FRIENDLY SOCIETIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 331, 17 April 1928, Page 13

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES

GATHERING OF FORESTERS SERVICE TO COMMUNITY TE KUITI, Monday. The influence which friendly societies exercise on the political and civic life of the community was mentioned on Saturday evening, when the annual gathering of Foresters was held here. The conference, which began on Saturday morning, was attended by the Mayor. Mr. Broadfoot, who welcomed. the delegates and wished them pleasant days in Te Kuiti. The district secretary, Bro. R. Darlow, acknowledged the welcome. \ The District Executive’s report was unanimously adopted. The officers for the ensuing year were elected as follow:—District Chief Ranger, Bro. W. A. Knaggs; District Sub-Chief Ranger, Bro. A. G. Osborne; District Secretary, Bro. R. Darlow (re-elected); District Treasurer, Bro. W. J. Porter; District Senior Beadle, Bro. S. King; District Junior Beadle, Bro. W. M. Latto; auditor, Mr. I. Meltzer (reelected). The next meeting is to be held at Henderson.

In the evening the delegates were entertained at a social gathering. After the toasts had been honoured, Bro. A. G. Osborne proposed “Parliament and Local Bodies.”

Bro. Osborne said it was difficult to estimate fully the influence of the friendly societies on the political and civic life of the community. He trusted that Parliament would never introduce measures that would hamper their work.

Mr. J. C. Rolleston, member for Waitomo, responding, said that, although not himself a member of any friendly society, he fully underdstood their good work. It was pleasing to know that the amount of accumulated funds for each member in New Zealand was the highest in the world. This was a splendid testimonial to the men and women who had founded and built up the friendly societies. The Mayor, Mr. Broadfoot, responded on behalf of the local bodies. The delegates visited the Waitomo Caves yesterday and arrived in Auckland last evening.