FRIENDLY SOCIETIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 16 June 1932, Page 5

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES

DOMINION COUNCIL BU.SINE.SN AT ANNUAL MEETING The second annual meeting of the Dominion Council of Friendly Societies was held in the Kechabites Chambers, Wellington, recently when 18 delegates assembled, 4 representing a Friendly Society membership of over 77.000. Tit Societies represented were as follows:—Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, X.Z. Branch, Otago District, Lyttelton District. Independent Order of Oddfellows, N.Z. United Order of Druids, Grand Lodge, North Island. Ancient Order of Foresters, Wellington District, Otago District, United Canterbury District. Protestant Alliance Australasia. Grand United Order of Oddfellows. Auckland Transport Club (Auckland Tramways Employees).

Air IT. S. M. Quigley, Dannevirke, presided, and in his presidential address ret erred to the splendid co-operation of all Societies jii spreading a knowledge of tlie activities and beneficent work of Friendly Societies, and the inlluence for good it had on the community life of the people of the Dominon. As an Advisory Board the Dominion Council had fully justified its existence during the past year, enabling immediate action to he taken in watching legislative matters and other proposals affecting Friendly Society management and general administration.

A very extensive Order Paper was discussed and the proposal to recommend the amendment of the Friendly Societies Act regarding the date of closing Lodge books was not sufficiently unanimous and no action was taken. Another important amendment to the Friendly Societies Act regarding the guarantee of Interest where benefit monies had been invested in buildings was over-whelmingly defeated, the Conference realising that the Act had been a most useful safeguard to prevent elaborate constructions out of Friendly Society benefit monies.

.In connection with Section ol of the Friendly Societies Act. 1909, relative to the maximum sum a member is entitled to insure with a friendly society, an opinion was furnished by the Crown Solicitor, that the .£.BOO is not inclusive of any surplus bonuses. If, however, a member belongs to two or more societies the prohibition of Section ol limits the aggregate amount of death benefit bis representative may receive from all such societies to £3OO. The Executive was directed to further approach Ihe Postmaster-General in respect to operating on Post Office Office Savings Batiks per medium of cheques. This system prevails in other parts of the Empire, and was highly desirable as from the friendly societies’ point of view. The Executive reported that during the year they- had carefully watched the progress and obtained information from various friendly societies’ hospital guarantee associations throughout New Zealand, and the general report was that a fairly amicable state of relations existed between their associations and hospital hoards. In some localities, however, hospital hoards when approached in respect to an equitable limited liability of the charged fees, were inclined to expect a considerable advance for the treatment of friendly society members than statistics show they receive from admittance tances from the general public, and it was resolved to recommend the various friendly society councils to approach the boards for a revision of the fees charged in some localities for special diagnosis. In spite of tlie general depression a report disclosed that the membership of all friendly societies operating in the Dominion lmd been very satisfactorily maintained. This factor was undoubtedly due to tlie careful investigations made to assist members in distressed circumstances, and in this respect various proposals were submitted to maintain the benefits for deserving unemployed' and distressed members. Several of the proposals involved actuarial investigation, and it was resolved to submit tlie proposals to the Actuary for his report and recommendations.

Communications were received from the United Friendly Society Councils of Auckland and Canterbury, wherein it was submitted that the constitution of the Dominion Council he amended to admit representatives of such Councils attending the annual conference of the Dominion Council. It was resolved to maintain the existing constitution, as it enabled every society to have a direct voice in the government of the Dominion Council. Tlie officers were elected for the ensuing year as follows: —President, Mr H. S. M. Quigley, Dannevirke; vicepresidents, Mr A. W. O. Travers, Wellington, and Mr J. Macfie, Dunedin; secretary, treasurer, Mr A. G. Shrimpton, Wellington; auditor, Mr T. Fathers.