How to Promote Your Lodge – by Toby Hanson, GM

The easiest way to share the story of Odd Fellowship is person-to-person. When the grocery checker asks if you have any plans tonight, you can answer her by saying that you’re going to your lodge meeting. That’s a great opener for talking Odd Fellowship because it always leads to a question about the lodge. Wearing an identifying piece of clothing like a hat or shirt is another great way to prompt questions about Odd Fellowship. Make sure that you’re able to give a concise, accurate answer when the question comes up…

How AMC Installed a Lodge in Every TV in America, & We Missed It -by Ryan Sumner

I didn’t even realize the show existed, until we were several episodes into the season. I was shocked,”How did we not hear about this? How were Lodges not involved in the marketing? How did our Grand Lodge not notify us of it? Every great movement in history always has echoes in art, fashion, media and lifestyle. The West is in the midst of a revival in Fraternal Orders and we must capitalize on the awareness and exposure!” I had to check it out.

Ainslie Heilich talks ODD on Local News

“We found all this great, old regalia that was hidden up in the crawlspace … Almost like National Treasure, it’s like you start down a path of little bread crumbs and it just kinda ropes you in further and further … and here we are,” says Heilich.

Odd Fellows’ Code of Ethics -By Louie Blake Sarmiento

Odd Fellows’ Code of Ethics By Louie Blake Sarmiento, M.A. Odd Fellows believe in a Supreme Being. They base their thoughts and actions on healthy philosophical principles. They know that life on earth is temporary. They are aware of the vanity of earthly things, the frailty and inevitable decay of human life and the fact […]

Reflections on Being an LGBT+ Odd Fellow.

I would like to think that part of my personal growth through that transition could be attributed to the philosophical lessons our Order teaches and how they can be used as a member of the LGBT+ community. At the end of this piece you will find my interpretation of the Degrees through the lens of the LGBT+ experience.

Excerpts from DDGM Instruction Manual – by Michael Greenzeiger

Beyond our core principles, there are infinite possibilities for how a lodge can be. One may think of it as a platform for holding whatever social, fraternal, or service activities fit the desires and interests of its members – so long as those activities are in harmony with our principles. Lodges have been successful in many different ways: through shared meals and parties, through putting on activities, through sharing in hobbies, through serving the local community in whatever capacity, through raising money to give to good causes, through practicing and performing the Ritual of the Order, through studying the deeper meanings of Odd Fellowship and its rituals, or through engaging with our history.

I.O.O.F. YOUTH: IS THERE HOPE FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF OUR YOUTH BRANCHES? By Louie Blake S. Sarmiento

Many of the dedicated leaders in the Odd Fellows and Rebekah Lodges today began as members of these youth branches. Regretfully, the youth groups under the I.O.O.F. failed to grow and develop into an international youth organization. There are many reasons. One is presumably because the I.O.O.F. in the continents of Europe, North America and Australia failed to coordinate with each other to form one cohesive international youth organization.

Disability, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Race, Resolution No. 5!

(Italics, red letters, boldface is used by author of this post to HIGHLIGHT important parts of the code in this first section) From the IOOF Code of Laws: “Resolution No. 5 – 2017 – by unanimous consent – adopted Thursday the 24th August 2017 The Executive Committee of The Sovereign Grand Lodge moved the following, […]

Communication Breakdown – by Seth Anthony

Let’s face it, with the average age of our membership, the most effective method to reach all of the Odd Fellows in Sovereign Grand Lodge is through a paper publication. It’s the single best way our leadership has to communicate to all of members. Yet, I’m willing to bet the vast majority of our Brothers and Sisters opt out of this communications device by choosing to not re-subscribe. By doing so, they are choosing to turn off communications with our national leadership, which in turn disconnects them from the fraternity.

Where is Your Lodge’s Focus – by Toby Hanson DGM

Since I joined the Executive Committee of the Grand Lodge of Washington upon my election as Grand Warden, I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling and visiting lodges in my jurisdiction. The experience has taught me a lot about the workings of various different lodges. One of the most important things I’ve picked up in my travels is that some lodges tend to have more of an internal focus and some have more of an external focus.

The Millenial Generation: Seeking The “Authentic” by Todd E. Creason

You see, Freemasons and Odd Fellows alike aren’t exactly sure what to make of the millennial generation. We don’t think they’re interested in what we have to offer. We believe they’d find our ritual too “old fashioned” and view our values as a relic left over from the long-forgotten past. But that’s not true at all. Ainslie said the millennial generation is searching for authenticity. They are seeking authentic experiences–something far more real than posting a photo on social media and seeing how many people “like” it.

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.