BALCH SPRINGS ODD FELLOWS
LODGE #64
Our Lodge meets on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays of each month..  at 6:30

Odd Fellowship Teaches
  • Wise and serious truths and opens up before its members opportunities for useful service.
  • Belief in a Supreme Being, the Creator and Preserver of the Universe.
  • The lesson of fraternity, that all are of one family and therefore brethren.
  • The importance of the principle of Friendship, Love and Truth.
  • The privilege and duty of individual sympathy, mutual assistance and every-day service to ones fellows.
  • That humanity was intended to be one harmonious structure.
  • That each individual is a unit in that God-made temple.
  • Its members how to stand on their own feet, yet walk in step with their neighbors.
  • The difference between right and wrong.
  • That it is more blessed to give than to receive.

We are a family fraternity, composed of Men, Women, and Youth, who have come together in our local communities with the express purpose of making our communities a better place for everyone. Friendship, Love and Truth are our basic guiding principles. Our ultimate purpose is to elevate the character of mankind through working in our local Communities, States, Provinces, and Nationally.  It is our goal to make a difference in the lives of people in our World.

Odd Fellowship signifies belief in a Supreme Being and in the Brotherhood and Sisterhood of Mankind. These two beliefs are the only “requirements” for membership. The Order has no interest in denominational or political affiliations. 

If you can answer yes to the questions below then we need your help to make our community a better place. Ask us about Odd Fellowship! 

                               Do you believe that Friendship, Love and Truth should be the basic guidelines to live by? 
                                        Do you believe in a supreme being, the creator and preserver of the universe? 
                                                                              Do you want to make a difference? 

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows began in 18th Century England, it was odd to see people organized for the sole purpose of benevolent service to those in need. Hence the name Odd Fellows.  We currently are a worldwide fraternity in 26 countries. Our mantra is to visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan. We are often referred to as the three link fraternity as our emblem consists of three links which stand for Friendship, Love and Truth. The links symbolize the chain that binds us together and strengthens our communities by being joined together in good and worthy causes.  The image below is the Odd Fellow Creed.

Picture
The Odd Fellow Creed.. design by John Beaber

WHY THE NAME ODD FELLOWS?

There are several different reasons given for our strange name. One old and apparently authoritative history of Odd Fellowship gives the explanation, "That common laboring men should associate themselves together and form a fraternity for social unity and fellowship and for mutual help was such a marked violation of the trends of the times (England in the 1700's) that they became known as 'peculiar' or 'odd,' and hence they were derided as 'Odd Fellows.' Because of the appropriateness of the name, those engaged in forming these unions accepted it. When legally incorporated the title 'Odd Fellows' was adopted."

Another, similar explanation is that the original Odd Fellows were men who were engaged in various or odd trades, as there were organizations for some of the larger trades.

Modern references state that the true reason for the name Odd Fellows isn't known or documented. Whatever the reason may have been, the unusual name has been the object of public curiosity (and on occasion derision or mirth) for well over 200 years.