Dedicated Members for Change
Odd Fellowship came to the North American Continent in the early part of the 19th Century, and flourished. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows spread rapidly from coast to coast, forming thousands of Lodges with hundreds of thousands of members. And for over 100 years, Odd Fellowship grew in membership and strength. But in the 20th Century, in a changing society, we started to see a decline in membership. And after World War II ended in 1945, membership started a steady and alarming downward spiral. From 1945 to 2010 – a period spanning three generations – IOOF in California, and the rest of North America – saw a precipitous drop in membership. In California, membership dropped by over 90%. Clearly, the decline was unsustainable.
In 2010, three strong and dedicated members of this Order decided “enough was enough” and they formed a progressive group of brothers and sisters focused on changing this Order to fit the needs of a changing society. The goal was simple: Increase membership in this Order. The three brothers are Don Smith (Past Grand Master of California and Past Sovereign Grand Master), Rick Boyles (today serving as Junior Past Grand Master) and Dave Rosenberg (today serving as Deputy Grand Master of California). The group they formed became known as “Dedicated Members for Change” or “DMC” – dedicated to ways to stop and reverse the decline in membership. More specifically, DMC is dedicated to keeping our focus on the need to evolve so that we can grow, and in suggesting ways that members and Lodges can bring in new members and retain existing members.
Since 2010, DMC has published a “DMC Newsletter” which comes out via e-mail and includes articles from DMC members – all focused on membership, membership, membership. Since 2010, over 100 DMC Newsletters have been published. The DMC e-mail list has grown from about 20 charter members to hundreds today. If you wish to be included in the e-mail matrix list of DMC members, simply send an e-mail to daverose@jps.net and you will be added to the list!
On this website, for information, history, and posterity, we are engaged in the process of re-publishing the DMC Newsletters from December 2010 to the present day. Feel free to share these DMC Newsletters with your friends and Lodge mates!
Dedicated Members for Change News and Information
Change is slow in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
Change is slow, even within the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. We all know that. Change interrupts the status quo, and it's difficult for many...
Civic Duties within the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
Every Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge in good standing is entitled to send representatives to Grand Lodge Sessions. The number of representatives to which a Lodge is entitled varies.
Independent Order of Odd Fellows “Open House”
Over 100 years ago, the best method used by many fraternal groups, such as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, to attract people is to have that...
Dedicated Members for Change Article Archive
January - December 2014
December 2014
- Reaching Out – December 29, 2014
- The Writing On The Wall – December 26, 2014
- To Change Or Not To Change – December 23, 2014
- To Our Future – December 21, 2014
- Our Responsibility – December 18, 2014
- The Popes 10 Tips For A Happier Life – December 13, 2014
- Old Mens Paranoia – December 8, 2014
- Knights Of Pythias – December 4, 2014
- SGM Video – December 3, 2014
November 2014
- Nursery Rhymes – November 30, 2014
- Odd Fellowship And Community Service – November 26, 2014
- Philosophy Of Odd Fellowship – November 23, 2014
- An Onion To A Beggar – November 20, 2014
- The Golden Rule – November 17, 2014
- The Code As A Weapon – November 17, 2014
- The Branches Of Odd Fellowship – November 15, 2014
- Davis Lodge Committees – November 12, 2014
- Eventual Change – November 10, 2014
- Moral Obligations – November 8, 2014
- Mailbag – November 2, 2014
- Dichotomy Of Religion – November 1, 2014
October 2014
- Have You Read Our Application? – October 30, 2014
- Religious Controversy – October 29, 2014
- Are We Truly Non-Sectarian – October 26, 2014
- Statistically Speaking – October 24, 2014
- In Search Of Change – October 19, 2014
- Specific Methodologies – October 18, 2014
- Do The Math – October 17, 2014
- A Simple Formula – October 16, 2014
- Reprise – October 15, 2014
- 10 Helpful Hints – October 14, 2014
- Have Fun And Grow – October 10, 2014
- Continued Decline – October 7, 2014
- Large Lodges Lead The Way – October 3, 2014
- Where Did You Grow Up Punk – October 2, 2014
September 2014
- Self Preservation – September 25, 2014
- Having Fun With Oddness – September 20, 2014
- Laughter Is The Best Medicine – September 18, 2014
- Seek A Resolution – September 15, 2014
- Structured For Failure – September 10, 2014
- Ritualistic Boredom – September 8, 2014
- What is in a Name – September 5, 2014
- Sovereign Grand Master Acceptance Speech – September 2, 2014
August 2014
- The Need For Change – August 30, 2014
- Its Hard To Let Go – August 27, 2014
- Why Us – August 23, 2014
- Climb The Fraternal Ladder – August 20, 2014
- Outside These Walls – August 16, 2014
- Connecting in the 21st Century – August 10, 2014
- Protocols to Merge – August 6, 2014
- Common Denominator – August 3, 2014
July 2014
- Attention To Membership – July 30, 2014
- Why Should I Join – July 27, 2014
- Endeavor To Persevere – July 25, 2014
- IOOF Case Study – July 21, 2014
- Revealing Statistics – July 19, 2014
- Who Are We – July 17, 2014
- Opportunities For Growth – July 15, 2014
- Could This Be Your Lodge – July 13, 2014
- Our Core Principles – July 11, 2014
- At The Local Level – July 9, 2014
- The Past Predicts The Future – July 7, 2014
- Grand Wardens Message July 3, 2014
June 2014
- Is Perception Reality – June 26, 2014
- A Strong And Healthy Lodge – June 22, 2014
- Updating The Management Paradigm – June 19, 2014
- Pogo – June 17, 2014
- Youtube Video – June 14, 2014
- Repeating the Message – June 13, 2014
- DMC Open For Discussion – June 10, 2014
- The Secret Of Success – June 7, 2014
- The Continued Adventures of Blake and Ev – June 5, 2014
- Which One Are You – June 2, 2014
May 2014
- Friendship Love Truth – May 31, 2014
- Simplify – May 29, 2014
- Aloha – May 27, 2014
- Retrospective by Rick Boyles – May 25, 2014
- Benefits Of Membership – May 23, 2014
- Membership Membership Membership – May 22, 2014
- Open House – May 21, 2014
- 162nd Grand Lodge Session Notes – May 19, 2014
- Creating A Culture Of Change – May 14, 2014
- IOOF in Texas – May 13, 2014
- We Shall Survive – May 12, 2014
- The Odd Fellows Song – May 11, 2014
- Eye Physic – May 10, 2014
- A Learned Characteristic – May 9, 2014
- One Week To Go – May 8, 2014
- Good Leadership – May 7, 2014
- The Elephant In Our Lodge – May 5, 2014
- Accomplishments – May 4, 2014
- Accomplishments – May 2, 2014
April 2014
- Accomplishments – April 30, 2014
- Are We Out Of Touch – April 26, 2014
- Honor Our History – April 22, 2014
- A Reason For Hope – April 19, 2014
- Fourth Annual DMC Dinner A- pril 17, 2014
- DMC Think Tank – April 13, 2014
- You Might Be A Good Odd Fellow If – April 10, 2014
- Practice What We Preach – April 8, 2014
- The Code Of No April 6, 2014
- Energy And Joy Or Just A Drag – April 3, 2014
- Thoughts From An Alternate Universe – April 1, 2014
March 2014
- Membership Grant Program – March 27, 2014
- Keeping Score – March 24, 2014
- The First Dimension – March 21, 2014
- Two Months To Go – March 16, 2014
- Stop Making Sense – march 13, 2014
- The Secret Word Is Friendship – March 10, 2014
- The Greatest of These is Love – March 7, 2014
- Three Dimensional Lodge – March 5, 2014
- What Is A Board – March 3, 2014
February 2014
- Et Tu Brute – February 28, 2014
- My Prospective – February 24, 2014
- Lets Do The Time Warp Again – February 21, 2014
- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – February 17, 2014
- Mailbag – February 15, 2104
- The Secret Of Success For Lodge Growth – February 12, 2014
- FLT For Dummies – February 9, 2014
- Fourth Annual DMC Dinner – February 8, 2014
- Learned it in Kindergarte – February 6, 2014
- Only the Right People – February 5, 2014
- 11 Lodges – February 3, 2014
January 2014
- A Strange Happening – January 29, 2014
- Shame on us – January 27, 2014
- Time To Grow – January 26, 2014
- Observations From Abroad – January 24, 2014
- What is a good Odd Fellow – January 22, 2014
- Differences In Lodges – January 19, 2014
- Historical Relics – January 17, 2014
- What Constitutes A Lodge – January 15, 2014
- Convention Registration – January 11, 2014
- A Tuxedo Obsession – January 10, 2014
- Generational Differences – January 9, 2014
- Creating Our Order – January 7, 2014
- How To of Member Recruitment – January 5, 2014
- Typhoon Haiyan Update – January 1, 2014
- Happy New Year – January 1, 2014
January - December 2013
December 2013
- New Years Resolution, December 31, 2013
- Trials and Tribulations of GMS, December 26, 2013
- DMC Anniversary – December 10, 2013
- Developing a Signature Project – December 9, 2013
- Who are the Odd Fellows – December 6, 2013
- Demographics and Lodge Growth – December 4, 2013
- Secret To Success, December 1, 2013
November 2013
- Pass It On – November 29, 2013
- Satisfaction Survey – November 26, 2013
- Remembering Don Smith – November 24, 2013
- Proud Of Our Roots – November 22, 2013
- Not A Tontine – November 19, 2013
- Mail Bag – November 17, 2013
- Shake It Up – November 16, 2013
- Helping The Phillipines – November 11, 2013
- Internet Resources – November 14, 2013
- Statistic Lane – November 11, 2013
- Passing Of Don Smith – November 9, 2013
- Still A Steady Decline – November 8, 2013
- I Like New Ideas – November 6,2013
- A Historical Study – November 3, 2013
October 2013
- More 20 Minute Meetings – October 31, 2013
- The 20 Minute Meeting – October 30, 2013
- How Our Lodges Evolve – October 27, 2013
- Changing Customs – October 24, 2013
- How To Leave The Order – October 23, 2013
- DMC Archive Online – October 21, 2013
- Did You Know??? – October 20,2013
- What Makes Us Different – October 16, 2013
- He Said She Said – October 14, 2013
- ODDventure – October 9, 2013
- A Few Ways to Turbo Charge Membership – October 8, 2013
- Embrace Being Odd – October 6, 2013
- A History of DMC – October 3, 2013
- Opinions Attitudes Behavior – October 1, 2013
September 2013
- The Secret of Success – September 28, 2013
- No Excuses – September 26, 2013
- For Lodges that WANT to Grow – September 22, 2013
- Complacency is our Enemy – September 19, 2013
- Life in the Slow Lane – September 17, 2013
- Links in a Chain – September 16, 2013
- Back from Vacation – September 14, 2013
August 2013
- Electronic Voting – August 31, 2013
- Communication is Key – August 28, 2013
- State of the Order – August 26, 2013
- Bell Bottoms and Wide Ties – August 24, 2013
- Remember To Say Thank You – August 21, 2013
- DMC Letters Available Online – August 19, 2013
- RCS Needs Our Help – August 17, 2013
- Reversing The Trend – August 15, 2013
- Early Lodge Meetings – August 14, 2013
- One Member Making a Difference – August 12, 2013
- Grand Lodge Membership Report – August 11, 2013
- Take A Self Test – August 9, 2013
- He’s Mad As Hell – August 7, 2013
- Rewards And Recognition – August 5, 2013
- Making Our Lodges More Interesting – August 3, 2013
- A Prosperous Year Before Us – August 1, 2013
July 2013
- Grand Lodge Membership Report – July 30, 2013
- Changing Our Public Image – July 29, 2013
- Its All About The Average Joe – July 28, 2013
- Odd Fellowship Is A Family Affair – July 26, 2013
- Fraternal Times Survey – July 23, 2013
- Consider A Revitalization Committee July 21, 2013
- The Future of Our Order – July 18, 2013
- Open The Odd Fellows Lodges To Women – July 13, 2013
- Take Advantage of the Membership Grant – July 11, 2013
- Changes In Society – July 11, 2013
- Be Positive – July 10, 2013
- Encouraging the Involvement of Members – July 8, 2013
- Gertrude Stein The Essence of Place – July 6, 2013
- Recruiting New Members – July 4, 2013
- Conversation About Odd Fellowship – July 1, 2013
June 2013
- Personal Publicity – June 30, 2013
- The Progress That Was Taken Away – June 28, 2013
- Notable Odd Fellows – June 21, 2013
- Re-examining Our Values – June 14, 2013
- Evolve Through Change – June 11, 2013
- Relay A Sense Of Caring – June 10, 2013
- Grand Lodge Articles – June 8, 2013
- Eliminating The Negativity – June 6, 2013
- Identify The Problem – June 5, 2013
- 21st Century Survival – June 4, 2013
- We Are Now Many Small Lodges – June 2, 2013
- Grand Lodge Sessions Preliminary Statistics – June 1, 2013
May 2013
- An Amazing Month – May 29, 2013
- Tips For A Strong Odd Fellows Lodge – May 28, 2013
- DMC Update – May 26, 2013
- GM Speech at Grand Sessions – May 23, 2013
- The Future of our Order – May 22, 2013
- Colorado News – May 13, 2013
- Decline Of Lodges Across The Nation – May 9, 2013
- Madison News – May 8, 2013
- Maine News – May 7, 2013
- Time To Evolve – May 6, 2013
- The Secret Of Success – May 5, 2013
- Campbell News – May 4, 2013
April 2013
- The Rebekah Assembly – April 27, 2013
- Build Upon the Future – April 26, 2013
- Unify the Order – April 24, 2013
- Three Legged Stool – April 19, 2013
- Membership Continues to Shrink – April 17, 2013
- History of the Odd Fellows – April 11, 2013
- DMC Continues to Grow – April 10, 2013
- To Turn the Tide – April 8, 2013
- Canary in a Coal Mine – April 1, 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
January - December 2012
December 2012
November 2012
- A Holiday Message – November 30, 2012
- What NOT To Do – November 29, 2012
- Not a Pretty Picture – November 21, 2012
- We Are Not Alone – November 18, 2012
- Official History – November 10, 2012
- Where Do We Go From Here – November 3, 2012
October 2012
- Resolutions – October 31, 2012
- Our Purpose Defines Our Direction – October 27, 2012
- The Way of the Dinosaur – October 23, 2012
- From Victoria – October 20, 2012
September 2012
- Time To Go External – September 29, 2012
- Odd Fellows Illustrated – September 25, 2012
- Fading With Age – September 2, 2012
August 2012
- Freedom To Be Who We Are – August 29, 2012
- A Lodge Divided – August 26, 2012
- Five Years of Growth – August 24, 2012
- Change within the Odd Fellows – August 18, 2012
- Dwindling Logic – August 11, 2012
July 2012
- What is a True Odd Fellows – July 28, 2012
- Does Your Community Know You Exist – July 26, 2012
- Is It A Lodge Or A Temple – July 21, 2012
- You Can Make The Difference – July 2, 2012
June 2012
- Loose Lips Sink Ships – June 28, 2012
- A Note From Halifax – June 23, 2012
- Let Us Not Forget – June 14, 2012
- Moving Forward As An Order – June 10, 2012
- Rebirth of Sycamore – June 1, 2012
- Rebekahs Statistics-1891-2011 – June 1, 2012
May 2012
- Odd Fellows Statistics – 2007 – 2011 – May 31, 2012
- Declining Membership – May 31, 2012
- A Source of Pride – May 27, 2012
- Ten Helpful Hints – May 26, 2012
- Member Recruitment – May 26, 2012
- Declining Membership May 22, 2012
- Success Favors The Bold – May 13, 2012
- Providing Focus – May 3, 2012
April 2012
- The Way of the Dodo – April 28, 2012
- We Are In This Together – April 26, 2012
- Changes In Membership – April 24, 2012
- Membership and Budgets – April 21, 2012
- Changing Our Meetings – April 17, 2012
- Orphan Scholarship Fund – April 15, 2012
- In Words And Actions – April 13, 2012
- Ten Tips For A Strong Lodge – April 11, 2012
- It Won’t Work – April 9, 2012
- Its Time For A Change – April 6, 2012
- April Fools – April 1, 2012
- A Bleak Picture – April 1, 2012
March 2012
- A Decline in Membership – March 29, 2012
- A Shared Interest – March 19, 2012
- The Ides of March – March 15, 2012
- Evolution and Progress – March 8, 2012
- Looking Under The Fez – March 4, 2012
- Change is Endemic – March 1, 2012
February 2012
- Words I Would Rather Not Hear – February 25, 2012
- A Direction of Leadership – February 22, 2012
- Before Statehood – February 19, 2012
- A Focus on Membership – February 13, 2012
- Complacency – February 11, 2012
- DMC Dinner Meeting – February 1, 2012
January 2012
January - December 2011
December 2011
October 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
- What Are We Going To do – April 30, 2011
- A DMC Newsletter – April 22, 2011
- A Brighter Future – April 10, 2011