Dear Dedicated Members for Change,
A few days ago, Grand Secretaries of the various Odd Fellows Jurisdictions in the United States and Canada received letters in the mail with the following message:
“To All Members of the Oddfellows,
I am running for Grand Warden for the Sovereign Grand Lodge. This will be my third time trying to get elected.
I am not politicking, but simply asking for your undivided attention at the annual communication in Texas this August.
I want to bring our Order into the 21st Century and treat it like a big business.
If I am elected, I plan to get all of our jurisdictions to support the Pasadena Float Parade and our Order’s float. California led the way this year, by putting the float back into our Code Book. I want it in every state’s Code Book. Every jurisdiction should be providing the funds to get our name out into the public.
I also want to be more brotherly and sisterly to one another. I am taking the lead, so follow me.
California is the leader in this Order and we should try to follow that state’s example.
Thank-you,
Barry Prock
PGM”
There is, however, one big problem with this letter: It was not written or mailed by Barry Prock. I talked to Barry this last weekend, and he was shocked to hear about it. He knew nothing about the letter until folks from around the country started calling him asking about it. The letter is a fraud. It was written and mailed from a Reno, Nevada mailbox by a brother or sister who is, in my book, despicable. This brother or sister sent this letter for the specific purpose of harming the candidacy of Barry Prock. Now, whether you agree or disagree with Barry or support or don’t support him for Sovereign Grand Warden, no member of this Order should be the target of such shameful conduct. The letter was written to inflame the reader. Granted, the letter is poorly written, but it’s clear that the content is meant to injure Barry as a candidate for Sovereign Grand Warden. It is full of red flags for members of jurisdictions other than California: talking about engaging in politicking while denying the letter is politicking, referencing the Rose Bowl float and suggesting that money be taken from other jurisdictions for the float, treating Odd Fellows like a “big business”, stating that we should all follow the lead of California, etc.
Think about the fact that there is a member in our Order, so full of mischief, hate, and/or phlegm, that they would take the time, energy and trouble to devise this scheme, compose this letter, travel to Reno, hand-address dozens of envelopes, affix postage, and mail these letters – all for the sole purpose of hurting another member. The brother or sister who wrote this canard does not display the cherished ideals of Odd Fellowship – friendship, love, and truth. The brother or sister who wrote and mailed this garbage should be expelled from this Order. There is no place in Odd Fellows for liars and frauds.
F – L – T
Dave Rosenberg
Grand Master