18 
INTRODUCTION. 
3. As societies having a custom of periodical 
division of funds. 
4. As societies having deposit funds. 
32. A branch is “ any number of the members 
o'f a society, under the control of a central body, 
having a separate fund, administered by them 
selves, or by a committee or officer appointed by 
themselves ■” but “ where a society has no fund 
under the control of a central body, to which 
every branch is bound to contribute, every branch 
is deemed to be, and must be registered as a 
separate societyA society which answers the 
double test of having a fund administered by 
every branch, and a fund administered by the 
central body, to which every branch contributes, 
may be dealt with as a single society. Such are 
the societies popularly called “ affiliated/-’ which 
are among the most important of existing Friendly 
Societies (a); and, under these provisions, the case 
of county societies also may be met. 
33. A society having branches, desiring to be 
registered as a single body, must accompany the 
application for registry with lists of its branches 
and copies of their rules, where they differ. Such 
societies must register iu each of the three 
kingdoms in which they do business, but the 
Assistant-Registrar for Ireland or Scotland is not 
to decline to register any rules which have been 
(a) The Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows has 3,611 
lodges, 533,520 members, and £4,542,221 funds. The An 
cient Order of Foresters has 4,585 courts, 555,062 mem 
bers, and £2,933,571 funds.