INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODDFFLLOWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13856, 20 March 1907, Page 3

INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODDFFLLOWS.

GRAND LODGE JIEETSC , . 2?aou Oci Ow» CoRr.EsroNBEUT.'J OAIIABU. March 19. Tlio iijirty-thii'd bieiuiial session of the f Ira n<l Lodge of i.0.0.F. commenced to-day in Oamaru, tlio following officials and delegates bring ijrssenl:—TDDiciaU—J.P.G.'M., Bro. .1. AT. Aiikcn; Grand -Master, Bro. Y> M. Miller: Deputy Grand Master, Bro. T. Crawley: Grand AVardon, Uro. lα. Arniiger; Grand Secretary, Bro. AV. Reid; (-irsml Treasurer, Hro. .f. S. Alexander. Delegates— Bros, R. (j. Uray, S. V. HoWsworrli, and 11.I 1 . Armiqcr, Auckland: T. Grig.'w, Welling-: ton North; J. JI. Jlcadov.-s-Crctt.-. Welling- j lon South; A. D. Hunter,and J. Barter,; North Canterbury; K. Doim. Sorith Canterbury: J. Yornoi? and .1. Thorpe. North Otago; ,f. 11, Hinlon, L. Konnilz, and A. 11. Velentinc, Olago Homii; J. ITLauchian, \V. Smith, and Hamilton. SoiiHiland. . ]ieforc tho Grand Lodge w.ie officially c-peiicd, a deputation of Past Grands of North Otago district., headed by Bros. E. Blaii , and Jfesft, formally welcomed the Giand Master aii'i otlicers and delegates to Oamaru. wishing tlvm a successful session, and handing to the Grand Lodge ait illuminated address of woo'come, signed by tho Noble Grand and soveivl Past Grande of (he district. Tho Grand Master's rcwrt containedtbo following paragraphs of interest: -7TIIO general condition of tho oitior continues 10 bo one of great, prosperity. Succeeding years show a steady growth, • placing' us well within tho front rank of tire fraternal The latest available* complete returns are to December, 1905. . For 1306 tho estimate is based ou tho previous year's progress. At. December, 1904, the lodge members wore 1.217,145; Hobekah sisters. 303,476:-total, 1,520,621. At i'eocmbor. 1905, ' lodge mambers,- 1,278.065; Robekah sistfrs, • 322,6*7; —total, 1,600,712., Kstimaie at December, 19C6,' lodge members, 1,338,985: ttebekali sisters, 341,818;fotal, 1,680,803. At December, 1905, 178,636 of the brothers were attached to Kcbekali lodges, and 185,370 wero encampment; inembem. The statistics from 1830 to December, 1905, show:—lnitiations. 3,052,419; members relieved, 3,115,646; widowed families relieved, 281,869; members deceased, 305,706. In tho afternoon Ihe consideration of tho executive's minutes for the past two- years was proceeded with, and completed, and later tho Grand Secretary's report wae taken. The Grand Secretary's vc^> ; contained references to a number of ms'ters of interest. The report commenced bv mentioning that the Grand Lodge met in Oamaru for the second time. Many changes had taken placo in the 17 years' interval in the constitution, membership, and funds. Tho reduction in the number of jpresenlativcs which had boon elected in the interval had ,bcen of advantage in feveral ways. The membership had in the interval increased from 12?0 to ?561. and the lodew' from 29 lo 42. while the funds now totalled £38,950. Tho Robc'tah and Juvenile Lr>d?c.3 had also lenn added to tho constitution in tho 17 years. At tho end of tho financial year there were 42 lodges on the rail, three h"vinjf been opened and twn (Otnl-i and 'Britannia) rio'od since Inst, report. Tho niimliT of members was 3564 being an increase of 161 In tho yea-r 473 wero initiated, 12 admitted by pisarMice, and seven reinstated: while 269 had been lost. 29 withdrawn by cie.srs.nce. 14 deceased, and 16 resigned. The report regarded the inercar-o as small conciiloring tho rain of one lodae. The receipts from lodges showed a considerable increase. The contributions from b"ncfit members were lfs fid; from honorary members, £■•06 3s 6d; entrance foes. £148 4s 91; in- ] tf-rost and ron'ts, £12 C 6 l.'e 8d: other sums, i £3?,9 8? 9d;-total receipts.• £10.489 '9s Id. There were 467 members sick, with a total sictmsa expenditure of £2844 9s sd. being 3> M more than l."ft vear, which, consider- j injr Hie epidemics of the veaivwa-s rogarded as satisfactory. There were 1597 weeks and one day at full nay. 242 wce l s an'l throo flavs of rediircd ray 539 wenk* of further | roducol imv. The Grand Lof'tßO balance j sVt slso'.vcd tint f lio fuiicrl i'mid, with > an cvpenditure of *610. gave an increase I for tho vear nf £15"'O 2?'-,7d. mana-c----ment fund lived iviibin ite income, and on Ihe Interest earned !:y its own ranifal. Tho ONlension of the crr'or fund hnd overdrawn it= income bv £56 I?* sd, and was -now l-Jiired (0 fi l^ 7 <s Od. siartin? with a, capit.nl of £1A?1. whip!) ircreaH till I'9l. It had (?ince t'rel'nr" ,, , and was grar'nnllv gotfing wbrltl-d away. Old m<"v>l-crs' dues account was nntlflrsroimr t''O saire pvo'css, I'eing rcdJTfld in l.ho.s::; years of its <w!stonce I'Ofri-£lOOl to S6 T 6.' the chi'"S b'eirg atovo expectations, and as they increase with tho ago of the soc : ct,y,it .was a matter of simple caloi'lat'on to find tl'it- it-would be oylw-torl in a few ye.irs. '•■ Tlip f'rnud Lodge, sick- fund '-rccivcd an' increment from' l:!io Otaki Lodge of £152 lts-frrl. which should tho centralisation' of the cick fund bo carried. wphH 20 to swell the cnntrsl sick fund, and to «rao extent balance: the deficiency occasioned bv unfinancial lodges. A 5 the cau=cs that led un lo the clrsing of the fltalci T.odijo hid boon frequently mentioned, the report fiiwls no need to ad-ert to tlip."*!, again, except'ng to emphasise the fact that one o'f the prox'mnte caiKcs in tin's ense, tho docter, was hcco'tiin? in more than one erstwhile p'.osperous countn- Icdoe a serious and menacing question, and one that no legislation nv action of Ibo Grand Lodge could control. Tho Grand Secretary was strongly of rpinion that a conference slptdd be arranged in every district between the officers of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association and representatives from tho fijiondly societies. There was no doubt that medical men bad. or fancied they had. a grievance, which a little mutual conciliation would show to be wrong or exaggerated. The conference held in Dunedin fomc years ago did a great ileal to remove the misunderstanding, and Iho atmosphere was cleared for many years. Tho result of tho valuation of tlio order war, somewhat disappointing, and showed that thew was no royal road lo solvency, and if the requirements of sufficiently' largo members to comply with the law of avcrag<w_ in regard to sickness, experience, provident; management, n,nd prompt and careful investment of funds were not fulfilled,'tlio other essential oi adequate dues • was largiily discounted. The report remarked thai the friendly societies began as B'cl: and burial Gluts, and wore very-little more oven now. If Stato Socialism was to finally obtain in the land, and tho State become univers.il providers, tho friendly societies would havo a hard struggle for oxislence, in which -only the fittest would survive. Those which struck on the now and broadest lines would havo the best chance of survival. To lend money to members on building society tables and to receive depo-ils of members was one departure, lmt ol.ber and larger schemes would suggest themselves that could only bo controlled by a combination of societies.

Consideration of thi; report occupied ihe afternoon siltim*. and tlio Grand Lodge adjourned at 5.30 till (his morning. The question of consolidating tho sick funds and managing -them by the Grand Lodge instead of by individual lodges will come up during tho meetings hore.