GOOD TEMPLAR SOIREE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4870, 26 September 1877, Page 6

GOOD TEMPLAR SOIREE.

The fourth anniversary soiree" oi the All Nations Lodge, "LO G.T., avas held at :the Foresters' Hall, Port Chalmers, dn 28th ult., and proved a thoroughly enjoyable entertainment. Proceedings commenced at half-past ,6 o'clock, when-a numerous assemblage^ amongst whicli the fair sex and children predominated, sat down to a capital tea, tastefully laid out on 15 tables. It was really a substantial repast, in keeping with the good standing of the Lodge that provided it. Quite a brigade,of: amaieur waiters attended on the sitters, under thedireetipri of the .following ladies, who presided at the tablss:-Mesdames. Shea,. ; Chalker, Ed-; munds, Jl'DonWd,' Wentwdrth; Laing, Moir, Misses -Thomson,'^VallaiticeV-. ■''■ Best, Fairlie, Morris,; Menzies,-.'and, .Coleman., Not the least noticeable of the arrangements was the floral display, which,'considering^he time of year, was very fine,;indeied told much in favour Oi floriculture at the Port.

iTea over, the. hall.was.rearranged for the concert and addresses. Bro. C. de L. Graham, P. C., W. T., No. 2, took the chair iv the absence of the W.C.T., and the concert commenced with an ode very .well rendered by the choir. Tho chairman then delivered an address, ir. which he alluded to the rise and progress of Good Templary, especially that section of it represented by. the' All Nations Ledge. Ifc was on August 17th, 1874, that the lodge was opened by Bro. Gregg, D.R.W.CT., assisted by Bros. Jago, Hughes, Graham, Price, and M'Culloch. Ifc started with only eleven. members, but so rapidly did the movement gain in the estima tion of the Port people that the lodge gained an almost unprecedented status. According to the last .quarter's..returns, the name 3of 73 sisters and 217 brothers appeared upon the books; but out of that number, 31 members were suspended; 17 withOrew by card; 1 had -withdrawn from the order, and 1 was expelled, leaving 240 members in good standing, of whom 65 were sisters. But besides this remarkable evidence of material progress, .the Lodge had thrown off two branches, to wit, the.Lodge Olive Branch, and the Hope to Prosper: Lodge of Sawyer's Bay. These, continued the Chairman, are facts not to be controverted, and . gave to the All Aations Lodge a position second to none, if not superior to any other Lodge in the Colony.— (Applause.) Most earnestly was it to bo desired that the great total abstinence' movement which had already taken such giant ; strides might csntinue to . advance with accelerated momentum until the evils produced byarunkenr.esswere effectually suppressed. The concert was then proceeded with, and the various items on the programme were well given. A Good Templar song, composed and sung by i.lr De Maus, was one of the better features of the entertainment, 2nd was- vociferously applauded. The concert terminated- with the Good Templar closing ode. Mr De Maus was the accompanyist.