WHO ARE THE ODD FELLOWS?

ODD FELLOWS' QUICK FAQS

WHO ARE THE ODD FELLOWS? Evolving from the traditions of the craft guilds and journeymen associations, the name Odd Fellows (also spelled as Oddfellows) refers to a number of fraternal orders and friendly societies that emerged in England sometime during the late 1600's to early 1700's and existing in more than 30 countries today. Odd Fellowship is one of the oldest worldwide ethical and humanitarian fraternal organizations and friendly societies. At present, there are approximately 600,000 Odd Fellows belonging to the three major Orders: Grand United Order of Oddfellows (GUOOF); Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity (IOOFMU); and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF).

 

 The Odd Fellows is a worldwide fraternity with lodges in various countries.

WHY THE NAME ODD FELLOWS? The generally accepted explanations: Nearly 300 years ago in England, there were a lot of sickness, orphaned children, widowed mothers and many could not afford to pay a decent burial for the dead. Many people fended only for themselves, living without much care for others. However,  a group of ordinary people from different walks of life deviated from the trend of those times and found it necessary to form a brotherhood to help each other, their families and communities in need. Because it was rather uncommon or “odd” to see a group of ordinary “fellows” helping one another and other people to offer aid and social relief, they were labeled as “Odd Fellows”.

 

Other historians and researchers widely accept that the origin of English fraternal orders can be traced from the various Trade Guilds and journeymen associations which existed in England at the beginning of the Middle Ages. A Guild is an association of workers usually belonging to a particular trade and organized to protect and care for their members and families at a time when there was still no welfare state, trade unions or National Health Service. In smaller towns and villages, however, there were too few people practicing the same trade to form a local Guild. So, a group of “fellows” from an “odd” assortment of trades (odd jobs) joined forces to form their own association, hence, they were called “Odd Fellows”.

What is clear is that the name Odd Fellows do not mean "weird." Most dictionaries provide that ‘Odd’ is also synonymous with “extraordinary”, “noted”, “remarkable” or “out of the ordinary.” The word “Fellow” has not changed at all, it still means a member of a society or group, where persons are banded together for the common good or their common interest. 

 

WHEN WAS ODD FELLOWSHIP FIRST FOUNDED? Like similar ancient fraternal orders, the exact date of the first founding of Odd Fellowship is already lost in the fogs of antiquity. The first Odd Fellows Lodge was founded in England on or before the year 1700's or nearly 300 years ago. Some historians assert that the early Odd Fellows Lodges were an outgrowth of the British friendly societies which existed in the United Kingdom during late 1600's to early 1700's.

WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS?

Our branch, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.), was organized on April 26, 1819 by Thomas Wildey and four other members from England  in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

 

WHAT IS THE MOTTO OF ODD FELLOWSHIP? Friendship, Love and Truth.

 

WHAT IS THE ANCIENT COMMANDS OF ODD FELLOWSHIP? Visit the Sick, Relieve the Distressed, Bury the Dead and Educate the Orphan.

 

WHAT DO ODD FELLOWS DO TODAY? The modern general purposes of the Odd Fellowship are:

The purposes may be summarized into three: Improving Character, Making Friends and Helping People.

1. To improve and elevate the character of humankind by teaching and promoting the principles of Friendship, Love, and Truth, as exemplified in the degrees of initiation and practiced in real life;

 

2. To help make the world a better place to live by aiding each other in times of need and by volunteering in or organizing charitable activities and projects that would benefit the less fortunate, the children, the youth, the elderly, the community and the environment in every way possible guided by our ancient command: “to visit the sick, relieve the distress, bury the dead and educate the orphan”; and

 

3. To promote goodwill and understanding among people and nations through the principle of universal fraternity, holding the belief that all men and women regardless of race, nationality, religion, social status, gender, rank and station are brothers and sisters. 

 

Ideally, the Odd Fellows is an avenue for fellowship in all its forms: from hanging out and just having clean fun, to character improvement through the teachings in the degrees of initiation, to discussion, to professional and social networking, to collaboration on creative and constructive projects, all with an eye not only on our own satisfaction but on what we might OFFER TO THE COMMUNITY at large. Together with the Rebekahs, the Odd Fellows is a worldwide ethical, humanitarian and fraternal network composed of people, of good character, who meet at least once a month to enjoy each other’s company and assist each other in times of need. Through membership fees, annual dues and other fundraising efforts, Lodges are also discreetly involved in various charitable projects in a local, national and international level.

 

WHERE CAN WE FIND ODD FELLOW LODGES? There are approximately 600,000 members worldwide belonging in 10,000 Odd Fellows Lodges (branches) located in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

DO I KNOW ANYONE IN HISTORY WHO IS  AN ODD FELLOW? Thousands of notable individuals in world history were members of the Odd Fellows. To name a few:

1. King George IV, King of the United Kingdom (1820 –1830)

2. Sir Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1951-1955)

3. Ulysses S. Grant, 18th U.S. President (1869–1877)

4. Rutherford Hayes, 19th U.S. President (1877–1881)

5. Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd U.S. President (1933–1945)

6. Prince Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland (1912–1997)

 

WHAT CAN MEMBERSHIP IN THE ODD FELLOWS OFFER? Character improvement. Community Service. Social and professional networking. Genuine and life-lasting friendships. By friendship, we mean the mutual-assistance, kindness, benevolence and understanding. This requires respect and sincerity in dealing with each other noting we are composed of people from different backgrounds and walks of life. Together with the Rebekahs, the Odd Fellows is a worldwide “social network of friends” involved in ethical and humanitarian purposes.

 

WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE AN ODD FELLOW? You must be at least sixteen (16) years old or above but other countries require you to be at least eighteen (18). You must believe in a Supreme Being. You must be of good character.

The Odd Fellows do not discriminate based on race, creed or gender. We are composed of people from different ethnical and racial backgrounds representing different religions and faiths as well as political inclinations. Women, gays and other members of the LGBT community have also been welcomed as members.

HOW TO JOIN THE ODD FELLOWS? When your application is approved, you will undergo a series of instructions in ceremonial or dramatic form divided into four (4) degrees:

1. Initiatory Degree

2. Degree of Friendship

3. Degree of Love

4. Degree of Truth

Each Lodge usually charges a membership application fee upon joining and an annual dues paid at the beginning of each year to cover the lodge's and Grand Lodge's administrative expenses as well as their social and charitable projects. There is STRICTLY NO HAZING or ANY FORMS OF HARASSMENT in the process of joining. Instead, moral teachings exemplifying the principles of Odd Fellowship are imparted in allegorical, dramatic and symbolic form.

ARE THE ODD FELLOWS A PART OR RELATED TO FREEMASONRY? No. The Order of Odd Fellows is NOT an appendant body or degree of Freemasonry nor is it a masonic organization. It is NOT affiliated nor a part of Freemasonry since it's inception. Rather, Odd Fellowship is a completely separate and distinct organization whose early lodges also emerged between the late-1600’s to early 1700's in England. Like most British fraternities, there are similarities between Odd Fellowship and Freemasonry. But from an insider's perspective, you will see a lot of differences in terms of degrees, teachings, regalia, organizational structure and focus between these two ancient fraternal orders. Admittedly, there are so many people who are members of both and there is some 'cross-fertilization' in terms of lodge practices.

In Friendship, Love and Truth! 🤚❤👁🔗

- Louie Blake Saile Sarmiento, PG, PDDSGM

IMPROVING CHARACTER | MAKING FRIENDS | HELPING PEOPLE

NEW BOOK IN PROGRESS

TITLE: Sarmiento, Louie Blake S. The Encyclopedia of Philippine Fraternities and Sororities (Still in progress).

PUBLISHED BOOKS WRITTEN BY THE AUTHOR:

TITLE: Sarmiento, Louie Blake S. Odd Fellows: Rediscovering More Than 200 Years of History, Traditions, and Community Service (KDP Amazon, 2019).

TITLE: Sarmiento, Louie Blake S. Odd Fellows Manual: Modern Guide to the Origin, History, Rituals, Symbols and Organization of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (KDP Amazon, 2020).

TITLE: Sarmiento, Louie Blake S. Ancient Rites of Odd Fellowship: Revisiting the Revised Ritual of the Order of Patriotic Odd Fellows, 1797 (KDP Amazon, 2020).

TITLE: Sarmiento, Louie Blake S. Odd Fellows Encampment: Brief History and Introduction to the Degrees, Symbols, Teachings and Organization of Patriarchal Odd Fellowship (KDP Amazon, 2020).

About the Author

Louie Blake Saile Sarmiento finished his Associate in Health Science Education in 2007; Bachelor of Science in Psychology with Certificate in Human Resource Management and Certificate in Women’s Studies in 2010; Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology in 2013; and Juris Doctor (law) degree in 2020.

 

He is instrumental in re-establishing Odd Fellowship in the Philippines. He is a Past Grand and Past District Deputy Sovereign Grand Master of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is credited for connecting thousands of members from various countries when he created and managed the first social media groups and pages of the “Independent Order of Odd Fellows” and "Odd Fellows International" from 2009-2019. He is also credited for writing and creating most of the modern literature and infographics about Odd Fellowship on the internet at a time when the organization had almost zero presence online, including the first YouTube videos and the wikipedia entries about the Odd Fellows. Because of his contributions, he was appointed as Public Relations Coordinator and member of both the Communications Committee and the Revitalization Committee of the Sovereign Grand Lodge from 2012-2015. He spent more than six years visiting hundreds of Lodges and several Grand Lodges across the United States and Canada to read hundreds of journals, records and books; observe Grand Lodge sessions and meetings; and conduct interviews to be able to write books about the Odd Fellows.

 

He is an advocate for the preservation of historical fraternal organizations, service clubs and civic associations. He is a member of all branches of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), including the Rebekah Lodge, Encampment and Patriarchs Militant. He is also affiliated with the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows (GUOOF); Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans (AMOS); Noble Order of Muscovites (Muscovites); International Order of DeMolay (IOD); International Order of Free Gardeners (IOFG); Universal Druid Order (UDO); Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani (OSMTH); Knights of Rizal (KOR); The Fraternal Order of Eagles - Philippine Eagles (TFOE-PE); and Tau Gamma Phi or Triskelion Grand Fraternity (TGP). As a hobby, he writes articles and collects books and artifacts related to fraternal organizations, service clubs and other civic associations.

BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE ON AMAZON, CLICK LINKS BELOW:

1. Odd Fellows Rediscovering More than 200 Years of History, Traditions and Community Service (Odd Fellows history and its relationship with world history)

Full color: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733851208

Black and White: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733851224

E-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Q8DKFJZ

 

2. Odd Fellows Manual: Modern Guide to the Origin, History, Rituals, Symbols and Organization of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (brief history, organizational structure, and generally-accepted internal rules and principles)

Full color: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733851259

Black and white: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733851283

 

3. Ancient Rites of Odd Fellowship: Revisiting the Revised Rituals of the Order of Patriotic Odd Fellows, 1797

Black and white: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733851232

E-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KHDG17S

 

4. Odd Fellows Encampment: A Brief History and Introduction to Patriarchal Odd Fellowship

Full color: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733851275

E-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LZQQDWM

 

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