Manchester Unity

Bro Donald Goodlad

Grand Master  2012 - 2013

Grand Masters Address

Thank you Worthy Deputy Grand Master.

Hello everyone and welcome to the 2013 Annual Moveable Conference of the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows Northern Rivers Incorporated.

Firstly, let me welcome all the people who have come to make this a special day for us all,

Visiting Grand Masters, and your colleagues, we thank you for your attendance. Also visiting Interstate Dignitaries and members of partner orders we welcome your presence here today and value your wisdom.

Officers and members of our order, we thank you for coming and supporting your order, we welcome your contribution and feel that together we can make a great future for our order.

During the year, we mourned the passing of 2 of  our members as well as friend in other orders. We express our sincere condolences to those who have lost a loved during the year.

I had the honour of visiting many functions this term and while I was not able to make as many of the lodge visits as I would have preferred, I was able to make the district meetings, the social committee meetings and the fraternal council meetings. While I could discuss each in some detail I prefer to say that I thank the officers, member and visitors for their    contributions and efforts, for the professional manner in which each of the meetings were carried out and the good humour and wit demonstrated throughout.

Much work has been done in the last twelve months on improving our order, with plenty more still to come. I would like to thank all the members concerned (you know who you are) for the many hours of work in this regard.

Today, we can finally get a feel for our order. We have the association and now we will start putting the by-laws to the members, at this AGM and future AGM's we will continue to mould our Order in an image that reflects our high ideals of Friendship, Love and Truth.

Last year, I mentioned that promoting our order was a priority for me personally, and encouraged people to ask friends and family to join, we purchased a domain [www.muioofnr.com.au] and we have a website which all our members are entitled to join. Unfortunately I have not followed through on the Facebook website, but feel that with more time on my hands this year inroads can be made in this area as well as twitter, and other social media.

I welcome to the order the many new faces (and some familiar faces) who have joined our Order in the last twelve months. In particular I welcome Gary Phelps, who is a good mate of mine, one of our newest members and thank him for his contribution.   

Business cards for our officers and Banners have been purchased you can see them in the room today. We are finally able to bring a corporate presence which will marry up the colouring, insignia and logos of our order to provide a professional organisation we can be proud of.

Finally, our order is what we make it. The council is in place to act and implement ideas that our members put forward. Be involved in your local lodge, create ideas, and comment on the ways things are done, and contribute to the whole. If you’re going to criticise do so constructively, so our order can become even greater.

In friendship, love and truth

Bro Donald Goodlad.

Grand Master