AN EVENING WITH THE DRUIDS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 30 March 1911, Page 2

AN EVENING WITH THE DRUIDS.

BRO. GTLAIORhTS INSTA fd'ATTON SHANNON LODGE'S PROSPERITY. At the Druids' Hall, evenin o ", the installation of Bro. 11. Gihnorc as District President of the HoroWhcnua district, took place accompanied by the full and impressive ritual 'of the, Order. A.D. Bro. 1. Hook took the chair at ttlie banquet which followed, and the attendance, which included brethren from all parts of the county, numbered nearly 100. Those supporting Bro. Hook' were: V.A. Bro Aoung and •officers of Horowhenua Lodge ; Otaki Lod"V, P.D.P. Bro. Hartgill, I •D-l . BroT AYilson, A r .A. Bro AYells : Holly Lod"-e P.D.P. Bro .Allan ; Shannon Lodge' P.D.P. Bro, Batchelar, V.A. Bro "'Murray: Alanawatu Lodge, (FoxA.D. Bro. McKnight, P.A. Bro Ball. , 41 Treas. Bro. McTntyre proposed the toast of the Grand i.od«g<\ and expressed the pleasure the members oT the lodge felt in doing ihoivoui- to Bro Gilmore. So far as the Grand was concerned, Bro. Alelntyre said'that it had made great progress and through sits reforms had done more than any other body"to develop the popularity of Friendly Societies. He commended the proposal to establish an orphanage, and spoke warmlv in favour of the reforms that nr.d been brought- in in connection with the abolition of the initiation fee and the death levy scheme. Bro. AA r . H. Gatiiehau then sang with effect "Good Old Jeff, lie's gone to rest." and was loudly encored. I'.G.P. Bro. Gardener replied to the toast, and took the 'opportunity of thanking Bro. McTntyre for the able way in which he had pro-nosed the toast of the Grand Lodce. Tracing the rapid nrogress of the Order in the North Tsland. Bro. Gardener pointed out that- it.was only a short time since the Grand Lodq-e of the North Tsland was initiated.- Dim ill <?" the short neriod the membership of the Druids' Lodges had srrown from ,"iOO jo 10.000. and tin l G.L. funds had risen to C' 22.000. The number of had increased from 11 to 00 AYith regard to the proposed orphan age. Bro. Gardener related the steps he had taken at the annual conference to give effect to the proposals of the TTnrowhenna Lodge, and *lweP upon the difficulty it was at times to reforms, maintaining that the nroposfil from the lodge was one of th" host schemes that had ever been snorrr<-s|-<><-7 bv any Friendly Society throughout the.world. Tn ten vears time, -under nr-oner management-, the Order sho"hl have -in.ooo or GlO.000 Inwards the orplnnage. and he was satisfied no mendier would reivret the one 'h.illln"' he would he as!-;, "d to give towards it each year. The snenl-r.r proceeded to allude to the riimstio" of representative svstein. and maintained that if thev wanted |,-i .-icr.iipii'liWthev ini' c t vr)'ir to make savings unon +h" exnenses of the Grand . Lodfe. Tn con n !usinn Bro. Gardener der-lared ; tbnt no delegate who had any respect for himself would ever receive iu--1 sfrnc-tions .how to vote at Grand Lod« v e meeting-:. 14 v/as essential he v.'ho'i,M have a free hand. (Loud applause).

Pro. Lindh'v. of T'ovlnn. tli"n obliged wilh tbn pnnular "'P' l " lino the "1 issiis dries her clothes on." and was eneorrd. another encore being domnnded. ? nn . R'-'o. Fratv-is v-roposod " Ti'" D' rJ r--"t. Prc-idenf ('Rrn. Gilui"reV' on-l t.V.A 'Ustrict Tlartoill ;I nd A"pu\ alludin,.in T/'lifitons terni« to the w-'i.v i-> which th A -- had dis'-bai-g"d their inirifold duties. Bro. ATusso sang '"'Steadily, my T,ads. A'o! Ho"'and was loudly encored. Pro. Gilmore responded to the toast, and said he wa.s aware he had undertaken a very difficult term of office. Nevertheless he took the opportunity of thanking tl'ie brothers of the different lodges of the district for placing him in the position they had done. Tie would endeavour to do his best to discharge those duties. Pro. Gilmore strongly supported the proposed, orphan-age. and said that ho would like to see a scheme of superannuation brought forward, (l.ond applause). Bro. AV. Aloon having given a ii 110Iv executed solo on the violin, and Pro. Johnson having sung with effect "Let me Crown A'o 11 Queen of Alav." ATf T. A. Harris gave a couple of excellent songs. Bro. Gardener next gave " .10 Sister Lodges." and said that he was certain Bro. Gilmore would carry out '.lie high honours of his office as ably as his predecessors had done. Bro. Line!. P.A., had been one of the most successful workers Shannon had ever had. having been its mainstay. Tic had worked in such a way as hi.s rif!i.. hand never knew what its left hand did. (Loud applause). Pro. Lind, for Shannon, made an able reply, and said that they had at Shannon a good members-h-' with .good funds soundly invested, and he thought the outlook lor the lodge was most healthy. Bro. Hills (secretary) responded for Otaki, and Mro. Dudson, for Foxton. the latter remarking that Bro. Gilmore as D.P. would be a credit to the whole of the Order. (Loud applause). Pro. Hugh Hall proposed the "P.D.P." in a. few happily selected sentences. The toast wa.s responded to by P.D.P. Allan, of Paraparaumu. Bro. Thompson gave " The Kindred Societies," coupling with it the names of Bros. Davison and tfowe. who responded in well-chosen terms. A large number of other toasts, bearing on 110 particular subject, followed, and the "evening" closed in the early hours of tin's morning. Air J. Kearsley made a capable accompanist.