Order of Odd FellowsFrom TinWiki.org(Redirected from The Order of Odd Fellows)
The Order of Odd Fellows is a fraternal benevolent friendly/secret society, that bears many similarities to the Freemasons. During the 17th and 18th century it was considered odd to find people organized for the purpose of giving aid to those in need and of pursuing projects for the benefit of all mankind. Since these were the first groups of this type started, these men were considered "ODD" in the sense of Extra-Ordinary. Those who belonged to such an organization were appropriately called "Odd Fellows", and thus the name was embraced.
[edit] History
Some references claim to trace Odd Fellowship back to Roman times when members of the Roman Legions in England were called Fellow Citizens. The history of the Odd Fellows for which there exists authentic records, is established via an excerpt from the minutes of Aristarchus Lodge No. 9, on March 12th, 1748, Globe Tavern, London. The fact that this lodge had been operating for some time prior thereto, and its number indicates that at least eight other lodges had existed up to that time, suggests that the founding date may have been much earlier. The date of founding information relating to the largest and best known grouping of Odd Fellow Orders to this record is practically non-existent. An inventory of claimed 'facts' with regard to 'odd fellows' would read as follows: In 1696 Daniel Defoe, English writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained enduring fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe, mentioned a 'Society of Odd Fellows'. Verified of the actual quote has not been found. Spry (1867) suggested the 'Order of Gregorians' was the source for the odd fellows. There is no evidence for this claim. Smith & Roberts (1993) assert the 'Ancient Order of Bucks' is the source. There is no supporting evidence for this claim. Smith & Roberts1 have asserted that the 'O'fellows' were suppressed after seceding from the 'Ancient Order of Bucks'. No date has been given nor any useful references for the claim. [edit] Corresponding Societies ActThe Corresponding Societies Act of 1797 is claimed to have broken up networks of societies like the odd fellows; the royalty feared that working people combining together to better their lives might well organize themselves against injustice and oppression. The attitude of the government and civil authorities towards the Oddfellows and similar societies tended to drift between an approval of working people “clubbing together” to provide for their own needs, and a fear of working people planning to revolt against their conditions. During the closing years of the 18th century, with the French Revolution in progress across the English Channel, such suspicions had reached fever pitch and an Act of Parliament was passed suppressing all societies which administer oaths and correspond by signs and passwords. To make this effective the government paid a reward to spies and common informers who were encouraged to infiltrate Lodge meetings to gain evidence for Magistrates of illegal activities. Fear of revolution was not the sole reason for the persecution. Friendly Societies were also the “parents” of modern-day trade unions and could organize effective local strike action by levying all their members for additional contributions to their benevolent funds out of which payments could be made to the families of brothers who were on strike.
[edit] United StatesThe Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) was founded on the North American Continent in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 1819 when Thomas Wildey and four members of the Order from England instituted Washington Lodge No. 1. This lodge received its charter from Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows in England. Wildey traveled widely to set up lodges in the most recently settled parts of the country. At the time of his death in 1861, there were more than 200,000 members of the IOOF in 42 states.
[edit] SegregationAfrican American men joined Odd Fellow lodges that were chartered by The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows (GUOOF) as opposed to the IOOF. Created at a time when the IOOF was primarily a white-only organization, the GUOOF obtained its charter in 1843, directly from the Grand Lodge in Manchester, England. Although still in existence, membership in the US has declined, due to the mainstream IOOF no longer being segregated and the decline in fraternal membership in general." [edit] Unique Milestones & Honors
[edit] PurposeThe Odd Fellows was born out of necessity/survival, in an age when workers comp and unemployment did not exist. Being out of work even temporarily them could have meant your family was not only going to go hungry........they were going to starve to death. If a family member died in those times, the funeral could easily wipe out the family financially, so the Odd Fellows developed a strong practice of paying for the funeral of any member whose family could not afford one. The Lodges also assisted members in obtaining employment when out of work. When a brother could not obtain work he was given a Card and funds enough to carry him to the next Lodge, and if unsuccessful there, that Lodge facilitated his farther progress in the same way. Where he found employment, there he deposited his Card. [edit] Foundation of Ideals
The Odd Fellow Motto "We seek to improve and elevate the character of man." and Pledge “To visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan.” ...was inspired by the teaching on mutual responsibility contained in the Gospel of Matthew Ch.25, and subsequently codified by Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) as The Corporal Works of Mercy:
The teaching contained within the Degrees is centered upon consideration of Virtues, which can be defined as acquired dispositions of character or in simpler terms, good habits. The seven cardinal or chief virtues are:
[edit] Degrees & Symbols
In 1880 the Sovereign Grand Lodge established the degrees in current form which conform to the Odd Fellow motto, “Friendship, Love and Truth”. Based on which Odd Fellows may obtain four basic degrees. The basic degrees beyond the initiation degree, entitled Friendship, Love, and Truth, are taught by means of symbols and enacted Bible stories. There are also three superior degrees given through separate “Encampments”. Another separate military branch, the “Patriarchs Militant”, has three degrees similar to the Masonic Knights Templars. [edit] InitiationThe Initiatory Degree, the White Degree, is intended to make a lasting impression on the individuals receiving it. Its mission is to remind the initiates of the vanity of earthly things; the frailty and inevitable decay of human life; and the fact that wealth has no power to stop the sureness of eventual death. The new member is urged to dedicate his life to works of charity and good will, and to govern his relations by the principles of Friendship, Love and Truth. He is pledged to make the obligations and duties of Odd Fellowship a part of himself every day. Symbols for the Initiatory Degree:
[edit] Friendshipis taught by the story of the good SamaritanThe First Degree or The Degree of Friendship, the Pink Degree recognizes that man is a part of a universal brotherhood. An Odd Fellow is entitled, as a right, to receive the aid and council and protection of his fellow members, when in distress or in difficult situations. He is also obliged to give aid, counsel and protection when the situation is reversed. The first principle of Odd Fellowship is thus termed Fraternity, the universal fraternity of all mankind. The teachings of this degree are founded upon the Friendship of Jonathan and David, as related in the Old Testament Book of 1st Samuel, and remind us of the use of the bow and arrow by Jonathan to warn David of great danger. Symbols for the First Degree:
[edit] LoveThe Second Degree, Blue Degree, is the degree of Brotherly Love and the second link in the chain of Odd Fellowship is Love, without which neither the first - Friendship - nor the last - Truth - is of real value. This degree exemplifies the story of the Good Samaritan and teaches that brotherly love extends its helping hand to those who suffer, regardless of race, creed or nationality. The symbols for the second degree:
[edit] TruthThe Third Degree is the Scarlet Degree and the Priestly Order. This degree represents Truth as the basic principle of sentiment and action, and signifies Truth as the basic foundation for all our principles. The voice of truth speaks through forms and symbols as well as words. Odd Fellows believe Truth is best taught by a number of symbols versus words.Symbols for the Third degree:
[edit] Branches
[edit] RebekahsThe Rebekahs were started as the female branch of Odd Fellows. Odd Fellows have always been allowed to join the Rebekahs. Odd Fellowship became the 1st national fraternity to include both men and women when it adopted the Rebekah Degree on September 20, 1851. This degree is based on the teachings found in the Holy Bible, and was written by the Honorable Schuyler Colfax who was Vice President of the United States during the period 1868-1873.
[edit] EncampmentsA branch of the Order with two parts. Encampments for men, and the Ladies Encampment Auxiliary (LEA). Open to any Third Degree member. The membership of each Encampment is usually drawn from several Odd Fellow Lodges in an Area. The three encampment degrees; The Patriarchal, Golden Rule, Royal Purple are based on Faith, Hope and Charity;
[edit] Patriarchs MilitantIn the 1870s and 80s the Odd Fellows established their own Masonic Knights Templar-like order, called the Patriarch Militant, it officially became part of the Order in 1886. This branch is very closely related to the Masons, about as close as one can get without actually being Masonic. Rather than commanderies, the Patriarch militants met in Cantons. Individual members were titled chevaliers. The Militants' mottos are “Justitia Universalis” (Universal Justice) and “Pax aut Bellum” (Peace or War) and its insignia is the crossed crock and sword with crown. Several factors led to the Militants success; a love of marching and military music after the Civil War, a fear of labor unrest and riots after 1877 and a huge war surplus of uniforms and swords. Also has a part for women, the Ladies Auxiliary Patriarchs Militant. The Royal Purple Degree is required for admission.
[edit] Grand Body DegreesCompletion of term as presiding officer of lodge or encampment required for admission to the Grand Lodge Degree or Grand Encampment Degree. [edit] Youth Branches
[edit] Junior Odd FellowsJunior Lodges are opened to any boy between the ages of 8 and 21 (although some jurisdictions may have a higher minimum age). [edit] Theta Rho Girls ClubsTheta Rho Girls Clubs are for girls between the ages of 8 and 21 (although some jurisdictions may have a higher minimum age). Junior Odd & Theta Rho Creed: "I believe in the Odd Fellows as an organization uniting youth, under God, thereby achieving a purity of thought, word, deed and a high moral standard. To this creed I pledge my Fidelity, my Honour and my Loyalty to the end that Universal Brotherhood & Sisterhood may prevail." [edit] Membership[edit] Prospective MembersA man or woman of good character, who is loyal to his or her country and believes in a Supreme Being, the creator and preserver of the Universe, is eligible for membership. Odd Fellowship strictly forbids any interference with one's religious beliefs or political opinions. Most jurisdictions require candidates for the adult lodges to be 18 years old. Junior Lodges and Theta Rho clubs accept members 8 to 18 years old (some jurisdictions have a minimum age limit of 10). [edit] BenefitsIOOF offered it's members a funeral benefit and, less commonly, widows' and orphans' benefits, discretionary aid to members in distress, and access to IOOF homes for widows and orphans of members and aged indigent members. In an era of high mobility, networks of lodges helped men to locate employment, business contacts, and sources of credit. Finally, lodges provided their members with social benefits such as respectability, fellowship, entertainment, and ritual that bolstered male confidence. Today many of these benefits have faded in use due in part to the social welfare programs ushered in after the Great Depression. [edit] Regalia & JewelsRegalia and jewels identified a member's rank and rights of membership at Odd Fellow gatherings. The lodge member's collar, for example, was plain white for the initiatory degree, white trimmed with pink for the first (friendship) degree, white trimmed with the blue for the second (brotherly love) degree, and white trimmed with purple for the third (truth) degree. The noble grand scarlet trimmed with white and gold. The encampment member's collar was plain black for the first (patriarchal) degree, black trimmed with yellow for the second (golden-rule) degree, and purple trimmed with yellow lace for the third (royal-purple) degree. A collar of purple velvet marked a grand officer or past grand officer. Past grand sires and past grand representatives each wore a distinctive medal. [edit] Passwords & Representation
An Odd Fellow had to know a password and present a member card to gain admission to a lodge or encampment meeting within a given jurisdiction. The grand body changed the password at regular intervals and communicated each new password to its subordinate bodies, who withheld the word from a member whose dues were in arrears. A grand body could withhold the password from a lodge or encampment that had failed to submit its required reports, returns, and percapita taxes and assessments. It also could suspend a recalcitrant subordinate body's right to send representatives to the grand body's annual meeting. [edit] Famous Odd Fellows
[edit] From Peak to DeclineThe Odd Fellows membership peaked in 1920 at 1.7 million brothers. While still strong during the Roaring ’20 the Great Depression nearly bankrupted the fraternity. The Stock market crash caused families to drop their membership, lodges to fail to meet their mortgages and homes to lose donations. The advent of social security, welfare, private health insurance and other forms of relief made most of the Odd Fellows’ charity obsolete. The popularity of radio, movies, and later TV and other forms of leisure all help to erode Odd Fellow, and most other fraternal orders’ membership. By 1960 the Odd fellows had half the members they did in 1920. Today there are still many active Odd Fellow lodges across the country, mostly in small town and rural communities. [edit] Masons & O'Fellows Kinship
The latter half of the 19th century saw a proliferation of secret societies modeled after Freemasonry. These bodies usually charged lower dues and appealed to the poorer classes of workers and farmers. They included the IOOF, the Knights of Pythias, and the Sons of Temperance. In its totality , the IOOF reconfirms this fact by how much the order resembles that of the Freemasons. Like the Odd Fellows, Masons had lodges, higher-degree lodges (like encampments), a woman's auxiliary branch (Order of the Eastern Star), a social charity group the Shriners (like O'Fellows fringe group Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans) and very similar Masonic Knights Templar order to the Patriarch Militant, . Because of this close kinship in structure and principles many Masons joined the O'Fellows and visa-versa. [edit] The O'Fellow ShrinersThe Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans(AMOS) is the IOOF's equivalent of Freemasonry's Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (or Shriners). It is not an officially recognized body within Odd Fellowship; it is a private club to which only those who are Odd Fellows may belong. A brother who holds the third degree and is in good standing within his subordinate lodge (i.e. he has not been expelled or in arrears of dues, etc.) is eligible to make an application to join. [edit] Officially Sponsored Charities & Activities
[edit] Landmarks
Odd Fellows Cemetery, Riverside Road at Y Street, Sacramento, CA
Odd Fellows Temple - Cincinnati, Ohio corner of Seventh and Elm Street 7-story
Odd Fellows' Home, 40 Randolph Rd., Worcester, Massachusetts
Indianapolis Office Building - Pennsylvania and Washington Street 1908 16-story [edit] ATS Discussion Threads
[edit] Referenced External Sources
|
 |
Personal tools
- This page was last modified 17:22, 29 April 2009.
- This page has been accessed 4,682 times.
- Content is available under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike2.5.
- About TinWiki.org
- Disclaimers