The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-06-14 00:00:00

FORESTER: AND opoFELLowr FETE.

Th. Courts " Alexandra " (Foreskin), and " Lora_
Victoria " (Oddlellows), united in organirbiff...i,
o.y• gr""
demorwtration on Whit-idoedaY, sad b
to state their efforts were eminently entiosedurn.
It IS
• matter of history that in this pert of the globe the
Sunday was in Ankle( monad to the week of almost
oalbeat which lutd bees espewWwewl• 7_,"
ornparakively wet sod etwerlete. toff buffan"
y foe the people e holiday on the seeeeediog
.
day
The fete was held la • bold, kW', lost by Mr.
Lamm A capital &ewer we. provided he a meeequee.
whew Ms. Ilosefts• Grit prodded.

After the good things provided had been done
ample justice to, the urns( loyal toasts were duly
honoured, the bands of the Volunteers and Kingston
taking it in turn to play the musk of the interludes.
In proposing "The Bishop of the Diocese, and the
Clergy of all Denominations," Mr. Gomm said the
Bishop was a very old man, but he was also a very
clever and a very good man, and whoever had beard
hi=
must have been struck not only with the
of his sermon, but the soundness of the
Luise@ he inculcated. They had a most excellent
representative of the cloth present in Mr. Pelham
Stokes. He had not been very long among them, but
during the time he had been he had rendered himself
universally lilted. (Hear, hear.) He had done an
immensity of g 0,1, and no one could have been found
more fitted for the parish. As regards the ministers
of other denominations, he had had the pleasure of
making the acquaintance of Mr. Judson and Mr.
Denshaan (who was not present) some time ago, and
he had found them most intelligent hard•working
men, men who were not afraid of going about and
doing good, and teaching other people what they
v
believed to right. It was a great comfort to have
clergymen in a pariah who would sympathise with
them in their sorrows, and help joy with them in their
prosperity. (Hear, hear.)

. .
Rev. PELHAM Swim responded, and expressed the
pleasure it gave him to be resent. He thought such
gatherinp were of the greatest benefit. They brought
nem the closer together, and made them drink deep
that true spirit of manhood which was brotherhood.
The rev. gentleman said perhaps since he had been
=mug them be had failed in one little respect, and
that was that he was not • member of either of the
societies, but he booed 'cry soon to belong to both, if
they would have him. (Cheers.) He concluded
by reading • poem in the Dorset dialect, of which the
following was the first verse :

"And more, the good man gied 'ept wernin
To spend their eernin's like the monsin',
And not to pray vri' =orate tongues
And then to swear wi' creole' lungs."
Rev. Mr. Jouscor also responded, and urged them
to tay and live Ile men, using the mental and physical
facAtiee with which God had blessed them to the best
anvietage, and not to put off their preparation until
the thee el sickness came.
" The Army, Navy, and Reserve Forces was the
next txt pioosed by the OH•11111AN. He said it
was • able thing nations could not do without war,
and Fs.was also a saddening reflection to think that
this country spent something like MI millions a year
en Its army and navy. There was, however, this
immolation, so far as England was concerned—it.
army aid navy were voluuteer forces. In other
countries coescription prevail-d, and although no
doubt It WM patriotic that every man should serve him
woutitlT.Tet it was more healthy th 4 it should be done
voluntarily. They had not so large in army as other
li but .v in on. to protect their colonies they
agetelliliged to hat e a very large navy, and he
believed one of the most Imposing eights to be seen in
the world was their fleet of ironclad*. It was a great
comfort to them to know that in case of their army
being required to go into foreign countries, they had
an effAent body to take thei, phce at home. (Cheers.)
He believed awe the movement had tint bees
sfarted something like 500,000 had passed through the
ranks, and the volunteer force at the present moment
numbered 200.000.

Mr. BAJUTOILD responded in behalf of the volunteer
foram

The Van•CstaninAte then proposed "Success to the
Ancient Order of Foresters." He said if they looked
at the great national institutions which were
established for the relief of nemeesity, and suffering
under their Poor Lsws, there was no doubt they were
6Pen to many objections; and .though again the
private charities of the kingdom did • vast amount of
good, yet there were also =any evils attending them.
limb an association as that of the A.O.F. was free
from any of the objections which could be brought
public or private charities, from the simple f.,ct
against
tt euooess depended upon those who belonged to
It, and the classes who derived He benefits were those
who were called upon to support it. To be areod
Forester, one must be • good man, and the objects
which Foresters had in view must commend them.
selves to everybody. With the toed he coupled
the name of Mr. Dyer, the district secretary.
Mr. Din, In the course of • lengthy and interest-
ift speech, said it was • source of the greatest pleasure
to him to be able to say the A.O.F. was the largest
Friendly Society in ths world. They mustered at the
present time no leo than 5.55,000 financial members.
They were • much younger society than the kindred
Institution, the Oddfellows, and their capital was not
quite so much, bakes, doubt, both would go on and
Increase. Their court funds, at present, were within
• few pounds of 3 millions. In peat years, they had
bees socustomed to judge of their position, by the
balance sheets of the various branches, but recently
Parliament, in its wisdom, had seen fit to apply to
them the test of vital statistics, that was to see whether
they had made proper provision for those risks which
must come upon them as members g.ew old. That
test had been applied to his own district, which com-
prised Dorset, Hants, Wilts, Somerset, and a portion
of flastiez, and be was happy to say it had been found
they were able to pay about 30s. in the L. Whom./

The i 7gautpme then gave " Snooess to Court Alex-
&mfr.." and in cling so oong-atula'ed the member&
upon the pleasant meeting which they had up toithen.
With tbs toast he coupled the name of the energetic
boa. eio., Mr. George Casa.

Mr. CANS returned thanks, and stated their court
numbered 235 financial and four honorary members ;
and their funds at the end of the last year amounted
£3705.. OW., which was an Increase on the previous
year of 02 Its. 3d. He alao proposed the health of
Kindred Societies, the Oddfellows, and the Dorset
Friendly Society.
Ur. firm) acknowledged the compliment in behalf
of the Oddfellows.

The health of the Mayor and Corporation was then
given by the CHAIIIJIAM, and duly responded to.
ham ;"
G. FILLITZI proposed "Th. Trade of Ware-
sad
Mr. COLLIITHILL replied In behalf of the Trade.
Mr. FULLASD FIUME{ proposed in graceful
tines the health of the Chairman, which was received
with repeated cheers.
The CIIAIRMAN expressed his thanks for the honour
dem him, and in the course of his remarks said be
had a very pleasing duty to perform, and OM
was to present a vellum from the Royal Humane
Society to one of their number for his bravery in
saving life. (Loud cheers. 1 It was an act of which
they must all be proud. He could conceive nothing
wore conducive to one's own comfort and pleasure in
after-life, than to feel be had been the mesas of saving
the life of • fellow-creature.

Mr. W. Tsunamr briefly stated the eircumgances
undo, which the recipient of the honour, William
Orchard, on the lilth M April lest, saved the life of •
man named Benjamin Lome, afterwards bravely
swam to the ardstanee of another mao, named George
whe were upset from • beat on the river.

The young fellow received the vellum which wad
signed " Argyle" from the chairman, amid round. of
camera.

Mr. BAG4S then proposed "The health of the Vice.
chelnean," which was very cordially received.
Mr. PAXTON haring replied " The health of the
Ladies," concluded the proceedings.
The Oommittee had provided a number of outdoor
setertainmente—acmbatic, nigger minstrelsy. and the
and these, with dancing and ti.. to the ring,
afforded simple amusement to about 2,000 persons.
The members of the societies attended church on the
Sunday morning, when the Rev. Pelham Stokes
preached, and alluded pointedly to the menet of riot
and disturbance, which too often attended these
Unfortunately his words were borne out
gathering..
before the day had ciosed, the police, under Mr. Supt.
Lavender, having quite enough to keep order.