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 […]

Pondering the Three-Fold Mystic Chain

This poem appears on page 35-6 in the 1846 edition of “The Odd Fellows’ Offering”, a book published annually from 1843-1854 of collected literary submissions by members. It has poems, stories, speeches, and more, all relating to Odd Fellowship in some way. Be it highlighting a profound experience or analyzing the smallest thread of […]

Three Link Plan by guest contributor Scott Robinson

Three Link Plan Progress – The Certificate Lewisburg Lodge No. 96 One of the “Links” of our Three Link Plan is to embrace our rich history and heritage that guide our purpose. In order to reach back to our roots, our history, and heritage, we examined an original blank membership certificate that we have […]

A Lifeboat Challenge

Odd Fellowship has four commandments: Bury the dead, relieve the distressed, educate the orphan, visit the sick. The concept is to do good works in our communities. But is it that simple? Let’s look at an ethical situation. Pretend for a moment your lodge was on a ship that sank to the bottom of the […]

The Making

Taken from The Patriotic Odd Fellows, 1790’s, initiation: My son, the days of man are of short duration, and it is our duty with the help of God, to endeavor, even when the afflictions that attend advanced age press on us, to do our best for mankind although no longer able to bear the burden […]

New Music: Odd Fellows Hymn

I wrote/recorded/made the video all in one day just to force myself to complete something in a small window. I had written the words a few months ago. I wanted to capture the disorientation and mystery that someone goes through during initiation. All sound effects are authentic and come from my Lodge. Even the creaky 17th step!

The Common Good: Mad Max and Little Lord Fauntleroy

The Common Good. “It is possible that people should combine for the common good; hence we have societies…united by a compact, which protects their members.” There are several things in the above quote that an Odd Fellow can observe. However, I’ll focus specifically upon the idea, put forth in the quote, of a social contract. […]

Bro. Mathew Yingling and the “Columbus Factor”

While it is true that idle curiosity caused me to join, what I found in the organization is what kept me coming back. It kept me going to meetings, researching, looking for ways to improve myself and my Lodge. My Lodge and the Order it belongs to impressed me in a way that nothing in the world ever has. It has presented me with the privilege to meet some of the greatest people I have ever met. Doing the work of the order and moving through the chairs has been one of the greatest honors I have ever been able to experience outside of fatherhood and my marriage to Jessica who shares in Odd Fellowship with me.

Attracting Attention to Your Lodge for Potential Members

While I can’t guarantee it will work for everyone or every lodge situation… this is what I have witnessed from successful Lodges and my own personal lodge experience. Also, of the things listed below, so much of it depends on determining the culture of your lodge and what kind of members you are aiming to attract. I wrote a post about that you can check out on the blog. I am sure a lot of these are obvious and you probably already know all this too… but here goes.

On the Edge of Revival

My theory is that the Gen X and Millennial generations are looking for something outside of formal religion that is fun, mysterious, and meaningful to help make sense of the chaotic world we live in today. People like me got intrigued by the history and the mystery of all of the symbols and rituals and it drew me to the order. I needed to feel like I was a part of something larger than myself. Something that was serious but didn’t take itself too seriously. Something that helps the community. Something that gives me a purpose and reminds me to do the right thing. Odd Fellows is all of those things and more.