RECHABITE ANNIVERSARY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 119, 27 August 1910, Page 6

RECHABITE ANNIVERSARY

I A social was held in the Foresters •, Hall, Gill Street, on Thursday night by s the Unity Tent of the Independent ( Order of Reehabites, the occasion being ; the 7'sth anniversary of the Order. The ) hall was well filled with an appreciative ; audience. The iollowing took part in ■ the musical programme: piano trio, ' Misses Smith; song, Mrs. S. Maxwell; : song, Mr. F. Asher; violin solo, Miss Johnson; song, Mrs. Cutler; recitation, Mr. Milton Scott; song, Miss Guildford; recitation, Mr. J. A. Roberts; song, Miss F. Ward; duet, Mr. and Mrs. H. White; recitation, Miss Ethel White. An address was- given by the Tent secretary, Mr. E. Chatterton, who gave a hearty welcome to 10 visitors from Tent Moa, Inglewood, and to representatives from Sister Friendly Societies. He said they were met that evening to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Unity Tent, No. 18, and the 75th anniversary of the Recliabite Order. The Order was instituted in 1835 at.Salford, at a meeting held by eleven total abstainers, who wished to take advantage of the Mutual Friendly Societies' benefits without ' meeting in a public house, as the custom was then. The Order, which at- first grew slowly, had for half a century made raj>id strides, each decade doubling both funds and membership. The following figures showed the rate of progress: In 1800, (>,155 adult members, 974 juveniles, funds, £28,754; ,1010, 250,000 adult members, 200,000 juveniles

and funds, £2,150,000; besides memberswives, members' widows, and honorary members, making the total of more than half-a-million members. The Order was now the largest and richest Temperance Friendly Society in the world. Each candidate for admission, was required to take the temperance pledge, hence the Order enjoyed the lowest sick and death experience of any friendly society. For example, Cadburv's Bournville Garden Village, near Wolverhampton, showed tke lowest death, rate in England. The llechabite Order showed a 3 per cent, lower death rate than Bournville. The New Zealand Central district was instituted in 1806, and had now 48 branches, and accumulated funds ot £48,000. The Unity Tent, No. 18, New was opened in 1875. The membership was now 132, and there was an accumulated fund of £1254. -A low scale of contributions and liberal benefits should make this society a very popular one. A challenge shield is to ■be giveh by the district officers to the Tent gaining most members during the year. Early in next year an official visit from the High Chief Ruler and the Past High Chief Ruler for the world would be paid to the New Zealand Tent, and a fitting reception was to be arranged. The speaker showed the necessity of all temperance people joining] the only temperance friendly society in New Plymouth, the Independent Order |

of Rechabites. i Apologies were received from Bros. I ■S. W. Shaw and F. P. Corkill (a Rechabite of 50 years standing), who were un-j able to be present. Bro. W. Ambury proposed a hearty! vote of thanks to Mr. Hoffman, who kindly lent the piano; to the chairman, Mr. C. Carter; and to all who had helped to make the anniversary celebrations a success. In the course of his remarks, he said: "To-night we are making history. Seventy-five years ago it was considered a digrace to be a total abstainer, but to-day, temperance men are carrying the burdens of public life, many of whom were life abstainers. It was no disgrace to-day to be a total abstainer, but quite the reverse." Bro. T. Gr. Sole seconded the resolution which was carried with acclamation. The singing of the National Anthem brought to a close a Yery enjoyable evening's entertainment.