There was a time in America when membership in a fraternal order was de rigueur. Everybody who was anybody was an Odd Fellow, or a Mason, or an Elk, or a Knight of Pythias, or a Moose, etc. There was a time when the United States boasted hundreds of fraternal orders, and literally millions of men and women were members. That time has come and gone, and now the number of national fraternal orders has shrunk to a tiny fraction of what once existed. And the number of members has also diminished to a shadow of the numbers in the fraternal heyday.

In that heyday, my own town featured at least five fraternal order. Over the last couple of decades, that number has shrunken to just two fraternal Lodges: Independent Order of Odd Fellows and another well-known fraternal order (which shall remain nameless in this article). For the past 20 years, my Odd Fellows Lodge has engaged in dozens and dozens of community and charitable activities, all widely publicized in the local newspaper, with posters, and in social media. During that same period of time, that other fraternal Lodge has been on radio-silence – no community or charitable activities were ever publicized – we never heard from them.

Recently, driving past the Lodge hall of that other fraternal order, we saw that there was now a metal fence put up around it, and it appeared abandoned. On the other hand, my Odd Fellows Lodge is booming – in 2022 we initiated 41 new Odd Fellows, and we are on track to match or actually exceed that number in 2023.

What happened to that other fraternal order?

Of course, I don’t know for sure, but I will surmise that it became the victim of “The Vacuum.” Let me define my terms. A vacuum is a space that is devoid of matter. “The Vacuum” is a state of being of a Lodge when it has had all the life sucked out of it. The Lodge has devolved, folded inward, and has lost its energy, vitality, and mojo. The Lodge succumbing to “The Vacuum” is a Lodge that has given up any outreach into the community. The members don’t engage in any projects anymore. They don’t publicize events because they have no events. Essentially, all they do is hold monthly meetings, pay utility bills, make repairs on the building, and discuss which members are ill or who has died.

The community has lost touch with this sort of Lodge because they have become practically invisible. The problem with invisibility is that it directly affects the ability of the Lodge to bring in new members and grow. The result is that the existing members simply age in place, move away, or eventually pass away. And then the day comes when the metal fence goes up around the building.

F – L – T

Dave Rosenberg
Past Grand Master
Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF)
Jurisdiction of California

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Remember when we were all young and in better health? As young as fifty? And before we knew it, there was a code that served to isolate us where we stood in a nearly empty building? It’s humorous, and also a little frightening, when you stop to think about it. That we as a group, of all religious affiliations today, were forced at that time “according to code” to recite the Lord’s Prayer, even though its core beliefs might be anathema to our own. When I was Grand Master, I remember reminding members that “The Lord’s Prayer” was in the code, and their religious beliefs were not. I had no idea at that time that public shaming was part of the Grand Master’s job description.

Remember when those of certain races were not permitted on our premises? It was not as long ago as you think. In fact, some jurisdictions may still have these code books on their shelves. This was “according to code.”

Even before the beginning of this century, women were not permitted in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), and were relegated to a satellite group, the Rebekahs. This, too, was “according to the code.”

The point being is that if these things existed as recently as the beginning of this century, why is it that we assume all other code passages are still relevant? There are many ludicrous laws still in effect both in our code and in the real world. They can easily be found, as they are so humorous that no one has bothered to remove them from the books they appear in.

In Burlingame CA, you are not allowed to spit unless you are on a baseball diamond.

In Blythe CA, you are not allowed to wear cowboy boots unless you already own at least two cows.

No margarine is allowed in Wisconsin.

Children’s lemonade stands are illegal in Iowa.

In Alabama, it is illegal to wear a fake mustache and make an attendee laugh in church.

In North Carolina, bingo sessions may not last longer than 5 hours.

In Florida, no extra courtesy is thrown your way while you’re riding your elephant.

In Illinois, you are not allowed to give your dog a lit cigar.

In Florida, women are not allowed to parachute on Sundays.

In Memphis, Tennessee, women may drive but men must precede them waving a red flag.

While all these are humorous, and illogical, they all still exist, and are easily researched online. There are many more. This is not to say that our code is always wrong or abusive, but let’s remember that most code passages are first supposed to make sense, and still be relevant. Also, please keep in mind that the code is hardly perfect. It was composed by people. And people are hardly perfect.

In Friendship, Love, and Truth
Rick Boyles
Independent Order of Odd Fellows

Ten years ago, I wrote a DMC Newsletter focusing on the forgotten members of our Odd Fellows Lodges. It is as true today as it was a decade ago, and it’s worth remembering. So, here is that newsletter from April 21, 2013.

F – L – T

Dave Rosenberg
Past Grand Master
Jurisdiction of California
Independent Order of Odd Fellows

Dear Dedicated Members for Change,

As you know, the vast majority of our Odd Fellows Lodges in California are either experiencing a yearly “net loss” in members, or (at best) are static, showing neither a gain nor a loss. Only a few Lodges are showing a “net gain” in members, and only only a small fraction show a significant net gain on a regular basis.

An Odd Fellows Lodge can experience a gain when new members are brought in and initiated. And when members resign, or withdraw, or pass away, a Lodge will experience a loss. So, it’s important not only to bring in new members, but also to do what we can to make sure existing members stay engaged in our Lodges and do not resign or withdraw. It is that latter issue that I will address in today’s newsletter. Specifically, here is an excerpt from an e-mail recently sent to me by a long-time member of DMC:

“Dave, I had a chance to talk with one of our long-time members about why some members no longer attend meetings or others have resigned from the lodge. This member brought up one member who has not attended lodge in about three years. He said that this other member was a great worker, always there if you needed help and how he really appreciated all that this member did for the lodge.

So asked an interesting question of him; I asked, “Have you taken the time to tell them how much you appreciate what they have contributed to the lodge?” His response was, “Well, No.”

I think that this subject likely may be occurring in many lodges. How often do we take the time to visit with a member who has stopped coming to the meetings to find out why they don’t come any more? Even more interesting, when is the last time we have told that member how much we appreciate what they do for the lodge? How many members would come back to lodge if we all made a list of members in our lodge who have stopped attending meeting and visit them to let them know how much we miss them and appreciate their contribution to the lodge?”

Could this also be the situation in your Odd Fellows Lodge? Have you done all that you can to re-engage members whom you haven’t seen at the Lodge for awhile? And when members come to the Lodge, do you include them in discussions and activities? During “good of the order” do you compliment members for their input, their actions, and their contributions?

Certainly food for thought.

F – L – T

Dave Rosenberg
Past Grand Master
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
Jurisdiction of California

If your Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge was instituted in the 19th Century, you might wish to try this experiment. Look through your historical documents – such as your membership records and minutes – and you will find an interesting phenomenon. Your Odd Fellows Lodge members in those early days were typically in their 20’s and your Lodge officers were normally in their 30’s. My own Odd Fellows Lodge, for example, was instituted in 1870, and our first Noble Grand – Jacob Horning – was only 37 years old when he assumed the leadership.

This was common-place in the 1800’s, but is quite rare in the present day. In 2023, how often do we see a Noble Grand in his/her 30’s? Just the opposite, we often see the leadership of Lodges today in their 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s.

Why was it common to have Noble Grands in their 30’s in the 19th Century, but rare today?

I think there are four (4) factors at play here.

1. The obvious difference is that people live much longer today than they did in the 1900’s. Jacob Horning, for example, passed away in 1877 – at the age of 44. Today, a significant number of people in North America live into their 80’s, 90’s and beyond.
2. One cannot discount the excitement and energy that accompanies a “new thing.” When Lodges were forming from East to West, it was challenging and invigorating. To form a new Lodge from the ground up was quite an endeavor. Money had to be raised, plans had to be made, buildings had to be built, furniture and furnishings had to be purchased, costumes and regalia had to be obtained.
3. Society in the 1900’s was dramatically different than society in the current Century. Folks in the 1900’s had no radio, or television, or movie theaters, or the ubiquitous Internet. Transportation was dramatically limited to horses and buggies and trains, so most folks stayed pretty close to home and Lodge. Being part of a fraternal order was a coveted endeavor. In today’s society, we are mobile travelers of our state and the world.
4. Belonging to a fraternal order was huge in the 1800’s. There were hundreds of fraternal orders to choose from, and the largest were Masonic and Odd Fellows. In those days, everybody who was anybody wanted to be a member of a Lodge. Over the decades, that desire to belong to a fraternity has, regrettably, diminished – and in this era of computers, electronic news, television with hundreds of channels, electronic banking, DoorDash, email, YouTube, SnapChat, TikTok, and smart phones – and is likely to continue to diminish. Society seems to be growing inward, rather than outward.

F – L – T

Dave Rosenberg
Past Grand Master
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
Jurisdiction of California

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows’ primary words are Friendship, Love, and Truth. Add to those the goal of ‘Elevating Human Character,’ and you’ve got a recipe that no one will argue with. But how do we engage more people in our Order? I think three more words are vitally important: ‘fun,’ ‘relevance’, and ‘yes.’

Fun.

If people don’t have fun, they don’t show up. If there is something people would rather be doing, they’ll do it. There is certainly more to life than fun (see below), but making everything arduous is a sure way to turn people away. We all hear about the “Golden Age” of Fraternal Organizations. In 1905, the total population of Woodland California was around 3,000 people, but the Woodland Odd Fellows Lodge had over 200 members! We can attract people back to Odd Fellowship, but if it’s not fun, they’ll stop coming. Meetings are not fun. And meetings, by themselves, do not give relevance. They are a necessary function of the Lodge, but they are not why people return. Said another way, most people will stay in a Lodge in spite of the meetings, not because of them. So, make the meetings as fun as you can, but we can’t stop there.

Relevance.

Relevance is a word I don’t often hear when people talk about Odd Fellows or growing the Order, but I believe it is vitally important. In addition to being fun, the Lodge needs to be relevant to people. People want to be part of something bigger than themselves or their family. They want to feel that they are part of a community, that they are helping, that there is purpose to their lives. And they want to feel that what they’re doing matters and will outlive them.

When the Odd Fellows began, there were no social safety nets. People banded together and organized to create those safety nets for their fellow community members. The Order was very relevant to its members. Today we have more safety nets and so our Lodges have turned their efforts more toward helping their communities. Don’t know what is relevant? Look to your community and find a need that needs filling. When people have a feeling that what they are doing is relevant and important, they will dive in with their heart and soul. They will automatically bring the values of Friendship, Love, and Truth. In our Order, we ask people to contemplate mortality. Much of our imagery is about working together for something that lasts: the bundle of sticks, the heart in hand, images of bones. They are powerful images because they convey a sense of community and of something bigger – and longer lasting – than one’s self. But if they’re just images, they’re merely curios from a bygone era. Bringing relevance to those images – and to our Lodges – will be what determines whether our Order survives, or is relegated to history books.

Yes.

The surest way to get relevance is to say “yes.” If someone asks to do something, it means that it is near and dear to their heart and the quickest way to squash their enthusiasm is to say ‘no.’ What your Lodge is doing may satisfy you and the current members, but if you want new members, the Lodge needs to be relevant to them. (Important note: you don’t need to give up what you enjoy when saying ‘yes’ to someone else’s idea!)

New members need to have a purpose. And the best way to find out what is important to others is to simply ask! Most Lodges own their own building. The value of this resource can simply not be overstated. Do you have someone in your Lodge that wants to create an event? Perhaps a community open mic night, or a fundraiser for a good cause? If something is not against the rules of the order, the answer should be, “yes.” Making an annual event to help a local cause will do more to advertise that your Lodge is relevant to the community than any amount of marketing. Will there be issues? Of course! Will there be roadblocks? Certainly. But we mustn’t let negative possibilities get in the way of our positive possibilities. Just say ‘yes.’ You will be surprised how many people will pitch in to make your Lodge positive, relevant, and fun. And when others see you doing good and having fun doing it, they’ll want to join too.

In Friendship, Love, and Truth

Larry D. Guenther
Noble Grand, Davis Lodge #169
Independent Order of Odd Fellows

Rick Boyles, a Past Grand Master of California, often contributes incisive articles to this DMC Newsletter. His musings and aspirations on the character of Odd Fellowship are relevant and inspiring. In this latest article from Brother Rick we are reminded that if we, and each of us, were to live by our guiding tenets of Friendship, Love and Truth, we would rarely go wrong as Odd Fellows. If we follow FLT in our conduct in the Lodge and in our relationships with our fraternal brothers and sisters, peace will surely follow. Our Lodge Halls should be places of peace and tranquility – a respite from the noise, trouble and turmoil of the outside world.

F – L – T

Dave Rosenberg
Past Grand Master
Jurisdiction of California

Sometimes in this order, I believe we forget who we are. I am as susceptible to this as anyone else. We are a fraternal group based on Friendship, Love, and Truth. Can we say that enough?

People I know always act like they are mad and must create disorder. There is no purpose for this, and all of us have been guilty of this at one time or another. We are comprised of thousands of members, with just as many brains, hearts, and attitudes. Spreading anger, or distrust does no good for anyone.

You may have read my messages in the last year or two on the shortened future we may have if we fail to make changes. We must make this simple change immediately and remember that each person we lose or insult or charge with crazy accusations is hurt or lost to us. Not only must we get new members, but we must also retain the old ones. When we lose one member, we often lose many.

We have people that are searching for other’s whole histories to damage that person’s reputation. This is not an Odd Fellow way to operate. Clearly, there are disgruntled people, but nothing is gained by destroying someone else, and often this reflects just as poorly upon the accuser. If we can’t reason with one another, there is no obvious reason to coexist together.

One gentleman I know says he wants to become Noble Grand so that he may speak his mind at Grand Lodge Sessions. Anyone may speak their mind, but it is never appropriate to disparage someone else publicly.

I wish we could all make a pact that we would agree to all get along together, no matter what our differences may be, politically or otherwise, and perhaps then we could tackle the bigger issue of keeping our order intact, and full of happy, cooperative individuals. If we can, I feel that we can survive, and attract those younger than most of us. If all we present is a group of bickering, inebriated, accusatory, and sometimes totally nonsensical older individuals, we are just waiting for the doors to close behind us. Let’s all try to be what we claim to be.

In F., L., & T., Rick Boyles