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IOOF

Seeves

Registered User
A friend of mine was recently considering petitioning for degrees. Somewhere along his journey he changed his mind and decided to join a different organization called the International Organization of the Odd Fellows. He's wanting me to join this organization with him. To be honest I truly have no interest in this organization. To me the name seems to represent a group of people who were either turned down from freemasonry or did not have the resolve to petition and take the journey. With that being said I would rather invest my spare time in lodge and furthering myself in Masonry; however, I'm curious at this point to exactly what this organization is. I've done some research, but most of the information I've found is from the organization. I was wondering if any of my brothers could help enlighten me on this organization.


This is the organizations logo

62ec1fccc068accd093ac0f7cc0d9a56.jpg


And I've seen lapel pins with the s&c

Thank You


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Elexir

Registered User
Actuly they have a long history and the order has its orgins in the other trading guilds and started out partaly as an issurance company and they still focus a lot on that so your ideas are pretty wrong and judgmental.
 

Seeves

Registered User
Actuly they have a long history and the order has its orgins in the other trading guilds and started out partaly as an issurance company and they still focus a lot on that so your ideas are pretty wrong and judgmental.

Thank you for the correction that's why I came here.


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Elexir

Registered User
Its not, I know a few masons who are also members of Odd Fellows and open about it and if they were irregular or clandestine they would have been forced to leave.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
There are IOOF members here (IOOFMU, Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity Friendly Society Limited is a variation of it). There is also the IOF. All are legitimate Fraternities (but often with the focus on insurance of a Friendly Society) and there are IOOF member here. It was a large organisation which has not survived as well as Freemasonry.

Here in Australia, it is actually well known, but as a Company rather than for its fraternal beginnings.

"IOOF Holdings Limited is an Australian financial services company which offers a range of products and services including financial advice, superannuation, investment management and trustee services. It was founded in 1846 as the Victorian branch of an international friendly society, and has its origins in the provision of sickness and funeral benefits prior to the widespread availability of government-funded welfare services.

Since demutualising in 2002 and listing on the ASX in 2003, IOOF has completed a number of mergers and acquisitions creating a significant financial services entity with more than $100 billion in funds under management, administration, advice and supervision and over 700,000 customers"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOOF_(company)

As for joining it, that's something I will leave to you, and to your judgement of the length of your cable tow, but some IOOF members here might be able to comment..
 

CLewey44

Registered User
Yes, I saw a IOOF 'lodge' once near where my Masonic lodge is...I think maybe some Presidents have been Odd Fellows and are probably similar to Freemasonry. It's actually less known about it, probably due to lack of popularity. But that does add a degree of mystery to it maybe. It could resurrect again but it's not looking good now.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
My grandfather and great grandfather were Odd Fellows. The IPG Chaplain of Utah is a PGM of the Odd Fellows.
 
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