INCREASE IN FUNDS

Southland Times, Issue 21561, 26 November 1931, Page 7

INCREASE IN FUNDS

MASONIC GRAND LODGE. INAUGURATION OF HOMES. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, November 25. The Masonic Grand Lodge of New Zealand was opened this morning, Lord Bledisloe presiding in his capacity as Grand Master. Most of the lodges in the territory, 304 in number, were represented. The annual reports showed a small increase in the membership, bringing the total up to 27,301. One new lodge, Kororareka, at Russell, was opened during the year. The financial statement indicated an increase in the Grand Lodge funds of £72,397. The contributions of lodges to the fund raised fur the purpose of Masonic assistance in connection with Hawkes Bay earthquake amounted lo £5223. Lord Bledisloe was elected Grand Master for a second term of office, and Mr J. IL Harkness, of the West Coast, was re-elected Pro-Grand Master. The principal elective officers constituting the executive boards now stationed at Christchurch are the same as last year's, and other officers were returned by allocation to the various districts. Inauguration of Masonic Homes at Papakura, near Auckland, as the result of a large endowment provided last year by the gift of Mr F. S. Potter, was chronicled as the first of the homes that are to be established under the trust. It was opened in September, starting with three boys, but others have since been added. Improvements and extensions have been made during the year to the Kirkpatrick Masonic Institute for Girls, established under the will of the late Mr S. Kirkpatrick, of Nelson. Auckland was fixed as the meeting place of the next annual communication. Practically the whole afternoon of the conference was devoted to a debate on the motion for centralization of the Grand Lodge office in Wellington. After a discussion the amendment was deferred in favour of an amendment enanaling from the Board of General Pur;wses directing the board to take a referendum of the lodges for and against the direct question of centralization as distinguished from the referendum of two or three years ago which was mainly on tire general question of centralization in one or other of the four chief cities. The reinstallatipn of Lord Bledisloe as Grand Master and the investiture of other officers took place at the Wellington Town Hall this evening in tlie presence of a very large assemblage of local and visiting Freemasons. Mr J. J. Dougall, Past GAL, of Christchurch, was the installing Grand Master. The Grand Master in his address after the installation dealt with the bearing of the various principles of Masonic ethics upoju the every day life of members of the craft. In view of the circumstances of the country, he ((leaded with those whoso means would permit it not to abate a jot their almsgiving when its continuance might eave any brother or brothers’ dependents from want. Especially he earnestly besought a continuance of the past generous and self-sacrificing support of widows and orphans and aged Masons’ fund, the calls upon which were great. In this connection he expressed profound admiration and gratitude for the generous response to the appeal which he had made for the assistance of those members who, as well as their lodges, had suffered in the Hawkes Bay earthquake and cited it as most gratifying evidence of the power of fraternal benevolence. Freemasons should do all in their power with the binding influence of fraternal effort to add their strength, individually and collectively, in the coming year to all "that was unstable and unstabilizing in our environment.