CHIEF OF ODDFELLOWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20960, 25 August 1931, Page 10

CHIEF OF ODDFELLOWS.

VALEDICTORY FUNCTION. A farewell function to Mr. L. Beans Ritchie, grand sire of Australasia of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, and Mrs. Ritchie was held in the Masonic Ilall, Eden Terrace, last evening. Mr. Ritchie, whose home is in Dunedin, arrived by tho Niagara yesterday en route to Canada, where he will attend the session of the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the 1.0.0. F.

Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie were welcomed by Mr. C. A. Johnson, district deputygrand master, who presided over a large gathering, and by other speakers. Reference was made to the lodge's pride that Mr. Ritchie was a Now Zealander. Presentations were made to tho guests in the course of the evoning. Mr. Ritchie said he had attended his first session in Auckland. He traced the history of the order and outlined its aims. Referring to the work of New Zealand friendly societies, he paid there were 107,000 members in the Dominion, tho total funds of the organisations amount, ing to £4,130,000. Investments totalled £3,540,000, of which £3,500,000 was in mortgages and Government debentures. The sum of £140,000 had been distributed in sick pay last year. Tho order now had 2,500,000 members.