Grand Lodge of Druids. Melbourne, March 10.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 195, 19 March 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

Grand Lodge of Druids. Melbourne, March 10.

The annual meeting of the Grand LodgB of Australia was held here on March Ist. Over a hundred representatives were present from all the colonies, Bro. W. X Bishop, P.D.P., attending on behalf of the North Island of New Zealand, and Bro. A. Morrison, P.W., for Otago. Bro. Bishop was unanimously elected Minute Secretary. The President, &cv. W. R. Tarver, in the courier' of a lengthy address, gave the followibginteresting and instructive iuformation aB to the position and progress of the Order :— -" It ia now 20 yeara since the U.A.QJX was first eatablished in Australia^' Prior to that time there were two* cfiffe'reiit Orders in existence, num)j#npg together 11 Lodges, but in l&67 r tEey decided to amalgamate and form the United Ancient Order a 9 at present existing. This ia, therefore, an opporfcun|) tidde for noting the progress of our beloved Order, and with that view the following figures have been compiled :<—

showing a grand total for the Australasian iftMoKr' 14 - 976 membere - The report of tho board of directors showed that since Marob, 1886, twelve new lodges had been opened, seven btiog in New -Zealand, one in Tasmania, and four in Victoria, while several others were in course of formation. The election of officers for the ensuing 12 months, after a keen contest, resulted as follows : -President, T. Barrie ; Vice-Presi-dent, J. Biaok ; ..Grand Secretary, J. J. Brenan (re elected for the eleventh term) ; Grand Treasurer, W. T.Simpson(re-eleeted) ; Grand Guardian, W. Boyd : board of directs 8 ' J' J*:, B -' Curtis, J. Boyd, H. Basset!;, W. MoNeilage, W. Kennard, W. Main^ and J. -Bloomfield ; Grand Lodge auditors, a H. B Curtis, B. Mitchell, and K. J. Ralph ; judicial appeal committee, B. J. Hartley,- J. MoKinery, T. Cope. W. R. Taiver, and T. Pucbey, f .

Adelaide .. ..17 New South Wales 31 Newcastle. . . . 11 1.762 2,303 1,018 .. £10,3^0 1 . . 6 858 8 . . 2,192 8

May. 1867 May, 1872 Deo , 1876 Deo., 1881 Deo , 1886 451 1,386 2,001 5.38 ti 9,863 n 30 37 86 130 £782106 2 Bi9JB 8 6 042)86 IB 50* 17 9 39,583 9 si. £111 19 9 1 010 13 8 2,8)1141 6,370 8 5 J5.176 0 8

No. of Np. of Members Ldgea. Ldga. Fde. G.L. Fde.

In addition to thos9 lodges under the jurisdiction and paying tribute to the Grand Lodge, there aro in Lodges. Members. Funds.