ODDFELLOWSHIP.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 197, 17 February 1912, Page 8

ODDFELLOWSHIP.

IN THE TARANAKI DISTRICT. ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of tlic Taranakij District was held in the Foresters' Hall J on Thursday, Prov. G.M. S. G. Burgess' presiding. The following were also pre-, sent:—Prov. D.G.M. J. W. Snowdon,' Prov. C.S. C. E. Bellringer, Warden' P.P.G.M. F. J. Brabant. Deputies:! Loyal Egmont Lodge, P.P.G.M. H. T.' Ainsworth, P.P.G.M. G. H. McGahey, P.G. A. Hooker, P.G. L. F. Webster; Loyal Excelsior Lodge, P.G. E. H. Bellringer, P.G. L. R. Little, P.G. T. J. 1 West; Loyal Waitara Lodge, P.P.G.M. I F. J. Brabant, P.G. C. T. Dugdale; ■ Loyal Union Lodge, P.P.G.M. F. Squire;' Permanent Secretary R. W. Baker; I Loyal Manaia Lodge, N.G. J. G. Short,! P.G. Cunningham, P.G. E. Jones; Loyal Eltham Lodge, P.P.G.M. F. Amoore, P.G. W. Scown, N.G. J. Phillips; Loyal Midi hirst Lodge, P.P.G.M. R. J. Hancock, P.G. W. Mountford; Loyal Stratford Lodge, P.P.G.M. C. D. Sole, P.G. T. Lawson; Loyal Toko Lodge, Permanent Secretary A. G. Parker; Loyal Opunaks Lodge, Permanent Secretary A. WHolder; Loyal Kaponga Lodge, P.G. A. Melville, P.G. H. J. G. Ellen.

The usual routine business was transacted and a considerable amount of correspondence dealt with. j ' INVITATION ACCEPTED. fAn invitation was received from the Loyal Kilbirnie Lodge to the ceremony of initiation of his Excellency the Governor into that lodge at the Town Hall, Wellington, on the 20th inst. It was decided to accept the invitation and to request as many as possible to attend. REPORTS. The auditors' report and balan"<'sheets werec onsidered and adopted. . Prov. C.S. C. E. Bellringer presented his annual report on the Lodge Management Funds. This showed that two lodges had small overdrafts, which were being extinguished at 'once. He had to recommend that the district management levy for the year 1912 be tenpence per member per quarter. The District and Examining Officers, Prov. G.-M. S. G. Burgess, Prov. D.G.M. J. W Snowdon, and Prov. C.S. C. E. Bellringer, presented their report for the year 1911-12 as follows: We have once more, the pleasure and duty of presenting our annual report upon the work of the year in the district and lodges. We have vißited every lodge in th& district, and were received on all occasions with the utmost cordiality and kindness. A fine harmonious spirit pervades the lodges, and many members are devoting much time and effort in furthering the welfare of the Order.

The attendance at lodges was much as usual. The time of the year when our visits of necessity take place is not the most suitable for seeing the lodges at their best in this respect. The Loyal Te Kiri, Kaponga, Stratford and Toko Lodges were the best attended. The members of these lodges deserve commendation for their earnest work throughout the year. We have carefully examined the accounts and books of the several lodges, and have to report favorably thereon. The securities are good. In some instances where money has been invested in halls the results are not at all satisfactory. Efforts are being made to improve matters in this respect, and it is hoped that better results may be obtained in future.

We are pleased to be able to report that the Loyal Toko Lodge has realised \he hope we expressed last year of its entering upon a new lease of life. Excellent work has been done during the year; the membership and funds have increased, and there is now every prospect of there being a really good lodge at Toko. The members there who have battled with the difficulties and overcome them have our very best thanks. The Central Funeral Fund has been established, and in accordance with the

resolution of the last annual meeting the District Funeral Fund has been allocated to the lodges. In our own district there has been a very heavy mortality experience, 12 male and 1 female members and 3 members' wives having died during the year. Consequent upon the establishment of the Central Funeral Fund, the scheme for increased funeral benefits will be inaugurated this year. The advantages of this scheme, as they are more fully under- 1 stood and appreciated, will, we think,] induee members to take up larger funeral benefits at the low premium rate the! New Zealand branch can offer. We have only to explain to members the benefits to be obtained to have it largely availed of.

The Biennial Moveable Committee of the New Zealand branch will be held at Christchurch in Easter week of this year. We have had the opportunity of perusing the preliminary business sheet. There are two important remits from the Auckland district for amending the general rules—one in the direction of reducing the representation to the Biennial Moveable Committee and the other in I reference to the centralisation of the' Sick Fund. We commend these matters to your careful consideration. There are I other matters in the business sheet I worthy of earnest thought, and these no' doubt will be fully dealt with by you. We regret to say that P.P.G.M. F. E Hardy, who was too ill to preside at last annual meeting, after a long illness passed away in November He was a true and faithful brother, and those of us who were his colleagues know how deep and true were his feelings towards the Order. We sent a wreath in the name of the Order.

The following figures-concerning ,the district may be of interest. The Sick and Funeral Fund of lodges at the end of the year amounted to £25,360 6s Id, and the Management Fund to ,€4Ol 12s 4d. The receipts were: Sick and Funeral Fund £3Bll 16s sd, Management Fund £644 Is lid, Medical Fund £132 16s—a total of £5258 14s 4d. The expenditure was £1913 13s 6d for Sick and Funeral, £697 4s 3d for Management, and £1302 16s for Medical Fund. l The sum paid for sickness benefits was! £lO7l 18s 6d, a slight increase on last! year. , !

The total value of all funds was £27,209 7s lid, an increase of £l3lO 14s 6d for the year. The sum of £4lO was paid in funeral benefits.

In conclusion, we desire to express our most sincere thanks to the brethren for the kindness and courtesy so freely shown us. We have many pleasant recollections of the labor of the past year, and confidently look forward to increased

progress in the good work the Order isi ever doing. The reports were adopted. MEMBERSHIP RETURNS. The return of membership showed 1104 members, a gain of 19 for the year; 118 were admitted, 13 died, and 80 left through other causes. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers resulted as follows:—Prov. G.M., Bro. J. W. Snowdon, of Manaia; Prov. D.G.M;, Bro. W. Mountford, Midhirst; Warden, Bro. F. [J. Brabant, Waitara; auditor, Bro. W. i H. Butler.

Deputies to the Biennial Moveable Committee of the New Zealand Branch, to be held at Christchurch at Easter: P.P.G.M.'s H. T. Ainsworth, F. Amoore, and R. J. Hancock. A vote of congratulation was passed to the Loyal Toko Lodge on the improvements numerically during the year effected. This Lodge shows the largest I increase.

A close consideration was given to the proposed amendments of the general rules of the New Zealand Branch. It was decided that the deputies should support a motion for the obtaining of full information concerning the consolidation 'of the sick fund, the funeral fund having already been centralised, with a view to its full discussion by lodges before action is taken. The meeting viewed with favor an alteration in the rule providing for the immediate payment of sick benefits after initiation, provided one quarter's contributions are paid in advance at the time of joining. The following nominations were made for officers for 1913:—Prov. G.M., Bro. W. Mountford; Prov. D.G.M., Past Grands E. H. Bellringer, Cunningham, IL. F. Webster, W. Scown, A. Melville, T. Lawson.

The next annual meeting will be held at Stratford.

The newly-elected officers were duly installed, and thanked the brethren for the honors conferred upon them. P.P.G.M. R. G. Burgess was presented with a P.P.G.M. jewel, and received the thanks and good wishes of the brethren. Bro. Burgess expressed his gratitude and appreciation of the good wishes and present made to him. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded the Egmont and Excelsior Lodges for ■their entertainment of the visitors. The minutes having been read and confirmed, the meeting closed.