Who are the Odd Fellows?

by Landere Naisbitt

      The mysterious wood delivery to our house one cold snowy night will always be remembered with fondness and gratitude by my family. It was like the fairies had come to visit. The previously barren white lawn was suddenly and silently heaped with rich brown wood – maple and ash and birch. We looked out the window and a pile of warmth lay before our eyes. What a beautiful sight it was! Its enigmatic arrival made the occasion particularly exciting and the rest of the evening was spent speculating on who (or what) could have come to our house.

      Later on we found out from a neighbor that a group of men called the Odd Fellows were our benefactors. But we never found out exactly who they were. Sometimes in the General Store as we walked its slanted floors, down the aisle with the baby powder and the WD 40, we would wonder – is that one of them? That guy over there in the black clam boots with the Wooden Boat cap and slate gray beard? Or perhaps the local music teacher who walks to school every morning? We continued to wonder.

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     The Odd Fellows support their communities anonymously and thus a mysterious aura surrounds them. Who are they? What are they like?

    I spoke with one member of this group who was willing to share some information about his experiences and about the organization in general. He prefaced the interview by stating that there were some details he had to exclude – details that pertained to the entertainment branch of the group’s activities which included several secret rituals. He emphasized the “men’s club” atmosphere as being an integral part of the organization, despite the fact that it is now technically open to women as well. He mentioned, however, that this relatively new development is not regarded with pleasure by all members.

    My interview focus was not on the realm of their revelry, but in the arena of community service. My interviewee listed several annual activities as well as sporadic generosities. The Hancock County district is involved in the up-keep of local cemeteries and parks and playgrounds, and the support of a home for the elderly (especially for Odd Fellow members). They have scholarships that they give to George Steven's Academy (Blue Hill High School), and a fund for community members in need of fuel for the winter. They do “odd” jobs as well for ailing neighbors such as splitting fire wood. My interviewee explained that the Hancock County district is thriving and young folks are joining to carry on the tradition. Internationally however, he felt that the organization is losing stream and beginning to die out.

    The interview participant remembered back to the days when the organization was mainly complied of farmers or laborers of some kind who met in the evenings after work to entertain one another and to hatch plans for helping those in need. He said that back when he joined about 30 years ago there were less distractions during after-work hours than there are today and belonging to this organization provided an important “cabin fever reliever,” you could say, especially during the long cold winter months on the coast.

     The Odd Fellow's organization began in the 18^th century. There is an excellent video found on Maine’s Grand Lodge site: www.oddfellowsofmaine.com that describes and illustrates its inception and its trajectory up to the present time. The video tells us that it was considered “odd to find people organized for the purpose of giving aid to those in need without recognition.” This is how the group got their name. There are several interesting facts presented in the video: the Odd Fellows were the first patrilineal organization to accept women into their ranks in 1851. They were the first patrilineal organization to establish homes for orphans and the elderly. Many prominent figures in our country’s history were members - Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Lucy Hobbs Taylor (America’s first female dentist) are two examples. In an era when welfare was non-existent, the Odd Fellows were also there to “help each other in times of sickness and distress” (video). 

     But what are these "odd fellows" like today? Who are they? How does their membership in this group help form their identities, and in turn, the identities of our rural communities?

     I invite any and all Odd Fellow members who come across this blog to contribute an anecdote, a fond memory, a reflection of their experiences as members of this unique organization. Your voices are needed to help illustrate the intricate web of our Maine communities. Thanks!