MASONIC GRAND LODGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16225, 10 May 1916, Page 5

MASONIC GRAND LODGE

A LARGE GATHERING. FORECAST OF BUSINESS. Soile two hundred representatives of | Masonic lodges from all parts of the Dominion, in most cases the sitting masters, of lodges, have arrived in Auckland by train and steamer within the last day or two, or will arrive this morning, to attend the annual communication of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, which will open! at the Town Hall this afternoon. The agenda paper for the session is light, no burning questions* being set down for discussion, and it is not likely that the proceedings will last far into to-morrow. The business of to-day will consist of the election of the new grand master and the: consideration of the reports of the three; managing boards of the —the Board j of General Purposes, Board of Benevo-' lence, and Board of Management of the! Widows and Orphans and Aged Masons' I Fund. These reports deal with all the questions that.will be brought up for consideration, no notices of motion for outside proposals having on this occasion been lodged. To-night's business will be the installation of the new grand master, M.W. Bro. Oliver Nicholson, of Auckland, who will be elected by the general consent of the lodges throughout the territory. To show the popularity of the election, it may be mentioned that the grand master designate was nominated for the office by no less than 50 lodges, besides a number of individual members of Grand Lodge. Any business that remains over from to-day will be disposed of to-morrow morning, and in the afternoon the visiting representatives will be entertained at a water excursion to Takapuna, while in the evening they will attend a smoke concert at the Masonic Hall, Belgium Street.

Progress of Grand Lodge. Thq statistical returns- which will be presented at to-day's gathering show a further increase in the number of lodges in the Dominion. Two have been opened during the year, both in the Auckland district-J-Pono, at Dargaville, and Titirangi, at Avondale; and a charter has been issued for the constitution of another at Ohakurie. The total number of lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge is now 205. Further evidence of the progress of the craft is given by the growth of its funds, which now amount in the aggregate to £44,622, an increase of £9247 during the past year. The purposes to which the various funds are devoted are as follows : —General fund, £4549; fund of benevolence, £2167; widows and orphans and aged Masons' fund, £27,452; special war benevolent fund, £8510; circular appeal funds, £1264; representation, £677. Other Business. One important question which will arise relates to tha method of investing Grand Lodge funds, the Board of General Purposes asking for a direction as to whether it should accept an invitation received from the Treasury to convert £7000 worth of debentures which will mature during the next three years into debentures of 25 years' currency, at a slightly higher rate of interest. In the ordinary course the next annual communication vriTL be held in the Otago district, and the question whether it shall be at Dunedin- or Invereargill is remitted by the Board of General Purposes for the determination of Grand Lodo-e. _ All the other business to come forward is of purely Masonic domestic interest