Is It Time For An Online Virtual Lodge?

Should Odd Fellowship consider starting Virtual Lodges using online video conferencing? A Virtual Lodge is a lodge that meets exclusively online using a video conferencing platform. These platforms, used worldwide by business, governments, and other organizations, allow people to check into a virtual room with other people to conduct their business. When I was first […]

“Oddball” Polar Plunge in Victoria, BC – by Billy Sanderson

And then one day, the shared Odd Fellowship took hold of them. How can we make this a way to give back to our community? Brother Drew jumped right into the topic, “I’m thinking we should get serious about a Boxing Day swim and a pledge drive… When the topic hit the Facebook group, each one of these “sticks” jumped up to form a unified “bundle” to bring life to the idea.

Lodge Meetings don’t have to suck- By Toby Hanson, PGM

All of us who have had any level of professional experience have sat
through meetings. At best, they can be productive and informative. At
worst, they can be mind-numbing. Since we all have to endure meetings
of various effectiveness in our professional lives, why would we ever
allow our lodges to hold sloppy, disorganized meetings? Such meetings
represent a disregard for members’ time and a disincentive for their
continued participation in the lodge.

Ainslie discusses the Lodge Goat on the Historical Light Podcast -full video interview

Have you heard the jokes around Freemasonry about “the goat”? Have you heard of the Odd Fellows (IOOF)? Well, in this episode of Historical Light our resident historians tackle both topics head-on with a special guest, Ainslie Heilich. To top things off, Ainslie is our first guest on the show that is not a Freemason, but rather an Odd Fellow. We get to go on a special private tour of an Odd Fellows lodge and tackle the issue of the goat head-on in the process. You will not want to miss this episode!

Three Inquiries Into The Language Used In An Odd Fellows’ Lodge Open In The Initiatiory Degree And The Inclusivity That Language May Imply – by Arike van de Water

The Odd Fellows aims to include people of all genders, religions and other backgrounds, I was assured. While I have found this to be true of the community, the language used in the meetings does not yet bear this out. I wish to discuss the questions I have had about the language used in an Odd Fellow Meeting when the Lodge is open in the Initiatory Degree, and how we have, so far, handled these questions in the Mountain View Lodge.

Odd Fellowship is Progressive Part II by Michael Greenzeiger, GW CA

Unlike other types of organizations, which may find it desirable to have a set of officers or leaders that varies little from year to year, in Odd Fellowship we see value in giving as many brothers and sisters as possible the chance to participate in leadership. While, the “desk officer” positions of Recording Secretary, Financial Secretary, and Treasurer do often remain with the same individuals from year to year, there also exist the “line offices” which comprise a series of steps leading up through Noble Grand which are designed to be switched every year as the members advance.

17 Songs That Make You Think About Odd Fellowship

Matisyahu, Tim McGraw, Drake, Michael Franti, singers from the musical Rent, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Rage Against the Machine, Queen, Luminaries, Black Eyed Peas, Craig Morgan, White Stripes, Aretha Franklin, Bo Diddley, Swedish House Mafia, Bob Dylan. OK folks, these are music videos that can get you thinking about being an Odd Fellow. Some are […]

Immigrant Among You -by Arike van de Water

Here in Mountain View Lodge #244 we are trying to give hands and feet to the call to “relieve the distressed” by holding fundraisers, for detained immigrants and refugees, among other things. Isn’t that too political a cause? some critical thinkers in our lodge asked. So it may seem.

Diagram of the 1797 Lodge Layout of the Patriotic Order of Odd Fellows

First, the link below should bring up a diagram of a lodge of Patriotic Odd Fellows in 1797: Patriotic Order of Odd Fellows Lodge Layout The documentation I used to support the making of this diagram is the description of the lodge found in the 1797 ritual book. In looking at the diagram of the […]

I Live My Life According to the Philosophy of Oddfellowship – by Asean Malik Bey

I live my life according to the philosophy of ODDFELLOWSHIP, a philosophy that exemplifies the very essence of life itself, oneness with your creator, discovery of self, and the universal brotherhood of man.

Following Yourself On The Jericho Road

What if the story of the Good Samaritan is about YOU and your personal suffering? Taken as a whole, The Good Samaritan story can be about your own “inner suffering.” Those nights you are alone and cry yourself to sleep. Your anguish at not being able to achieve your goals, or that nagging addiction part […]

What is Oddfellowship? The Three Link Fraternity

The name itself signifies something different or out of the ordinary. And, it is ODD, because it endeavors to enlighten the mind without taking privileges. It conforms to Law, Religion, and sound Morality without usurping the rights of the rights of the church or that of the courts. It creates a brotherhood and sisterhood and not a division among men and women. It presents life in all its fullness, through degrees, so linked together that each one receiving the degrees may broaden his or her mind and elevate his or her character.