MASONRY AND THE WAR

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 29

MASONRY AND THE WAR

"CHEERO" HUT AT THE FRONT. FUNDS'FOR ROTORUA. UNITY AS PEACE MEMORIAL. Questions arising out of the. war occupy considerable space in the reports to be presented to the Masonic Grand Lodge in Ohristchurch to-day. The appeal which was made tp lodges at the annual Communication held in Wellington last year on behalf of the movement to establish on the portion of the French front occupied by the New Zealand Forces a canteen to be' known as the " Cheero" hutment, under the management of the y.M:C.A., resulted in the raising of a fund of £I6OO, towards which the District Grand Lodge of Auckland, E. 0., made a substantial contribution. Of this £SOO has been expended upon the maintenance of the hutment up to the time of the armistice, and £llOO remains on hand. It is proposed still to utilise the fund for the benefit of members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and correspondence has taken place with the Y.M.C.A. as to the best" method of carrying out this object. As a result a proposal will be made to the Grand Lodge that it shall combine with others in the erection of a building for the social and recreative enjoyment of men in the grounds of King George V Hospital, Rotorua. The special war benevolent fund, which was instituted in tho early years of the war, has exceeded in amount the £IO,OOO which was aimed at by its principal promoter (Past Grand Master Daugall), the sum to its credit being now £13,342, and the claims upon, it as yet having been small. It has been laid down from the outset that any benefits derivable from this Masonio fund shall be additional to and outside of any compensation or reward provided for soldiers by the _ State or by patriotic societies and institutions of other kinds. On tho subject of peace memorials, a suggestion by the Grand Master is embodied in the report of the Board of General Purposes. It is that no better peace memorial could bo devised than the consolidation of the different governing bodies directing the affairs of the craft of Freemasonry in Now into one harmonious whole. The board invites the Grand Lodge to give the matter consideration, and if the idea meets with favour to give tho board the necessary instructions.