TARANAKI UNITED FRIENDLY SOCIETES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 94, 10 June 1911, Page 4

TARANAKI UNITED FRIENDLY SOC IETES.

The annual meeting' of the above Association was jield in the Council Chambers on Thursday, and was well attended by representatives of the various Lodges affiliated. Mr AA r . E. Henderson (president) presided, and amongst.' those present were delegates from the Manaia, AVaitara, *\ew Plymouth Inglewood, Stratford, Kaponga and Eltham Lodges. ANNUAL REPORT, jko annual report, which read as follows, and the balance sheet were unanimously adopted:— In presenting this, the third, annual report and balance sheet since the re-construction of the Association, (your directors have very great pleasure in stating that the society is in a very much better financial position to-aay than it has been since the reconstruction. You will see by the balance sheet attichced that there is a credit balance of nearly £7O, which wo consider very creditable, and which will enable ns to carry on without imposing a limit to the amount of bench t given by the Association. During the year one member of the executive resigned, and as it was near the end of the term his place was not filled. It is a matter for regret that lodges did not respond as heartily as they might have done to the appeal for funds, but wo trust that this year every lodge affiliated will hold a benefit function / of somte sort. The Stratford, El- ‘ tham, Kaponga, and To Kiri lodges were the only ones who responded, and they together raised the sum of £lB, which helped materially to place * the Association in its present position. A small committee of the executive met the Taranaki Boards at a conference at Stratford, and the result was a reduction in hospital charges to Is Gd per day? The membership is increasing fast, and wo now number between fourteen and fifteen hundred, the latest addition to our ranks being Court Pride of New Plymouth, Lady Foresters, and at least one other lodge will probably become affiliated next cmarter. The sum of £583 was paid for maintenance to the ’ following hospitals dining the year:— New Plymouth, Hawera, AA r cliington, Rawenc, Stratford, Hamilton, Hokianga, Mercury Bay and Rotorua .Sanatorium. The executive have met four times during the year, the attendance being as follows:—Henderson 3, Kivell I , Amoore -!, Spin die 3, Melville 3, Hobbs 1, Sole 1. The 5 ’ thanks of the Association are duo to the Stratford foresters for the free use of their ha,ll, and also to all the lodges who hold a benefit social. Your executive wish to place on record their appreciation of the work done by the secretary. AVe consider that the success of the institution is largely duo to Ids energetic work. THE NEW EXECUTIVE. Pro id-mt—Mr Kivell (Oddfellows, Stratford); vice-president, Mr Melville (Oddfellows. Kaponga); committee. Messrs Henderson. Spnrdle, Lob: and Burne; secretary, Mr E. Amoore (re-elected). Mr AVhiteford (Eltham) declined nomination as a member of the executive, and the above were elected without a ballot. OTHER BUSINESS. Several matters affecting the various lodges were dealt with. The remit submitted by Air AVhiteford, as delegates for the Eltham Druids, was ruled out of order, it being pointed out that the rules of the Association distinctly provided against compensation being paid to any member for expenses incurred while in a irnava hospital.