SOIREE OF THE LOYAL WAIKATO LODGE OF ODDFELLOWS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1848, 3 September 1874, Page 3

SOIREE OF THE LOYAL WAIKATO LODGE OF ODDFELLOWS.

A soieee of the members of the above lodge and their friends was held in the Academy of Music last evening, the principal object of which was the presentation to Brother W. J. Bagnall, P. 0., o f. a testimonial for his services as Permanent Secretary. It was arranged that the chair should bo taken by the Mayor, but as that gentleman was ill, Dr. Persston, - surgeon to the lodge, presided. There was a large attendance, all parts of the hall being well filled, After tea,

The Chairman staled that he had been quite unexpectedly called upon to preside owing to the unavoidable absence of the Mayor. His Worship, he said, desired him to express the extreme regret he felt at being detained at home through illness. Most of those present were aware (hat one of the principal objects for which this soiree had been held was to afford a public opportunity to the members of the Loyal Waikato Lodge to present Past-Grand Bagnall with a token of esteem for the services he had rendered that Lodge. It did not come within his' (the Chairman's) province to state the nature and extent of the services rendered, which would no doubt be alluded to by the gentleman on whom the duty devolved of making the presentation, suffice it to soy that Mr Bagnall, while holding the office of Permanent Secretary to the Loyal Waikato Lodge devoted no inconsiderable amount of time to master all the principles and details, on the correct application of which the successful working of benefit societies depends. It gave him very great pleasure to observe that they were honored to-night by [ the present of members from kindred benefit societies. The combined demonstration at the closo of last year augured well for the formation of a connecting link between . the various benefit societies on the field. The Lodges, in his humble opinion, represented the elite of the working classes, and by sinking petty differences and acting harmoniously together, they might establish a platform which would be at once the exponent and guide of public opinion.

Mr _Yow-?, P.G., in mating the presentation, stated that he had induced Mr Bagnall to become a member of the Waikato Lodge five years ago, and since' then he had passed through the various grades, and had taken a great interest in the affairs of the Lodge. Mr Bagnall had been elected to (he office of Permanent Secretary, and he (Mr Vowles) could say that lie was the best Secretary they ever had. The members had b( en so pleased at the way in which he had conducted the business of the Lodge that they had resolved to present him with the watch he held, as a mark of their esteem.

Mr Bagnall, in replying, slated thai; he had been taken somewhat by surprise at the flattering way in which lie had been alluded to. It gave him great pleasure to accept of that coming, as he foltit did, with the hearty good wishes of pearly 300 of his brethren of the Society, When he joined the Society, and became aware of its objects and of the benefits which it was calculated to give to its members, he felt that it was a Society worthy of interesting himself in, and of forwarding its interests, and he had done so to the best of his ability. He was pleased to notice the presence of members of other Societies, as next lo the interest taken in the welfare of the Waikato Lodge, he had taken an interest in friendly societies as a whole, and had endeavoured to cultivate a friendly spirit amongst them, and to promote the interest of them all. There could not be fewer _ than 1,000 members of friendly societies at the Uiames, which represented a considerable proportion of the population, seeing that they were all adult males. Mr Bagnall then referred to the report of the commission on friendly societies in England, which had shown that there were eight millions of persons interested in these societies. Mr Bagnall stated that when he joined the Waikato Lodge it had 40 members with about £70 of lunds. The lodge had now 250 members, with an accumulated fund of upwards of £1,000. Mr S. Plaice, P.G., then delivered a short address on "The Manchester Unity," in which he stated that there n °w in all 500,000 members and 6,000 lodges. Addresses were delivered by members 01 the Foresters Society and others, roughout evening various songs and gkes were sung.. A great number of dancing eQjoyed themselves in