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.

Excerpts from DDGM Instruction Manual – by Michael Greenzeiger

Beyond our core principles, there are infinite possibilities for how a lodge can be. One may think of it as a platform for holding whatever social, fraternal, or service activities fit the desires and interests of its members – so long as those activities are in harmony with our principles. Lodges have been successful in many different ways: through shared meals and parties, through putting on activities, through sharing in hobbies, through serving the local community in whatever capacity, through raising money to give to good causes, through practicing and performing the Ritual of the Order, through studying the deeper meanings of Odd Fellowship and its rituals, or through engaging with our history.

I.O.O.F. YOUTH: IS THERE HOPE FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR YOUTH BRANCHES? By Louie Blake S. Sarmiento

Many of the dedicated leaders in the Odd Fellows and Rebekah Lodges today began as members of these youth branches. Regretfully, the youth groups under the I.O.O.F. failed to grow and develop into an international youth organization. There are many reasons. One is presumably because the I.O.O.F. in the continents of Europe, North America and Australia failed to coordinate with each other to form one cohesive international youth organization.

Katy Perry, Polarity, and Problem Solving

Hermes Trismegistus, an Egyptian mystic and philosopher, stated that all things have polarity or two sides. My grandmother used to say “there are two sides to every story.” And it’s true that every event, every position, every direction, has two sides, two aspects, or has an opposite. Front and back, on and off, hot and […]

Disability, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Race, Resolution No. 5!

(Italics, red letters, boldface is used by author of this post to HIGHLIGHT important parts of the code in this first section) From the IOOF Code of Laws: “Resolution No. 5 – 2017 – by unanimous consent – adopted Thursday the 24th August 2017 The Executive Committee of The Sovereign Grand Lodge moved the following, […]

Communication Breakdown – by Seth Anthony

Let’s face it, with the average age of our membership, the most effective method to reach all of the Odd Fellows in Sovereign Grand Lodge is through a paper publication. It’s the single best way our leadership has to communicate to all of members. Yet, I’m willing to bet the vast majority of our Brothers and Sisters opt out of this communications device by choosing to not re-subscribe. By doing so, they are choosing to turn off communications with our national leadership, which in turn disconnects them from the fraternity.

Where is Your Lodge’s Focus – by Toby Hanson DGM

Since I joined the Executive Committee of the Grand Lodge of Washington upon my election as Grand Warden, I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling and visiting lodges in my jurisdiction. The experience has taught me a lot about the workings of various different lodges. One of the most important things I’ve picked up in my travels is that some lodges tend to have more of an internal focus and some have more of an external focus.

The Millenial Generation: Seeking The “Authentic” by Todd E. Creason

You see, Freemasons and Odd Fellows alike aren’t exactly sure what to make of the millennial generation. We don’t think they’re interested in what we have to offer. We believe they’d find our ritual too “old fashioned” and view our values as a relic left over from the long-forgotten past. But that’s not true at all. Ainslie said the millennial generation is searching for authenticity. They are seeking authentic experiences–something far more real than posting a photo on social media and seeing how many people “like” it.

23,000 Views, and THANKS!

23,000 views…daaaang! We never expected this! We’ve been a blog for just over a year. Thank you, if you’ve ever read ONE article on Heart In Hand. If you’ve read more than one, thank you again and again. And, to put some of ya’ll on blast, we’ve learned something about you: You love the Order, […]

Odd Fellowship and a View of Urban America

Do you hate living in the city? Or do you live in the country and you’re glad you don’t live in the city? Even though country living may be seen as the ideal by some, the truth is, the United States is becoming more urban each decade. There has been a decline in rural population […]

Community Bonds Have Withered

THE BONDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE WITHERED Odd Fellows research is clear: there is a decline of community in our modern era. Odd Fellows recognize that modern society is eroding many forms of community life, social attachments, and a shared sense of comradeship, unity, and support. Some research has indicated a decline in community […]

Do You Have a Plan? by Toby Hanson DGM, WA

In any organization there’s something called “institutional knowledge:” the knowledge inherent in the institution which is necessary to the function of the organization. This can be anything from procedural information, like how to file reports, to where supplies are stored or what day the garbage is picked up. In Buckley #75, all of our institutional knowledge was invested in only one person and, when she passed away, that knowledge was lost. Now we’re going through the difficult and time-consuming process of rebuilding that store of knowledge.