FREEMASONRY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2769, 12 May 1916, Page 8

FREEMASONRY

MEETING OF GRAND LODGE

By Telegraph-Press Association. . Auckland, May 11. The Grand Lodge of Freemasons' resumed this morning, W.J I. Bio, .Nicholson presiding. The report ol' tjic !3oard of General Purposes as summarised waa adopted, with slight amendments, most matters , in doubt being referred to the incoming board. • After discussion as to what names should bo placed on tho Poll of Honour, it was resolved that only the names of those who had been on active service should appear. B.W. Bro. Williams (Wellington) moved: "That no Communication be held next year, and the amount saved thereby be devoted to tho War Relief Fund." There was a lengthy discussion, tho point at issue being whether tile contribution. to the fund would be commensurate with tho sacrifice of tlie wort of tho Grand Lodge. On tho suggestion of the Grand Master, Bro. Williams withdrew, remarking that a good purpose had been served- by stimulating . interest in the fund.

The next conference was fixed for Invercargill. Various votes of thanks were carried, and the conference closed.

■this year's Session .of tho Masonic Grand Lodge of New Zealand was shorn of some of its interest by the absence of controversial subjects. The agenda po.per was quite of the routino character, consisting of the consideration of reports upon the state of the craft, and thore,were no notices of motion for any snbjacfe of a contentious . character. Those reports, however, werosof a very satisfactory kind, showing that excellent work had been _ done in all the branches of Masonic activity.'

Board of Benevolence.—Tho annual report of the Board of Benevolence showed that i5lO had been expended during the year in matters of casual relief from tho central fund. Two circular appeals had produced respectively .£lO9 and .£2Ol, and had been used to meet special cases of trouble, This board lins had in hand sofar the Special War Benevolent Fund, raised at. the initiative of the retiring Grand Master. The total amount realised so far hag been .£6510. but it is hoped to raise ,£IO,OOO yet. Wellington district has contributed .£l2Bl, Auckland heads the list with .£1.105,- Cauterbury found '■£1152. It is placed on -record by the board that. any benefit provided from this fund should be additional to what may be provided by the State or by patriotic funds for the benefit of wCTindcd Masonic soldiers or the defendants of the Masonic fallen. .

Tile. AnniSty Fund—The statistics of the "Widows and Orphans' and A»ed Masons' Fund show that-'tho capital value of tho fund is now ,£27,452, an increase .of .£3OOI during tho year, and there is a surplus of .£29 l' for the provision of new annuities. At. present ,£1034 is being paid in annuities to 42 persons, in sums from. ,£52 downwards.

Finance in General.—The oasli balances of the several .funds of the' Grand Lodge are stated as follow:—General Fund, .£'4550; Fund of Benevolence, W. and O. and A.M. Fund,' £27,542; War Benevolent Fund, ,£8510; Circular Appeal Funds. <£12G1; representation, ,£677: total vC«,GS2. '

All the above reports were duly adopted. New Lodges Opened.—lVom other reports it is gathered that two new lodges have ben opened during the year, one at Avondale, .Auckland, and the other at Dargavillo. while a third: will shortly be opened at Qhakune, on the Main Trunk railway.