First District Deputy Grand Sire of Odd Fellows Philippines

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Judge Charles Burritt, First District Deputy Grand Sire of Odd Fellows Philippines

O.W. Coursey, History and Geography of the Philippine Islands.
The earliest record of the existence of the Odd Fellows Fraternity in the Philippines goes back in 1872 when the country was still a colony of Spain. Many Odd Fellows Associations, military lodges and unofficial Odd Fellows' clubs existed in many parts of the country, particularly in Manila, Cebu and Leyte. Several brothers served as leaders during the early days of the Fraternity in the country such as "brother Badley" who was a Sergeant of the U.S. Army based in the Philippines.

When the Spanish-American war ended, the Odd Fellows Association of Manila which existed as early as 1898 received an official charter from the Sovereign Grand Lodge and was instituted as "Manila Lodge No.1" in 1902. Annually, a District Deputy Grand Sire was appointed by the Sovereign Grand Lodge to serve as liaison officer between the Lodges in the Philippines and the Sovereign Grand Lodge based in the United States.


Brother Hon. Charles H. Burritt was appointed as first District Deputy Grand Sire of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F) Philippines in 1902 because of his leadership background. He served as the first Chief of Philippine Mining Bureau and Judge of Regional Trial Court (previously CFI) of Leyte from 1898-1907. He is the author of the Coal Measures of the Philippines and the Spanish Mining Law.

His leadership background in the United States included serving as Mayor of Buffalo, Wyoming, U.S.A. from 1881-1897. He was active in political and social circles, serving in the Wyoming House of Representatives in 1890 and from 1897 to 1899 and the Wyoming Constitutional Convention. He was also a Past Master (1892-1893) of Anchor Lodge No.7 of the Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons in Buffalo, Wyoming, U.S.A.

He died on June 1, 1927 and buried at the Masonic Memorial Gardens in Reno, Nevada.


 Further Reading:
1. Journal of Proceedings of the Sovereign Grand Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows
2. http://www.philstar.com:8080/freeman-opinion/2015/01/09/1411086/judge-charles-h.-burritt
3. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=88617849
4. https://wyomingstatearchives.wikispaces.com/Charles+H.+Burritt
5. https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=mYbauXu48FcC&pg=PA40&dq=charles+burritt+judge&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjCq-jRwpLXAhXHlJQKHfeADR8Q6AEILjAC#v=onepage&q=charles%20burritt%20judge&f=false



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