DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 27

DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS.

CHURCH PARADE

The celebrations in connection with the diamond jubilee of the Otago District of Oddfellows, Manchester Unity, in general, and of ihe Loyal Hand and Heart Lodge in particular, were continued on Sunday, taking the form of a churoh parade. The members of the M.U.I.O.O.F. lodges in Dunedin and Port Chalmers assembled in fairly strong force at the Hand and Heart Lodge room, Lower Stuart street, and in full regalia, headed by the Garrison Band, under Li&ut. S. George, bandmaster, marched to First Ohunoh. The turn-out of Oddfellows waa very representative, and could not have fallen far short of 300. The order of the procession was : — Garrison Band, members of the order, agrd brethren (in a carriage), minor officers, wardens, elective secretaries of leased, vice-grands of lodges, noble grands of !odge« grand master*. past-grand masters, permanent secretaries and trea6urer=, pa>i provincial grnad masters, di^trct opiccr-. P.P.G.M. Bro. John Wood act<xl as chief marshal, and tho detjils being well worked out. everything v. ent smoothly and without hitch. t'pon arrival at Fir=t Ch'jrcii, the brethren heading the procession opened their rank^. and halted at the inside door of the church. By this arrangement the dis-trict officers, who nad been bringing up the rear, were able to enter tho church through a double file of brethren, and, followed by the P.P.G.M. s, etc., proceed to the seats assigned to them. The whole of the centre of the building was reserved for the order, and the space was no more than sufficient.

The llev. Dr NisbgJL-accupied the pulpit, and preached an appropriate and impressive sermon from the wordo of Paul to Titus: " Jeeu-3 Christ, who give Himself for us that He might purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of gcod works."

The order of service was also" specially arranged and appropriate to the occasion. The singing, which was very hearty, was led by a strong choir, Mr Jesse Timson presiding at the organ. The anthem, " Sing O Heavens " (Sullivan), was tastefully 6ung by the choir, Mr D. Stewart taking the tenor solo. As voluntaries Mr Timson gave fine renderings of Lemare's " Andantino in D Flat" and Ascher'a "March©

de ha. Relne." A memorable service was fittingly concluded by the singing of the National Anthem.

The Garrison Band, of which there was a very full muster, subsequently played the Oddfellows back to the Hand and Heart Lodge room, where at a short informal meeting, presided over by the Provincial Grand Master, Bro. J. H. Crawford, it was resolved to send letters of thanks to the Rev. Dr Nisbet for his sermon, Air Jesse Timson for the musical arrangements of the ser\ ice. and to the Dunedin "Garrison Band.