Part II Odd Fellows, Stoics, and Marcus Aurelius

Read Part I Stoicism was a popular philosophy of personal ethics in ancient Greece and Rome. It was popular until around the third century AD. It has been defined as “a moral philosophy that emphasizes the discipline and mastery of the emotions in order to reach a wiser, rational, and peaceful mindset.” There is an overlap with […]

Giving Odd Fellowship a Second Chance – by Seth Anthony

By Seth Anthony I am an Odd Fellow, just like my father and my grandfather before. I’m also a Freemason, a Knight of Pythias, and a slew of other titles. Fraternalism isn’t just a club for me; it’s my passion and life’s work. I firmly believe that my Lodge does deserve my best efforts. I […]

Speech to the 2017 Delegates to the Pilgrimage Trip by David Scheer

Speech to the 2017 Delegates to the Pilgrimage Trip by David Scheer Peninsula Lodge #128, Portland, Oregon http://www.keepportlandodd.com First off, let be begin by saying thank you to our delegates. All three of you are amazing, and I am so proud that you represented us on the Pilgrimage trip this year. Now, I’ve been asked […]

Friendship Time!

On Finding our Value and Potential Place in Contemporary American Society – by Michael Greenzeiger

Dear Brothers and Sisters, I have recently read a book entitled Secret Ritual and Manhood in Victorian America by Mark C. Carnes. This book is an academic treatment of the role our Order along with several others played in the United States during the 19th century. Although I do not agree with every conclusion that […]

Odd Fellows, Stoics, and Marcus Aurelius Part I

Stoicism was a popular philosophy of personal ethics in ancient Greece and Rome. It was popular until around the third century AD. It has been defined as “a moral philosophy that emphasizes the discipline and mastery of the emotions in order to reach a wiser, rational, and peaceful mindset.” Recently, Stoicism has seen a sort of […]

My September 11th Story by Scott Robinson

My September 11th Story I was working a little-known thing called “counter-terrorism” for the Government. I had just recently been certified in my skill area. I had to go to a seminar at the Pentagon the week of 10 September. By the Grace of God, I picked Monday, 10 September, to go because I hated […]

REPRESENT

Are you representing the Order? I heard a podcast about IOOF the other night where someone estimated that we have fewer than 50,000 members left in the United States. I believe I read information from the Dedicated Members for Change where they estimated we have even fewer members left in the US. I know my […]

Empowering Others by Michael Greenzeiger

Empowering Others By Michael Greenzeiger http://www.siliconvalleyoddfellows.org/ http://supremeamos.org/ I’ve had the privilege of belonging to several different lodges and of visiting a number of others all across the country. There are truly many different ways to be a good leader and to run a successful lodge. One commonality I have observed among all those who are […]

Recutting the Gem that is Odd Fellowship

Odd Fellowship is a unique gem cut from the sacred cave of wisdom. When you take a rough gem you then have to carefully cut the shape and facets using years of experience. We achieved our beautiful form of our philosophy in the 1800s and in it we set this jewel in the shining setting […]

What the Odd Fellows of Tomorrow Could Look Like

So many feel powerless in their daily lives, from dead end jobs and corporate slavery to societal expectations and financial limitations, people are craving empowerment over their chaotic lives. Odd Fellows can do all that and more. We just have to look inward to see the built in value that we have to offer our members that is currently being ignored.

Why Can’t We Have Nice Things? By Michael Greenzeiger

Quality takes on many forms. In addition to our lodge halls themselves, we must also think about the lodge furnishings, regalia, and grounds. When we put on an event, the event needs to be well-planned. If food is served, it should be nicely presented in addition to tasting good. There should be options to fit the requirements and tastes of all those present so far as possible. When we perform ritual, it needs to be done competently and with feeling even if we don’t have the time or ability to do memorization work. If we can memorize and recite fluently, all the better!