The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

Chapter 7 - Rituals 595
7.3.2.1 Ritual of the I.O.O.F. 1550
In General
The I.O.O.F. 1551 , or Independent Order of Odd Fellows, came about in
England in the time of the industrial revolution as a mutual benefit society, and
was originally composed of travelling laborers, who could call on the nearest
lodge for assistance. The earliest printed record of a lodge meeting dates back to
1748.
There are several references as to how the name of the society originated, but
none is verified. For example, one history states that it was such a marked
violation of the English trends in the 1700s that common laboring men should
form a fraternity for fellowship and mutual help, that they became known as odd
or peculiar. The institution of Odd Fellowship was founded in Manchester,
England, in 1812, however, there have existed several isolated Odd Fellow
lodges prior to this date.
The I.O.O.F. as it is known today in North America began in Baltimore,
Maryland, where five brethren of the order from England founded a lodge on
April 26 th , 1819, which received a charter from England in 1820. One of these
brethren, Thomas Wildey, who became the first Noble Grand, is revered as the
founder. A women's degree, Rebekah, written by Schuyler Colfax, was accepted
in 1851.
European immigrants who came to America in the late 19 th century brought
back Odd Fellowship to the European continent; thus, the first German Grand
Lodge was founded in 1870 in Wurttemberg. From there, the organization spread
to Scandinavia and Switzerland. Today, the International Order of Odd Fellows
has approximately 600,000 members worldwide 1552 , with its top organization, the
Sovereign Grand Lodge, situated in the U.S.A.
Trying to establish the main difference between Freemasonry and Odd
Fellowship, we would have liked to state that Freemasonry is a spiritual and
moral institution, while Odd Fellowship is a mere "fun" organization with its
main target being sociability. The facts do not support this thesis, however, and
the job is not that simple. Odd Fellowship has never been the same in history. It
was invented in England with obviously another aim than at its later introduction
into America, which is proven by Odd Fellow historians and Christian critics
alike. Thus, in an introductory chapter to the exposure of the Odd Fellow ritual,
J. Blanchard who endeavors to warn his readers of Odd Fellowship which for
him comes close to devil worship argues that
1550
If not otherwise noted, the quotations for this chapter are taken from Revised Oddfellowship
Illustrated, Chicago, 1888.
1551
For history and data see internet home page at http://www.IOOF.org/, and related links on that site.
1552
Cf. homepage of the Grand Lodge of the Netherlands and Belgium at http://www.ioof.nl/