Volume 11, Issue 6 Independent Order of Odd Fellows News November—December 2008 Units of the Order ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ∗ Odd Fellows Lodge ∗ Rebekah Lodge In the spirit of the Season ∗ Encampment ∗ Ladies Encampment we wish you Auxiliary ∗ Patriarchs Militant Friendship, Love and Truth; ∗ Ladies Auxiliary Patriarchs Militant Faith, Hope and Charity; ∗ Junior Odd Fellows and Lodge ∗ Theta Rho Girls’ Universal Justice Club ∗ United Youth Groups ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Lady Judy G. Gordon The World President of Wildey International Association of Odd Fellowship Ladies Auxiliaries Patriarchs Militant ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 1 Australia 2 Austria Marilyn L. Wilson 3 Belgium President 4 Belize International Association of Rebekah Assemblies 5 Canada 6 Czech Republic 7 Chile 8 Cuba General Robert D. Vickrey 9 Denmark General Commanding 10 Dominican General Military Council Republic 11 Estonia 12 Finland The Honorable Richard G. Proulx 13 France Sovereign Grand Master 14 Germany The Sovereign Grand Lodge 15 Iceland Independent Order of Odd Fellows 16 Mexico 17 Netherlands, The 18 New Zealand 19 Nigeria 20 Norway 21 Poland Sovereign Grand Master’s Message 3 22 Spain 23 Sweden President - I.A.R.A. - Message 4 24 Switzerland General Commanding / President - I.A.L.A.P.M. - Messages 5 25 United Kingdom 26 USA 2009 Pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Unknowns 11 27 Uruguay 28 Venezuela Membership Chairman 22-23 SCHUYLER COLFAX MEMORIAL MUSEUM HUMANITARIAN AWARD Thinking of you: The Schuyler Colfax Memorial Museum presents five Humanitarian Awards each year of $1,000; to five Rebekah Sister Ruth and Brother Anthony Battaglia. Assemblies. All jurisdictions will have the opportunity to Sister Jan Simmonds. participate in this project. Selection is based on continuous membership in the Association of Rebekah Assemblies ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ later renamed the ‘International Association of Rebekah Assemblies’. Our Sympathy to: The awards are presented at the I.A.R.A. session to the Jurisdictional Representative. A Letter of Congratulations and the Award Guidelines accompany the check. A dupli- Terry Higgins with the death of her Mother. cate letter is mailed to the Rebekah Assembly President and the Rebekah Assembly Secretary of the selected jurisdic- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ tions. Names of the recipients are not revealed until the Thank You from: I.A.R.A. session. The Jurisdictional project is to be one that benefits the Jerald Sarnes, GS GL-IL for the cards, calls, prayers, community, i.e. children’s camps, abused shelters, home- etc at the time of his twin brother’s death. less centers, libraries, fire/police departments, children’s hospitals, or the like. Fellow Odd Fellows- The project is to be chosen by the Rebekah Assembly and/or the Rebekah Assembly Project Committee. The I would like to thank everyone involved for the Schuyler Colfax Memorial Museum Trustees send three great day I had at the International Friendship Rally follow-up letters to the wining Jurisdictions throughout the in Hamilton, Ontario on October 25. The day was year. full of amazing floor work, costuming, music and Written reports accompanied by photographs are re- marching and I feel honored to have had the opportu- quired. nity to receive my degrees at this bi-national assem- Failure to follow the printed guidelines will result in bly. Meeting and talking with fellow initiates and forfeiture of the $1,000. All questions are to be directed to the Schuyler Colfax long time members of I.O.O.F. was interesting and Memorial Museum Trustees NOT to the I.A.R.A. Office. enlightening. The Rally has inspired me to spread the word and give others the chance to join with us. I am CONGRATULATIONS to the 2008-2009 Winners! hungry to learn more, to preserve the traditions and The jurisdictions are NEW YORK, WISCONSIN, safeguard for succeeding generations this wonderful IOWA, MARYLAND AND CALIFORNIA. organization that elevates mankind and provides fel- lowship to like minded individuals the world over. Thank you. I.O.O.F. News Kathryn Serianni Sacarissa Bell Rose #307 Lewiston, New York Phone: 336-725-5955 Fax: 336-722-7317 E-Mail: [email protected] I.O.O.F. News is the official publication of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Notice: Richard G. ‘Dick’ Proulx, Editor New Members are given a one year subscription to The Sovereign Grand Lodge, I.O.O.F., Publisher. the I.O.O.F. News. Please check the expiration on your paper and make sure to continue your subscrip- I.O.O.F. News is published at 422 Trade St. NW, Winston- tion by sending in the proper fee shown on the back Salem, NC 27101-2830, U.S.A. of your paper. 2 - I.O.O.F. News — Vol. 11, Issue 5 OFFICE OF THE SOVEREIGN GRAND MASTER THE SOVEREIGN GRAND LODGE NDEPENDENT RDER OF DD ELLOWS I O O F November 2008 To All My Fraternal Brothers and Sisters of All Units of Odd Fellowship, Look around. If you are an optimist, spring is right out late, but please consider helping us in our project in around the corner! I do not like winter, for the most part, Cambodia. Our association with SOS Children’s Villages but I do like spring. I choose to look for the good. There has been very successful. We are helping many children are many opportunities to use this half full approach to through our village in Cambodia not only through life. We are an organization of many people with many housing but also through education. We take our great ideas and the ability to fill mankind’s needs. education for granted because our systems are so good. All too often we get in the way of our own success. Just think how your life might have been without a home, We address one another as Brother and Sister but we without parents, without education. I urge you to support often forget what that means. This manifests itself in Odd Fellow Village. disagreements within our Lodges, Odd Fellow versus Sometime after the 1 st of the year I will be returning Rebekah, and Grand Lodge against Rebekah Assembly to Nigeria to work with our Brothers and Sisters as they and so on. As I travel to sessions I have heard comments work to further our fraternity in Africa. We are in the such as “Grand Lodge will never find our money” or “We process of getting recognition of the Independent Order of aren’t going to bring in new members and let them spend Odd Fellows from the government of Nigeria. It is a our money”. There are many more examples in all parts tedious process but once it is completed we will be able to of our Order but the common thread is always the same. move to our next step, which is, raising money to help ME FIRST. While we help others we forget that we must each of the four Lodges. I have heard from some of our be true Brothers and Sisters to one another. You do not North American Lodges wishing to help. If your Lodge, really belong in this fraternity if you do not put others in your Assembly, or your Grand Lodge would like to front of yourself. Let us not forget why our Order was support these Brothers and Sisters please contact Brother founded. Terry Barrett or me. I am often asked about my travel schedule. My I am blessed to be working with International answer is always the same. I love it! It is a great Association of Rebekah Assemblies President Marilyn opportunity to get to meet new friends and renew old Wilson, General Commanding Robert Vickrey, and friendships and to see the work of our Order being done International Association Ladies Auxiliary Patriarchs in many venues. I would not have it any other way. Militant President Lady Judy Gordon. We work very Since installation in August I have traveled to well together. The glass of these people is always half Connecticut; to Lady Judy Gordon’s testimonial; full. Andersonville, GA; Iowa; Maine; and Oklahoma. I was also privileged to attend the Testimonial for the Grand In Friendship, Love, and Truth, Master of the Order Nicola O’Riordan Findley in England. I have also been to the Grand Lodge of Australasia in Perth, Australia. Yes, the schedule is busy but it is a great honor to represent you around the world. Richard G. "Dick" Proulx There are also the less pleasant tasks that pop up Sovereign Grand Master from time to time, the vast majority of which are caused by poor communication. The answer generally involves compromise. I know that the mailing for World Orphan Week got “WE SEEK TO IMPROVE AND ELEVATE THE CHARACTER OF MAN ” Vol. 11, Issue 5 — I.O.O.F. News - 3 Office of the President International Association of Rebekah Assemblies I.O.O.F. November 2008 Dear Sisters and Brothers sion, increase our influence, and bring The more we use our God-given poten- new members into our Order. God will tial, the more fulfilled and the happier we It is only through God’s grace and never ask us to do something He has not will be. It is not easy to step through a everyone He has put in my life that my already prepared us to do. Only God can door of opportunity, but sometimes we becoming President has became a reality. open the right doors and get us where we just have to be bold and go for it. If we When we stay in faith, God always need to be. When one door closes God will do all we can do, God will do what brings the right people across our paths will open a bigger and better door for us.