Thomas Wildey’s Life and Love of Odd Fellowship

True, he was known to many now living; but even they were not admitted to the knowledge of his private walks, or to witness those home scenes which more than any other indicate the man. He was at all times reticent, or entirely silent, about himself, and his solitary life gave no glimpse into the obscurity of his domestic secrets. He was manifestly of humble extraction, and might be ranked one remove above a common laborer.

New Symbol Shirt Designs by Ainslie Heilich

I have been working on some minimalism/geometric monoline designs to represent the Degrees of Odd Fellowship. It was tough to figure out what symbols to include or exclude, but I am pleased with the overall inclusion.

These designs are available in the Heart in Hand Store, and are able to be placed on tons of unique products if tshirts aren’t your thing. As always, all proceeds benefit my home Lodge.

Beware of Do Nothings, “Nice Guys”, and other Low Hanging Fruit

Not to be confused with actively seeking help or assistance, we are taught that showing desperation as individuals will attract nothing good. If we are desperate for a date then we will attract the scumbags who see us as an easy score. If we are desperate for a job then we will only get the lowest offers possible.

Learn the Lodge Officer Jewels- new art by Ainslie Heilich

In order to help with the process of learning which piece of regalia goes where…and to answer the eternal question, “is this one for the Secretary or Financial Secretary?” I have designed this chart, using the same room layout image found in our charge books.

IOOF Ciphers designed by Ainslie Heilich

For a long time I have been a fan of Turbayne’s “Monograms and Ciphers” book so I was inspired to make some IOOF related ones. These are free for any Odd Fellow or Lodge to use for the Good of the Order so long as it is not for personal profit. If you are using these for a shirt I would love it if one was sent my way.

Odd Fellows of Today: Our first VLOG!

Check out our first VLOG! If this goes well we would like to do more videos and vlogs to supplement our written content. Let us know what you think and subscribe to the channel for more!

Ainslie Heilich and Jenn Sereno sit down and chat about their experiences as active members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The conversation spans a big span of topics from getting new members, putting on events, community outreach, the value of learning from long time members, and the future of the IOOF.

Ainslie Heilich talks ODD on Local News

“We found all this great, old regalia that was hidden up in the crawlspace … Almost like National Treasure, it’s like you start down a path of little bread crumbs and it just kinda ropes you in further and further … and here we are,” says Heilich.

Reflections on Being an LGBT+ Odd Fellow.

I would like to think that part of my personal growth through that transition could be attributed to the philosophical lessons our Order teaches and how they can be used as a member of the LGBT+ community. At the end of this piece you will find my interpretation of the Degrees through the lens of the LGBT+ experience.

Mind the (Generational) Gap

In England, the London Underground has a famous phrase, “MIND THE GAP”, that is played over the PA system and is emblazoned on the edge of the station platforms. This now iconic warning is to remind passengers stepping on or off of the trains to look down and make sure they aren’t stepping out into thin air, as many of the station platforms are curved and therefore create a large divide to step over. As Odd Fellows, we have our own gap to mind. The generational one.

There is More than One Way to Be an Odd Fellow

We need members that have certain strengths that may get overlooked when simply trying to “fill the chairs”. We don’t all want to work at the Grand Lodge level and attend formal events or even hold leadership positions in the lodge that require a member to do a lot of speaking in front of groups. While it is nice to have a lot of people show up for the business meetings, I have learned from many of my Lodge family that they feel uncomfortable reading the roles out loud and it gives them a lot of anxiety, even though they know no one would judge them for messing up. Instead of twisting the arms of members like these to only participate in the traditional method of belonging to a Lodge, there are alternative ways that they can be active members and contribute to the Order in effective and valuable ways.

The Warden’s Axe – our 100th post!

There is an old Odd Fellows tradition that has been lost, but we recently decided to bring it back in my lodge. It is the tradition of the Warden’s Axe.

In many lodges it is customary to collect donations for the needy and distressed on the Warden’s axe, which has painted on the side presented for the donation the expressive Heart in Hand -Grosh’s Manual p.104

Are You Part of the Problem?

If you think this post is about you, then it probably is.

Do you truly carry the lessons of Odd Fellowship in your heart and through your actions? Or are you an Odd Fellow only during Lodge and once you get in your car and return to your regular life you forget about it all until the next meeting?

There are many ways we can discuss incorporating the teachings of the Degrees into our daily lives, but I want to focus one one area today. Social Media.