THE FORESTERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 40, 15 February 1918, Page 3

THE FORESTERS

ANNUAL. DISTRICT MEETING. The annual meeting of the Nelson District, A.O.j-., was held in the Foresier.s' Hall jesterday. Bro. D. Jack, D. C.R., presided, and the following delegates were present:—Court Bob in Kc.cd. No. 3930: Bros. L. J. Frank, P.D.C.R., J. N. Easdale, P.D.C.R., and J. H. Finney, Treasurer; Court Pride of the Forest: Bro. R. C. Withers, P.D.C.R. ; Court Sherwood Forest: Bro. J. Ching, P.D.C.R ; Court Aorere : Bto. J. W. Riley, P.S. ; Court Perseverance: Bro. F. B. Hawken, P.C.R. : Court Unity : Bro. R. H. Crispin, P.D.C.R.; Court Royal Oak .- Bro. D. T. Gibbard, P.D.C.R. ; Court Concord: Bro. G. Perkins, P.D.C.R.; Court Inangahua: Bro E. J. Scantleburyj P.D.C.R.; Court Charleston: Bro. W. Douglas, P.D.C.R. ; and the following District officers : D.S.C.R. Bro. P. Ching, D.T. Bro. H. W. Bethwaite. D.S. Bro. R. Hunter, and D.B. Bro. P. Martin. Bro. J. H. Finney presented the

\ auditors' report, which showed that the total worth of funds was £1565. 12s Id, of which amount £1449 18s 7d was to . the credit of the Funeral Fund, and [ £49 9s lid to the Management Fund. ' while the value of goods in stock was j estimated at £66 3s 7d. During the ! half-year the Funeral Fund increased | by £l7 Bs, and the Management Fu ov I by £23 Bs. Funeral claims amounting I to were paid during the half-year. J on account of the deaths of 12 mem- ! bers (five of whom were soldiers) and five members' wives. The auditors' report and the balancesheet were adopted. The' D.C.R. (Bro. D. Jack) welcomed I the delegates, and hoped that the meetf in'; would be a successful one. He j expressed regret that the w-ar was still ' goins on. and trusted that -hostilities would soon be brought to an end. H( regretted that many of their brave brethren had fallen in action, and tr their bereaved' relatives he extended his heartfelt sympathy, also to those brethren who were sick and wounded. Up to the present 19 members of t!y District had given their lives for theii King and countrv. Funeral claim? amounting to £790 were paid on account of the deaths of 22 members anc | seven members' wives. Out of thi; ; number 10 brethren had been killed ! action. The funeral levies received from courts, which amounted to £75." ' 10p. had to be high to meet the funera 1 claims of £790, and it seemed that thf levies for the ensuing year would als< havp to be fairly high. The numerical ; position, of courts showed a decreas' i of 34. Threij courts —Charleston, Roy?' \ Oak, and Inangahua—were the same ? as last year, but the eight other court; showed a decrease as follows : —Robi; ! Hood 6. Pride of the Forest 1, Cor \ cord 1, Unity 2, Serwood Forest 4 < Aorero 7. Karamea 6. Perseverance 7 Durin<r the vear nine new member were initiated. The financial position ! of Court? Robin Hood. Pride of tin Forest. Aorere, Royal Oak, Inangahur and Karamea showed an increase iv funds, but Sherwood Forest showed r drcrease, du@ to the heavy Tate of sickness and the high levies to (thi Funeral Fund. Since the last meetin the District had become provisiomlh approved in connection with the Nn tional Provident Fund, and it wouh be necessarv for th e meetins to ap prove the same and adopt the mode rules of the fund. At the last annual meeting it was decided to establish roll of honour containing the names o r all members who had gone to the front the District officers to compile same The District officers, however, decider , to refer rth e question to this meeting owing to the larsre number of names tr be recorded and conscription havinr come into force, which would largel increase the number. It was suggest ed that the District- roll of honoushould contain only the names of bretli ren killed, as each court would nc doubt have its own roll of honour wit; the names of all their members pro ceeding" to the front. Courts Robii Hood,' Pride of the Forest, and Slier wood' Forest had been visited official ly, and he found the business well con ducted. although the attendance o.' members was small . i Resolutions were carried : lhat tin DC.R-. be thanked for his report, anc that it be printed in the minutes ol the proceedings ; that this District ex press its sincere sympathy with the re latives of those who had fallen at th( front; that a letter of sympathy v his illness be sent to Bro. W. T. Bond who had been a delegate at th e Dis trict meeting for tli e past 25 years that the action of the District officer.in becoming provisionallv approved a; a society under the National Proyiden* Fund be endorsed by this meeting, aiK

that the model rules in connection ■with same be adopted; that the District ap prove of the suggestion of the Higj Court secretary allowing members tc receive additional sick pay; by paying additional contributions, the matter be ing purely optional to each member tc join; that the District get th e Subsidiary High Court to ascertain the actual "amounts payable in order to secure extra sick pay of 5s and 10s per week increase according to age, the term "proportionate allowance" not being sufficient for court secretaries to act on; that the attention of the High Court be drawn to the fact that the alteration to the rule in regard to the mode of election of officers is out of order, due notice not having been giver, in accordance with rule 2 of clause 6. In accordance with notice Bro. Perkins moved that copies of all correspondence from the Subsidiary .High Court sent to the District (except matters of routine nature) b e furnished to all courts in the District, also that copies of the minutes of the monthly rm-etings of District officers be also furnished to all courts in the District Seconded by Bro. Gibbard, and riedTt was resolved to request the Subsidiary High Court to approach the ! Minister of Public Health ito secure the benefits of reduced chargesin sanatoria extended to members' wives. Tbo following were elected as the District Arbitration Committee: Bros, .v. H. Alborough, H. W. Bethwaite, W. T. Bond, J. Ching, W. B Condell, Dodson, A. Dodson, E. B. Fleming, ut;. Gill. C. J- Harley, L. J. Frank, md R. C. Withers. As to the roll of honour, the District officers referred the matter back to the meeting, with a recommendation to the effect that only the names of members who have lost their lives, bf placed thereon. Recommendation adonted.

The following members of the order have made the supreme sacrifice Bros. H. C. Barltrop,' A. X Hunter. H. Hall, A. C. Moor e (Robin Hood), T. E. Lewis, J. R. Walker, P. N Skilton. H. B. Riley 5 F. H.» ffamw :Aorere), R, G. Fowler, W. G. Frost, F. Rayner (Pride of the Forest), A. B I>oidge, H. B. Jellyman (Sherwood Forest), W. B. Taylor, H. Guy (Perseverance), A, H. Glover, H. Gould j Unity). A. T. Wylde On fchf motion of Bro. Finney, seconded h v Bro. Perkins, it was resolved tha' !,h» names be included in the- minutesRro=. W. H. Alborough and J. B. Kinney wer e re-elected as auditors. 5 Xt was resolved that the matter of "tomination for office in the Subsidiary i'isfh Court be referred to the District officers, with a recommendation thai n the event, of its being necessary for the District to nominate a member Bro -Jcnntlebury be nominated. It was resolved that the matter of levies be left in the hands of th« District officers to fix, and that, if necessary, the levies be paid on o"r before Ipt March. 1917. The election of officers was then proceeded with, and resulted as follows • D.C.R., Bro. P. Ching; D.S.C.R., Bro 0. Alborough. These officers were duly nstalled. It was resolved that Bro. Jack be thanked for his services at D. C.R.. anc ihat his name be placed on the merit | board, and his photograph be included vith those of the D.G.R-.'s. Bros. Ching and Alborough returned thanks for their election, and Bro. Tack thanked the District officers for l h e support accorded him during his ' erm of office. The court thea closed in due form..