HIBERNIAN SOCIETY, WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Tablet, 12 June 1919, Page 21

HIBERNIAN SOCIETY, WELLINGTON.

The Wellington District Council of the Hibernian Society ; met at the Catholic Federation Rooms on last Thursday evening (writes our own correspondent, under date June 7). Brother J. J. L. Burke (St. Patrick’s branch) presided, P and thex’e were present r Brothers Hoskins (distinct deputy), F. Whitaker, P.P., O. Krohni P.P., representing St. Patrick’s branch; Barker, 8.P., Sacred Heart ..branch, Thorndoxx; J. Fagan, P.P., St. Aloysius’ branch, Newtown; and Sister Griffin, St. Mary’s (ladies) branch. The chairman explained that now that the. war was at .an i' end it was necessary to continue to recruit for the society, and, so far as the Wellington district was concerned, to strexxgthen it. For this reason (he said) the council was again , called together. Brother Hoskins pointed out that three important questions should engage their attention with the object of developing the society .in this Dominion. The first was, the establishment of sub -districts, as outlined by Wellington at the district meeting in 1916, with representative annual meetings instead of triennial meetings as at present; the second was the increasing of the death benefit so as to bring it up to £l2O. At the present time the death benefit was ,£2O, but it could be increased to £7O by any member wishing to pay a slightly increased contribution under the special insurance scheme. By making the maximum £l2O, the society would compare with non-Catholic societies, and remove any excuse offered by Catholics that the Hibernian Society, as a benefit society, was not giving benefits equal to the least objectionable of non-Catholic friendly societies. The third question was that of consolidation of the sick fund. Already the funeral fund was consolidated,.with excellent results, and the sick fund was, to a certain extent, partly consolidated through the foundation in 1913 of the district supplementary sick fund, to which branches had to contribute 4s 4d per year for each memberls 8d less than what was paid per annum for each member to the distinct funeral fund. After some discussion it was agreed to consider these three questions with a view to submitting remits at the next district meeting. Brothers Burke, Giles, and Hoskins were elected to represent the council on the Education Board.