A Resplendent Display: An argument for Regalia and its importance -by Aiden Brink

I want to begin my entry today by saying that I absolutely love regalia, be it robes, collars, aprons, I love them all. I also know for a fact so did the founders of OddFellowship. In those early years regalia looked a little bit different than it did today, in fact Odd Fellows were in the habit of wearing both collars, sashes, and aprons. You can find many examples of beautifully decorated aprons and collars from the early years of our order, which demonstrate in their intricate designs the care and regard with which their owners held OddFellowship. 

(Examples of Early Odd Fellows Regalia)

Moving into the 1840’s The aprons get dropped off to disassociate with masonry, which was being persecuted at the time, and you see the form that would be more familiar. Collars and sashes were the name of the game, and elected officers would wear collars embroidered with the symbol of their office, while appointed officers would wear sashes in the same manner. 

(A Mixture of many degrees, with officers bearing distinctive regalia)

This regalia was important to the members so much that even small lodges found it important to furnish themselves with proper collars. This is explained well in some Odd Fellows annuals at the time as being of the utmost importance, to instill a sense of duty, responsibility, respectability, and of course exclusivity to the membership. Of course the members who were not officers would also have collars according to their ranks. All the way through the 1940s you always see impressive displays of beautifully embroidered third degree and past grand collars. 

(A mixture of many collar types, note they vary in expense, but all provide a amazing effect)

(Example of A Noble Grands Officer Collar)

This regalia wasn’t meant to be some secret, or to be just something you put on for a meeting before it goes back in the closet. Regalia was always intended for the meetings but also to be shown off! You can find a legion of example photos of Odd Fellows marching in parades, attending funeral ceremonies, or wearing their fancy regalia for portraits and ceremonial occasions. This was not an accident. They knew that by putting themselves out into the community and showing pride in their regalia they would inspire curiosity and drive interest in Odd Fellowship.

(Odd Fellows showing pride on parade)

There is sometimes a misconception that regalia is something private, when in fact it is created to be an earnest expression of one’s love for the fraternity, a proud badge of membership. Those of you who look around at the regalia that many lodges use for meetings won’t necessarily recognize this. It is very common now for lodges to purchase chain or rope regalia, which simply bears an emblem of office on a simple chain or rope. These are easy, and they are cheap, but they fundamentally cannot serve the same functions as traditional regalia. 

The fact that you must wear regalia in a meetings isn’t supposed to be some simple checkbox of “How can I most easily satisfy that arbitrary requirement” it’s meant to be an affirmation of the importance of display, of the need to invest in the wearer a sense of responsibility, a connection to those who have all worn with pride the same collars. 

One of the chief complaints and reasons people state for not adopting traditional regalia is the expense. Yes, it used to be easier to order regalia, there were many suppliers, and you could order from catalogs anywhere between the fanciest and simplest models. Now the only remaining “Approved Vendor” is Kalamazoo regalia, whose prices are far too high for most lodges. 

(Katipunan Odd Fellows Lodge No. 20 and Kagitingan Odd Fellows Lodge No. 12, Two of the many Philippine lodges, looking amazing!)

Luckily for us, many of these collars are relatively simple, especially plain degree collars, and I have produced some myself with my rudimentary knowledge of hand sewing. There is also proof that regalia can still be manufactured in the Philippines. If you have ever seen pictures of philippine lodges on facebook, you may notice that they seem resplendent in the variation and type of traditional regalia they utilize, this is because Three Links PHL operates there. Their reasonable prices and varied selection make it possible for lodges to look their best. The prices for international shipping make ordering from them a less attractive option for Lodges in other parts of the globe, but they have clearly shown that production of regalia is not only possible, but can be done cheaply and easily!

(Pangasinero Encampment No. 13, an example of a modern encampment in Full Regalia)

(Three Links PHL Pricing (Add 85 dollars for shipping to North America))

If you have knowledge of sewing, or embroidery and access to a sewing machine (Or like me have too much time and just use your hands) you can even make your own lodge collars and sashes to your own liking and desires. 

If you ask me what is the number one danger to Fraternalism today, I’d tell you its complacency. The idea that we can just keep making things simpler and easier, lowering the bar, and that this will attract new members clearly doesn’t work. Maybe we should look to our forebears and think about why they thought it so important to maintain their traditions, customs and dignity. If we were to stand shoulder to shoulder with the lodges of yesteryear, I should hope that we eventually won’t look so poor in pride and dignity as we do now. 

(Wildey Clearly thought Regalia was an important part of creating a fraternal experience)

So what can you do now?

Think about patterning some collars, try your hand at sewing, maybe order from PHL. Even with shipping at 85 dollars, their prices are reasonable. If nothing else, just take some time to consider how investment into the trappings of a lodge might be an important part of attracting new interested members. 

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