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Odd in the USA Celebrating 200 years of Odd Fellowship in America

Wildey had joined the Oddfellows available. When an Odd Fellow was in 1804 at the age of twenty one. sick or injured, the lodge paid their There were plenty of fraternities in wages. When an Odd Fellow died, England, but Wildey was drawn to the lodge would provide their the Oddfellows because of their burial, and took care of the Thomas Wildey, Founder of American Odd Fellowship focus on caring for orphans. survivors they left behind. Wildey was himself an orphan, his So Wildey placed his ad: On April 26, 1819, Thomas Wildey parents having died when he was went to the Seven Stars Tavern in five. Baltimore, Maryland, to see if anyone would answer the personal Once a member, Wildey moved ad he had placed in the local quickly through the ranks. In the newspaper. He wasn't looking for a class-driven world of English date, though ? he was hoping to society at that time, he found it start a lodge. very strange when he, a maker of coach springs, was elected to lead Wildey had left England in 1817, a lodge composed of men from and immigrated to the United every class. It was even stranger to States. He was hoping to find an see members of the upper class exciting and prosperous new life; rolling up their sleeves to work side instead, he found himself lonely by side with their fraternal and stranded in Baltimore, a city brothers of lower social standing, suffering from massive unemploy- in order to relieve the suffering of ment and a yellow fever epidemic. the sick and distressed in London. He also found himself an outcast. The War of 1812 still fresh in their Seeing the same ills and suffering John Welch, John Duncan, John minds, Americans had little love or in Baltimore as he had in London, Cheatham, and Richard Rushworth use for Brits. In the hope of Wildey felt that America needed all responded to the ad. Together relieving his loneliness and the ills the charity of the Odd Fellows. In a they self-instituted Washington plaguing his new home city, Wildey time before government-run social Lodge #1. set out to establish in America the services and unions, membership Continued on page 2... British fraternity known as the in the Odd Fellows provided Oddfellows. security and benefits not otherwise Odds and Ends November 2018 page 2 Keep Portland Odd! Odd in the USA Continued from page 1

Odd Fellowship spread rapidly, and on January 15, 1825, lodges from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland joined together to form the Grand Lodge of the United States.

Although legitimate in their own eyes, Odd Fellows in the United States were not recognized by the lodges in other countries until May 15, 1826, when the American branch received a charter from the Independent Order of Oddfellows Manchester Unity. In 1843, the American branch separated from Manchester Unity, and became the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF). Celebrate 200 years of Odd Fellowship in America by taking a luxury bus tour, featuring Odd Fellows Thomas Wildey passed away in 1861 at the age of 79. history, trivia, and prizes. To his joy, he lived to see Odd Fellowship in the United States grow from five strangers in the Seven Stars Did you know that the Independent Order of Odd Tavern, to a nationwide fraternity with over 200,000 Fellows was founded on April 26, 1819, at the Seven members. Stars Tavern in Baltimore, Maryland? From a pub it all On the weekend of April 26, 2019, Peninsula Lodge will began, and to the pubs we shall return! be celebrating the two hundred year anniversary of On April 26, 2019, the exact bicentennial of the Thomas Wildey founding American Odd Fellowship at founding of the I.O.O.F., we will board a luxury coach the Seven Star Tavern. We will begin on Friday, April 26, to explore the old Odd Fellows halls of Portland, with a Lodge Hall Pub Crawl (see left), on the 27th we Oregon. The trip will begin at Peninsula Lodge and will have the Fifth Annual Odd Ball. On April 28th, we wind its way around town, stopping for a drink and a will have an open house featuring exhibits on the tour at several lodge halls that are now bars. Fun facts history of Odd Fellowship in Oregon. will be shared along the way, such as which Portland lodge was founded by police officers, what Odd Fellows fun group performed for Teddy Roosevelt, and which Noble Grand was arrested for "wandering the streets without a hat."

We'll finish the tour with a visit to the Grand Lodge of Oregon, then head back to Peninsula for a trivia contest to see how much everyone learned on the trip. Collector's edition prizes will be awarded to the winners, and we'll cap it all off by singing Happy Birthday to the Odd Fellows, and eating delicious gourmet cake.

Tickets available at: ht t ps:/ / t inyurl.com / lodgepubcraw l Odds and Ends November 2018 page 3 Keep Portland Odd! Odd Fellow s Donat e Grave Plot s

Officer Madison Ceaser of the Portland police Crisis Response Team, signs paperwork with Gary J. Kniss PGM to transfer ownership of the grave plots.

On October 3, 1881, the Odd long-forgotten grave plots. After able to help suffering families Fellows purchased six grave plots examining many different give their loved ones a proper at the Lone Fir cemetery in possibilities, the Executive burial. Portland Oregon. In keeping with Committee voted unanimously to the tenet to bury the dead, two of donate the plots to the Portland the graves were used by the Odd Police Crisis Response Team Neighborhood Associat ion Fellows to bury members who (CRT). board meetings for November died in destitute conditions. The The Crisis Response Team Port sm out h other four grave plots sat unused provides immediate and long- until they were eventually Nov. 6, at 6:30 pm term assistance to families forgotten. impacted by traumatic events Peninsula Odd Fellows Lodge The Lone Fir Cemetery, like all and violent crimes. Many of these 4830 N. Lombard Street pioneer cemeteries in Portland, is families, dealing with the sudden now run by the Metro regional and traumatic death of a loved Universit y Park government. Metro contacted the one, are unable to cover the high Nov. 12, at 7:00 pm Grand Lodge of Oregon and costs of a funeral and burial. With Portsmouth Trinity Lutheran asked what the Odd Fellows the donation of these four plots, wanted to do with these the Crisis Response Team will be 7119 N. Portsmouth Ave. Odds and Ends November 2018 page 4 Keep Portland Odd! Hallow een at Peninsula Odd Fellow s

A Carnival for Kids ...... A Rock & Roll

On October 27, 2018, Peninsula Lodge held its Eighth Cabaret for Adult s Annual Halloween Carnival to raise money for schools. The carnival set an all-time fundraising record. As a result, local Parent Teacher Associations will receive $12 this year for every child that attended from their school.

Four Portland police officers helped out at the carnival, handing out "swag bags", running games, playing board games, giving the kids tours of their patrol cars, and posing for photos.

Putting in double duty were the actors of Torchsong Entertainment. Dressed as Disney villains, they entertained the children at the carnival, then stayed until midnight to perform in their Halloween Rock

Cabaret, Villains & Vixens.

In its fourth year, Villains & Vixens is becoming a Halloween tradition for many Portlanders. The show features a seemingly endless cast of monsters, witches, ghosts and goblins telling campy jokes and singing villainous parodies of popular songs.

Torchsong is one of three theater companies that call Peninsula Lodge their home. In addition to their adult- oriented musicals and cabarets, they also produce two very popular events for children, The Very Potter Party, and Christmas in a Galaxy Far, Far Away. To learn more about these and other upcoming events, visit our website: www.KeepPortlandOdd.com Odds and Ends November 2018 page 5 Keep Portland Odd! Christ m as in a Galaxy Far, Far Aw ay

Join Torchsong Entertainment and Peninsula Odd Fellows for a very special all-ages party, celebrating the holiday season in true intergalactic style!

WHAT FUN AWAITS YOU? - Get your picture taken with Vader Claus and tell him what you'd like for Sithmas - Enjoy holiday treats like Aunt Beru's Blue Eggnog or Peppermint Hoth Chocolate - Listen to unique twists on your favorite Christmas stories, like "The Night Before Sithmas" sung by the Torchsong vocalists - Create your own intergalactic crafts fit for a Jedi - Purchase unique gifts from Christmas and Star Wars vendors - Come dressed in your Christmas PJs or as your favorite character, and enter our kids costume contest

Sat urday, Decem ber 15, 2018 | 12 PM ? 3 PM Hist oric Peninsula Odd Fellow s Building: 4834 N. Lom bard St . Odds and Ends MONTH 2018, page 6 Keep Portland Odd!

Classes Offered at Peninsula Odd Fellows Class: On t he w eb at : Aikido ? Aikido Portland AikidoPortland.com Aikido ? Ronin Bushido RoninBushidoAikidoPNW.com Belly Dance ? Dance with Henna HennaDances.com Capoeira ? CTE Capoeiragem CTEOregon.Wordpress.com Dance ? Afro KidsWorks facebook.com/bobbyfouther Dance ? Dance-4-Fun Dance4FunPDX.com Dance ? Lyrical and Jazz facebook.com/onyourtoeswithkatherinekyte First Aid, CPR, Babysitting safetysideup.com Hula ? Uluwehi Halau O Kapukui HulaDanceLesson.com Interplay http://www.interplaypdx.org/events-classes/

Jujitsu ? Kaishinkai Danzan Ryu DanzanRyupdx.Wordpress.com

Zumba® ? Monica Robles facebook.com/monica.myers.7146 Odds and Ends November 2018 page 7 Keep Portland Odd! Muscovit es Perform Degree as Fundraiser for Music Educat ion

On Saturday October 6th, secret society that does not exist. The Muscovite degree has been members of Samaritan Lodge No. You do not have to be a member an Odd Fellows tradition since 2 in Milwaukie, Peninsula Lodge of the Odd Fellows to join the 1894, and it is a huge hit with the No. 128 in Portland, and Tillamook Muscovites. younger generation today. Lodge No. 94 performed the The Noble Order of Muscovites is The fun in Tillamook and Bay City Muscovite degree at the Bay City not an actual order, in that there included a steak and oyster feed, Rebekah Lodge, as a fundraiser are no governing bodies, no dues, the Muscovite Degree, and a for music education in Tillamook. and no meetings. The degree is sunset bonfire on the beach. The Muscovite Degree is an performed in order to bring Pelican Brewing helped sponsor interactive comedy that confers people together, have fun, and the event. All who came had an on the audience membership in a raise money for charity. incredible time! Odds and Ends MONTH 2018, page 8 Keep Portland Odd!