DRUIDISM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 154, 25 March 1920, Page 6

DRUIDISM

JiODSE REUNION

'WELCOME TO RETURNED SOLDIER •;'■•■- ■^■' MEMBERS ,-'!=____' -■■ . V. i/'.JtMiflpJWge; No.' 8. TJ.A.O.D i( WeiI lihgtbn," lfeld a reunion last night in • honour of its returned soldier members ;'. andAhr-jmomnry' of those brothers who :- fell'iii the path of duty. There was a . . very lal-ge' attendance of members, over '-. which Arch-Druid Bro. F. Lyall presid- •', ed-iv'Tho's'o represent included the grand ■ . president;,.Bro. E. IV Flanagan, Mr. E. '/••'-E Hayes Eegistrar of Friendly Socie- : ties, Mr. H. Atmore, M.P., Captain '1. - E. Y. .Seddbnr'M.'P., and a number of ' brothers-of..n|iliated lodges, who are at- "■:■ l tenfe..tbe ; .prand Lodge, U.A.0.D., Con- | :'ference/'"'" ' ,■' , The chairman extended a hearty wel- ■ ' come to the returned soldier members, '•• aiid rend apologies for absence from the '"- -Prime Minister (Right Hon. W. F. Mas- : eey), Dx. : A. K. Newman, M.P., Briga- '•'■■ dier-GeneralG. S. Bichaidson, C.M.G., : : and'Bro. W. T. Jennings,*. P,G.P., ,M.P. , .The toast of "Our Eeturned Soldier . Members" was proposed by Bro. F. Ma- .'■■'' whinney, P.S., who-.eiilogised.the services 1 -: of the' 67 members of the lodge .who went- ; away.' >" Of.-'-ttiat number many were woiirid'ed, biit, he was pleased to ,say, -none/with any serious consequences. ' - Eleven'of their brethren "had. made the supreme sacrifice. All were proud and ."-pleased, to have tho - returned-soldier members back : -in their midst, and he wished eaclKone good health, happiness, and-prosperity. ' ,', , .-' Bro.rßaohale, V.D.P.; responded, and ' '■' thanked the brethren for the manner in -- wliich the toast had been honoured. Bro.

. Eanlcine also spoke. ■ - ; 8r0;,W.8. Steele; Grand. Secretary of '- the-Otago.and Southland Grand lodge, who proposed the toast of "The. Grand ' ■ lodge of the North Island," said that it .'*as-, 'fourteen, years ago yesterday since 'he first met ;the local' Grand President. As a visiting delegate to the Grand Lodge. meeting, ■ he wished to thank; all for tho enjoyable time.he and his co- ■''■. delegates had'lad. The time was coming when there would only ho ono Grand Lodge for New Zealand. He wished f to -/impress on-all, present the great spirit of-ithe Order itself,- and appealed to the brethren to make the Order the worthy institution it should be. Tho Grand'President,-Bro. E. P._ Flanagan', ; in reply, referred to the decision to -make one Grand'Lodge'for'New Zealand. .He said thnt finance would enter lu.gely

into the question, but he. trusted that

■"':.;■ this would not prove to be a'stumbling•V .Mock in.the smooth:working of the Or- '■;"_• <ler: It had been decided to affirm the principle .of ono Grand Lodge for New ' Zealand'.; and all lodges had agreed to : consolidate their funds in order to give effect to this. He spoke of the consolida- ; ~ fion of the sick funds,, which, ho contended, was going to benefit the Order as " a. whole. The Order, as well as friendlv societies generally, had a competitor in the field which -they had to fight against —he referred; to the National Provident Fund; ,:It had got .the whole of ■ the Government -behind it. It. had been said bv a'mbmbef of Parliament during - kst ? session'that the'time was coming when the Government would take over the friendly societies altogether. ■■■ It would be a sorry day when the Government took-oyer the friendly societies. In the nast the societies had existed solely '■• on the voluntary efforts of those engaged in the work. 'That voluntary effort 1 had . , been nut into the work because it,was believed that it was a work of God. (Ap- '■■'.. Dlause.) The funds of the Order were in a fairly good position.- The Grand. ; Lodge funeral fund 6tood at .£41,519, a ' net increase of £2319 for. the year. The insurance fund stood at £6203, a net increase of £1640. •- Whilst, tie receipts under the insurance fund amounted v to ■£10.166. the claims paid out amounted to •£12.005. -There were many ideas in connection with the friendly societies movc- ■. ment which were being scrapped'. Referring to the returned soldier members, he. ■■ wished >them to understand how proud the Order .was of them. They fought for the liberty of ■■■ the;Empire,-and be- ■•■■ ... fore'eoinK.';,to,ok the precaution to make provision, for their, dependants. He was • happy'lto inform all that tho lodge was | . fulfilling the contract made with thew . meh:"wheh:.tlieyi. entered the Order. . The Government'had com© to the assistance of the societies, and had help- .' cd'. to "a very, great, extent.. They were foitunato .in having a Registrar 'of ; Friendly Societies who had .the interest of the'work at heart. The Government through:.this"Department had recognised ' the.gr.eaL w .Qrk'the.societies were doing. (Applause.V f .»TEP-l?arliament of New Zealand was proposed by Bro. W. Lee Martin, | V.G.P., and responded' to. by Mr. Atmore, M.P.' • Bro. W. M'Laughlin, P.S., proposed the ' toast of "The. Department of. Friendly ' Societies,".and said that whatever contrary (ideas, ,onca' existedsin the minds of the' Druids. of the North Island-re-garding Mr. Hayes and the work of the Department had been happily dispelled. (Applause.)' The courtesy which Mr. Hayes ha'd extended to the Order, had earn«r.foVhimthenppreciation of memtiers'. "'The'-'Order' had every reason to hope for .assistance from the Department, and they' all felt confident that Mr.'.Hayes, .would not be behind in doing justice-to'the movement, rln replying Mr. E. E. Hayes said that it-was a'Splendid thing to see that the reverses which the friendly societies had ■ Buffered during the past four yeaTs had notkilled the interest in the work. With the-idea of -showing what. the friendly societies had done he had prepared certain figures from official records. Dnr- ' lng*'the "past 30. years up to December ■"81,-1918, tho friendly societies had paid out'-in sick-pay £1,480,978,. death' pay- -' ments amounted to £398,191, and medical ■ and'medicine, payments amqunted to £438,190./ The accumulated, funds ,fin : hand amounted .to. £2,100,000. Those figures represented.' contributions from that section of the community who received small wages.. .Whatever the economists .might say about waste and extravagance,' they' had to go to the friendly societies to see what economy really was. ; ' As to the suggestion that the 'Government was to take over the friendly societies; he said that there wa? nothing, in the statement. There was •no Government or Minister who would ever think of interfering with the friendly societies movement. (Hear, hear.) The formation' of one Grand Lodge for-New Zealand would.be of im- . mense benefit to the order. Several other toasts were honoured, including a silent tribute to the memory of those who fell in the path' of duty.'A. number of musical items were -.contributed. \