ODDFELLOWSHIP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 27, 21 June 1939, Page 5

ODDFELLOWSHIP

INDEPENDENT QRDER ' • .*:• :

NEW TE PUKE LODGE

Wednesday, June 14, wa,s an important date for Oddfellows in tjie Bay ox Plenty \ v Ji Cn the fnsititutiorf of the 116W Stai 4 of Te Puke Lodge, NO. took placei In these days it is not so often that new lodges come into being, and the ceremony is all the more interesting because it is so rarely seen. Bro W. Rixon District Deputy Grand Master of the Bay of Plenty, after reading letters of apology from the Grand Master nd Grand Secretary of the Order in New Zealand, who both deeply regretted their inability to attend, opened the new lodge by proclamation. He then j congratulated the brothers of Te Puke on obtaining their charter as an independent lodge after having been a branch of the Taneatua lodge for only two years. He also congratulated the officers and brothers of Tan eaftua Lodge on their initiative and the way that they had guided the development of their branch, which had ''grown up" remarkably quickly in a time that "was admittedly difficult for all friendly societies. The, lodge then went into recess to prepare for installation. This ceremony was also performed by the D.D.G.M, assisted by a team of Past D. D. G.Ms and Past Grands from the Centenary and Taneatua Lodges. Congratulations and greetings were given £>y the representatives of 'the Southern Cross (Wellington) Pyramid (Wanganui). Star of Ngongotaha, Centenary (Whakatane), Taneatua and Opotiki Lodges. The newly installed Noble Grand, Br s o G. Ward, made suitable reply.'

The visitors; could not help noticing how many young brothers there were among the Te Puke a ma'tter of great congratulation in these tiriies when it is extremely difficult to convince young people that the Government's Social Security Act lias not eliminated the need for the Friendly Societies. Apart from the fac't that their respective bene, fits are quite different and are really supplementary to each other, no universal state scheme can ever hope to engender a spirit of 'brotherhood among its bcneficiaries evoke a

feeling of pride in its ability to help such as is always, present he smaller and more exclusive circle of a lodge, nor, again, can there be "ny of the fra'ternal benefits such as the welcome and the assistance that a

brother can receive from his Order when moving into a new district. Evidently the young men of Tc Puke .have realised the value of their lodge and are willing to subsidise to their common good, even though they are compelled to contribute to the State Social Security funds as well. Under such conditions the outlook for the Star of Te Puke Lodge. No. 16"i J.0.0.Fi is particularly bright.

After the ceremony was over the brothers 'all adjourned to Bro Swit. zer's tearooms where a very excellent supper was enjoyed. Speeches were reduced 'to a, minimum and the brothers, after giving Bro Swit/.er and h ! s assistants three cheers, departed to their homes avcll satisfied with a splendid evening's worlcwhieh will doubtless be as helpful to the Order in the district as it was enjoy, able for those who took part in it.