ODDFELLOWSHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 253, 4 March 1911, Page 8

ODDFELLOWSHIP.

XKW I'LYMOITII DISTRICT, X.Z. r.ia.M.TL Tin- :imiiisil meeting- of the New Plymouth district w:is held in the Oddfellows' Hall, lluwcra, on Thursday, March :>., Kill. The meeting was opened by l'rov. D.G.M. S. G. Burgess at 10 a.m., every lodge being fully represented. The olliccrs present were: Prov. D.G.M. S. G. Burgess, l'rov. C.S. C. E. Bellringer, and Warden IM'.G.M. !>'. J. Brabant. Prov. G.M. i'. E. Hardy was absent through illness.

There were deputies from the Loyal Egmont Lodge, Loyal Excelsior, Loyal Waitara, Loyal Union, Loyal Manaia, Loyal Elthain, Loyal Midhirst, Loyal Stratford, Loyal Toko, Loyal Opunake, and Loyal Kaponga lodges. Resolved, that a telegram conveying the sympathy of the meeting, and expressing our joy on the improvement he is making, and wishing him a speedy return to complete health, be sent to l'rov. G.M. F. E. Hardy, at the New Plymouth Hospital. The Prov. C.S. made a report re the Loyal Toko Lodge, stating that the matters affecting the lodge's welfare had been satisfactorily settled, and that the lodge was making good progress. Resolved, that the Loyal Toko Lodge be congratulated on the improved condition of affairs, and informed that the district appreciates the efforts made by its memI bers in overcoming the difficulties they have had to contend with.

Congratulations were extended to Prov. C. S. Bellringer on his election to the position of Grand Master of New Zealand, and to Bio. F. E. Amoore on his election to the directorate, The election of officers resulted in the election of Prov. D.G.M. S. G. Burgess, of Waharoa, aa Grand Master, P.G. Bro. Snowden, of Manaia, as Prov. D.G.M., and P.P.G.M. F. J. Brabant, of Waitara, as warden. P.G. H. H. Ford was elected auditor.

The reports on the management fund and district funeral fund were read and adopted. Owing to the formation of the central funeral fund it was decided to divide the existing fund pro rata amongst the lodges, to be credited to their sick funds.

The following nominations were made for the New Zealand B.M.C. meeting to be held at Cliristchurch in 1912: Grand Master, D.G.M. John Clark, Auckland; D.G.M., P.P.M.John Smith, Wellington; directors, P.P.G.M's. W. Thomas, Auckland, Amoore, and C. D. Sole, Taranaki.

It was decided that the next district meeting be held at New Plymouth in March, 1012; also that the Oddfellows' picnic be held at New Plymouth in the same month.

Appreciation was expressed of the services of Prov.G.M. F. E. Hardy, and a P.P.G.M. gold jewel will be presented to him.

Votes of thanks were accorded the Hawera brethren for their kindness in entertaining the visitors. The G.M. of New Zealand installed the new officers, and the meeting then closed.

The District and Examining Officers' report for the year stated that the whole of the lodges have been visited by one or more of the district officers. Tjie attendance in many of the lodges was far short of what it ought to "have been. The Loyal Stratford, Manaia, and Kaponga lodges were much the best attended, and their example is one that the other lodges would do well to copy. ' The sick and funeral fund of lodges at tlic end of the year amounted to £23,902 2s Id; the medical management funds £454 5s Bd. The receipts were: Sick and funeral fund, £3051 8s 2d; medical and management funds, £2052 5s 3d; , total, £5103 13s sd. The expenditure for the first-named was £lOl6 8s lid. . and for the latter £1997 10s; totak I £3614 7s lid. The stun paid for sickness benefits, for tie first time in our I history, exceeded £IOOO, the amount paid being £IO7O 2s 10d, an increase of £75 7s 8d for the year. The amount paid for medical attendance and medii| cines totalled £1299 3s lOd. The two i funds showed an increase of £1434 IBs 3d for the year.

The total value of all the funds was £25,892 3s sd, an increase of £IB4B 10s 9d.

[n conclusion the officers expressed their sincere gratification to all the brethren who in the various lodges had shown them so many kindnesses. Their associations had been of the most pleasant nature, and they looked back with much pleasure on the labors of the past year. The good ship of Oddfellowship hud been launched on another century of her existence. In the past she had weathered many storms, and they did not doubt that the coming years should witness even greater victories in the cause of progress and brotherly friendship, love, and truth.

The Centenary year has naturally been a very important one in the history of the order. On December 31, 1009, the membership was 1,035,627, the increase for the year being 1057 members. In bis address at the Centenary A.M.C meeting held at Southampton the Grand Master said: "The colonial districts show an increase of 2170, a tribute to the energy and enthusiasm of our brethren across the water." The capital fund at the end of 1909 stood at £14,707,329 13s 2d, an increase of £431,598 17s for the year. At the same date the total membership of all registered friendly societies in Xew Zealand was 04,428, with funds totalling £1,200,290. The membership of the Manchester Unitv in the Dominion was 22,018, with funds "amounting to £000,1*9. The Unitv in Xew Zealand paid during \ m £25,352 for sick benefits, and £20,781 for medical attendance and medicines, while funeral benefits absorbed £4308, a total of l'.)0„H)2 puid in direct benefits. '