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.

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 […]

Living in FLT -by Ian Love-Jones

Decorative regalia and grand titles are woven through the world of fraternalism. Each one of those outwardly visible features can be a meaningful part of the adventure. With that said, someone who only knows about those outward aspects, might wrongly think that our greatest goal and commitment is to be an exalted high mucketymuck, rather than a thoughtful, and honorable person in daily life. The things that show outwardly should be only milestone markers of our personal and professional growth within the Order. The jewels and nifty names are not the goal.

Are You Waiting for Perfection? -by Ian Love-Jones

Odd Fellowship reminds us that our precious days are numbered. I hope you find that message more exciting than ominous, because it’s not meant as a hopeless warning. Instead, it is a loving reminder to all of us that now is the best time to do anything worth doing. If we truly understand that fact, then what holds each of us back from seizing the day

Consider the Orphan -by Ian Love-Jones

Doing the most good with our charge to educate the orphan, is a matter of imagining how broadly that command can apply. Have you considered that not all orphans are children whose parents have died? A person can be orphaned in essence, if during their journey of growth, they are separated from the experienced, protective guides who would have given them a sense of safety, direction, and community. So how can we educate not just orphans in the traditional sense, but orphans of that broader kind?

We Were All Strangers Once -by Ian Love-Jones

I deeply value a world where former strangers can build community with one another and celebrate universal kinship. Wanting to live in and to create that kind of world, was one of the things that first drew me to Odd Fellowship.

Where Do You Lead From? -By Ian Love-Jones

Odd Fellows build and maintain programs, speak publicly, coordinate charity, and hold together the connection and direction of their chosen-family. All of that means that Odd Fellows are in unique positions to learn, practice, and demonstrate leadership. Ponder this my friends, where do you lead from, as an Odd Fellow?

Degree Work Tips -by Aiden Brink

When I first joined my lodge our degree work had much to be desired, it was always haphazard, no one knew which costumes were which, there was always a last minute scramble putting people into each place as needed. Despite this haphazard nature I still fell in love with doing degree work. I began learning parts, not just reading, but actually memorizing and performing. We acquired some nondescript robes and props which gave us more flexibility.

Making Your Lodge Discoverable -by Toby Hanson, PGM, PGP

Some of the fancier and more modern lodges embraced the new-fangled fad of electric lights on the side of their halls to advertise which branch was meeting upstairs. Lodges of today need to embrace the modern equivalent of those fancy electric lights to let their communities know that they exist and are open for new members to come in.

Keeping It Simple (Through the Complexities) -by Ian Love-Jones

This writing is not about doing away with those valuable, and sometimes even critical complexities. Those structures and business processes help a great deal with elevating voices, keeping lodge doors open, lights on, charities funded, and member efforts organized. As we navigate those complexities though, it’s important to remember the simpler spirit of Odd Fellowship.

Trouble At The Top -by Toby Hanson PGM, PGP (WA)

I’ve heard so many stories from new members who have to battle older, more entrenched members who have grown complacent and no longer care to follow the Code or their jurisdictional constitution. While I can and do empathize with those who have carried the burden of keeping a charter on the wall for many years, their actions are often detrimental to the survival of the lodges they have worked so hard to preserve.