ODDFELLOWSHIP.

Western Star, Issue 824, 8 March 1884, Page 3

ODDFELLOWSHIP.

■ ’A special summoned meeting of ihe Wallace Lodge, 1.0.0. F., A.. C., was held on Wednesday evening to welcome Bro. H, J. •. tWilliams, Grand Master of New'Zealand, on .hi*. .return from the , Australasian Grand session. Bn. Williams arrived at the ♦Bluffper Waihora on the 3rd. where he was received by the District Grand Lodge officers (Bros. ,Heywood, Medley and-Washer), and tltooihpanied by thorn to Invercargill. VisitLodge there on Tuesday, he ‘Safi*# on to BJtarton the following evening, in %m ; papy’with . Brd. Hey wood, D.D.G.M. ‘The ordinary business, of the local lodge TiavjingToren disposed ,off. Bro. Williams 'iddref*ed the members at some Com’meheing 'by congratulating the brethren on the p'otitiou of the Wallace Lodge, and tint »ptdsptOgrtes t* -had made' sine© its insfilutjehi In* G.M. recounted the general projtrisa made.by the order ia New Zealand and the Australian Colonies, especially * (tjpting th? last-three years. If it continued t* incrraie as steadily, in {proportion to the increase ef population, in some 30 or 40 years h*Ucei--ri»nd while some of their younger ijjfabare‘still survival—-there was ressoii fo , believe that the; by the Grand Sir# at the late session would be realised, - that.their-funds and property Would b# equal TI6 those of the pawn* society of the Unite! ...Sletyawhor instituted th.o order-there about ,fjQ with a membership of 5 all told, h|i half-va-millioh, whose rneome now .ampunra to a million sterling-; ’ pba.expended, fully half a million annually in pp.of mpinberSy when sickness or mis- , fortune is there'lol get the relief—not as » and funds amount to many millions. The ‘ total number of members admitted in the various colonies during 'he last'three years wat 8410; Victoria contributing 3737, New South Wales; 248VS#uthAta»riUiai 1857 ’ ■ mow Zealand Tasmania 225. : There was a total of £15,389 paid fur sick allowance , Bnd-£464o'for'funeral donation* during the , Hftpl period, which showed the jrent amount of good that had been done by the order throughout- the colonies. And ; while’ Hie beneficial effects derived from the establiriiBMnt ot £ricnd!y;Boric»iefl were recognised by Government* in. other parts of the world, the Government nf instead !of assisting the various’ orders in their good work, threw .every obstaele in their way,,by .Jnteifer<?nce "wlirifhW f Snj»nageineqtiapd. placing absurd festiicti'jns upon Cricketers, !..fpot» : - .distant* could free posses to travel about; the: Colony, while repre tentative* of friendly sofletM*-- which ware of real benefit to the" eommanity—hwl to.pay, their own expenses. He trusied pressure would soon be brought on the Legislature so. that the work which;sated ! iii». Government thousands of, pounds every to ’ charitable institutions, would obtain some little recognition at their hands. Brother Willjara* explained the LineHon- of tho ; Supreme Lodge, which was composed,#? representatives from the various Qrtti Lodges throughout the colonies, and which dealt with all matters relating to the government;: bf jHm old« In Australasia, and was the Sovereign Lodge of the United States could be addressed by grand or subordinate lodges. The work of tholast session, 4 be felt assured, would be. .pro* dnetikogof jfpodjM &P?ripT.r Restrictions were rkmorsd in the selection of representative# to the Supreme Lodge, and whereas the Grand Master then was the only brother in New ZSfihd'quaiified to act as delegate at the Australasian session, any representative of the Grand Lodge now was eligible as delegate to the 'ebnyention. s The legislation of the tsboW %EindS .lodges, which 5 in" some cos'es eanflieted in the dealings of one colony withl assimilated so that the interest of all the lodges, which in reality were identical* were made identic*!, and a .... general federation of the order crested in Australasia. William* also stated that ’he' visited a number of the jhbprdinate lodges Vfetdria 'and New South Wales, arfri**i?resßid' himself- much; gratified with th? deen .ipfer'sL-in Oddfellowship he saw dwplayedV ;ihe members of many of the lodges there! - Ife trusted Ho would have an opportunity of .-visiting ■ ihe*Wallace Lodge while attending the Grand Lodge session .to’ li# held in Invercargill next ySsr,‘‘ahd hlped- they. would continue to progress • puu|#TieaUy,! and dlnaheially. At th* conelusion of Ihe address, a hearty vote of thank* was unanimously passed by the lodge to Bros. Williams and 1 ' Hey wood for their visit. The lodge then closed. Bm. Williams proceeded to Dunedin on Thursday to attend a meeting-Af-tKe executive of the Grand Lodge the same evening.