LODGE BENEFIT PLAN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19894, 23 March 1939, Page 6

LODGE BENEFIT PLAN

FIRST WEEK’S SICKNESS HELP FOR MEMBERS ODDFELLOWS’ PROPOSAL (Per X’ress Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. In view of the medical and hospital provisions of the Social Security Act not becoming immediately operative, but the Is in the ii having to be paid as from April 1, it was decided at the biennial conference of the Manchester Unity Lodge at Auckland to ask the Government, through the Dominion council of friendly societies, to refund to lodge members, until the Act operates, the amount they now conetribute eto their lodges for doctor, medical and hospital benefits. Friendly society members represent onefifth of the population of the Dominion. A proposal was brought forward by the Wellington district that a scale should be prepared for providing for £2 a week for males and .ill a week for females for the first week of any sickness or any part of that week. The plan aims at providing something additional for a member while he is awaiting benefit under the Social Security Act, which does not provide for the first week of sickness and at making a member’s position the same as it will be in the second and subsequent week, this being, in the case of a male, ill from his lodge and £1 from the social security fund from the second week. Additional Contributions Thirteen per cent of the total sickness, it was stated, was experienced in the first week, and it would appear that an additional quarterly contribution of Is at the age of 10 to 3s at the age of 45 was necessary. An actuary advised that a scheme of this nature should be viewed with great caution, but it was considered by the conference that the directors of the society should have a table prepared. This decision was reached owing to the excessive sickness experienced in lodges. It was decided that a certificate should be furnished from the medical officer fortnightly instead of monthly, as at present. This is to be made mandatory on all lodges, special provision being already in existence for exempting members under special known circumstances.

The conference decided again to request the Government to restore the payment made prior to the depression to friendly societies for making the annual returns required under the Friendly Societies Act. It was decided to investigate the position relative to the occupation of aviators and the contingent risk entailed, and the directors were empowered to make provision in the scale of contributions to meet the extra risk if such is considered necessary.