Can we attract the 21st Century man and woman to IOOF? The answer is yes, we can. There are a few Lodges around California and around the country that have done so, and quite successfully. How have they done this? The answer is – evolution. These Lodges have evolved (just like Odd Fellowship has evolved over time since it started in the 19th Century) to provide a Lodge that is appealing to today’s generation.
Bottom line: We will never grow as a fraternity and we will continue to diminish in membership (as we have done steadily since World War II) if we just sit behind our own four walls and conduct ritual meetings. We have to supplement the ritual, the regalia, the passwords, and the grips. To attract members in the 21st Century, we have to also provide them a social network with good fellowship activities in the Lodge, and we have to allow our members to be involved in the community with good charitable and community works. That’s what people want to do these days. And when we figure that out, we are going to start the renaissance of Odd Fellowship in California.
F – L – T
Dave Rosenberg