ANCIENT ORDER OF FORESTERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12006, 1 April 1901, Page 3

ANCIENT ORDER OF FORESTERS.

ANNUAL DISTRICT MEETING. The following concludes our report of the above, which was held at Milton on Friday last:— THE DISTTIICT MEMBF.ns' FCNp. P.C.R. Bro. Taverner moved—" That as there may bo in tho near future a necessity to bring the district members' fund into working condition, and as that fund ha= at present no monoy to its credit, this District Meeting; thinks it desirable that a committee be appointed now to rounder'(lie best method of placing the said fund in credit, so that it may be in a,position to meet demands when made upon it." Tho mover slated that "'Vi? , n 1" cs ' 10 " wasafuncl only in name. and-if from any cause mombers 'should be placed upon it, by the rules at present regulating it they could only receive their sickness aliowanco from the moneys they had paid in, which might only be a few shillings. Happily, so far thero had been', no call upon the fund.but it was unwise to allow such a state of things to continue. . P.D.C.R, Bro. Melville seconded tho motion, which was agreed to, and tho following committee appointed:—Tho District ; Executive and P.D.C.R.VBros. Yonngman, Melville, iMunro, Geddes/and P.C.R. Bro. ■Taverner. ■ ' : MEETIXG3 FAUJXB .<W TOMDAT EVES. On the motion of P.C.R. Bro. Cairns, it was agreed to amend the law relating to court nights falling on public holidays so-as to'in-c-ludo the eve of any holiday, and thus make it legal to hold tho meeting on any subsccjuent night before the next regular meeting. Bro, Cairns desired to go farther., and give, power to hold meetings before tfi'e regular date, urging (lint many members were'lost to the order through their hnving spent on the holiday tho money they should have paid for contributions. coJtrui.soitv sor,VEKcr. Some very important rules were agreed to, their object being to give the District Meeting power to compel branches to have their assets and securities valued when thcro was any doubt as to their being of tho value sot down in tho balance sheet. Also, when a court's assets showed it to come short of 17s 6d in the pound, tho District Meeting is to havo power to compel such court to tako measures to bring itself up ,to that standard. In doing so, assistance may he granted from the district relief fund where considered necessary.' NEXT DISTRICT MEETING. It,was decided 'by a largo majority to accept the invitation of Court Pride of Oamaru to hold the next District Meeting in that {own. ' ELECTION- OF OFFICERS. ' The following wore elected for the enduing term:-D.O.R„ Bro. J. Hope; D.S.C.R., Bro. W. Block; D. Treasurer. Bro. ,T. Maofie (re-elected); D. Secretary. Bro, W,' Woodland (re-elected); D. Beadle, Bro. A. Swanson; D. Trustee. Bro. W. H. Mivnro (reelected); D; Auditor, Bro. G. W. Gcddcs, P.C.R.'» Bros. Cairns and Folley performed the duties of installing officers in a way which gained the applause of the meeting.. Tho meeting wa.R then 'closed, having sat from 6 o'clock to half-past 7. . , TEE .-BANQUET. The visiting delegates were entertained at a l'a'nqiwt in the evening at the White Horso Hotel, Milton, and snlheir deliberations at lhe annual meeting had extended right on from 10 o'clock'to'7.3o p.m. everyone wa« ready to do'justice tq'the excellent spread hid nn. the board, by Host Bastings. Bro. J. Hope nrosided,' and about 50 or 60 sat down. , .The': demands of hunger eventually being satisfied, the more festive portion of the proceedings was entered op. The Chairman gave the toast of "The King." cud hi« MaiHv's health was cordially honoursd. Bro. Melvillo proposed_ "The Army, Navv,-.and Volunteers," coupling the toast with the hnmo "f Lieutenant M'Clymnnt (B- Companv, 0.R.V.). who made siiUab'.e rr>pli". "The Agricultural Intc-pidi" was piven In- B'o. J. Ing'is, and replied to !«• Bro.; Melville. Bro. J. Dickfon nroposed ''The District Excutivc," and paid a wellpioritcd vribul\tn tjia nnntlemen who fuided ' the'[affairs 'of' The' ord'efT 'Tho 'Chairman, in responding, took the opnortunilv of Cxnrcssiiig bin nppi'fcinl'on of the hnnmir members; had dmii. him by electing him to the posilfon of District Chief Ran<*er. and proinls"d to Mrry on!( the.dutieo of tho office to the best of his'ftbilifr. Bro, Clark gave " The T'aHiament of \ew Zealand," ntf 1 !, Bro. Taverner replied. Other toasts were: — "The Sister Courts:" given bv Bro. Fol'ey and responded to by Bro. M»nro:. "The Vipitinp Dolegales," sriven bv Bro. Dieks«n end replied to bv Bro; Chi"is; "Juvenih Court b ."'propnsed bv ,Bro. Ymingmnn and rnrlird to bv Bro. 'Wilson: '.'Court Bruce." "The; Press," and "Our HWt." proposed by the Chnirnnn and duly replied to. Dnijins H>e cvenbic? sonfs were rendered bv Messrs Blael:; M'Clvmont, Wyber. Diclnn, BastiiWs, Swanson, "id Burns; while recitations were given by Messrs .T. Parlane. Boyle, and tCeoph. An erjjoyaWe rrathering was ent'sliort by the rigidity of the licensing laws, and of tho gentlemen present then extended their -patronage to a, dance, given bv the njemliers of Court Brncc in St. George's Hall, where anlc;>"nt hour or twO'Wns snent. The D"nedin delegates returned to town by' Saturday's express.