Famous American Odd Fellows of the Mid-1800s Digital Painting

by Ainslie Heilich Several months ago I was commissioned by Louie Blake Saile Sarmiento to create an image depicting a specific list of famous American Odd Fellows of the mid-1800s for his upcoming book on the Odd Fellows. This was no simple task and was definitely a labor of love. Thankfully, with the use […]

I.O.O.F. Certificates: A Lost Art by Scott Robinson

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is steeped in traditions and a rich history. Being one of the oldest surviving Fraternal Orders in the United States, it is a fascinating study of “lost arts.” What do I mean by “lost arts”? One only has to examine our own fine documents to see skills and pride that our modern society has all but forgotten about.

The Making

Taken from The Patriotic Odd Fellows, 1790’s, initiation: My son, the days of man are of short duration, and it is our duty with the help of God, to endeavor, even when the afflictions that attend advanced age press on us, to do our best for mankind although no longer able to bear the burden […]

New Music: Odd Fellows Hymn

I wrote/recorded/made the video all in one day just to force myself to complete something in a small window. I had written the words a few months ago. I wanted to capture the disorientation and mystery that someone goes through during initiation. All sound effects are authentic and come from my Lodge. Even the creaky 17th step!

Odd Fellows Hall, Digital Painting, Young Poets

In the video below we learn that our buildings continue to help communities express themselves, even though the lodge membership is long gone. The 99Angles Project is a multimedia artistic proposal that links digital writings to intervention’s methods in the public space. These 3 buildings, selected together with local artists, represent the past and […]

First Odd Fellows Funeral

The very first Odd Fellows funeral in the United States took place in Maryland: “Some time during the spring of 1823, Andrew Wark, a member of Franklin Lodge, No. 2, was accidentally knocked from the deck of his vessel into the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, where he was drowned before help could reach him. […]

Secrecy

SECRECY https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105550446;view=1up;seq=578 The Symbol, and Odd Fellow’s magazine. v.3 (1844) page 554. Some people speak out against Odd Fellows because they assume there are secrets the Order will never reveal except to members. We admit that secrecy is imposed upon our lodges and we believe secrecy is necessary and no sin. If we consider secrecy […]

Organizing Lodges

Organizing Lodges The Ark, and Odd fellows’ western magazine : a monthly … V9-10 1852-1853. Page 378 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32435051150662;view=1up;seq=384 We have a few words of advice to members and petitioners trying to organize new Lodges. There are instances where Lodges have been started in flourishing and business towns which have barely survived by having only the […]

One of the Things We’re Up To

One of the things we’re up to: Your Conductor has spent a lot of time perusing back issues of 19th century Odd Fellows publications. “The Ark,” and “The Odd Fellows Casket,” are two fine examples of 19th century Odd Fellows publications. However, reading them can be quite cumbersome for the modern reader. What your Conductor […]