U.A.O.D.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16566, 2 June 1914, Page 11

U.A.O.D.

RECEIVES ITS CHARTER. GRAND LODGE OF CANTERBURY. A special meeting of the Grand Lodge of Canterbury District, U.A.0.D., was held in the Druids’ Hall, Worcester Street, Christchurch, on Saturday night. There was a good attendance and District Grand President Brother W. J. Neat-e. presided.

Tho chairman said that tho purpose of tho special meeting was to receive a charter constituting Canterbury a Grand Lodgo. Visitors from Australia and Tasmania, consisting of Supreme Grand President Brother Beauchamp (West Australia), Supremo Grand Vice-Presi-dent Brother Richardson (South Australia), Supreme Grand Secretary Brother Barry (New South Wales), Supreme Grand Guardian Brother Shields (Tasmania), P.G.P. Brother Chipper and , G.P. Brother Roberts (West Australia), P.G.P. Brother Liston (Victoria) and G.P. Brother Goldstein (New South Wales), were received with Druidic honours. ' The District Grand President invited P.G.P. Liston, of Victoria, to tako the chair and preside over the meeting. Brother Liston did so. He then read the dispensation of charter creating Canterbury a Grand Lodge, and presented it to Brother Neate, congratulating him and Canterbury District upon tho step it had taken. • G.P. Brother .Neate suitably responded. P.G.P. Brother Liston asked the Supreme Grand Master, Brother Beauchamp, to preside and to instal the Grand President, Brother Neate, as head of the Druids in Canterbury. Brother Neate was presented by the Supreme Grand Vice-president, Brother Richardson, and was installed. G.P. Brother Neate then took the chair and. installed the following officers of the Grand Lodge of Canterbury:—Brother T. Walker, Grand Secretary ; Brother Jowsev, Grand Treasurer ; Brother R. Walls, Grand Vicepresident; and Brother Baty, Grand Guardian. The newly installed Grand Lodge officers returned thanks for the honour bestowed on. them. P.D.G.P. Brother Burgess proposed that a hearty vote of thanks and a welcome should be accorded the visiting brethren front Australia, and that they .should be congratulated on the manner in which the installation ceremony had been carried out.

Tho motion was seconded by Brother Baty .and was carried in Druidic fashion. The visiting brethren replied later in the evening. P.S. Brother Cameron moved that the Grand Lodge should place on record its deep sense of tho loss to the Order and sympathy with the relatives of the late Brother J. J. Brennan, Supremo Grand Master of Australia, and that a copy of the resolution should be forwarded to tho Victorian Grand Lodgo. . ■ , , , Tho resolution was seconded by P.D.P. Brother Werner.

P.D.P. Brother Wilsteed, a pioneer member of the Order in Canterbury, also made feeling reference to the good work done by the departed brother in tho interests of Druidism. The motion was carried in silence, the brothers standing with bowed heads. Tho Lodge then closed and a social evening was held, over which the Grand President, Brother Neate, preside!!, and was supported on either side by the visitors from Australia and Tasmania. The proceedings were opened with the usual loyal toast, “ The King and the . Druids,” which was drunk with musical honours. P.D.G.P. Brother Burgess proposed tho toast of P.G.P. Brother Liston, of the Victorian Grand Lodge, and congratulated him on the manner in which he had presented the charter to the Canterbury Grand Lodge. The toast was drunk with, musical honours. P.G.P. Brother Liston congratulated the Canterbury Grand Lodge on the step it had taken, and upon the good work it had done in the past in the cause of suffering humanity, and trusted that tho Druids would long be spared to carry on their good work. P.G.P. Brother Wilsteed proposed the toast of the “Supreme Grand Lodge of Australia,” which was responded to by Supreme Grand President Brother Richardson, Supreme Grand Secretary Brother Barry, Supreme Grand ' Guardian Brother Shields, Grand President Brother Goldstein Sew South Wales), P.G.P. Brother ipper and G.P. Brother Roberta (West Australia). P.G.P. Brother Liston (Victoria) proposed the toast of the ‘Canterbury Grand Lodge,” and G.P. Brother Neate responded.

CIVIC RECEPTION. Yesterday morning, the Mayor (Mr H, Holland) gave the Australian visitors a civic reception. He said that gatherings of that nature should be encouraged, as they promoted good feeling between different countries. He stated some of tho features of municipal life in Christchurch, and expressed a hope that the delegates would have a pleasant time in the city. Supreme Grand President Brother Beauchamp responded. He said that tho visitors had .noted the signs of advancement in Christchurch, especially the fine streets, the beautiful reserves, and the excellent tram service. Every householder, apparently, had a block of land attached to his dwelling. He regretted that the same condition was not • observed in Australia. Although Australians had many acres of land, thev seemed to have crowded _ their houses togother most unnecessarily. In West Australia the people had more land than in any of the other States, but often there were three cottages oil a quarter of an aero. That should never have been allowed by the Gov-, eminent. Now, however, every new house had to have a frontage of 40ft, so that they were doing something to remedy the errors of the past. In West Australia people did not have the same natural advantages as the people of some of the other States and tW dominion had. There they had had to make their own harbours, and Uiey had had to raise water 186 ft and send it many miles inland. That work was perhaps the greatest or its kind hi the world, • and iras a . considerable achievement for a.State with a populannlv 200,000. The visitors were verv pleased with what they had seen in New Zealand. Ho returned thanks for the reception, and wished Christchurch and its citizens all pros'PphP, Brother Liston (Mayor of Wiliiainstown, Melbourne) who also responded, praised the Christchurch streets recreation grounds and public Sings, and the work of the pionDUli tram service here, with one exception, was the best he had-ever Brother Barry (an alderman , v.wlnim, Svdney) said that he ot nressed with the way in which Ijt.jzens of Now Zealand helped {tr municipal authorities to beautify tb r ir p CI Brother Roberts (a member of ,Pnrough Council of Subiaco, t] 10 ,, P” id that he admired the public Pe - r -’Ahown in the towns and cities of f rli e Sisland. In Christchurch tho So i . j knowledge which, he ha- had Sd useful to his own believed, . specially impressed with town. H „kt of the pioneers of the.forothougn cjt;? ‘ ens shou , d Christen in C h of these beautiful never all alienated, reserves to . ... .