History and Facts about the Odd Fellows
History
The Odd Fellows is one of the oldest world-wide fraternal orders. Some books actually claim to trace Odd Fellowship back to Roman times when members of the Roman Legions in England were called “Fellow Citizens”, but that sort of claim is speculation, at best. What is said to be the earliest printed record of an Odd Fellows Lodge appears in a reference to a Lodge meeting at a Globe Tavern in England in 1748. The Lodge number was nine, so apparently there were at least nine associated Odd Fellows Lodges at that time.
How did “Odd Fellows” get its name? The generally accepted belief is that it stemmed from 18th Century England where lodges and fraternal orders were founded to foster and advance a particular profession, and it was “odd” to find people of various professions organized for the purpose of giving aid to those in need and pursuing projects for the benefit of mankind. Those who belonged to such an organization were called “Odd Fellows.” Odd Fellows are also known as “The Three Link Fraternity” which stands for Friendship, Love and Truth.
Odd Fellowship started in England and it is still active there. Odd Fellows came to the United States through the work of an Englishman who came to this country. Thomas Wildey, founder of Odd Fellowship in North America, was a man of immense vitality, humor, and warmth. He was born in London, England, in 1872. He was left an orphan five years later – and the Odd Fellow pledge to “Educate the Orphan” sprang from his personal childhood experiences. At the age of 14, Wildey went to live with an uncle. After he had 9 years of schooling, he became an apprentice to a maker of coach springs. He joined the Odd Fellows in England in 1804. Restlessness brought Thomas Wildey to America in 1817. The British, however, were still unpopular in the States because of the War of 1812. In 1817, Baltimore, where Wildey settled, was suffering both a yellow fever epidemic and mass unemployment. Wildey missed companionship so he advertised in the newspaper to determine if there were any other Odd Fellows in Baltimore. He requested that they meet him at the Seven Stars Inn. On April 26, 1819, Wildey and the four men who responded to the advertisement met and began a process that would lead to the formation of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in North America, dedicating the Order to achieve philanthropic goals. Other Englishmen who were Odd Fellows had grouped in the States along the Eastern Seaboard, and Wildey gathered them all into the newly formed fraternity. He traveled widely to set up Lodges in the most recently settled parts of the country. At the time of his death in 1861, there were more than 200,000 members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows all across North America.
The Odd Fellows were the first organization that organized Lodges for women through the Rebekah Order way back in 1851. Schuyler Colfax, Vice President of the United States under Ulysses S. Grant, was the force behind the movement. Odd Fellows were also the first group to form Homes for their aged members and the first such home was in Pennsylvania. Odd Fellows also have Lodges for boys and girls, Junior Odd Fellows and Theta Rho, as well as youth camps – including summer camps in California.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows has been active in California since September 9, 1849, one year before California Statehood and eleven years before the start of the Civil War. At that time, California Lodge Number 1 was established in San Francisco. There are some 360 Lodges in California today, under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of California, and (nationally) the Sovereign Grand Lodge located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Davis Lodge Number 169 (the Davis Lodge) was chartered in 1870, well before there was a City of Davis and a University of California at Davis. The Davis Lodge is the oldest, continuously operated organization in Davis.
Activities
Any person over 18 years of age is eligible to be an Odd Fellow. That person must be sponsored by a Lodge member and be of good character, be loyal to their country, and believe in a Supreme Being. There are two levels of membership: regular and associate. A regular member may possess all three degrees and then may vote and hold office. A regular member may become an associate member in another Lodge. In addition to the Initiatory Degree, there is the First Degree (the Degree of Friendship), the Second Degree (the Degree of Love), and the Third Degree (the Degree of Truth). An Odd Fellow who possesses all three degrees may also join the Rebekah Order. There are affiliated degrees such as the Order known as the Encampment. This is open to any Third Degree member and confers three additional degrees: The Patriarchal, Golden Rule, and Royal Purple Degree. An Encampment member who has attained the Royal Purple Degree may join a semi-military organization known as the Patriarchs Militant Degree. This degree is based upon the principle of Universal Justice and is intended to be purely military and for the purposes of display.
Internationally, Odd Fellows is a worldwide fraternal order with over 10,000 Lodges in 25 countries, actively involved in civic and philanthropic efforts. Odd Fellows and Rebekahs spend over $775 million in relief projects annually. The Educational Foundation provides substantial loans and grants to students. SOS Village provides a caring home for orphaned children in Cambodia. Living Legacy focuses on planting trees and enhancing our environment. The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs also support the Arthritis Foundation, the Visual Research Foundation, and the United Nations Pilgrimage for Youth.
In California, the Order operates the Odd Fellows Home in Saratoga which is a large independent and assisted living center, as well as a skilled nursing facility, Fellowship Plaza and Meadows of Napa Valley which are senior housing facilities for those with limited income, and the California Odd Fellows and Rebekah Children’s Home serving as a home for abused and/or severely disturbed children. The Grand Lodge of California also operates several youth summer camps available to children and grandchildren of members.
Locally, Davis Lodge Number 169, provides substantial donations to civic and charitable groups (such as Pine Tree Gardens, Hospice, the Yolo County Concilio, and others), and sponsors community events (like Breakfast with Santa and the Annual Picnic Day Parade Breakfast) that benefit the citizens of Davis and Yolo County.
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