Foresters' High Court at Chester.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 9157, 29 September 1898, Page 3

Foresters' High Court at Chester.

7 . —♦ —• THE GROWTH OF THE ORDER.

London, August 6. The High Court of the Ancient Order of Foresters wasduly and legally opened at the Drill Hall, Chester, on Monday, before; the High Chief Ranger, Brother Benjamin Hulse, who presided, supported by a number of the principal citizens. There was a capital attendance of delegates, The High Chief Ranger, Bro. Bi Hulse, then delivered his inaugural address to the delegates and others present. Referring back to the last meeting 28 years ago, they found that the number of delegates present was 242, representing a membership of 340,081. That day they had more than three times that number, representing an adult membership on the 31st December, 1897, of 731,442, juveniles and junior mem bars 123,641, honorary, members 21,209, and widows 19,477, * making a total of 895,769—(10ud applause)— an, increase in the 28 years of 555,688 members, and an advance during the year 1897 of 10,378 members, against a decrease in 1896 of 2913. (Loud Applause.) A summary of the financial position gave even more satisfaction. Iu 1870 the total funds were £1,305,274 6s\sd, whilst on December 31,1897, the' funds were as follows:-Court funds, £5,119,842 ; 'district ditto, £759,974; juveniles' dilto, £163,148; widows' ana orphans' ditto, £55,750; high court relief ditto, £18,358 ; total, £6,117,072, an increase in the 28768)8 of £4,811,797 lGs 7d. The net increase of funds during the year 1897, the largest on record, was £289,523, as against £210,519 in 1896. On an average 26,525 members were in receipts of sick pay daily during the years 1897, and, upwards of £800,000 was expended for sioknoss, funerals and benevolent purposes during that period. • < In the afternoon , a demonstration and fete \took place upon a scale almost unprecedented in the annals of the city. The procession, whioh was of gigantic dimensions, formed up at noon at the Castle, and being arranged marched through the principal streets of the city, with bands playing, banners flying, and crowds cheering, the whole forming a brave show, A fete of a most entertaining kind was held from noon ontheßoodee, the free use of which was grauted to the local committee by the corporation. Athletio sports took place in front of the grand stand. The fete concluded at night* fall with a grand pyrotechnic display, a spooial feature of which was a fire portrait of High Chief Ranger Hulao.