Orcas Voices: The Odd Fellows

— by Sally Buchanan —

Odd Fellows march and make music in Pet Parade, 2015

The “Odd Fellows” is a name familiar to most Islanders. People know where the building is and they enjoy the renowned Odd Fellows band participating in Island parades with enthusiasm, costumes, and a great rhythm section. Most Islanders also know about the “world famous” Halloween dance with prizes and costumes for kids and adults. The Thanksgiving celebration offers food and fellowship for all and has grown so big that this year it is being co-sponsored by the Episcopal Church. The turkey carvers are masterful and the shared potluck dishes offer every possible choice imaginable no matter what your tradition. But few know about the history of this service organization or its important voice in our community since 1891.

In 1817 several men met in Baltimore, Maryland as new Immigrants to form a service club like the one they had left behind in England. It had been called “The Manchester Unity” and had been in existence in Europe for 200 years at that time with the charge of “visiting the sick, comforting the widow, educating the orphan, and burying the dead.” The latter was a sobering but much-needed social contribution when times were tough, doctors were few and medicine was often homegrown. The men in Baltimore changed the original name to the “Odd Fellows” to indicate that they represented small, working class men, a blue-collar fellowship. By 1891 there were over 400 lodges in Washington and the Mt. Constitution Lodge on Orcas Island was number 88.

Odd Fellows Craft Fair

The motto of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows is represented by three interlocking rings that stand for Friendship, Love, and Truth. The rings can be seen on the outside of the current building that is a replacement for the original one that burned to the ground in 1950 or 51. It had been used at one time for packing strawberries and had a dock where boats could pull up to load the shipments. The newly organized lodge on Orcas quickly gained members who greatly enjoyed the fellowship of other men and the opportunity to contribute to the Orcas community. All of the archives of the organization were destroyed in the fire, but there are still people on Orcas who remember the dances, programs and the outreach of the Odd Fellows.

Odd Fellows Dance, 2014

By the early 1980s the membership had declined to a few six. Many members had died, others moved away. Maintaining the building and the mission were becoming almost impossible. At this time Fred Enge, George Post and others moved to Orcas and were approached by the remaining members to join them in reviving the Odd Fellows organization. The mission and goals appealed to a new generation of Orcas Islanders and soon there were 45-50 members.

They continue to meet once a week for fellowship, music, movies and classes. But their outreach is heartwarming and perhaps not known as well as it deserves to be. Their many activities include storm cleanup, donating firewood to those who need it, help with small projects for the elderly, scholarships for students interested in community service, and, still, the occasional burial of the dead. This is all in addition to the dances, the celebrations, the Farmers’ Market and the Art Fair they host.

Now the venue is also rented for classes like exercise and dog training, or for parties and movies. The kitchen has been upgraded to professional standards and is available for startups and food offerings. The lodge is a popular venue for weddings and is booked to capacity at twenty-five weddings a year. The income from these activities and a generous gift in the will of Clara Abrahamsen has allowed the Odd Fellows to make improvements on the facilities including new windows, soy foam insulation in the walls, an upgraded sound system, WiFi, and a new heat pump system for HVAC efficiency. Members have also added outdoor decking overlooking the Sound and a beautiful patio that is perfect for celebrations. A “cloud” ceiling with large hanging lights and small white lights hide speakers and electrical cables.

The membership is proud that the prices they have charged to Islanders have not been raised for ten years due to the rental income. In addition Jay Kimball estimates that the business generated on the Island by the rental of the lodge space to visitors and tourists amounts to over two million dollars a year

The outreach, the fellowship, the friendship and the fun continue to thrive and to benefit Islanders more that 124 years after the founding of the Mt. Constitution Odd Fellows Lodge # 88.