HIBERNIAN SOCIETY, DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 13, 27 March 1902, Page 20

HIBERNIAN SOCIETY, DUNEDIN.

OS Snnday last the members of the Dunedin Branch of the H.A.C.B. Society, to the number of about 80, attended the nine o'clock Mass at St. Joseph's Cathedral in regalia and approached the Holy Table in a body. After Mass they marched to St. Joseph's Hall where they partook of breakfast. This breakfast, which was instituted only last year, is to be an annual affair, and promises to become a very popular one. A very liberal spread was provided, and the members were waited on by Misses A. and J. Heley, M. Williams, and Curran. His Lordship Bishop Yerdon presided, the officers present being Bros. T. Hoare (president), J. Ford (vicepresident), J. O'Connor (secretary), D. O'Mahoney (treasurer), and J. J. Mar low (past president). The Very Rev. Father Boyle, C.M., and the Rev. Fathers Murphy and Coffey were also present. At the conclusion of the breakfast Bro. Hoare expressed his pleasure and that of the members of the Society at the presence of his Lordship the Bishop and the clergy. In accordance with a decision come to last year he had much pleasure in presenting prizes to two Brothers who had introduced most members during the past year. The branch had had a very successful year, the membership having been increased by about 40. The president then handed Bro. Miller a pretty barometer, and Bro. O'Connor (secretary) a set of carvers. Rev. Father Coffey congratulated the members on the progress which the Society was making. Thia was, he said, an age of combination and co-operation, and it was right and almost necessary that young men should join some society which would assist them in times of stress so that they would not be thrown on the charity of their neighbors or on the State. If they were members of a society when overtook them they would have the satisfaction of knowing that they were only receiving back the money they had paid into it. Catholic young men Bhould join the Hibernian Society, for while it offered the same benefits as other friendly pocieties, it also affordei the advantages of Catholic association. It reminded them of the country from which many, or at least their fathers, had come, and there was nothing to be ashamed of in that, in fact there was a great deal to be proud of. Every man, be ha English, Irish, or Scottish, should love the land of hia birth. He was very pleased to hear that there had been such a large increase in the membership during the past 12 months, and this tpoke well for the energy of the members who had won the prizes. He hoped they would maintain the Bame rate of progress during the coming year. He usually noticed that when a young man joined the Hibernian Society he generally changed for the better, in a word he became an altered man in every way. It was a very gratifying sight, to see such a large number of men on that inclement morning attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion. Bro. J. Hally said that the majority of members were Irishmen, or sons of Irishmen, and hoped they would be true to the traditions of their country, which had a noble record, and not forget what their forefathers had done for faith and fatherland. Bro. Marlow said that if it was borne in mind that the Society was not only a benefit but a religious organisation it would get more support in many districts than it did at present. He instanced the successful branch which had been established in Waimate through the exertions of Rev. Fathers Regnault and O'Connell. Bro. Carr spoke on the question of social intercourse, which he strongly recommended as a means of bringing Catholics together so that they might come to know one another. Rev. Father Murphy expressed hia pleasure at seeing suoh a fine body of Catholics in the hall. The priests were always ready to do all in their power to forward the interests of the Hibernian Society.

Bro. O'Connor (secretary) gave some statisticB v to show wbat the Society had been doing during the* five years ending 1901. Leaving out shillings and pence, the branch had distributed in sick pay in that period £567. In the same time the funeral allowances amounted to £100, medical attendance £449, and medicine* £194, making a grand total of over £1310 In 1897 their sick fund amounted to £924 7s lOd, in 1901 to £1133 14s 5.1. In 1897 their membership was 95, whilst on last December it stood at 163, being an increase for five years of 68. In the whole of Australasia they had now a total membership of 18634, and their total district funds amounted to £114,230. His Lordship Bishop Verdon expressed his pleased at seeing such a large number of members of the Society approach the altar rails that morning. He had listened with interest to the useful information given by the speakers regarding the working of the Society. He was glad to hear that the branch had had a very successful year, in fact, the moet successful during its existence. The enrolment of 40 new members during 12 months spoke well for their energy. The funds, he understood, were in a flourishing condition. It was with much pleasure he heard that their young men were joining the Society, as it was most deferable that they should become members, as it was, as far as he knew, the only Catholio benefit society they had in New Zealand. Combination was one of the powers of the present day, as was eeen in trades unions and benefit societies. They should have combination also, and by joining Catholic societies their young men would be encouraged and kept in the right path. It web one of the necessities of the age that a man should belong to a benefit society, and a young man starting in life who had not laid up some store for himself should join a benefit society and make provision for the future. He regretted to hear that some of their Catholio young men were joining other organisations when they had such an excellent Catholio society as the Hibernian Society. He would have liked to have heard of an increase of 140 instead of 40 members. He was glad to hear that the members of the Society were doing their duty in every way, and had been faithful to the counsels of their priests. By being united with their priests and faithful to the instructions they received they would assist themselves, their country, and their holy religion. They were called upon to give a good example, to be faithful to the rules of their Society. It had been suggested that the Society's meetings should be made pleasant and instructive, which would induce members to join. They should aim at combining utility with usefulness in their meetings. Let them in every way be faithful to the teachings of their clergy, and live up to the rules of thtir Society, and by this means they would have the good-will of their ecolesiastical superiors. He trusted the members would be faithful and true to their holy religion and the teachings of their fathers. Living as good Catholics, they would have the good-will of their priests and bishop, and they would succeed in every way. A vote of thanks to his Lordship for presiding brought the proceedings to a close.