FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12770, 11 February 1910, Page 3

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

. MANCHESTER UNITY 1.0. ODDFELLOWS. ANNUAL MEETING NELSON DISTRICT. The annual meeting of the Nelson; District of the Now Zealand branch, of the Manchester Unity 1.0. of Oddfellows was held at the Oddfellows Hall, Richmond, yesterday. Present: Prov. Grand Master J3ro. Peter Higgias in the chair ; Dep. P.G.M. .bro. W. H. Prebblej .Prov. Corresponding Secretary Bro. A. G. Shrimpton; Prov. Treas. Jtfro. J. P. (Jooke, and delegates representing the various lodges of the District as ioliNe'lson Lodge (Nelson) : P.P.G.M. A. Day; P.G's. >Y. H. Robertson, J. Armstrong, A. Cross, aaid P.S. \V. L. Hesseltuio. Travellers' llest Lodge (Richmond) : P.P.G.M's. T. H. Lammas, W. O. Markness, and I l '. W. Smith. Howard Lodge (Nelson) : P.P.G.M's A. N. J3atohelor, J. Colder, and i'\ H. Cooke, and P.G's. W. Liddle and A. R. Kitching. Mansion of Peace Lodge (Wakefield): P.P.G.M.- Ivo Tunniclitfe, and P.G's. J. W. Hagen, E. J. Painton, and J. J. Ricketts. General Cameron Lodge (Brightwater: P.G's. R. Disher and E. S. Fairey. Mataki Lodge (Murchison) : P.G. Thos. Bell. Palmyra Lodge (Tadmor) : P.G. S. Wells. The Grand Master in his address, after welcoming the delegates, first referred to the position or the order in New Zealand. The last return furnished by the Registrar of.Friendly Societies showed tho Manchester Unity to have in .New. Zealand; a membership of 21,285, with an aggregate capital of £562,301. In the period' reviewed an average rat© of 4.C3 per cent interest had been earned and sick benefits to the extent of £24,100 thad been paid. Referring to the Nelson District in particular, the Grand Master stated that steady progress was being made. During the year the sum of £1771, a portion of the surplus in the District Funeral Fund, had been divided amongst the lodges, and practically every lodge in the district was now in a solvent position (i.e., able to meet all contingencies of the future according to actuarial tables). The total funds of the lodges and the district on the 31st December last amounted to £35,868, of which £25,347, represented the sick funds of the lodges, £4410 the District l«'uneral Fund, and £5621 the District Widow and Orphans' Fund. Only one lodge in the District had a deficiency in its management fund. During 1909 £1267 was paid in sick benefits, £186 in funeral benefits, and £369 in allowances to 48 widows and 29 children. The G.M. quoted the Government actuary to show that the accumulations of Friendly Societies were not being made for the benefit of posterity, a case in point being cited. Feeling reference was made to the loss the District had sustained by the death of late P.P.G.M. Bro. P. Topliss, who had filled many lodge and District offices and was at the time of his death secretary to the Past Graoids Lodge. . With regard to legislation affecting Friendly Societies, the G.M. expressed regret that clause 16 of the Friendly Societies' Consolidation Act had been dropped by the Government, practically at the request of a minority, and in opposition to the views of the Government Actuary, the Registrar of Friendly Societies, and the representatives of the leading Friendly Societies in New Zealand. He deplored the fact that a measure for tho protection of members had been dropped because there was a certain amount of dissension. . During his term of office, said the Grand Master, accompanied by the Deputy G.M., and the Chief Secretary he had visited most of the lodges in the District, and found the work being satisfactorily carried out. lne problem of the hour was how to get members to attend and take interest in th© meetings of their lodges, the work being leit to a willing few. The G.M. alluded to the important matters of centralisation of funeral funds and a society insurance scheme, as requirin gconsideration that day, and further stated that the centenary of the society would be celebrated this year. He hoped that th« historical occasion would be taken advantage of as a means of fittingly advertising the society. The G.M. also referred to the tact that during the half year the Mansion of Peace Lodge had celebrated its jubilee (a full report of which haß appeared in these columns). In conclusion Bro. Higgms thanked !the members for the loyal support he had received during his term of office, (and trusted that his efforts had met with approval. Bro. Batchelor congratulated the G.M. on his able address, and <he spoko in support of various views expressed therein, more especially referring to the necessity for adequate contributions to meet the obligations of the future when there will be a larger proportion of old members, and expressing his dissatisfaction at clause 16 being dropped from the Societies' Consolidation Act. It seemed to him that the views of the majority had been set aside in favour of one particular society, and the whole thing had been cut and I 'dried between the Government and the Opposition, and the Bill passed through the House without any comment. Bro. Confer also strongly condemned the action of the legislature in respect to the Act referred to. At a later stage' of the meeting ■the following resolution was unaniImbusly carried: "That this meeting is surprised that in face of the sup<port given sections 15 and 16 of the .Friendly ' Societies Act of 1908, that 'the Government thought fit to insert 'clauses in tho Bill of 1909 quite opposed to the views of the Manchester i Unity 1.0.0. F., and that the M.C. be requested to use every endeavour to get these clauses .re-inserted by lamendniemti" \ :- Resolved that the G.M. be thanked ifor his address, and it was directed 'that the same be printed with the re•port of the proceedings. • It was resolved to send a telegram .conveying fraternal greetings to the I District meeting of "the Foresters, bejing held simultaneously at Nelson. •During tho meeting a reciprocal mes.sage was received from the*. Foresters. . • '• .' The statements of accounts, whicn were taken as oread, showed that the 'Fund had £83 to credit at the beginning of the half year, Wd £108 at the close. The Funeral Fund at July was in credit £4232, and at the end of the year £4410. The IWidow and Orphans' Fund at July was £5518 in credit, and at December £5621 The total worth of the DisCrict funds was shown to be £10,163. ' Bro. Harkness, auditor, said that tho Funeral -Fund, notwithstanding the fact that £1771 had been distributed to lodges as surplus, was withm £1280 of the total of a Tear ago, practically a profit of £500 being ■ The statements of account were duly adopted. The correspondence brought for-, ward was of a routine character, and does not call for special mention. A request for, a. hearing to advance his application for reinstatement, as member was" referred to the lodge concerned. . , It was resolved to endorse the action of the committee of management in special meeting, when the nominations of the following as officers of the society were reecivexU Dor Grand Master, Bro. .0. E. Beltapger (New. Plymouth) ; ;for G.M., Bro. A. E. Juir.(Hawke's/Bay); for Director of ■ the- Society, Bro. A. «•■ Batchelor (Nelson).

Opinion was expressed that steps should be taken in the future to ensure the discussion at a district meeting of the question of remits to the Moveable Committee, as well as the nominations of officers of the society. On this occasion these had to be in ihe .hands of the secretary by 31st January, which did not permit the present meeting to deal with either matter. . ' There was a very interesting discussion upon the report of the .Board of Directors regarding the creation of a central funeral fund. Bro. Batohelor, who is a director of ihe society, favoured the proposal that such a fund should be established. He pointed to the successful working of the District Funeral Fund as an instance of the gain obtained by centralisation, and he fully believed that in five years the Central Funeral Fund would show a surplus. The report of the Board of Directors was read, and the general opiiir. ion was that there was not sufficient detail given nor a definite scheme propounded to enable delegates to vote in favour of the proposal. Furthermore there was a strong feeling that' there would be considerable expense incurred in the working of such a scheme, and there was some opposition on that score, but the general feeling was in favour of deferring consideration of the whole matter until a detailed scheme was available. Eventually the following resolution was passed: "That the NelsonDistrict is not prepared, with the information at its disposal, to support any scheme having for its object the centralisation of the Funeral Fund." The question of a. society insurance fund was .-referred back to the Board of Directors for further information. Tho .-centenary of. the order will be celebrated in October next, between the 7th and 16th, and the parent society suggested that the Bth October be given preference as tub day, al-

so that some religious service should be held on the 9th (Sunday). The committee set up at the last District meeting to arrange for the celebration reported, recommending that the committee- be dissolved, and a new committee appointed with power to strike a levy to provide funds to fittingly celebrate the occasion. A new committee was appointed, consisting of tlie District officers and Bros. Tvuiuicliile, Day, Batchelor, F Corder, Hageii, F. H. Cooke, HessalP tine, Cross, and Bell, the committee to report at tho August meeting of the Distiiob. i Accounts amounting to £49 15s lid c were passed for payment. Resolved that the next District meeting be held in Nelson, and that it be a recommendation' to the management committee to hold the nieeting on a Tuesday or Friday to suit the convenience of the distant delegates. Bro. W. H. Prebble, Deputy G.M., being the only candidate, was duly elected Grand Master for the ensuing » j T ear. _ ■ "There wore five candidates for the position of Deputy G.M., and after [) three ballots, Bro, J. W. Hagen was elected. • On the . motion of Bro. Harkness and Robertson, Bro. A. G. Shrimpton was re-elected Cor. Secretary, the mover and seconder making complimentary reference to the satisfactory manner in which Bro. Shrimpton had carried out his duties, he being described as "the right man in the right place.". Bros. Harkness and Smith were elected auditors, and Bro. Smith lodge book examiner. After a ballot, Bros. Batchelor and Shrimpton were elected delegates to a.ttend the Moveable Committee, which will commence its sittings on Easter . Monday at Napier. Bros. Day, Batchelor, Robertson, Fairey, Harkuoss, Ricketts, and Bell „ were appointed an Appeal Committee. The District officers and Bros. Batchelor, Corder, Moyes, and Day wero appointed a Library Committee. It was resolved to place on record an ' appreciation of the services rendered tho .order by late Bro. Topliss, th,e Grand Master, Bros. Harkness and Batchelor speaking to the motion, and giving some particulars of the nature of the good work done by Bro. Topliss. Bro. Higgins, before leaving the chair, thanked the brethren, and es--. peciaily the executive officer® for the' assistance rendered him during his term of office. Bro. Shrimpton, the C.S., had acquired a good grip of l^ic ivorking of the order, and was proving a very valuable officer. The newly elected officers were then duly installed by Bro. Batchelor, I P.G.M., and they suitably thanked the brethren. The retiring G.M. was thanked for . his services, and it was directed that his name be placed on the merit boar a. The newly installed 'Grand -■■ — ■—•^r ' stated that it was his intention to be present at tho anniversary of Lodge Mataki at Murchison at-Easter, and he hoped to see a number of brethren i from other lodges present.