Lodge, Court & Tent

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7865, 29 July 1911, Page 19

Lodge, Court & Tent

A Column for Friendly Society. Matters. * By ** Cosmopolitan.’* "" Tills column will bo devoted to matters of interest to Prioudly Bocioty member©, and Secretaries and members of Lodges, Q>urta, or Tents aro asked to avail tbemsc-tvea of tho offer ly forwarding «h<irt reports o£ their mootings, dates of xaoetlags, and any information of interest to members of the various Socle ties country Jodies includwi--addn£»od to 44 Cofiinoj>olitaa," core of “N.Z. Ticvea." not later than Wednesday evening each week.

Tho Poncko Lodge, U.A.0.D., held its regular meeting at Petonc last Monday evening, Pro. Savage. A.D., presiding. It; was decided to hold a reunion ot all tho members of the Order in the district at an early date. At the next ; meeting a progressive euchre party for members and their wives tor .sweethearts) will bo hold. It will also bo a “pound night. A special summoned meeting of'the Loyal Britanuia Lodge, 1.0.0. F.. MAh, was called, for last Monday evening, Pro. Barratt N.G., in tho chair Tho attendance was not largo, owing to tho bad weather, but the business on the order paper was such as io bring a number of ‘’Truant mom bears’’ together. Bro. A. M. Salek was elected as the lodge's ropr«%>ntativo on tlio United friendly Societies ■Council, in place of Pro. b. Guy. P.G., who was thanked for his past services. Several visitors were present. Tho regular fortnightly mooting _ of Court Loyal Northland, A.0.F., No. B<Bl. look place last Monday night, Bro. IT. Glover, C.R., presiding. Pro. B. C. Jones, the retiring C.R., was presented with rhandsome P.C. R.'s certiiicato and neck ribbon, by the P.S., Pro. AV. Jensen, on behalf of the Court. The competition for new members for 1910 was won by Bro. A, J. Neilson. Five now members worn initiated, and two candidates were proposed. Arrangements for the annual social wero reported to be well in. hand, I notice that tho Southern Cross and Zealandia Lodges, 1.0.0.F.,_ A.C., held a combined social at tho Now Century , HalL Kent Terrace, last night, which I consider is a move in tho right direction, as it tends to bring members ot the Order more in touch with ono another. A reporter for this Order would, ensure better notice of its meetings, etc. I loam with the greatest pleasure that tho ranks of Societies are to bo honoured by the initiation of his Excellency Lord Islington, as an honorary member of Court Loyal Northland, Ancient Order of Foresters, towards the tend of next month, and-the Foresters aro to bo congratulated upon tho fact. Lord Islington is not the first Governor who has honoured Foresters with his membership, and no doubt the next new Court to bo opened in tho district will liko its predecessors, bo named after him. While writing the above, several procnimont citizens come to mind who. I think, would bo pleased and feel honoured to belong to some Friendly Society. At present • X think the Societies have gome cause for complaint that so few of our leading citizens lend any encouragement to plulanthropio work by joining Friendly Societies. I am glad • to learn that tho long promised arrangements suggested by various conferences to tho Friendly Society Act aro likely to bo Wight torward this session, and M.P’s. will pi ease note that while Friendly Society members do not take part in politics in lodges, individually, they have a vote, and there is a general election close at hand. The amendments are asked fo’ by about 4.6,500 members, and are opposed by about 15,000, the total number of members being about 61,500. The address of the Chief Banger to the Gloucester /High # Court only contained a single quotation from tho poets —the somewhat hackneyed lines from Longfellow's "Psalm of Life/’ Listening to the familiar lines ono could not resist the temptation to parody them thus: Lives of Grand Masters all mated us Wo can work to make a name; And departing leave behind us. Merit boards crowiod with our fame. A man seventy-four years of age was recently initiated by a New Hampshire A man, is never too old to join the Order, says the "Oddfellows’ Review/' of St. Paul, but the older ho is when he joins the more h© has missed of. tho things which, make life worth living. ♦ ♦ ♦ To make tho best of things in the right way is to let things rhako tho best of us. Our nearest duty may be one wo do not enjoy, but to do it for conscience sake as though we enjoyed it is to bo made better. ❖❖❖ An Acrostic On Oddfellowship. Over tho rock-strewn roadway of life. Determinedly marching in. grand array, Devotedly waging -the glorious strife. Fighting tho demon of Poverty s sway; Emancipating tho down*trodden race, lifting them up from tho depths of oae-gra-00. • . Love and Friendship their motto orvme. Oddfellowe—a band a million strong— Weaving a web of love o’er the world,, Steadfast, detormined to right the wrong’; Holding on high their banner unfurled. Inscribed on which, arc, in letters of light, PriwioQoo 4 Fortitude, Justice and. Hight. Harry Lazcnby, Liverpool. Oddfellows’ Centenary. Tho fo&awrrhg are extracts from ihreo gormonw in connection with tho Manchester Unity Centenary .in EngflawLs Rev. G., F. Garbett —• - 1 '"Tliis is not tho place for mo to attempt to estimate what influence yours and kindred Societies have had on the national lifo. They have in tons of thousands fostered tho healthy virtues of self-reliance and eelf-heip; they have encouraged the sense of brotherhood and deepened tho reality of the corporate life; they have testified in tho most practical of ways that men should bear one another’s burdens: and they have proved an admirable school of training for administrations and finance which ha© fitted many of your members to take an important part in tho larger •sphere of municipal or national life. . . . .AVe Englishmen are sometimes inclined to look upon ideals as impractical- They are in reality tho most practical erf all things; they aro the health of life; they stimulate all action; they are the motive for progress. . . . Ton are right to keep free from tho unintelligent clamour and blinding dust of party strife, but occasions arise when it would bo justifiable for Friend’y Societies to co-operate, even at tho risk of losing a member hero and there, with those who axe engaged in fighting against the moral and social evils of impurity, intemperance, and gambling.” Bov. F. C. Davies, one <rf tho Directors of. the M.U.-t tf I unhesitatingly affirm that there is no work which a member of tho Church of Christ and a minister of the Gospel can more usefully and fittingly throw his energy into and show his practical sympathy with than that which tl>© M.U. and other kindred Societies aro carrying on today. - • . AVo read of the rich man in the Gospel who lived in the lap of luxury and after death is found in helL Why was he ©oon_thero . . . Surely it would seem that fie was lost because h© had lost the true spirit of religion and lived only lor himself. "His sin was that he cared nothing for Lazarus who lay rotting at his gate, dying of want and hunger. Blessed with abundance himself lie lived to jsoTftshly enjoy it and forgot that wo are stewards of all we possess. He did not realise that service of God. is but found

in service of man, and, brethren, you may And in all ranks of life men who aro apt to imagine that they are serving God, though they seldom lift a finger to help their less fortunate neighbours; you may find them even among members of Friendly Societies, men who consider only the benefits they obtain themselves rather than the fact that they should be true brotherhoods oiistuig for mutual help, men to whom, tho high ideals appeal not. ... I confcao that 1 am amazed and astounded that clergy and Influential laity can still be found to encourage and support Societies whoftc methods are those that experience led us to discard considerably more than half a century ago.” Tho Bishop of Winchester—- " Men liko Henry Rateliffc, Tidrt Pratt. Thomas Adams, Henry Buck, Reuben Watson. and Thow. Collins have become famous in tho annals of your Society. . . . You have fought through obiiquy; you have established your principles of financial stability and notarial statistics. One hundred years have passed! Yon Lave wetbered many a stormy fcu: you have been steered past many a dangerous reef. . . . This Is no time for you to re'ax your efforts. There arc not lacking anxieties and difficulties in the path that you have to tread. . . . A'our principles have tosd in favour of honesty, sobriety, and purity. They have favoured and promoted the cause of temperance; they have upheld a strict and .searching standard of financial probity; they have contributed to .strengthen tho foundation of Christian character. . . . Yes, you teach us to look right ahead. It is not enough to look ahead for a twelvemonth. It is but folly to invest hard-earned saving upon a Christmas carouse or on an annual sharing out. That is neither economy nor foresight It stimulates thrift while. it squander© wealth and weakens moral principles. My brother;!, tho principle:; you have heroically enforced in your Unity am those which are associated with self-yacriflce, with patience, and with lasting fellowship. They deserve to prevail. They have earned the honour of those whoso conception of citizenship is the highest. So far as wo tho ministers of religion a,re concerned, you are entitled to roly upon our friendship. . . . Give of your best and of your truest and may it be given back into your bosom In God’s l>lesßing.”—(From tho July issue of the “Odd fellows’ Magazine.”