ANCIENT ORDER OF FORESTERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20380, 11 April 1928, Page 7

ANCIENT ORDER OF FORESTERS.

ANNUAL MEETING. The sixty-fourth annual meeting of the United Otago District, Ancient Order ot Foresters, was held at Invercargill on Saturday last at the Friendly Societies Hall. The proceedings opened with a civic welcome at I p.m. on Friday, after the arrival of the delegates. The Mayor of Invercargill (Mr J. Miller) extended a welcome to the visitors on behalt ot the town, and trusted they would all spend a pleasant and profitable time while in Invercargill. The visitors were then conducted over the new municipal swimming baths, and a visit was paid to the rose gardens. In the evening the annual meeting of the Juvenile Council and delegates was held, the president (Bro. G. L. Walmslcy) presiding. There was an attendance of eight officers and 28 delegates. The annual report showed that the various juvenile branches were all showing good work and that during last year 45 youthful members had been transferred to the adult courts. The report and balance sheet were adopted. It was decided that in view ot the healthy state of the council funds all stationery, badges, etc., would be provided free to all the branches. The election of officers, resulted as follows:—President, Bro, L. parley, vice-president, Bro. A. S. Dyke, treasurer, Bro. J. Benfell; secretary, Bro. J. K. Macfie; and councillors, Bros. B. F. Smith, G. Stephenson, At R. Berryman, F. Whitty, J. T. Barnes, A Macgregor, H C. T. Bennett, and Sister L. M. Gray. Tile newly-elected officers were installed by the D.T., Bro. J. Hope, and 1 .D.C.K., Bro. W. Wright. Q The district meeting opened at 9 a.m. on Saturday with the National Anthem. tL d C.II ; Bro. T. F. M’Natty was in the chair, and he was supported by alt the district officers. There were 79 delegates present, representing every com t in the district. Following a welcome from the D.C.R., the meeting stood in silence for a moment in memory of the late in cR. Bro. E. Parker, and motions of sympathy from the delegates were nassed to the relatives of the late brother and also to P.C.R. Bro. W.'Hearns, district trustee, on the death of his wife. The D.C.R. extended a special welcome to P D C.Il. Bro. C. Dickson, of tbe Canterbury United District. Wires .and letters of congratulation received I horn the district trustees, I.C.K. s oioa a. J. Morrison and H. C. AWliarason; Bro. O. Jacobsen, district secretary, Canter bury United District; the M.y.1.U.U.-f. annual meeting, at Roxburgh e - ■; Druids. Otago and bouthland district, the Grand Lodge, 1.0.0. F., and Court E The P1 report of the District Executive was adopted, and the executive was congratulated on the good report, which showed that the whole district was in an excellent position. It was resolved to ■present a special scholarship prize to Master Eric 0. Kncwstubb, who was only one point behind the winner, , In regard to courts out of the district, the following motion was passed— ibat the actuary should be requested to iuiSh an equitable basis for reunion, ns disclosed from the results of the IJH valuation period of the Distinct and Courts Pride of Dunedin and Enterprise. The executive was also authorised to send the district secretary to Wellington to interview the registrar and actuary " garding the rejoining with the district ot Court Pride of Dunedin and Enterprise. The auditor’s report was read by P. Bro. G. D. Hay. who also submitted the balance sheet, which showed that the district funds were in an excellent position, and amounted to £121,845 Os 5(1. It was resolved that the meeting, as representing 4959 members of the district, should enter a most emphatic protest to the Government in penalising returned soldier members while in receipt of benefits from the society when applying tor economic pensions, through treating sued payments of benefits as income received. A protest on similar lines was received from-the M.U.1.0.0.F., which, was passed at its annual meeting held the same day at Roxburgh. , . A special welcome was tendered to Rro. J. T. Crofts, a veteran member ot The Order, and now aged 94 years. Bro. Crofts returned thanks for the welcome and kindness extended to him, and remained an interested spectator of tne Pl The d ”eport of the District Trustees was submitted by P.D.C.R. Bro. 11. C. Wilson, and showed that the large sum ot £117,303 15s 8d was invested, and an increase over the previous year of £6099 4s 2d. New loans to the amount of £ 14,130 had been granted last year, and £7530 15s lOd had been repaid^ It wus resolved to present £5 5s to tne Alton Cripples Cot, London. The remits of the business paper by the executive in regard to honorary members holding office as secretaries, were passed and confirmed. The remit by Court Robin Hood in connection with a ritual competition was not carried, but a recommendation was passed to the courts in various parts of the district to arrange ’annually between themselves coni* petitions on those lines. The remit from Court Star of the South in connection with the appointment of a deputy officer for Southland was lost. The remit in reference to the representation at district meetings was next considered, and after a long discussion the following amendment was carried: —“That the executive should be requested to bring down to the next district meeting for consideration a rule or rules giving effect to the representation of delegates being upon the basis of one for every 100 members or portion thereof, but that provision be made for the retention of the voting power upon the basis of one vote for every 75 or fraction thereof, as at present.” The motion by Court Star of the South to establish an extra funeral benefit fund, to provide for a further payment of £SO, was lost. The recommendation from Court Southern that a widow and orphans’ fund be established was referred to the executive and P.D.C.R.’s Bros. W. R. Brugh and C. C. Robertson, with power to add to their number, and to report to next meeting. The report of the Juvenile Council was adopted, and £36 was voted to the juvenile district. The next district meeting will be held at Roxburgh in 1929. The election of officers resulted as follows: —D.C.R., Bro. R. S. Vercoe; D.S.C.R., Bro. E. Ensor; D.T., Bro. J. Hope (re-elected); D.W., Bro. G. L. Walmsley; D. 8., Bro. J. H. Reynolds; district auditor, P.D.C.R. Bro. W. R. Brugh; and district trustee, P.C.R. Bro. W. Mearns. The following were elected to the Otago Friendly Societies’ Council: Bros. J. K. Macfie, J. Hope, T. M’Ahan, R. C. Wilson, and W. Wright. The newlyelected officers were installed by P.C.R. Bro. J. Smart (who specially installed the new D.C.H., he being an old member of Court Star of the Dunstan), P.D.C.R. Bro. C. Dickson, and P.C.R. Bro. A. Macgregor. 'I lie Foresters’ tribute to fallen brothers was rendered very impressively by P.D.C.R. Bro. C. C. Robertson and honoured in silence. In the evening a euchre tournament anil social dance was held, and during an interval the district secretary, Bro. J. K. Maclie, presented to P.D.C.R. Bro. L. Churchill the certificate and collar of that office, on behalf of the district. 'The D.b. mentioned that he and Bro. Churchill had travelled many hundreds of miles together in ail sorts of weather, carrying out the work of the district, and that in losing Bro. Churchill as an active member ot the executive they were losing a most efficient officer. Bro. Churchill, in responding, was greeted with musical honours, and returned thanks. He said ho had only done his work in the ordinary way, and it had always given him great pleasure. He had made many friendships which would last for all time, and as a final word to the members he asked them to keep before them the great ideals of Forestry. Ho parted from the executive wiih deep regret, and tlianked the officers and members formally kindnesses given him. ’The D.C.K., Bro R. S. Vcrcoe, presented tlie membership memorial to the representative of the winning court—P.C.R., Bro. A. Craig, whoso court, Prido of Clulbn Valley—hud won the shield for two years in .succession. This court was doing groat work in tho district, and ho congratulated it on its creditable win. Bro. Craig returned thanks, and said his court wouid use every endeavour to retain the shield for another year. P.C.R. Bro. L. Harley (president of the Juvenile Council) presented tho Folley Memorial Shield for juvenile courts to P.C.R. Bro. A. S. Dyke, who_ represented tho winning court—frinco Edward —and Bro. Dyke returned thanks for the trophy, which he said was a complete surprise to hia court On behalf of Court Pride ot the Leith, P.D.C.R. Bro. C. C. Robertson presented

to Court Excelsior the cup given by his court ior membership competition, and congratulated Court Excelsior on its win. Mho cup was received by P.C.R. Bro. G. D. Hay, on behalf of Court Excelsior. On Sunday morning the delegates paraded for divine service, and headed by tne In vercargill Pipe Band, attended' the service at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, when an appropriate sermon, based on the occasion, was delivered by the Rev. C. J. Tockcr. In the evening a sacred concert was held m the Friendly Society Hall, and was well attended. The delegates w r ere the guests of the Invercargill courts m the afternoon, when a fleet of motor buses convoyed them to The Rocks, Riverton, where some pleasant hours were spent. iho weather being at its best, the tour was voted one of the best, and the visiting delegates returned by the_ second express on Monday well satisfied with their visit to Invercargill.