ANCIENT ORDER OF FORESTERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11558, 20 April 1898, Page 6

ANCIENT ORDER OF FORESTERS.

The annual meeting of the Canterbury United District was held at Kaiapoi on Friday. A large number of delegates attended, in addition to the local representatives, and numbers of brethren and sisters. The D.C.R., Bro J. W. Steven, presided. The other district officers present were D.S.C.R. Bro C. F: Eldridge, D.T. Bro H„ Crooks, D.S. Bro T. Gapes, D.B. Bro C. Oliver, Bro G. Swann (district, solicitor), and Bro T. G. Strange, P.D.C.R. Courts were represented as follows: Star of Canterbury : Bros T. Stapleton, W.. Mam, G. Mummery, H. Owen and J. Y. Beattie. 1 .Queen of the Isles: .Bro W. Perceval. Pride of Courtenay: Bro. A. Robertson. Thistle of- the Forest:. Bro W. D. Marks. Woodford: Bros W. Simpson and ■J. Barnard. Papanui: Bro W. Poninghaus. . Star of Dunsandel: Bro J. Lochhead. Star of Belfast : Bro E. Thompson. Ashburton: Bro W. V. Thiele. Queen of Canterbury: Sister E. C. ’ Weakley. .Victoria■ Sister . :E. Colman. , - - • ■ The matter, of surrender, values was discussed. ' , The . District Secretary reported having written to the Registrar, and also stated that he had received some copies, of tables of values as used by the.1.0.0.F. After discussion it was resolved/ on the motion of Bro Marks, seconded by Bro Lochhead, that the matter should stand over for. six months.' Bro Marks moved that Courts in the district should be responsible for clearance members for six months only, and should accept the - responsibility of members from other Courts after six months. The motion was carried by sixteen votes to’three. ' Bro Owen moved that in” its report the District should draw the attention of the Courts to the’ question of establishing a district dispensary, and should request them to endeavour to carry out the proposal. The ihotion was carried, and the opinion was ex-' pressed that the larger Courts should take the matter up. A report was submitted showing the number of members at the end of the year to be 976; 83 had been admitted and 59 had died or,had left. The financial statement showed that the Funeral Fund receipts had been £565 11s 6d, and the expenditure £lO4 10s. The Management Fund showed receipts £l6l 14s 6d, and the expenditure £l4B 11s 6d. Th.: District Funds totalled £5915 Os 3d. The sum of £4803 Is lid is invested in mortgages. . The D.S. informed the meeting that the papers necessary for .carrying out the .quinquennial valuation had been issued by the district to all Courts. Bro Marks'moved that all returns for the valuation should be sent in to the D.S. by May 31 next, and that in the event of the valuations being finished before next meeting that copies of previous valuations, including that of 1892, should be printed and distributed to the Courts. The motion was carried. The election of officers for the ensuing term resulted as follows : —District chief ranger, Bro C. F. Eldridge; district sub-chief ranger, Bro 0. Oliver; district beadle, Bro F. T. Eldridge. The District Secretary moved that with the view of securing the services of D.C.R.’s for a-further period of twelve months on the executive .after the end of their term, they should receive the title of Immediate Past Chief Ranger, and that Bro J. W. Steven should act in that capacity for the next twelve months, in recognition of the valuable services he had rendered. This was seconded by Bro Lochhead and carried. Bro Marks proposed that Bro Steven should be presented with the regalia of P.D.C.R., with ■ a certificate, and that his name should be placed on the honoured list of P.D.C.R.’s. The motion was carried. - It 'was decided to hold the next meeting in Lyttelton in October next. After the meeting, the brethren were entertained at a-sociaLantLdanco by 'the- mem■ofctiio ilocat.Court.