Independent Order of Odd Fellows of West Virginia
With Odd Fellows and Rebekahs in West Virginia ~ It's Almost Heaven!
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Independent Order of Odd Fellows of West VirginiaWith Odd Fellows and Rebekahs in West Virginia ~ It's Almost Heaven! |
In 17th century England, it was odd to find people
organized for the purpose of giving aid to those in need and of
pursuing projects for the benefit of all 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.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was founded on the North
American Continent in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 1819, when
Thomas Wildey and four members of the Order from England instituted
Washington Lodge No. 1. This lodge received its charter from
Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows in England.
Odd Fellowship became the first national fraternity to include both
men and women when it adopted the beautiful Rebekah Degree on
September 20, 1851. This degree is based on the teachings found in
the Holy Bible, and was written by the Honorable Schuyler Colfax who
was Vice President of the United States during the period 1868-1873.
Odd Fellows and Rebekahs were also the first fraternal organization
to establish homes for our senior members and for orphaned children.
There are different branches to Odd Fellowship. Listed below
is a simplified list of the different branches of the Order:
Listed below are some links to take you to The Sovereign Grand Lodge and other groups that promote Odd Fellowship throughout America and the world at-large. We hope that you will take a supreme interest in the teachings of the Order and join. "Together, we can do it!" stated current Sovereign Grand Master Richard S. Kim (Hawaii) on his journey to West Virginia in February 2008.
The Patriarchs Militant (PM) branch of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows is made up of a semi-military unit. Pictured above is a
honor guard formed at a celebration. Date is unknown.