DRUIDISM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15350, 13 January 1912, Page 17

DRUIDISM.

The ixwlp«n«l meeting of tho Ivanhoo I/Wigc was hold on Mniitlnv ctoning, wncii ArrJi Druid Ura. IX lioul presided over u good allondiiiicu of inemlieis and vi.il-or.-.. lioutinu bii»iniis was, dealt wiiii, and £15 Uls sic!; pay i>u*.c.:l. The lodge wont into harmony, sbviiral brethren contributing to the enjoyment tif all. The. Joyal toasts wiuti Honoured, .ind luitondcd to on liehfdf of the visiior.-. Ny A.I). Hio. Cook (Lily of llio Valley). . Arch Druid llio. F. Hudson Jiocupfcxl tlio ci.aii' at liitf. lorliiiejhtly iiiceiin;' ol l.ii:l'oy.U Oak lamlhj on .Monday uignt. 'I'll'.; attendance; wii!> very food. A fair amount of busincc*.-was transitu.'! 1 ., and o:,o <amiiUalv i,u initiated. D.l'. Hro. M'lleaih havingdeclined iioniin'ilion m one 01 li:« ■bouncy judges, llio. sl««ie ww> iuhiiinatid in hi* stwul. The lodge lu-oiud »*• 'i'„ «.i>li> v.'illi [K'Jioc liu«k» and i'H> tli-> •iiipiicuui xt.«ui|il l>irn» hi ilieir plat-n. 'J he Uiivo Munich (.luumlM wit «» Tuesday oviiiiii',', «n<'" A.I). iii". Kv.i.-t presided over a splendid atlendaiioj ol t lo lad. This oeinL' Uieir aniiual WeUlil,;, lII.' youthful urciliren received uieir Iwiu.-o--, which amoiiiiK-d lo is and is. nccoidlliK U) their nam*. Hid following <'in<vr, were ei.vt'd lor ll'i: eii-uine, urui.-A.U ».«. .1. Uifc; V.A...U10. <J. .J'Umi; J. 0., li,o W. IloldaAwy; 0.U., liio. 1, ilr.Ki--law; A.D. l*.n-€l& liros. V» r . Ui-adMiaw and 1' Jloldaivay; Y.A.U.'s, Hrcs. J. Siyor and E..il'F»ic. Tlio officers will bo in.d.illid next lodge night. Jlif Lily of tJie V Alley Loogc met on Wednesday, in tucs AJlisiny Strcul Kali. Tlio attendance ol me-iibon* inui vnry good, and A.U. Uro. \V. Gook presided, 'iiie visitor? weni IMJ.I'. liro. Moss (Ivaidioo i.od«c) and I'A. liro. Whitty (Bay Lodfe) Tlio lodge held a. very quiet iiiecimy, and aiior nullum businosti wi.s dealt Willi tho iiioiiilxire t-pent tho evening in a friendly gamo of cards. Tho regular nieeling of the All fiations tadgu wa« hold on Turaday evening, A.U. liro. Sisiblin presiding. There wai u splendid attendance. D.l\ Hro. 'Jirockio paid an olliciai visit. Tho District Grand President, liro. .Mitchell, paid a surprise visit, and was iiecoinpanicd.by G.G. liro. SU'olu and l'.DO.l'. Jsro. Bryant. I'.U.P. Hro. Robertson (Utago lxKlgi) was aix a visitor. Uoi.'niiiorablo liusiixafi w:w dealt with, and £5 lis M Hick pay pa.-w.-d. iicvural presentations wcro nwido during tile oveniiy. I'.A. liro. H, Hurt was liio uvipicnt of a iiaiulfonio franicd diploma and a l'.A. 6aili, having successfully liiUHdl through tho clwiir.-.. Tho DLstnct I'l'tviidciit made thn presentation in «■ few wellchosen worifci l'.A. liro. Uraig received a l'.A. cash from llio luinds «f tho Grand I'mfridont, who noinplimwitoil tho recipient on Ins ciithiwiasm in tho lodge,aswitne*od.by him in introducing tin JnosL during tho provioiis 12 months. Jlro. Hroukio jirofonted a safety nuor to P.11.P. liro. (J. Jaoobson, who was aveond to liro. Craig, 'llio reuipit-nus suitably responded. ' Durin}; tho evening ri.-frwhrnonlA wr.ru liauded round, ltros. Steele (reciU-.tion's), llarland irctilation), and Jolinslono tongs) contrilulled tn tho harmony. The Grand President, liro. Ilryant, liro. Ktcele. and the JJistricl President rf*|»nik'il' lo l.ho toasls. Tlio followiig apiirared in tho Anslrol Druid rw'enlly on tho subject of coiusoiidalion:—"Wo liavo nad an addrew ii|ioii tho above subject delivered in l/xlgo Ivanhoe. New Zealand, by liro. P.Ii.G.P. liro. Klicllon. This subject for some timo past lias been much in ovidenro in thn Uoininion; in view of ils gnneral adoption by Uie societies of New .South Wales; our liicfhren across llio sea naturally (urn lo fur esporience for tomo giiiihnce. 'Hie (vjudilious underlying tho principle would (ipjiear to bo the satuo in New Zealand 114 our own Slate; this lieing to, wo may lm pnidoned for having a word lo say in favour of the consolidation by our order lliruiigliout Now Zealand. Our worthy IriiTid, liro. Siicllon is an ardent op|ionent lo thn introduction of consolidation, his op|>ofiilinn lioing bused upon tho ground that oejilml control of the siok fund is not in accordance with friendly M<ue,y principle. It would lie interesting to liavo liro, Shelton's opinion upon Die consolidated funeral fund. Ilowcivr, tlio n\ le.arks regarding (lie applicatioi. of consolidation might siifnly |io lift with tlio litolhn'ii wiucornwl. and would kivi nasswl unnotiiM-d were it not for tlio rofwuoiw inado to what Auslrnliaji societies liavo done, and Ui(i cxiiilribuliiig causes of tlw adoption of tho piinoiplo under oonsidoration. Ilrielly, liio posilJon pnnr lo 1835 \ni Ihal llio Friendly iSociclics, Act- yi»vidiil that rrncji liranoli, iijon R»gistr;U.ion, Ixv.'ium practically a wlfgoverning sooicly; ilK'i'ii wius no unity of any institution tuuler it* provisions; ami, furllior, Hie n<lniinisliiaiou of liio then registrar called for drastic ainendiiM'tit. Tho Grand I/nlgc of Now South Wales in scssjon |vu«xl Icgislalion which w\ls in no wiso binding upon I lin liranclu's uiilgss tlio branoli decidod to adopt and register the same. Tim amended leg Illation »ki>lro.veil Ibis mioinaloiw . eontill ion, and brought into being tho first i-top towards consolidation—namely, tl» n* cognition of llio various branches as acoucrclo socii'ty with central governing body. To ihis act and ils cartful adtninii-tralion may tho progrejg of llio various sociclks b) Iniceil. A candidato now joins tho older and really not tho branch, and experience has oliowii that tlio iiminber's in-' |ei\w anil prido in his branch is still iiuuiitaiuol, but with this adiiitinn: ho is also full of interest for ilio well-Using of tho order of which ho is u unit. It Is generally admitted that tho experience, of tlw liwistrar of Friendly Societies of Now South Wales (.Mr J. 11. Tiivett) justifies his advising the various societies on mailers of moment, 'lliu following extracts (in I'onsoiidalion aro taken fmiii his ivport to Parliament for tho year 1906:—'As a business consideration, let us relleot liow the consolidation of funds will affect the (iveriigo viiizeu who may conlejiiplate joining a friendly siwiety. lie would not only liHik at llio c.teiit of k'tiefit wtaniseil and the contribution chargeable, but also at the siw of tho lodgo, to tec whcllicr a good backbino osistrxl for mutual help; hlmi at. the amount of roairvo funds to meet contingencies. If lie luul to diooso U<tw<\<ti two lodges, llio onn with a sickness fund of a few hundred pounds at its credit and tho other with many thousands to draw njnin, I hero can \» no doubt as (o his decision; consequently, wo have, in addition lo llie added safely of the lodge, a mo.>t wlmlixsimic adverliwinont of tho order in the eyes of tlie public. There arc .ilm> ralilab|.< lo bo learned from the iietuarial aspect, Tho contingent liabilities of sickless and death In nelits aro batsivl on iiatural events, llio iveurreniM of which is, in each case, susceptible of calculation liy wav of average; and in tho adoption of scali-s of uinlrihuiiona in ooiineoiioji with tl«>se Iviielils it is ixvessary, almu> all things, lo i-arcfully regard liio which have Ix'eu eviiorienivd in tlio past: ellirrwio it. will K> by no means certain that a given «\ik? of contributions will lit in with tho actual results in t!:o future. If we lake a table of rontribulion.n based on averages, and apply it to a body of mi'ii siiirdontlv largo to giro some assurance that the future wckness and mortality of suolt men will bo a rejwtition of sueii averagi's, thou we are proceeding on safe iimv. It is, thcrtforo, oviclt"nilv tkwirable that we slwuld arrango iiiemoei>, in connection with a Ivjiolil fund, in Rifhcienlly munerous groups to ensure tiiat exjvcUsl siekiiejK or mortality shall happen in accordaiKV witli llio averiuto experieiiee. If the funds were ronsolidatiM thetv would .Ki no complication or liardsliip, as (lie liieiuUirs wvulil Udong (o one huge lodge, and could move nlwut tho wiinlry as tliey ple.u<i'd witluuit any hindering " linancml o|K'ralioiis in the sliupe of clearance ratue*. It ha s Ivon said that if tlw sickness funds were comoliiL'.tod «l*on> mndd Iv an undermining of t!:al fratermd fivJim: anioiii*sl. the inenilvrs wlich is ouo of (|u> (I;-.. tiuguisliinc _aml clierished features of friendly sooiely life. I,el jh o ask. in Uw first pl.'tco: Is tlwvx* any conspicuous hick of fraternal fivlings at prwent wlu-n IKI funeral fund is out of tlio hands of tin* lodges? Alk>, is there likely to lv any dUip|<oar.ineo of fraternal regard as long us liio knlgts still (KKse.sn in<*die:il fiu.,U to cement togvtlior? The annv of fraternal-fecJins; is readied when we can truthfully asM'rt that all are for one. ami one for"all, wlkmi tho total funds of |)m soeiely are tlio gnaraniiv of eich ineniIwr's Ivnefits. ;unl when the individual lucinhor nxilises that ho has a .su-rod duty lo pixrform in return to tlio whole of the u.ein4>on> of llio society. A larg\>r interest will K* evoked and good must roMilt. 'Iln> existini; sytstciii of localism Ls nioro calculaleil lo hr\i\l -n-liyuiftis and tlisrcirord for the waul* and dangers of others and a consolidated sy»te.!n the iiiomisivs of a patriotic regard for tlw .stability of the srvii'iy, and for discharge of sickness claims of owry unit of t'ne inniiK'r ►liip.' llio above fully ilbistraie (1» exiwienco of Uu- Uninxj Aneiem Onlori of Druids in New South Wales aftea' an ex tuiiled experience.''