SOCIETY MANAGEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19303, 16 April 1926, Page 14

SOCIETY MANAGEMENT.

MANCHESTER UNITY CHANGES

A PERMANENT SECRETARYSHIP

A proposal for n far-reaching alteration in tlie system of Dominion management of tlie New Zealand branch of the Manchester Unity Oddfellows was brought forward at yesterday's meeting of the biennial conference by the board of directors. At present the grand secretary is an officer subject to biennial election. There has been an agitation in the order for the placing of the propaganda work of the institution on a systematic basis.

Earlier in the week the question was referred for consideration to the directors, who, in their report yesterday, proposed that the present arrangements as to the grand secretaryship should continue for the next two years, an efficiency officer appointed by the conference to act in the meantime. Further is was recommended that provision should lie made at the next biennial conference for the appointment of a permanent grand secretary, whoso duties would include that of the present grand secretary and the efficiency officer; the salary for the combined office to lie £6OO a year and a further £l5O for an assistant; suitable office accommodation, to lie provided in Wellington.

"Seeing that results which will accrue from the proposed changes will embrace an improvement iu our general status, a greatly increased membership and an important improvement in the financial position of the society, district and lodge benefit funds, the cost of that service should be a fair charge on the surplus thereby created," the directors said. "We therefore recommend that the society salaries should be made a charge on the surplus and surplus interest, over 5 per cent, of the funeral fund, thereby relieving districts and ledges of direct charges for them."

Consideration of the proposal was post poned until to-day.