THEY LAUGH BECAUSE I AM DIFFERENT. I LAUGH BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL THE SAME. -By Ian Irving Bacungan, Grand Sire, PHL

For a long time, I carried that line like a banner of defiance — as if being different meant standing in opposition, as if it were about resisting the crowd simply to prove that I could. I wore it like armor. I thought it was rebellion. I thought it was drawing a line between myself and the world and daring anyone to cross it. But the deeper I walked into Odd Fellowship, the more that understanding began to unravel.

On Being Kind and On Being Nice -By Ian Irving Bacungan, Grand Sire, PHL

There are seasons in the life of an Order when reflection becomes necessary — not because we are failing, but because we care deeply about who we are becoming.

This is one of those seasons.

Today, I speak not only as a leader, but as a brother who loves this insitution. A brother who
believes in its mission. A brother who has stood at the altar, felt the weight of the obligation, and understands that what we profess is not ceremonial — it is sacred.

The Nourishment of Good Fellowship -By Ian Love-Jones

I recently chatted with Torbjorn Andersson, my friend and Odd brother abroad. We agreed that reflecting together on some aspect of the Order, regularly and in writing, would be a great way to let iron sharpen iron, and to always keep creative energy close at hand. That agreement fits perfectly with our first chosen topic — the nourishment of good fellowship. Here are my thoughts:

Nourishment through Odd Fellowship -By Torbjörn Andersson

Maybe some of our first memories of the lodge involve meals being served after meetings. Warm food fresh bread and simple desserts created a sense of peace and equality. Around the table rank and title fade and ordinary, sometimes deep, conversations take over. We remember listening to stories from senior members who had served the lodge for decades as well as newly initiated brothers and sisters. Their wisdom arrived without pressure. A small remark about friendship or truth that became food for thought.

Your Earnest Efforts -by Ian Love-Jones

Our Order demands that we care for the sick, and relieve the distressed. We are reminded not to judge another by their exterior, and to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. We are called on to show hospitality to strangers, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to be charitable. Simply declaring a positive belief or affiliation is hollow, without daily actions that are rooted in love.

A New Name -By Ian Love-Jones

I’m in love with growth and personal reinvention. I once moved professionally from being a jailer, to becoming a teacher and author, and once moved personally from having a smaller circle to becoming an Odd Fellow, with kin across the world. I know intimately how each day of life brings new possibilities. I believe that we were created — not to stagnate, but to grow! And that explains why the white stone ceremony resonates so deeply with me each new year.

Burying the Dead -by Ian Love-Jones

Looking to the brand new year ahead, I meditate on the Odd Fellow’s charge to bury the dead. Burial is not about hastily hiding the bygone away, to put them out of sight and mind. Burial at its best, is about thoughtfully reflecting on what it means to depart, to remain, to have hope, and to be forever changed.

Odd Fellowship and Superheroes Part 2 -By Torbjörn Andersson

People often imagine the Odd Fellow world as a place of deep reflection, solemn symbols, and quiet dignity. All true. Yet if you look closely you may also discover something else: the spirit of a superhero meeting with less punching, fewer capes, and far better coffee.

Odd Fellowship and Superheroes Part 1 -By Torbjörn Andersson

Every fellowship begins with a single act of courage. Within the Odd Fellow world this courage emerges when an individual chooses service over comfort, compassion over indifference, and dignity over pride. While ancient symbols hold deep meaning, a surprising guide can be found in the heroes of the cartoon universe. Their stories reveal a truth […]

Visiting the Sick: Beyond the Bedside -By Ian Love-Jones

For a truer understanding of what it means to visit the sick, it helps to understand what it means to live with a serious illness, injury, or infirmity. Being sick is often much more complex than not feeling well. And visiting the sick has much greater depth than simply making an appearance at the bedside.

There is No Clock on the Wall of the Lodgehall! -by Torbjörn Andersson

When we visit a lodge in a place other than our homelodge, we immediately feel at home in the foreign hall because it has so much in common with our own.

Retreading the Path -By Ian Love-Jones

Members who sprinted into the daily work of Odd Fellowship right after initiation should do their best to backtrack, and to build up their knowledge about the Order. To their credit, most members do thoughtful and admirable research before joining up. Because Odd Fellowship has secrets only known to the initiated though, it’s possible to be made a member without a detailed knowledge of the Order’s inner workings, evolutions, lessons, successes and struggles. As a newer Odd Fellow, you simply don’t know what you don’t know.