Apr 24, 2023 | Dedicated Members for Change, Odd Fellows
The human lifespan is limited to about 100 years, more or less. But the fraternal lifespan can last for centuries. The fraternal order we call “the Independent Order of Odd Fellows” began in England in the 1700’s and traveled the ocean to the United States in the...
Jan 13, 2023 | Dedicated Members for Change, Odd Fellows
The vast majority of Odd Fellows Lodges are (and have been) declining in membership. My own Lodge – Davis #169 – for the past two decades has increased its membership every single year. Since I joined in 2004, the Davis Lodge has grown from less than 30 members to 350...
Jan 6, 2023 | Dedicated Members for Change, Odd Fellows
About twenty-five years ago, I wrote an article which offered a method to attract new members. It was a method which worked for the Odd Fellows lodge I belonged to at the time – proven method. At that time it seemed most lodges had resigned themselves to simply...
Jan 5, 2023 | Dedicated Members for Change, Odd Fellows
Dear Dedicated Members for Change, Every Odd Fellows Lodge in every jurisdiction of our Order has the right to send representatives to Grand Lodge Sessions, which are typically held once each year. In point of fact, however, a majority of Odd Fellow Lodges don’t...
Jun 13, 2022 | Dedicated Members for Change, Odd Fellows
When I first joined the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) in 2004, it didn’t take me long to learn that ours was a shrinking Order, with membership losses exceeding membership gains. Worse, I learned that this had been the status quo ante of our Order for...
May 13, 2022 | Dedicated Members for Change, Odd Fellows
A lot of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs from around California and, frankly, from other jurisdictions write to me. Most of the messages are supportive and positive. They hear our message of change and evolution, the energy and the power that comes from being active members...
