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.

Odd Group Activities For Your Lodge

We all need lodge activities. If you can get at least 3 people together from your lodge (including yourself), try doing one of the following Odd activities. Click the highlighted links for more information. 1. Ghost Hunting: Ghost Hunting 2. Visit an Escape Room: Escape Room 3. Brew some beer. Drink it. Homebrewing 4. Geocaching: Geocaching 5. Participate […]

GUOOF: Looking back at 175 years of excellence, then looking forward… -by Bro. Supreme Page

I reflect on the fact that today marks our 175th anniversary of existence in this country !!!! Hmmm….. I am not even sure where to go with my thoughts on the subject matter being that we have done so much with so little light shined upon us that we have nearly secreted ourselves to death ! I am grateful for the brethren I meet as I travel this path carrying the torch of #Oddfellowship into the next 175 years.

REPOST: IOOF Grand Lodges That Don’t Have A Website.

(This article was first posted in June of 2017. If your state has since gotten a website for its Grand Lodge, PLEASE LET US KNOW. We plan on reposting this same article for a while to emphasize how important it is to have a web presence. C’mon GL’s, let’s get online! 😉 ) Occasionally, our […]

Frustrated With Your Lodge? Start Over.

Frustration. It’s one of the key elements that can alert you to the fact that your needs aren’t being met. Have you become frustrated with your current lodge? Is the leadership not what you hoped for? Does the lodge leadership refuse to adapt to modern times, or to modernize? Is there so much infighting that […]

New Spin on an Odd Name

By forming a more diverse Lodge we are creating a real world version of the idealized 80s trope of the underdog team (often kids) who join forces and combine their unique talents to go on a great adventure and save the day. Or they overcome a great oppressor and learn more about themselves and unlock their true potential in the process. But it is always done as a team, and no one is left behind. Sounds pretty identical to what the Odd Fellows are taught in the Degrees.

Odd Fellows and Reefer Madness in 1843

Reading back issues of old Odd Fellows magazines from the early 19th century can result in a severe case of bulging eyes. Here’s an article from The Symbol and Odd Fellows Magazine, in 1843. See link below. A SUBSTITUTE FOR INTOXICATION There has been recently discovered in India, by accident in the first place we […]

Member Profile: Horace Bratcher of Waxa #80

Words by Roger Sitton http://www.waxa80.com/ Monday, February 19th, 2018 was Brother Horace Bratcher’s 92nd Birthday. Brother Horace is rumored to be Texas’ Oldest Active Odd Fellow. Joining Waxahachie Lodge No. 80 in 1949. He is still very active in the community. He tries to visit the hospital & local funeral homes on a regular basis. […]

Dark Redemption

A trailer for a film shot in an Odd Fellows Hall in Oceanside, California!