M.U.I.O.O.F.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11113, 14 May 1898, Page 7

M.U.1.0.0.F.

At th« meeting of the 'Lo^al Hand aUd Heart. Lodge, held at the Oddfellows' H*?l,' Stnarfc street, oq Tuesday evening list,. a presentation of a very handsome and valuable clock was made to P.G. Bro. W. T. Talboys, of the Loyal Cromwell Lodge, Cromwell, on behalf of that lodg:.1. • ■• ' .' . . • ... Tli« presentation was made by P. Pro. G.H. Sligo, who thanked the N.G. of the Hand and Heart Lodge for sekcting him foe bo pleasing a duty. He, like Bro. TAlbbys, was an old Servant of the Cromwell Lodge, having been the lodge's delegate at district meetings for : the la«i6 20 yeare. He had therefore great | pleasure in oonvoyirg 'to Bro. Talboya, ou behalf of the Cromwell Lodge, this exquisite and bsinasomo token of the e»?esui in which he was held—this mark of the appreciation of the great work done by Bio. Talboya for the lodge. Bro; Sligo want ou to nay that be wss Provincial Correspoudiug S«crst%ry of the districb when application was made, through the Lake Walcatipu Lodge iv Oatobar, 1870, for the opening of tks Cromwell Lodge, which took place on the 3rd oE November of that year.. Tha Brat return of value of loigit funds made as at 30cli June, 1871, was £119. while ou the 31>it December, 1897; tbe total value wa« raturned as £3573, included . iv. which araouub was a snrplus of over £1800; When the quinquennial valuation of 189? • was completed, and it wan found that the Ci'omwell Lodge had a surplus of over £1700, Bro. Talboys devised a .'scheme for using the interest accruing from ths surplus fands for tho payment of the premiums of an insurance on the lives of tho members. With ..the wnistanca of big co-trustees and the irothrefi '"of tbe lodge and of the district Officers this scharne had been carried into effrct, and a vary substantial'addition hud been tnade to the usual benefits accruing to the reUtiveß of deceased members. This would serve to.sibow to the brethren present that P.G. Bto. Talboys hud worked lotig and arduously on behalf of his brethren of the Cromwell Lodge ; and what wes better, bis labours had beeu pffective in producing great benefit to the brethren of fchati lodge. Too prepeoij was a handsome and a nomp*rAtiyely costly oneY but he felt sure thofle present would agree that Bro. Talboys had well deefirvoit it. That even ao handsome a. 'present could ba considered as iti the nature of ■a payment was out of tlia queetiou. It was something of a higher and ,better.kind, a iv.ark of esteem and full sstiafactioo, an abiding add enduring testimonial of the good effected, acd of tho eeiteem earned in a gpod cause. The clock bore the following inscription :—" Presented to Past Grand Bro. W. T. Tftlboys by the Loyal Cromwell Lodge to mark tbe high esteem in which he is held, and.in recognition of the very valuable service rendered by him for nearly 30 years, und especially na truatee of the lodge," In making the presentation Bro. Sligo said he had to convey fco Bro. Talboys the hearty good wishes .of the brethren of the Cromwell Lodge lind of thdue preieut th&t eveuing, aud ha truoted Bro. Talboys I might be long spared to look upon the baud- ! aotns momenfcd. Bro. Sligo added that a very j handsome gold medul had' »Ist> been prepared ! for prenentation to Bro, Talboya, but a^ that j woa easilr portable it would be presented at the j Cromwell Lodge at on estrly opportunity. j Bro. Talbots, in acknowledging the present*- j tioa, cdid that what he had dune for the Cromwell Lodge had afforded him much pleasure. He was one of those who signed the petition for opening the lodge in Cromwell, and he believed he was its first V.Q. Ha could therefore look upon himself as one of—if hot the father J of the lodge, and it was natural he should tnke J a great interest in it and glory in its succes*. | Sotns 17 years ago he was elected one of tbe ; trustees, and shortly aEtetwards undertook the secretaryship of the trust. When he mentioned that with his co-trusta-ec—Measra Jolly and M'Cracken, who were the right men in the right pUcft—the lodge had bo«n raised from £'573 in 1879 to £3573 in 1897, it would be seen they had cause to be thankful. They had been very successful in their invetrtrnentß, «nd their losses would be covered by £5. In 1889 the valuation of the lodge showed «, surplus of £848. With the consent of the district the interest on this was devoted to a reduction of members' contribafciona.,. In 1898, when they received the valuation report for the quinqueniutn cudiug 1894, ha saw a chance of realising a scheme he had set his heart upon, and on suggesting an insurance scheme his co-.truetees at once agreed to help him. With the consent of the district the idea bad been successfully carried! out, and all members of the lodge prior to 1894 were now insured for £70, the premiums being paid out of the interest of the surplus of £1713. Much as he appreciated the valuable gift made he valued still more the kindly feeling of hi« co-trustees and brethren of the lodge, and above all that he had been instrumental in leaving such a tangible mark of his labours, one that would be a source of help to many a poor widow »nd to fatherless ohildren. Already unfortunately the relatives of a brother had benefited by the scheme. He (Bro. Talboyg) felt that his scheme would bind members to the lodge, as no brother could go bad on the books while the surrender value of- his insurance exceeded his indebtedness. It was only those closely connected with the M.U.1.0.0.F. and kindred societies that knew the great help, afforded the brethren in time of sickness. And this waa no charity, bat simply a, return for a momber'i prudence and forethought, He had to thank P.P.G.M. Bro. Sligo for his kind remarks, and the Hand and Heart Lodge.in making their presentation. He should ever value the gift, and hand it down to future generations as a token that he had been privileged to do some little good in this world.