs Bill was also discussed and the following resolution carried : "That this meeting, while fully appreciating the beneficial intentions of t^ie authors of the bill, is of opinion that tihft acceptance of State aid' is not calculated to promote the beat interests of or to foster the spirit of independence so long characteristic of the Manchester Unity, and therefore considers it inadvisable that the bill should b° made law. 'J3he meeting- decided that at all future meetings a minute secretary should he provided from outside of ,tho delegates

The following officers were proposed for election at the next district meeting: — P.G.M. Bro. F. W. Olliver (Kaponga), Pro. Deputy G.M., Bros. Campbell (Ha wera), Burgess (Stratford), Cleland, Ford, Butler (New Plymouth), Pierce (Waitara), Mountfort (Midhirst). It was resolved to hold the next district meeting at Midhirst. IK was resolved to present the retiring P.G.M. (Bro. R. J. Hancock) with a P.P.G.M.'s jewel and emblem, and to place his name on ihe district merit board, and also to present P.C.S. Bro. C. E. Badlinger with a Past Prov. Corresponding Secretary's jewel. The usual complimentary votes of i hanks wene then passed, and after partaking of afternocn tea provided by the Kaponga Lodge the delegates parted, after having traosaetied a large amount of very important business.