The Board of directors of the Independent Order of Rechabites (Salford Unity) Friendly Society having granted a dispensation for the formation of a District in Wellington New Zealand: Be it hereby enacted that these Law shall be acknowledged as the General Laws of the New Zealand Central District of the Independent Order of Rechabites Friendly Society in the Colony of New Zealand, immediately on their being certified in accordance with the provisions of the "Friendly Societies Act, 1807."

1. Name and Constitution.—This Society shall be called "The New Zealand Central District Independent Order of Rechabites Friendly Society," in connection with the Salford Unity Friendly Society; and shall consist of associated branches, called Touts, having a General Board or Committee of Management (hereinafter styled the District Council) composed of representatives appointed by Tents, as hereinafter provided for; four officers called the District Chief Ruler or D.C.R., the District Deputy Ruler or D.D.R., the District Secretary or D.S., the District Treasurer or D.T., and one past-officer, namely, the P.D.C.R., who shall be a member ex officio of the Council for a period of twelve months after having retired from the office of D.C.R. All members shall, at their initiation, sign the following pledge:—"I hereby declare that I will abstain from all intoxicating liquors, except in religious ordinances, or when prescribed by a legal medical practioner during sickness which renders mo incapable of following my employment, and that I will not give nor offer them to others. I will not engage in the traffic of them, but in all suitable ways will discountenance the use, manufacture, and sale of them; and I will endeavour to spread the principles of abstinence from all intoxicating liquors."

2. Objects of the Society.—The objects of the Society are as follows:—To raise a fund by entrance fees, subscriptions of members, levies by District Council, fines, donations, and by interest on capital, for insuring a sum of money to be paid on the death of a member, and also for insuring a sum of money to be paid to a member on the death of his wife; for the relief of members in sickness and old age; for providing medical aid and medicine to members, their wives and children; for the formation of an Assurance Branch; for the formation of an Annuity Branch; for granting temporary assistance to the widows and children of deceased members; for providing members with assistance when travelling in search of employment; and for assisting members in distressed circumstances. Members shall be classified as follows:—Full benefit mem- page 8 bers, half-benefit members, honorary members, assurance members, and annuitants.

3. The District Council shall be composed of the four officers named in General Law No. 1, and one past officer who shall have one vote each, and the District Chief Ruler, or presiding officer, a casting vote also; and one representative from each Tent numbering less than 50 good members at last quarterly return; above 50 and under 100, two representatives; and above 100, throe representatives each. Representatives of Tents at an inconvenient distance from Wellington may, if they think fit, appoint proxies to act for them, but no brother either as representative or proxy shall represent more than one Tent. The duty of the District Council shall be to open new branches or Districts, divide Districts already formed, or to otherwise add to, take from, or alter boundaries of Districts formed or to be formed; to approve, alter, amend, or reject laws to be submitted for the Council's approval by branches called Districts or Tents; to make levies upon members (payable through the Tents) for payment of contingent expenses and other purposes; to receive the Auditors' Report; to hear and finally determine all cases of appeal; and to transact all and any other business relating to the Order that may from time to time be brought before it.

4. District Officers' Duties.—The District Officers shall attend all District Meetings, and see that the General Laws are strictly adhered to. They shall receive all applications for opening new Tents, ^* provide the necessary material, and make all arrangements for opening same. They shall carry into effect the General Laws, and all alterations made therein from time to time, and generally supervise the conduct of Tents. They shall visit the Tents as often as convenient, and shall take the chair in any Tent they officially visit. They shall have power to attach and receive the funds of any Tent dissolved in accordance with Law 34, in whosesoever possession the same funds may be, by a resolution passed by them, certified under their hands, and signed by the D.C.R. and D.D.R., and countersigned by the D.S., and sealed with the seal of the District; such funds to be appropriated as hereinafter provided. They shall procure and issue the quarterly password. Their decision upon all questions of law shall be binding, unless disallowed by the Annual Meeting as provided for in General Law No. 108. They shall demand from Tents such sum as may be due according to the last returns to Funeral Fund, or for contingent expenses. They may call a District Meeting at any time when they conceive one to be required. They may grant clearances to any members who may wish to withdraw from any Tent about to secede from the District, or to break up, and to any members unjustly expelled; but such clearances when lodged in any other Tent shad not be hold to entitle the brother to sick benefit until he has been twelve months a member thereof.

5. District Officers, how chosen.—The nomination for District Officers shall take place at the October District page 9 Meeting in each year, and the election shall take place at the Annual Meeting. The nominations shall be made openly by members of the District Council, each nomination being moved by one officer or member and seconded by another officer or member. The election shall be taken by ballot, the names for each office being written or printed upon cards, one card to be handed to each officer and member present, who shall erase the names of those for whom he does not intend to vote, leaving one name only upon the card for each office. The District Chief Ruler shall take the poll, and may select two scrutineers to assist him; cards with more names than one left for each office shall be rejected in every case in which two names shall have been left for an office. The District Chief Ruler shall declare the poll, and declare the members thus chosen duly elected. In the event of an equality of votes for any office, the District Chief Ruler shall draw lots, and the member whoso name shall be so drawn shall be declared duly elected. No candidate for office shall be declared duly elected unless a clear majority of votes are recorded in his favour. The term of office shall commence from the 25th day of March immediately following the election, and prior to all officers taking their seats of office they shall take the obligation prescribed for such officer, which obligation shall be administered by the retiring D.C.R., or, in his absence, by the retiring D.D.R., or any past District Officer. If it shall so happen that one candidate only shall be proposed for any office, the District Chief Ruler shall at the Annual Meeting declare such one candidate duly elected without proceeding to a ballot. In the event of a vacancy occurring, it shall be filled by the remaining District Officers appointing a brother to the office until the next District Meeting (prior to which the D.S. shall send an intimation of such vacancy to each Tent), when nominations shall be received, and a ballot taken. Any member having filled the office of Chief Ruler or Secretary in any Tent shall be eligible for any office in the District.

6. Proxies.—Should the D.C.R., D.D.R., or P.D.C.R. reside more than twenty miles from Wellington, he may appoint a member duly qualified (see General Law 5) to act as his proxy: Provided, however, that the proxy so appointed shall be a full-benefit member of the Order.

7. District Chief Ruler.—The District Chief Ruler shall preside at all District Meetings and meetings of the District Officers. he shall have the oversight of the entire working of the District, shall take precedence of all officers, and shall take the chair in any Tent he officially visits. He shall open all Tents, or appoint, by writing under his hand, some duly-qualified member to act in his stead. He, or his proxy, shall sign conjointly with the District Secretary all official circulars issued from the District, and all orders for payment upon the District Treasurer.

8. District Deputy Ruler.—The District Deputy Ruler, or his proxy, shall assist the District Chief Ruler, or his proxy, at all District Meetings, and shall fulfil all the functions of the District Chief Ruler, or proxy, during their absence or illness.

9. District Secretary.—The District Secretary shall attend all the meetings of the District and District Officers, take minutes of all business transacted, and (unless a Corresponding Secretary be specially appointed) shall carry on the correspondence, keep the books, and transact all the business of the District. He shall receive all correspondence and file same, and be sole custodian of all books, goods, and other personal property of the District, and shall deliver up same on demand to District Chief Ruler, or any person duly authorised by resolution of the District Officers or District Council to receive the same. He shall cause all written communications and documents forwarded by him to be stamped, and bear the impression of the District seal. He shall procure, under direction of District Officers, all goods necessary for the efficient working of the District, and shall superintend the forwarding of same. He shall procure from all Secretaries of Tents the Annual Returns required by the "Friendly Societies Act, 1867," sec. LII., and shall transmit same to the Registrar-General. In all cases whore the funeral allowance is claimed, he shall procure from the Secretaries of Tents the certificate according to Schedule of Forms, No. 6. The salary of the District Secretary shall be fixed by the Annual District Meeting. He shall give security for the money and property in his possession in accordance with the "Friendly Societies Act, 1867," sec. XIX.

10. District Treasurer.—The District Treasurer shall receive all moneys from the District Secretary, and give receipts for same. All cash shall be placed in one of the banks to the credit of the District Council, to be thereafter invested in accordance with the provisions of the "Friendly Societies Act, 1867," sec. XXI. He shall, when required, balance his cash accounts, supply the District Secretary with a duplicate thereof, and allow that officer and the Auditors to inspect his accounts at ail reasonable times. Before taking upon himself the duties of his office, he must give security in accordance with the "Friendly Societies Act," sec. LII. All accounts to be paid by cheque, signed by D.C.R., D.S., and D.T.

11. District Trustees.—There shall be three Trustees of the District, and Henry Bowater, Gilbert Carson, and John Bock, all of the city of Wellington, in the colony of New Zealand, shall be the present Trustees, and shall remain in office during the pleasure of the District Council. They shall lay out and invest the moneys so lodged in their names in the bank as aforesaid, in accordance with a resolution passed by any quarterly or special Meeting of the District, a copy of such resolution being first received by them, signed by the District Chief Ruler and District Secretary. Every resolution appointing a Trustee shall be signed by such Trustee, and countersigned by the District Chief Ruler, District Deputy Ruler, and District Secretary, and such resolution, so signed and countersigned, shall be transmitted to the Registrar of Friendly Societies, to be by him deposited with the rules of the Order. In the event of a Trustee being removed from his office and refusing or neglecting to assign or transfer any property of the Order, such Trustee, if a member of the Order, shall for such page 11 refusal or neglect be expelled from and cease to have any claim upon the Order on account of any contributions paid by him.

12. District Guardian.—The District Chief Ruler shall from time to time appoint a member of one of the Tents to act as Guardian, whose duty shall be to keep the door at District Meetings, prevent the entrance of strangers, and remove any person from such meeting when so directed by the District Chief Ruler.

13. Auditors.—There shall be two Auditors appointed at the Annual Meeting in each year, whose duties shall be to examine and check the accounts of the District, see that the books are properly kept and balanced, and that a correct balance-sheet is prepared half-yearly. They shall be satisfied that all moneys, deeds, and securities are in safe keeping, and shall report half-yearly upon the state of the accounts and books; such report and balance-sheet to be printed and circulated among the members as soon as convenient. They shall be paid by the District, for their services as Auditors, such sums as may be voted by the Annual Meeting. Candidates for the office of District Auditors shall be nominated in the same manner as District Officers, and the Auditor who has hold office for the longest period shall not be eligible for nomination or re-election for the space of one year from the date of the termination of his office.

14. District Meetings.—The District Meetings shall take place quarterly, that is to say, in the months of April, July, October, and January in each year, and the time for holding the Annual Meeting shall be fixed by the January Quarterly Meeting. The Quarterly Meetings shall be held in the city of Wellington, and the Annual Meeting at such place as shall be determined upon at the preceding Annual Meeting. All meetings may be adjourned from time to time until the business on the paper be disposed of. No representative from any Tent more than three months in arrears to the District shall be allowed to take part in the proceedings of the District Council, or vote, or hold office. All meetings of the District shall be open to members of the Order, except when otherwise ordered by the District Officers; but visiting members shall take no part whatever in the business of such meeting.

15. Annual Meeting.—The Annual Meeting shall be held at such place and time as shall be fixed for holding same, as directed by the 14th General Law, at which the business set down upon the business paper shall be considered. All alterations of General Laws shall be made at this meeting. The officers of the District shall be elected, and all other matters directed to be done at Annual Meetings, and especially the matters set out in the 3rd General Law, shall be then determined. All the District Officers shall attend that meeting, and Tents shall elect representatives, who shall attend in person or by proxy. No member shall represent more than one Tent. The District Secretary shall not represent any Tent.

16. Attendance of Members.—Each Officer and Representative shall attend all meetings and adjournments of meetings of the District at the proper time and place. page 12 Any Officer, Representative, or proxy being absent when his name is called, shall be fined 2s. 6d., and if absent during the whole of the meeting he shall be further fined 2s. 6d., unless a satisfactory apology in writing be sent, when one or both fines may be remitted. Fines for non-attendance to be paid into the District Contingent Fund, and recovered from the defaulting brother by the Tent to which he belongs.

17. Certificate of Appointment.—Each Tent shall provide its Representative with a certificate of appointment ^* signed by C.R. and Secretary, and bearing the Tent Seal. Any Tent not providing its Representative with a certificate, or not appointing a Representative or proxy, ^† shall be fined 10s. for each District Meeting the Tent shall be so unrepresented.

18. Conduct of Members.—Officers and Representatives shall in all cases, when speaking, address the D.C.R. They shall speak once only on the same subject, except by way of explanation, and with consent of the D.C.R. The mover shall have the right to reply. Should any Officer or Representative violate this rule he shall be called to order, and should he persist he shall be fined 2s. 6d., and should he still persist he shall be further fined 5s., and be compelled to withdraw from the meeting. Fines to go to the District Contingent Fund, and be collected by offending brother's Tent.

19. Officers or Representatives Resigning.—Should any Officer or Representative resign his office before the expiration of the term for which he shall be elected, or be absent from two successive meetings—except a reason satisfactory to the District Council be assigned for such resignation or absence—he shall be fined 10s. and his office declared vacant, which shall be filled up according to law. Provided, nevertheless, that Representatives may be removed by their own Tent, as provided by the 107th General Law.

20. Special Meetings.—The District Chief Ruler, upon request of not less than one-third of the representative members of the District Council, shall have power to call a Special meeting; such request to be in writing, and the subject of such mooting to be clearly set forth.

21. Quorum.—No business shall be transacted at any meeting of the District unless two of the Officers be present, and the Representatives of not less than one-third of the number of Tents in connection with the District.

22. Funeral Fund.—The District Council shall establish a Funeral Fund for the interment of deceased members, and the deceased wives or widows of members (if insured), to which every member shall contribute the entrance fee according to General Law 43, and such other sum as the District Officers shall at the end of each quarter deem necessary to keep said fund at an amount equal to £1 per member for every member returned to the District the previous quarter. All moneys received on account of this fund shall be kept separate and distinct from all other page 13 funds, and no payments shall be made from the fund except for Funeral purposes.

23. Contingent Fund.—The expenses of management of the District shall be paid from a Contingent Fund, raised by an equal levy upon each member of the District; and the District Council shall have power to apportion and call for such levy quarterly or otherwise as they may determine. All payments by District Council (except funerals) shall be made from this fund; and the proceeds of sale of goods, &c., and fines not otherwise disposed of, shall be credited to same.

24. Quarterly Returns to District.—A return of all members good upon the books of each Tent, with the moneys paid for entrance, the contributions to the Funeral Fund, and the levies for contingent expenses, according to form to be provided by the District Officers, shall be sent to the District Secretary every three months, signed by the Chief Ruler and Secretary of the Tout; and if an incorrect return be made with a view to defraud, the officers making the return shall be fined £1 each. The Quarterly Returns must be made within fourteen days of the 25th of March, June, September, and December.

25. Funeral Allowance.—Upon the death of any member who has been twelve months in the Order, and whose payments and name have been returned in the last Quarterly Returns, and the production to the D.S. of the Certificate, according to Schedule of Forms, No. 6, the D.T., upon the order of the D.C.R. and D.S., shall pay to the Stewards of the Tent to which such deceased member shall have belonged the sum of £20 if insured for full benefit, or the sum of £10 if insured for half benefit; and upon the death of any member's wife, or widow, who has been registered twelve months, and returned as aforesaid, the D.T. shall pay, in like manner, the sum of £15.

26. Relief Contingent Fund.—The District Council shall establish a Relief Contingent Fund to assist those Tents which are unable to meet the legitimate demands of their members, and to insure sick pay to members of Tents dissolved in accordance with General Law 34, to which fund 6d. per member per annum shall be paid from Sick and Funeral Fund; when said fund shall have the sum of £500 to its credit, all contributions on its behalf to cease. Provided that, when the sum shall be under the amount of £500, the Annual Meeting shall have power to make a levy not exceeding 6d. per annum per member to make up deficiency, said levy to be paid as before provided.

27. Female and Juvenile Tents.—The District Council shall establish Female and Juvenile Tents upon application duly signed by not less than ten candidates, and countersigned by the Chief Ruler and Secretary of the Tent under the auspices of which such now Tent is to be established; such Female and Juvenile Tents, together with their entrance fees, payments, and benefit, to be regulated by laws adopted and confirmed by the District Council.

28. Assurance Branch.—The District Council may establish an Assurance Branch for insuring a sum to be paid or the death of a member to the person nominated in writing, to be deposited as provided by the "Friendly Societies Act;" page 14 such branch to be governed by Bye-laws and Regulations to be approved by the Annual Meeting. The payments and benefits shall be regulated by tables, which shall be approved by the Officer appointed under the "Friendly Societies Act."

29. Assurance Member.—Any full-benefit, half-benefit, or honorary member may become an Assurance Member, upon making application to the District Secretary, and upon his conforming to the requirements of said branch.

30. Annuity Branch.—The District Council may establish an Annuity Branch for the purpose of securing to members deferred annuities in old age upon their making certain annual payments, which branch shall be governed by Bye-laws and Regulations to be approved by the Annual Meeting; and the payments and annuities shall be regulated and defined by tables, approved and certified as directed by the "Friendly Societies Act."

31. Annuitants.—Any full or half benefit or honorary member may become an Annuitant Member upon making application to the District Secretary in the same manner and form as prescribed by General Law No. 28, for admission to the Assurance Branch.

32. Benevolent Fund.—The District Council may establish a Benevolent Fund for the relief of Widows and Orphans, or Members in distressed circumstances through sickness, accident, or other misfortune, to which fund twopence per quarter per member from Tent Contingent Fund shall be appropriated. All applications for assistance from this fund shall be made to the District Officers, such application to have the sanction of the Tent of which the applicant is a member, and be signed by the Chief Ruler and Secretary; and the District Officers shall have full power to inquire into the merits of such application, and grant any sum not exceeding £5 on such conditions as they may determine.

33. Travelling Relief Fund,—The District Council may establish a fund for the relief of members travelling in search of employment, and District Meetings may levy upon each member in the District to meet the required expenditure. Any member applying for aid when travelling must produce a certificate from his Tent, signed by the officers, certifying that he had sufficient reason for leaving his home; and no member shall be entitled to a travelling certificate until he is a full member, and shall at the time be good upon the books.

34. Dissolution of Tents.—Any Tent or Branch of the Order which has been established twelve months, and is not in a position to fulfil all the requirements of the dispensation granted at the opening, and of the General Laws of the Order, the District may dissolve such Tent or Branch in manner following, that is to say, by a resolution passed by the District Council, certified, signed, countersigned, and sealed, as provided in Law No. 4, and a copy thereof published three consecutive times in some one newspaper published in or nearest to the locality or district in which such Tent or branch shall be usually held; immediately whereupon such Tent or branch shall be dissolved, and to all intents and purposes cease to be a Tent or branch; and the production of the original resolution, and the several page 15 issues of the newspapers in which such published resolution shall appear, shall be conclusive evidence in all places and to all parties that such Tent or branch cannot fulfil all the requirements of the dispensation granted at the opening and of the General Laws of the Order, and that such Tent or branch has been duly dissolved, and ceased to be a Tent or branch, and without the production of any other evidence whatsoever. And the District Officers may grant clearances to the members to join some other Tent, and such clearances shall have the same effect as if granted from one Tent to another. All moneys, goods, and other property belonging to said Tent shall become the property and be placed to the credit of the District Relief Contingent Fund.

35. Complaint against District Officer.—In the event of a complaint being preferred against any District Officer, of breaking the pledge, violating the laws of the Order, improper conduct in the discharge of his official duties, or the committal of any civil crime or offence, such officer shall be suspended from the exercise of his functions by resolution assented to by a majority of the members of the District Council in ordinary or special meeting assembled, until such time as the District Council have investigated the complaint, and decided upon same. Provided, however, that such investigation and decision shall not be delayed for any longer period than four weeks, calculated from the time when the complaint was preferred; and that such officer shall not be suspended without first having been duly summoned to answer the complaint.

36. District to provide Goods.—The District Council shall provide General Laws, Books, Returns, Bashes, and all material necessary for the working of the Order, from which stock Tents shall obtain their supplies. Any Tent obtaining any such General Laws, Books, Returns, Sashes, material, &c., &c., otherwise than through the District, shall be deemed to have committed an offence, and shall forfeit and pay for every such offence the sum of five pounds.

37. District may be Divided.—Tents desiring to withdraw from the District for the purpose of forming a new District, shall give three months' notice in writing, signed by the C.R., D.R., and Secretary of each Tent, with the Seal affixed, such notice to be addressed to the D,C.R., to be given in at one District Meeting and to expire at the next District Meeting, up to which last-named time the Tents shall pay all returns, arrears, dues, and levies. It shall thereupon be lawful for the District Officers, by and with the sanction of the representatives of the remaining Tents, to take the necessary steps, prepare the documents, and proceed to open the new District. The new District shall receive from the parent District the amount of moneys contributed by the several seceding Tents to the Funeral Fund, less the amount chargeable to such Tents for funerals, and all other expenses incurred and losses occasioned in the management of the District. The same rule shall apply in the case of a Tent desiring to secede for the purpose of joining a new District. Any Tent leaving contrary to this rule, or in any manner infringing thereupon, shall be fined five pounds, to be paid into the District Contingent Fund, and be suspended.

38. District Bye-Laws.—The District Council may from time to time make Bye-laws for its own guidance, and for the better management and conduct of Tents and members, provided nothing therein contained shall be contrary to or opposed to any General Law, or to the provisions of the "Friendly Societies Act." Provided further that no such Bye-law shall take effect unless copies thereof be furnished to each Tent at least two months prior to a quarterly mooting of the Council, and a majority of votes of the members present at such meeting be recorded in favour of such Bye-law.

39. Dissolution.—Should the Order in the New Zealand Central District at any time be reduced to a less number than twelve good members, it shall be lawful for such members to dissolve or determine the Society by consent, at a meeting to be specially called for that purpose, provided that it shall not be dissolved or determined without obtaining the votes of five-sixths in number of the then-existing members thereof, including Honorary Members (if any), to be ascertained in the manner directed by the "Friendly Societies Act," sees. XXXVII., XXXVIII., XXXIX., and XL., nor without the consent of every person (it any) then receiving, or entitled to receive, any relief or other benefit from the funds thereof, to be testified under his hand. On the duly satisfying of the claim of every such person, the funds to be equally divided amongst such members, or paid in part or in whole to any one or more of the charitable institutions of the colony, as may be determined by a majority in numbers of such then-existing members.