I.O.O.F.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23895, 24 August 1939, Page 19

1.0.0. F.

IK)PE OF MAHENO LODGE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY HNE RECORD IN ODDFjELLOWSHIP _ Next to Alfred Lodge, Oamaru, the Hope of Maheno Lodge, No. 44,1.0.0. F., is the oldest lodge in North Otago, and will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary during the coming week-end. During the years since its formation in 1889. the Maheno Lodge has played a very important part in the general welfare of the district, for the members who have been prominently associated with lodge matters have been also associated with many public activities in the district. From the very outset the members of the lodge have acted in true accord with the spirit of the Order, and have extended the hand of friendship to those in ,need of help. In the very early days before the lodge had been able to build up a benevolent fund, an apppal was received from a sister lodge in North Auckland for a mem-

ber who had been laid aside for some considerable time, and whose.wife and children were in poor circumstances. The members opened a subscription /list, and a considerable sum was raised voluntarily and forwarded to the lodge making the appeal, with the advice that, if sufficient money was not raised to meet requirements, then the Maheno Lodge would be only too glad to give further assistance. Appeals of this nature were very frequent in the early days, and the Maheno Lodge can truly claim to have played its full part in assisting fellow-members from the North Cape to Bluff. Fifty years of such humanitarian service is a truly meritorious record, and the Hope of Maheno Lodge can rightly claim that the precepts of " Friendship, Love and Truth," the motto of the Order, have been faithfully observed, The First Meeting' The first meeting of the Hope of Maheno Lodge, No. 44, 1.0.0 JP., was held in the Maherto School on August 29, 1889. The following brothers were present:—R.W.G.S. Bro. Reid, R.W.G.T, Bro. Alexander (Grand Lodge), DJD.GJM. Bro. James Macdonald, N.G. Bro. A. Mackay, V.G. Bro. P. Church, treasurer Bro. R. J. Keys, secretary Bra W. G. Morrison, P.G.'s Bros. Thorpe, Vernor, Ormiston and Brown, Bros. Ward, Symington, Jones, Philp, Blair, Scoon, Tbwnsend, Mahan, Taylor, W. S. Whyte, Herron, Breen, and Rule (Alfred Lodge, No. 6, Oamaru).

The following candidates, having been examined by Dr Sylvester (Oamaru), were duly initiated into the Order: —Messrs D. Cossgrove, H. A. Andrews, P. Corcoran, P. Jones. S. Shackleton, M. Matheson, James Jackman, William Meek, James Clark,. Richard Burns, James McLeod, Frederick Townsley, D, M. Fea, George Saville, William J. Williams, George Ledingham, P. Flynn, William Muldrew, James Still, Frederick Still. A. Leppert, and Robert Williamson. Of these foundation members, Messrs S. Shackleton, J. McLeod, and Richard Burns are. still living. In 1929 J. McLeod was presented with the veteran's jewel for forty years of active membership. The lodge was constituted by Acting Grand Master G.S, Bro. Reid, and Bro. Morrison, who acted as secretary, read the charter from the Grand Lodge authorising the opening of the lodge. The following brothers were unanimously elected officers for the ensuing term:-—N.G., Bro. I>. Cossgrove; "V.G., Bro. D. M. Fea; secretary, Bro. H. A. Andrews; treasurer, Bro. G. Ledingham; the officers being installed in their respective chairs by D.D.G.M. Bro. Macdonald. Other officers appointed were:—Warden, Bro. W. Meek; conductor, Bro. S. Shackleton; R.S.N.G., Bro. J. Clark; L.S.N.G., Bro. J. McLeod; R.S.V.G., Bro. F. Townsley; L.S.V.G., Bro. R. Burns; R.S.S. Bro. W. J. Williams; L.S.S.. Bro W. Muldrew; V.G., Bro. F. Still; 0.G., Bro. P. Flynn. The minutes of the first meeting record that thanks were due in a great measure to D.D.G.M. Bro. Macdonald. for the untiring energy and trouble he had taken in the formation of the lodge.

At the next meeting on September 12 the following candidates. Messrs James Oliver. P. Curran. F. Elder and D. Thomas, who were unable to attend on the opening night, were accepted as members of the lodge, and Mr Albert Carrodus was proposed as a candidate and duly accepted at the next meeting. The first trustees were Bros. S Shackleton. W. Muldrew and D. M. Fea. and the first lodge doctor. Dr Stewart, of Oamaru.

Others who joined the lodge before the end of the vear 1889 were Messrs William Weir. James Saville Arthur Dixon. James Taylor and James Gill. Early in the vear 1890. Bro. Cossgrove resigned from his position as N.G.. owing to his leaving the district, and Bro. Fea was appointed N.G. in his place. The Lodge Hal! The first meetings of the lodge were held in the Maheno School, but it was only a matter of a few months after the opening of the lodge that the question of building a lodge hall was raised The matter was discussed with some of the Freemasons of the district and after some unsuccessful negotiations for an area of land, a suitable building site was obtained by the purchase of a section from Mrs Mather for £2O on June 10, 1891. A contract was let to Mr John Menzies to build the hall, the total cost being £137 10s, and on November 9. 1891, the hall was duly opened and dedicated. Funds were raised from time to time by means of bazaars, it being recorded that at the first, held in 1893. sacks of potatoes and wheat realised 6s each. As the years have gone by. the debt has been gradually paid off, a record in the minutes showing that in 1913 £1 was received from Bro. D. Burgess for this purpose, and with the installation of electricity and other conveniences, the hall has been brought right up-to-date. Noble Grands The N.G.'s of the lodge since its foundation have been as follows: Bros. D. Cossgrove 1889, D. M. Fea 1890, James Clark 1890. Philip Flynn 1891, S. Shackleton 1892, G. Ledingham 1892, W. JVlcDougall 1893, R. Turnbull 1893, A. G. Bridle 1894, W. Ledingham 1895. John Menzies 1895. A. Carrodus 1896. J. Clark 1897, James Clark 1897. R. CV Wilson 1898, James Burgess 1899. John Harvey 1900, A. C. Islip 1901, W. Davis 1902, D. Burgess 1903. J. Burgess 1904, H. Davis 1905, J. McLeod 1905, S. H. Rawson 1906. A. McLeod 1906, R. Lattimore 1907, A. Watson 1908. P. McLeod 1909. D. M. Jack 1909. D. Dawson 1910. W. Brown 1911. F. Davis 1911. A. Weir

1912, W. Nelll 1913, James Muldrew 1913, H. A. Muldrew 1914, J. Angus 1915 W. Neill 1915, A. Weir 1916, D. Morrison 1916, J. Angus 1917, R. Marshall 1918, A. Lindsay 1918, H. Kroll 1919, R. Neill 1920, J. McNeill 1920, L. Souness 1921, J. Saville 1921, A. Muldrew 1922, D. Muldrew 1922, A. Watson 1923, G. F. Thurlow 1923, M. Muldrew 1924, W. Park 1924, W. Neill 1925, John A. Newlands 1926, G. Marshall 1926, R. Emerson 1927, W. Shaw 1927, T. Livingstone 1928, R. A. McLeod 1928, R. A. McLeod 1929, D. Livingstone 1929. R. Yeoman 1930, C. J. Mowat 1930. J, McCone. 1931, J. H. Rapson 1932, F. Youart 1933, S. Wilson 1933. J. Hazlett 1934, A. Carrodus 1935, E. Sinclair 1935. J, W. Souness 1936, O. T. Gould 1936, R. S. Wood 1937, E. G. McKenzie 1937, A. Weir 1938. S. J. Wilson 1939. Other Prominent Officers The first secretary of the lodge was Bro. H. J. Andrews, who took office in 1889, and who was replaced by Bro. S. Shackleton in the following year, and later in the same year Bro. W. Sword was elected to the position. Bro. Sword resigned in 1892, and Bro. J. Kirkpatrick was appointed secretary in his stead for six months, when Bro. S. Shackleton was again elected to the position, and carried out these duties until 1897. Bro. G. Ledinham acted as recording secretary until the following year, when Bro. A. McPhail was elected to the position. Bro. McPhail resigned from the position in 1904 on account of leaving the district, and was presented with a secretary's collar and jewel. With the exception of brief periods in 1907 and 1909, when Bro. A. McLeod and Bro. J. McLeod respectively acted as secretaries, Bro. P. McLeod rendered signal service to the lodge as secretary from 1904 to 1916, in which year he was presented with a P.G. collar as a token of appreciation A his services to the lodge as secretary. Bro. W. Neill filled the vacancy, and he, too, with the exception of one or two terms, during which he filled other chairs of the lodge, has a long period of service to his credit, for he has carried out the secretarial duties from 1916 to the present time. In 1928 Bro. Neill was presented with a fountain pen and tobacco pouch as a small token of appreciation of his services, and in the following year he received the veteran's jewel in recognition of his 25 years' membership. In 1926 the lodge lost through death the services of Bro. G. Saville, who had had a long association with the lodge as treasurer and in filling other offices.

The original trustees of the lodge, elected on August 29, 1889, were Bros. S. Shackleton. W. J. Muldrew and D. M. Fea, and others who have served in this capacity were Bros. James Clark. George Ledingham. R. Turnbull, A. Carrodus, P. McLeod, A. McLeod. H. Kroll and A. Muldrew. The present trustees are Bros. J. Saville, A. Lindsay and A. Muldrew.

In 1901 the P.G. regalia and jewel were presented to Bro. Ledingham, who was regarded as the father of the lodge. Perhaps to-day Bro. S. Shackleton, a foundation member, who is hale and hearty and in his eightyfourth year, might rightly be regarded as the father of the lodge. Mr Shackleton, when seen the other day. was found to be a cheery old man who is looking forward with the keenest anticipation to attending the jubilee celebrations on Saturday night. His keen memory went back to the days of the Boer War and prior to that, and when invited to speak about himself, he recounted with a jovial laugh that he was a "joker like Jacob's coat —of many colours." He started out in \ life learning the baking trade in Maheno, and he had followed many occupations since then, but liked woolclassing the best of all, having been engaged itl going around the various stations in the early days for this purpose.. Bro. W. Sword, an early member of the lodge, has since removed to Whangarei, and word has been received from him .expressing regret at being unable to attend the jubilee functions on account of the distance to travel, Bro. Sword writes that since his- connection with the Star of Whangarei Lodge he has been N.G: during four terms, and the financial secretary for the greater part of 20 years, resigning this office six years ago owing to ill-health. The lodge presented him with the past secretary's jewel in 1925, and with the veteran's jewel for 40 years' service in 1931. Another old member is Bro. S. Rawson, of Oamaru, who has been a member of the lodge for 48 years. Bro. J. McLeod. a foundation member of the lodge, has given exceptional service to the lodge in various ways, and for many years has filled the position of treasurer of the lodge. The Boer War There are scant details in tb* records concerning the Boer V/ar but the minutes disclose that in July 1902. Bro. A McDonald met his death in a train accident in South Africa, and his father nresented a framed photograph of Bro. McDonald to the lodge. It is also recorded that on September 6 L that vear a welcome was eiven to Bros. Richard Burns and J. Harvey on their return from the war. and on December 27 a similar function was held in honour of Bro. James Falconer. From conversation with Bros. S. Shackleton and R. Burns, however, it would apoear that others who went to the Boer War included Bros. J. McLennan. Louis Mtirks. and Jaires Pullenger. Bro. D. Cossgrove. the first N.G. of the lodge, took a very keen interest in the volunteer movement, and held the positions of captain of the Otepopo Rifles, captain and adjutant of No. 3 Battalion North Otago Rifles, and lieutenant-commander of the Oamaru Naval Artillery. He was headmaster at the Maheno School from 1883 to 18i!9, and it is recorded in the school's jubilee booklet that he saw service in the South African War and attained the rank of captain. It was during his sojourn there that he met Sir Robert Baden-Powell and discussed with him the scheme which ultimately developed into the Boy Scout Movement. On his return to New Zealand, Colonel Cossgrove remained in touch with Lord Baden-Powell, and in 1908 he inaugurated the Boy Scout Movement in New Zealand. He died on September 9, 1920. The Great War The Roll of Honour in the lodge room bears the names of Bros. W. J. Calder, C. J. Jackman, E. H. Harvey, E. J. Timblick, D. T. Robb, and R. Galbraith, all of whom made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War, and also the names of Bros. O, W. Davis, G. H. Orr, James Muldrew, John Mtfldrew, James Angus, W Neill, R. Anderson, T. G. Harvey, H. Muldrew, L. M. Mitchell, M. P. Martin, H. Carrodus, and R. Loper, who served their country overseas during the years 1914-1918. The first record in the minutes in respect to the Great War is

of Bro. W. J. Calder*s departure for the front in 1914, and of his being killed at Gallipoli. The response of the members of the lodge to their country's call makes a very fine record from a lodge in a country township.

It was the custom of the lodge to present to each of the members enlisting for service a gold band ring, with heart inscribed with initials of the recipient, and with name of the lodge and initials of the Order engraved on the ring. One gold ring was returned from France under unusual circumstances. The lodge received a communication from a returned invalid soldier at Invercargill. which stated that while engaged in filling sand bags somewhere in France, he had dug up a ring. Inquiries went to show that the ring was the one presented to Bro. M. P. Martin, to whose parents, at Deborah, it was forwarded by the returned soldier whose name was Mr Hinton. The lodge played its full part during the war period, and made substantial contributions to the patriotic funds and sent many parcels to soldiers overseas. Degree Installations The records show that from the commencement of the lodge in 1889 a great deal of assistance and advice has been given by the Alfred Lodge, Oamaru. the names of brothers mentioned as having taken a prominent part in the installation of officers and at the degree meetings being D.D.G.M. Bros. John Vernor. Bissett, Branthwaite A. Crichton. W. Bradley (Waiareka) A. Wilson and W. Neill. In the early days Bro. John Vernor took a, very active part in the welfare of the lodge. He attended meetings with the greatest regularity, travelling from Oamaru to Maheno in all weathers and at all times of the year, by buggy. His devotion to the ideals of Oddfellowship was certainly an inspiration to the members. Lodge Doctors The first lodge doctor was Dr Stewart, who was followed by Dr Whitton, and the records since then mention the names of the following lodge doctors in the order given:— D r McAdam. Dr Liddell. Dr Scott. Dr Orbell, Dr Garland, Dr Hargreaves, Dr Smith Morton, Dr Fitzgerald, Dr Trotter. In 1911 the United Friendly Societies' Dispensary was established in Oamaru, the Maheno Lodge joining in with the dispensary movement at the start. The Bradley Cup It was in August, 1926, that the first discussion arose in the lodge about entering for the Bradley Cup, a trophy presented by Bro. W. Bradley, of the Waiareka Lodge, for ritual competition. However, nothing was done, and it was not until 1934 that the lodge decided to challenge the Waiareka Lodge for the trophy. The Rev. Mr French was coach in elocution, and the lodge was successful in winning the trophy, the members of the team

being Bros. L. Kelcher, R.S.V.G.; J. Hazlett, V.G.; H. Muldrew, L.S.V.G.; W. Neill, secretary, D.D.G.M.; R. Emerson, chaplain; A. Muldrew, 0.C.; W. Souness, R.S.S.; F. Youart, P.G.; D. Muldrew, 1.G.; H. Rapson, L.S.S.; E. Sinclair, warden; J. McCone, R.S.N.G.; S. Wilson, N.G.; T. Livingstone, L.S.N.G.; and A. Carrodus, conductor. The cup was presented to Bros. S. Wilson, N.G., by Bro. W. Bradley, who congratulated the lodge on the high standard attained. The Bradley Cup was won again by the lodge in 1935. 1936, 1937, and 1938. and is still held by the lodge. Early Incidents The earlier incident of note recorded in the minutes is the message of sympathy sent on April 16, 1890, to Bro. Meek, one of the survivors of the wrecked barque, Emily, who was then in the Invercargill Hospital. The Pioneer Lodge, Invercargill. forwarded £2 2s, and £1 Is was received from the Grand Lodge for Bro. Meek, and a subscription list was made up to £5 5s by the members of the Maheno Lodge for the same purpose. Bro. Meek was given a welcome back to the lodge on July 9, 1890. "after such a miraculous escape from shipwreck." In the early days of the lodge, the members spent many an enjoyable hour after lodge meetings by engaging in debates, the records showing that such subjects as " The Prohibition Question," "Freetrade or Protection," "Is Marriage a Failure," "Should the Franchise Be Given to Women" were favourites with the members, and in 1914, when debating again came to the fore, the first subject was " Can a man get rich honestly? "

The records also show that after the recess some hapoy times were spent in singing, a minute disclosing that Bro. Meek's song, "They Hauled Me Back Again " was the gem of the evening. Apparently, too. a glee club was formed in 1892. but of its activities in later vears nothing is written. There appears to be a touch of unconscious humour in the records of 1892, in which year the N.G. drew attention to the fact that two brothers had married without giving notice to the secretary, and that it was not the first time that the constitution had been infringed in this manner, but m any case at the next meeting the brothers offending expressed regret at their neglect, and were accepted as married members, and congratulated on their marriage. And. writing of marriage, it is recorded in 1908 on similar lines to the advertisement of a piano for sale by a lady with oak legs, that a certain brother was presented by the brethren on the occasion of his marriage with a handsome salad bowl and tray.

There was apparently some friendly rivalry betwen the sister lodges of Waiaf'eka and Maheno in the early years of the present century, for when the Waiareka Lodge made public the statement on November 10, 1906, that one brother journeyed 14 miles to attend lodge meetings, the Maheno Lodge promptly replied that it held the record with Bros. Ledingham and Weir journeying 29 and 20 miles respectively to attend meetings. The friendliness of the rivalry, however, is shown by the fact that at the very next meeting the lodge nominated Bro. Mahoney as Grand Lodge representative.

Another incident worthy of special mention is recorded in 1912. the minute stating that the young membe'rs should speak up on lodge matters. If this was the result of quiet meetings, there was soon to be a different complexion put on things, for at the very next lodge meeting it is recorded that certain visiting brothers told the members that they were too slow, and that they must wake up. one particular brother " having a lot to say." The minute went on to state that another visiting brother was in a very fault-finding mood, but after all his fault-finding he asked for the loan of the lodge's regalia for a nublic installation.

Dancing classes seemed to be very popular with lodge members In the early days, and the annual ball has been a regular annual event in the social side of the lodge's activities. The honours board in the lodge room was presented by Bro. A. Wilson, and unveiled on December 19. 1936. Jubilee Celebrations The jubilee of the lodge will be celebrated at the week-end, when it is anticipated that there will be a large attendance of members and brethren of sister lodges. On Saturday the roll call and photographs will be taken in the afternoon, commencing at 2 p.m.; at 7 o'clock there will be a welcome to members of sister lodges; and at 7.30 p.m will be held the banquet On Sunday, the members will attend church parade, and, led by the Oamaru Garrison Municipal Band, will march to the Soldiers' Memorial, where a wreath will be laid. Sight-seeing trips ill be arranged for Monday afternoon, and the celebrations will conclude with a ball at night.