LIFE MEMBERSHIP

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10608, 15 April 1912, Page 5

LIFE MEMBERSHIP

F MASTER-TON A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

MR VALLAMCE'S PROPOSAL.

At ,the meeting of the General Committee of the Masterton. A. and P. .Association on Saturday last, Mr O. jF. Vallanco moved, in accordance ) with notice given, that any member subscribing a sum of £lO shall be made a Jifo member of the Association, and ©hall not be required to pay any further subscription. Mr Vallance stated that the Association had an overdraft of £2OOO, and if they could secure wo hundred life .members iab £lO each, this would be wiped off. He thought there would be no.difficulty in procuring this number. The Association would tihen.be under an ! , obligation to nobody. The President (Mr Hugh Morrison) thought the idea a good one. Mr D. Casol berg asked if it was proposed that life members should be on a different footing from honorary lifo members. The President said it was. It-was proposed that there should be two classes. He pointed out that already sixteen or seventeen members had exr; pressed themselveis as willing io become life, members. '.',"%'• ■:■■"';'•'■ '• --"V'-'ry ':'■[:': ' | Mr VaUance;.'said ; lington people had. expressed themseive& entirely in favour of the proposal. •They would prefer paying a: tump^isnin ! of £lO to being called upon annually for £l. Mi- W. J. Welch seconded the motion. Alhough he had opposed the proposal when it previously came before the Association, ho now thought there was a good deal to recommend it. Mr O. O. Cooper thought that this .was a move in the right direction up to a certain (point. Other societies had adopted the .same method of putting their finances on a sound footing, but after a. time found that they were losing money by' the scheme. The paying' off of £2OOO was a. good thing in itself, but. inter 'on the proposed 200 life members would mean an annual loss of £2OO to the Society. The motion should not be passed through without due consideration.

Mr D. McGregor did not gee fhat the scheme was a very sound one from certain standpoints. Ho had not thought the matter out properly. While he was not actually agains the proposal, it had certain drawbacks. In tho matter of firms in Wellington being in favour, he thought they would certainly bo so, as by paying £lO they were entitled to tho privileges cf the Society ror all time. Individuals might die, or leave tho district, but firm*, did'riot do so, and he thought that treating individuals and firms similarly was a step in the •wrong direction. Mr Summerell thought that , the heme was' a good one, but considered that some limit should., be- made as to whom the opportunity should be extended. He favoured the Society deciding on the persons who should become life members. As he thought the -matter should be considered fully, ho suggested leaving the matter in the hands of the Finance Committee, and to be .brought up before the next meeting. He. was not in favour of granting life membership' to everyone who came along and deposited £lO.

F. Yallance explained that nly those who were members of the Society could avail themselves of the motion. In answer to a question, Mr Summerell said that from a financial point of view, he thought the proposal was a.sound one. Mr W. Perry thought that the Society should be careful in entering into this matter. There should certainly be a limit as to who should become life members under the proposed arrangement, and care should be taken in the selection of such members, as in certain cases the Society would not benefit.

Mr Evans tJioxtgli,t that if the motion was to go through, there should (be no picking and choosing a* to who should have the opportunity of becoming life members, and any member who so desired could become a lifo member by paying his deposit. Mr Sumanerell thought that an age limit would be a good plan to work on .when granting membership. Mr O. F. Ya.llar.ce thought that if there were any age restrictions, the proposal would most likely fall through. There need be no fear that there would be more than 200 applications for lifo membership. I Mr McKillop moved that the matter be referred to the Finance Committee, to report on at the next meeting. Mr Caselberg seconded tho motion, which- was carried unanimously.