JUBILEE OF ODDFELLOWSHIP IN OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11301, 20 December 1898, Page 7

JUBILEE OF ODDFELLOWSHIP IN OTAGO.

■ Monday, sth inst.;-was the Jubilee of' Odd-. fellowshiojn Olago. In viev? of this event wo give the "following'.extracts'from a.paper read at the meeting of the Hand and Heart' Lodge: —

The Oddfellows of the Otago district or the, Manchester "Unity are this week celebrating their jubilee, tho. beginning ,of, OdclfolloWship in Otago 'being' almost cooval'>yith'the beginning of the history' of the provinoe^-thV-arrival 'of. the ■ first nettlors- and the' foiuiciatibnof the first lodge- .)':ivir>s -bith onenrrett 50 years sinca.'1 ■■■:.'.'..• ■ • ."■ •■;■-■• Tho Otaßo District 1.1..T1. iarnia-a branch-o! the- largest' and- wealthiest friendly, society.^in the world, its, membership at tho date of the last returns-(January. 1, 189S) being set down, at 925,110, -with .funds.', aggregating £9,399,015. Although claims' to : great antiquity .have' been put forward, and' it, haa been assorted,,that Oddfellowship was introduced Into. Great Britain by tho Koman general Agncola and his «oldiors, such' cldims 'may be put aside with' th'o Scotch verdict "Not 'proven."- Daniel de TToo is believed to be'entitled to tlie'credit ofbeing the first to's'it»gßs.t-tho formfttion of such societies; "to provide by mutual Rssurartcofor the relief of the-nioitibers-in1 eossbns of-diV

The meetings of'the'Otago District Committee are held half-yearly, tho place of meetiug.being selected at each' meeting, the meetings -beingcomposed' of delegate? appointed by.the variou3 lodges, the Provincial Grand Master, Deputy Provincial' Grand. Master; corresponding secretary, the kst .'Past Prov." Grand Master, aria District Tteannroi.".' The officers named '.nra. elected annually, ,and,;form the .Committee".o£,: for;tho district. ~ In oeiebratiiiß the^Juliilee of Oddfeilowship" in Otofio-'the brotherhood also celobriitethe foundfttiQU of the Hand -and Heart -Lodge"1"' tho-parent lodge,—which.now meets in-tho-Manchester Unity Hull in .Stuart street. -The. origin of that'lodge niiiy be told in tho words of the late Past Prov. G.M,' Bro. Charles -Reid, who was amongst the first Oddfellows, in Otago,, ana to- whoso; wi'so. aa4 prudent .counsels)' and; Buiiaiicetor iiieh:io joArß.muoh-of .thik succmi.

-of both lodge-and district is-to-be-atfeibuted,. In.laying the foundation, stono of. the present hall Bro. Koid said.: •. "On the,sth. of Decent--ber,. i§iß',_,. five, Oddfellows' !met..,in . ; what: ,wa.fi. known" as tho Commercial .Inn^High ;stre?t,. and then and there decided''to open.'the"lodge, under the auspices of'thb Wellington District of, tho .Man'tester'. Unity. Those members were1 ': Messrs' H. ..'. B. Graham, (then oditoi- // and' proprietor. of ■~'. thV' Otago News, ' the first paper published1 -in Otago), Samuel . Gibbs (now in" Oamnru), Francis .Shirley, William Underhili, luidan-' other 'gentleman 6i whoso nanio no traco. can now bo found. They admitted six new membervj :on the first night, and contimied to get a.few, more from time to time till in July, 1850, whon they numbered 40 members, they decided to havo a hall building erected for their own use, whereupon tho members then present mado tender;of contributions towards the object in view. Ono member offered 300 ft 61 limber, another 500 ft, i another offered to do the carting of materials free, of oharge, one offered- nailo-,. another locks and. hinges,' and yet another to supply tho lodges with candles for tho first six months . free (this was long beforo tho days ol kerosene), and, so matters wont on—one promising one thing, and one another—until a nice comfortable building was erected and finished about the . beginning, of the year. 1851." This first ...lodge- room stood in Princes street, on ground now covered by the splendid buildings of the.,A. M. P. Society. "About this time Dunedin was.in ,a somewhat languishiiig' condition,'and,the lodge made but slow progress^' Towards the'end of .1854 things began" to :-impr'ovd a little, and we began, to recruit'in membership till,'' iSI 3857,'' we.', got Otago created a ,distinct branch of the order." In'lß6l a-ftefctionoflaiid wasirased in GeoTgo street, and. Bro. Reid, being tho oldest pnst officer of-the lodgo in Dunedin, was appointed to lay. tho foundation stono of the new hall. And, again-; on the 23rd Soptember, ISB2, Bro: Reid, being again the oldestptist officer 6f the lodge in.Dunedin, laid the foundation'stone of the present hall in Stuart street.

Tho next lodge.formed• in- .the-Otafio district was .the Shamrock, Rose, and Thistle, which was opened at Invorcargill in 1860. Tho Dunedin Lorljo was opened in 1862. Tlie Dalton Lodge,.(Ba,lclutha) in 131i3, the Prince of Walea (Pott "Chalmers);" Albion (Dunedin), and Oamaru Lodges^were opened in 186 i; As,already slated,, tho Hand and Heart Lodge was opened in December, 18-18, with five members. At t!i<> end of a, quarter of a. century—Dccpm'bcr, 1873—tJie lodge membership was 232,' with funds amountinft to -JMOSB. At the close.of the half century of its history the number of members is over 500, with funds amounting to nearly £22,000. •'.-., -'

. In 1857 Otago, with ijs single lodge, was erected into a district of the order. The Otago district is now composed of 29 lodges (South-landi-with -its"then three lodges'was created a .separate -district in 'I860),' with a membership on the 30th June'last of 2518, and funds amounting to £77,302. It will be readily conceded that the Oddfellows of the Otago District, M.U., have fair reason for congratulation on tha Bucccfiij.. which has attended the progress of,-their society—progress which has been, attained by enthusiasm and careful and economic .maungomont, aided by the: self-denying efforts of "many good,men and true during the whole half-century of the society's history,-efforts which.it, ruay.be fairly plajmed arc:continued by rriari'y'brethren of the present day' who. are proud of the. position of,-, their society and of the good work done tl^cre.b.y*•■ Nor can- it be said'that the. spirit of ..self-reliance, of thrift, of .prudence, which animated tho founders'of the Hand arid Heart Lodge, and the Otago District of Oddfellows have been confined-to this society. The same spirit has also, -by a process of evolution, corresponding with "the 'social and .material advancement pf the.pro"vinco iri'other directions, manifested itself, by promoting and fostering many other mutual provident societies of various classes and titles which-now flourish in our iriidst. An idea of the magnitude and importance which theso have attained may be gathered from the. fact that at tho end of tho year 189G the registered friendly, societies of Otago and Southland numbered 86 lodges; courts, etc., with a membership 0f.7227, and.funds amounting to £UG,U2i Benevolent Institutions, Charitable Aid.'Old Age Pensions.—Neither one nor all of these can, accomplish the good, work done by friendly societies. Men and women want1 aid at all periods rof life, and the provident will recognise that they might be stricken by sickness from earning bread for themselves and, those dependent on them at any moment, and will endeovour to put themselves in a position to claim as a right tho aid in.lime of.trouble pro^ vided by friendly societies. In. illustration of ths amount of, assistance received by members of friendly societies in tiine'of trouble it may be stated that during the 12 months—July 1, 1897,' to 30th June, 1898—the Otago District, M.U., disbursed in sickness benefit;! £2913 IGs 2d; in funeral allowances,- £720;" for medical attendance and medicines,'£2os3 8s ,7d; -and ?. considerable'sum in addition in special compassionate donations beyond the payments provided for-.under tha rules. ■•' .Every one, .who wishes well'to the colony ivill hope tliat these, societies will'continue to prosper arid expand iii the. future with even greater rapidity than in.the past, spreading their benenpeut. influence,, and cduoating the people in hiibits of self-reliance, thrift';' and forethought. PICNIC AND COMMEMORATION SERVICE. ' A.most enjoyable picnic was held-at Puke- : lei'aki.ori Hie 10th- hist, to celebrate the' jubilee. i The excursionists, to the number of about COO, including contingents from country lodges, proceeded by special train to.the spot selected, and there had a most enjoyable day's outing, the Maoris of- the. district taking.part in the : proceedings and.,assisting in.-amusing-the pic- ■ nickers, &. Pratt,'M.H.B-.), and his. v/ife: extended 'a. l^spitablo welcome: to the visitors. The executive were represented' by the G-.MvHamel, Prov. C.S/Hbpcraffi'Prbv; Treas. Kobih, P: Prov. G-.M. Bruridell; and there to a number of the past provincial .'grand masters'" also present, including Bros. B'urt, Geddes, 'Wood, Sligo, Black, Harrop, and Smellio;- Bro. Chrichtou, ■ 1.0.0.P., and Brq. 'Miller, -of the Encampment-branch of ' the 1.Q.Q.1?., During an interval short addresses were. given;by Bros..Hamel, Sligo, Robin, Chrichton, ..and Miller. ... The sports were entered into with spirit, and everyone returned to town highly pleased with the,outing.

On. Sunday, tha 11th ir.st., members of the various lodge 3 to the number of about 500 .assembled at the- District Chambers, and,. forming a procession, marched to the Agricultural Hallj headed by the Citizens' Band. .The members wore'their regalia, but dispensed with tho banners. :Tlie following lodges were represented:—Hand and Heart, Duncdin, Valley, Albion, Prince of Wales. Waikomaiti, Palmerstonj Mosgiel, Outram, Milton, Kr.itangata, and Balclutha; tho Foresters and 'Ancient and Independent Order were also represented. At. the Agricultural Hall the 'Yen. Archdeacon Robinson, preached- an. eloquent and impressive sermon suitable to .the occasion. . . ■■ ■ .