H.A.C.B. Society

New Zealand Tablet, 29 May 1924, Page 33

H.A.C.B. Society

TRIENNIAL MOVEABLE MEETING. (From our special reporter.) The Triennial Moveable Meeting of the Hibernia Australasian Catholic Benefit Society was opened in St. Canice’s Club rooms, Westport, at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday the 14 inst. District President, Bro. Colhoun, presided. There were 55 delegates present. The club rooms were tastefully decorated with nikau palms and a beautifully painted sign, “Cead mile faille,” hung in a prominent place. The Rev. Father Sweeney recited the opening prayer. Bros. O’Gorman and Nevin (Westport branch) and Walsh (Auckland) were appointed guardian, warden, and minute secretary respectively. A telegram was received from Bishop Cleary, Auckland, wishing the Conference every success. District Treasurer, Bro. Sheehan, of Auckland, wired regretting his inability to lie present. A telegram was received from Wanganui branch, conveying greetings. Bro. O’Gorman, president of the local branch, briefly welcomed the delegates. About eleven years ago (he said) Westport was mentioned as the locality for the holding of a meeting such as that for which the delegates wore now assembled, and he sincerely trusted all would spend an enjoyable and profitable time, lie detailed the programme of social events arranged—a civic welcome in the Theatre Royal that night, an excursion to Donniston on Thursday, a smoke social on Friday, and a picnic to Charleston on Sunday afternoon. A general Communion would take place on the Sunday morning. He collodion Father Sweeney to welcome the delegates on behalf of the parishioners.

a grand manifestation of Faith. It would-be good ‘for those who participated in it and good for the parish in which he labored. Father Sweeney concluded his remarks by again extending a welcome (applause). , The District President (Bro. Colhoun) responded on behalf of tho delegates. Bro. Kane read the District Officers’ RepoH as follows : Worthy Delegates, We respectfully submit for your consideration our report for the half-year ended 31st January, 1924, confidently hoping that it will meet with your approbation. Wo congratulate you on the fact that the Benefit Funds continue to show a profit, as appears in the balance sheet presented. The increases, in the funds are as follows District Sick and Funeral Fund, £682 2s Id; Investment Fund, £IOO 7s 9d; Guarantee Fund, £36 12s 9d. The indebtedness of the Management Fund has been reduced by £9l 16s 6d. It is with sincere regret wc record the deaths of 20 full benefit members, 6 members’ wives, and 1 late member's widow.—L.l.P. On behalf of tho District we have requested their respective branches to convey to the relatives of the deceased our sincere sympathy and condolence. We have paid to branches £470 in Funeral Allowance and £IOB 4s lOd for sick pay; but wo wish to inform you that in every case the payment for sick pay has been to branches whose money was transferred to the Consolidated Fund from the Branches Investment Fund. Three new branches have been established, viz. St. Leo’s, at Devonport; St. Peter’s, at Wairoa, Hawke’s- Bay; and St.

Father Sweeney, who by the way, is an ardent enthusiast in the cause of Hibernianism, tendered the heartiest of welcomes and congratulated the society on • the splendid turn out of delegates from Invercargill in the South to Auckland in the North. The rev. speaker said he was depply conscious of the good the Hibernian Society had accomplished in the past and conscious of what it could do in the future. Not only was it an influence for » S 00( l amongst Catholics but also amongst those outside the fold. As a result of the conference he hoped to see a substantial increase-in the Dominion membership. He stressed the point that many souls were saved through membership in the society, that would otherwise be eternally lost; He asked all members to enter on the crusade for the increase in membership because such a step would tend to stem the tide of leakage from the Church through its existence in a world prone to Godlessness and materialism. The meeting opened with his blessing and he wished i the delegates every success in their, deliberations. He looked forward to, the general Communion on Sunday as

Dominic’s (Ladies) branch, at Dunedin-. We earnestly wish them success and prosperity—numerically ami financially. St. Leo’s branch has the proud distinction of being opened by the Light Rev. Dr. Liston, Coadjutor-Bishop of Auckland, assisted by the Lev. Father Furlong, P.P. The District President performed the rest of the ceremony. The establishment. of St. Peter’s is due in a great measure to Lev. Father Lacroix, S.M., and that of- St. Dominic's to Bro. Marlow, District Deputy. We sincerely thank them and all who assisted them in the extension of the society. ‘ , “There is no gold without alloy.” While we rejoice at the establishment ,of three new'branches,' we regret to have to record the closing of the St. Francis Xavier's branch, Methven. We did our best to keep the branch going, and enlisted the services of Bro. Grimes, District Deputy, without avail. It appears that there were the too fiequent difficulties of getting a secretary who could >■ .' (Continued on page 41.) /