Although it's tempting to think that Odd Fellowship has been handed down from the past completely unchanged from some visionaries at an ancient building site, that's not the case. Odd Fellowship has adapted and changed through its history to meet the needs of members and the Order as those needs have changed. In this episode, Kris Gratz of Virginia shares his research into the developments in Odd Fellows' regalia through the ages and how that has coincided with changes in our ritual and also various cultural cross-currents. For example, gold fringe on a collar used to indicate that a member had taken the Encampment Degrees. The number of stars on a collar had a meaning as well. Joining Kris is his friend and previous podcast guest Nick Curry to talk about some legislation he's working on regarding the future of regalia and suppliers. The Shoutout goes to the newly-revived River Raisin Encampment #154 of Michigan (our first Shoutout from Michigan!). In the Odd Podge, Toby previews his upcoming trip to the Northwest IOOF Meeting in Canada, Nick talks about the importance of mentorship in lodges, Mike announces his latest book (available at www.duminiak.com), Kris clues us in to his deep dive on the Odd Fellows' Tartan, and Ainslie updates us on the project to get a stairlift in his lodge hall, as well as reminding us of the upcoming Tattoo Event at Sovereign Grand Lodge.

For those interested in seeing some of the regalia examples discussed in this episode, head over to The Odd Fellows' Guide to see Kris' article and pictures.

In 2016, an exhibit opened at the American Folk Art Museum showcasing various artifacts from American fraternal orders, most notably the Odd Fellows and Freemasons. The collection shared the best of fraternal folk art with the wider world. One of the curators of that exhibition, Dr. Aimee Newell, joined us to talk about the collection and give us some background and history on where the items came from, their significance, and their influence into culture at large. Once again, the Shoutout goes to a new Encampment, this time the re-chartered Santa Paula #118 of California. In the Odd Podge, Toby announces the new recording he's working on, Ainslie shares his story of helping save a lodge with an Initiation and meeting a listener, Dr. Newell contemplates returning to her former employer, the Scottish Rite Museum in Lexington, MA, and Mike talks about his most recent publication, an epic poem.

Most of us know about our local lodge and may be familiar with a couple other lodges in our area. However, Odd Fellowship is global in scope and scale—or is it? Brother Chuck Hillberry of the State Of The Order Committee of Sovereign Grand Lodge joins us to discuss exactly how much global reach Odd Fellowship has and how various overseas groups are connected to the Sovereign Grand Lodge. The truth is a lot more complicated than most members realize and Brother Chuck shares the necessary background with us to have the right understanding of the situation. The Shoutout goes to a newly-rechartered Encampment, Halifax #3 of the Atlantic Provinces in Canada. For the Odd Podge, Ainslie promotes the upcoming Tattoo Session at this year's Sovereign Grand Lodge session, Mike previews the releases of his new books (info at www.duminiak.com), Chuck encourages members to visit other lodges and learn, saying, "Your dues card is your ticket to learn," and Toby thanks a friend and listener in Sweden for a recent gift.

We think we all know the story of how Odd Fellowship began in North America: five brave souls, led by Thomas Wildey, held the first meeting in Baltimore in 1819 and, from there, Odd Fellowship exploded across the continent spreading friendship, love, and truth from sea to shining sea. The reality, though, has a lot more detail and challenges than what we know. Mike, Ainslie, and Toby delve into the history of the founding of our Order a couple centuries ago. They reveal some of the challenges of the young lodge and structure and highlight the members who helped build and grow Odd Fellowship beyond that first meeting, including the authors of the Rebekah Degree and the Patriarchs Militant Degree. The Shoutout goes to *another* new lodge, this time Citrus #118 in Florida. Owing to the length of this episode, the hosts decided to skip the Odd Podge but it will return in future, shorter episodes.

Thirty years ago, in a small town in Washington State, a young twenty-something man stood surrounded by five elderly men in a leaky, damp building doing something that would change the trajectory of his entire life. In that moment, Kelly Hughes made a commitment that would shape his destiny and give him a new purpose in life. From that time forward, as an Odd Fellow, Kelly would work tirelessly for the betterment of his community, his lodge, and his jurisdiction. Through his work, Skookumchuck Lodge No. 129 was able to get their building renovated (no more leaky roof!) and they were able to grow and sustain themselves. That spirit of hard work and leadership eventually propelled Kelly to the top office in Washington, serving as Grand Master for 2017-18. His mid-life crisis brought him to Florida where he eventually joined a lodge and became Grand Secretary. During his time in Florida the jurisdiction has chartered two new lodges with another one scheduled for institution in the coming months. In this long-ranging interview, Brother Kelly shares his story with us and gives us information about what has been successful in Florida and lays out his vision for the future of Odd Fellowship. It's a lengthy interview, but definitely worth listening to all the way through as Kelly has an incredible insight into the current state and future of Odd Fellowship. The Shoutout goes to a lodge which has reclaimed its charter after going dormant for a few years, Richland #338 in Washington State. In the Odd Podge, Toby recounts his gig at a former Odd Fellows Hall in Bellingham that has been beautifully preserved, Kelly talks about the musical legacy of the lodge in Lynn Haven, Florida, and Ainslie gives a sneak preview of the tattoo gathering that he's planning for Sovereign Grand Lodge this year in Charleston, WV.

Every lodge wants to grow—but how many lodges are actually able to incorporate new members successfully in such a way that the new members feel valued? Brother Matthew Thornton, NG of Houston Heights Lodge #225 in Texas, joins us to talk about how his lodge maintains a healthy lodge culture with a mix of everyone from oil workers to urban hippies. Spoiler alert: their secret is holding a lot of events that give people an opportunity to do something. Brother Matthew goes into more detail with us to talk about how that all comes together and how it turns out. The Shoutout goes to yet another new lodge, Vandalia Rebekah Lodge #9 in West Virginia. In their Odd Podge contributions, Toby gives an update on the wedding gifts he and his new bride received for the Vanderlinden-Sheppard Adult Visual Aid Fund, Ainslie shares an update on his hand tattoo, Mike announces the publication of his new book, and Matthew gives his thanks for a wonderful year and looks forward to the next one.

Based on the classic holiday film "It's A Wonderful Life," this year's Christmas episode is an Odd Fellows' retelling of the old favorite in which George Bailey is the harried Past Grand of Bedford Falls Lodge #310. Straining under the weight of his lodge's expectations, he finally breaks and wishes he had never been an Odd Fellow. The ghost of Thomas Wildey visits him to give him a glimpse into the world where he never joined the lodge. This episode features an all-star cast including Gil T. Rodello, Kyle Fuller, Mason Wolf, Matthew Thornton, Fran Carris, Kaitlyn Osman, Ian Love-Jones, Steven Cross, Michael Greenzeiger, Joseph Benton, Elizabeth Keena, and Toby Hanson.

Eating together is an integral part of Odd Fellowship and has a long tradition of inclusion within our Order, from formal banquets at Grand and Sovereign Grand Lodge meetings to sandwich platters during a Degree Rally, to tried-and-true fraternal staples like spaghetti feeds, pancake breakfasts, and pie auctions. Mike, Ainslie, and Toby discuss these various modes of eating and other ways that food helps bolster the fellowship of Odd Fellowship. The Shoutout goes to another new lodge in Florida, this time the re-chartered Suncoast #69. Word has it that another lodge institution will be taking place in Florida early next year. In their Odd Podge, Toby shares the story of a wedding guest who asked for an application to the lodge, Mike previews the chartering of a Rebekah Lodge in Charleston, and Ainslie tells the somewhat winding tale of two tattoo artists from New Orleans who went to Winston-Salem and discovered Odd Fellowship in the process.