First - we are a fraternal order - (Wikipedia definition)----"that is a voluntary membership group organized as an order with an initiation ritual and traits alluding to religious, chivalric, or pseudo-chivalric orders, guilds or secret societies."  We learn about our future by understanding the past, and most people love tradition and history - some can't get enough.

​

     Second - Odd Fellows started when working men of different trades met in the pubs of England. The earlier record is about 1748 in Globe Tavern in England. Pretty sure drinking ale was a major part of these social gatherings - but that's not to say we encourage the drink. Odd Fellows was not the only fraternal order in England - most of them evolved into "friendly societies." Before social security, unemployment insurance, or health care was subsidized by employers - folks in England were pretty much on their own. In stepped Odd Fellows (and other fraternal orders) to help members who were sick or in distress, to educate orphans of members who died, and to bury members in Odd Fellows cemeteries with no charge to families. Odd Fellows were the SOCIAL FABRIC which helped each other.

​

     Third - Because Odd Fellows is a MEMBER society, we have secret handshake, signs and passwords - only by such rituals could one Odd Fellows Lodge know that it was helping true Odd Fellows as opposed to someone trying to pass themselves off as a member in order to receive financial or other assistance. This is not to say we don't help our Community as well- because WE DO!

      **There's more history of England, but you can learn that on your own once you become a member**

​

     Fourth - Odd Fellows came to the United States in 1806. In the middle of the 1800's, Odd Fellowship became the FIRST FRATERNAL ORDER to open its doors to women with the formation of the Rebekah Lodge; and in the late 20th Century, membership in Odd Fellows Lodges was opened to women and Rebekah Lodges were opened to men.

     Fifth -In 1869, a California Lodge (Templar Lodge #15 San Francisco) helped establish a Lodge in Germany, and from there Odd Fellowship traveled world-wide.

​

      FYI:  The IOOF logo you see is Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The 3 links represent FRIENDSHIP

(to fellow man) LOVE (of our Country) and TRUTH (in our lives).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Memento Lodge #37 in Georgetown, California meets at 6:30 pm on the 1st & 3rd Thursdays
of each month at the Lodge Building at 6240 Main Street.  If you would like to come
to visit or get more information, call: Larry Morgan: 530.320.3910 or Landa Spain: 530.919.5130.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Contributions to the above are from Dave Rosenberg, & PGM Davis Lodge #169, California lOOF