Copenhagen bike messengers – freedom and friendship

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The Inclusive Order of Odd Fellows by David Scheer

Regardless of what the “I” in I.O.O.F. officially stands for, in our hearts as Odd Fellows, it should stand for Inclusiveness. Inclusiveness is the actual historic meaning of Odd Fellows. When our Order was born from the trade guilds in England, ODD meant DIVERSE, (as in odd jobs.) A fellow was a member of a trade. Other trade guilds were exclusive. The Masons only allowed masons. The Foresters only allowed foresters. The Odd Fellows were inclusive, they encouraged diversity and allowed members of any trade to join their fraternal guild.

Can’t We All Just Get Along? By Bro. Page of the GUOOF

I say that to say this, are we both so caught up in the past that we cannot evolve? I might be considered outta pocket to elders from both sides but….Am I crazy for wanting our Orders to come together? I’m aware that this is a daunting task that would take lots and lots of planning, debating, discussions, but aren’t we worth it ???

Odd Fellows and the Mystery of an Unidentified Murder Victim

“The Tamam Shud case, also known as the Mystery of the Somerton Man, is an unsolved case of an unidentified man found dead at 6:30 am, 1 December 1948, on Somerton beach, Glenelg, just south of Adelaide, South Australia.” — Wikipedia Below is an article alleging a connection between Odd Fellows and the Somerton Man Mystery. He may have been an Odd Fellow, but […]

Fraternal Art Symposium

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.

Part II: Bro. Page of SC GUOOF Shares His Journey

Again FLT to Bro. Ainslie for allowing me the opportunity to ultimately get the word out about Oddfellowship as a whole! I joined the Grand United Order of Oddfellows for a multitude of reasons. I did not join because of family ties nor did I join for notoriety as the Order almost “secreted itself to […]

Bro. Page of SC GUOOF Shares His Journey

(Editor’s note) To learn more about the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows please check out GUOOF.org and guoofamerica.com -Ainslie When Bro. Ainslie asked me to post it came as an honor to be included amongst the rest of the great articles on the blog !!! (Thanks and flt) I’m not sure quite where to begin so […]

The Odd Fellows as a Business -by Scott Robinson

The Odd Fellows as a Business As a new member to the Odd Fellows (February 2017), it never ceases to amaze me that when I talk to someone about the IOOF, I always hear, “wow, I didn’t know they are still around.” Believe me, I talk to a lot of people about the IOOF! So […]

Odd Interview: Peter Sellars GM of California

Peter Sellars is the 2016-2017 Grand Master of California and he is the first in hopefully a series of member interviews with the aim of capturing a diverse group of experiences and ideas about the Order. Enjoy! -Ainslie Your name, and a little about yourself/who are you outside of Odd Fellows? Peter V. Sellars. I am […]

The Scythe: Cutting Remarks

The Scythe: Cutting remarks Here’s a video with remarks to follow: One of Odd Fellowship’s most recognizable symbols is the scythe. As you saw above, it can cut grass, but its most important job is to harvest tall crops like wheat. To understand the rural imagery of the scythe it is important to understand its […]