ABOUT US

Samaritan Lodge Odd Fellows Lodge #2 is dedicated our mission to: Visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead, and educate the orphan. Samaritan Lodge #2 is a caring community dedicated to supporting health care, relieving hunger, and providing affordable access to a variety of educational opportunities. Have you been searching for a way to help others and be a part of something bigger than yourself?

Evolving from earlier Orders of Odd Fellows first founded in England during the 1700’s, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political and non-sectarian co-ed international fraternal order founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland.

The command of the IOOF is to “visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan.” The mission is to “improve and elevate the character of mankind.”

So ask yourself:

Do you want to learn to be a better person and empower yourself to be more successful in all parts of your life?
Do you want to help make your community a better place and help those in need?
Do you feel lonely or crave quality social interactions and want to be part of something important?

If you answered YES to any of these questions then you are ODD enough to be an Odd Fellow!

If you are interested in becoming a member of one of the oldest active “Secret Societies”, then take a look around and decide if you want to be a part of the HISTORY and the MYSTERY of being an Odd Fellow.

We believe in:

Friendship

You gain a new family in the members of your Lodge and a vast network of Brothers and Sisters worldwide. By joining Odd Fellows with your friends it helps to give a deeper purpose and meaning to your friendship. We are a diverse organization and have members of all faiths, races, genders, occupations and abilities with over 600,000 members in over 10,000 Lodges in 30 countries.

Love

The historic command of the Odd Fellow is to “visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan.”

You get to take an active role in helping your community and the world be a better place. Local Lodges help out their communities in any way they choose and are unified together in larger projects.

Truth

Be a part of the HISTORY and the MYSTERY. As an Odd Fellow you get to be a member of one of the world’s oldest and largest fraternal Orders. Rituals, symbols, and degrees are designed to “elevate and

improve the character of mankind.” By taking these lessons to heart you become a better person and in turn make help to make the world around you a better place.

To Improve and Elevate the Character of Man

In 17th century England, it was odd to find people organized for the purpose of giving aid to those in need and of pursuing projects for the benefit of all mankind. Those who belonged to such an organization were called “Odd Fellows”. Odd Fellows are also known as “The Three Link Fraternity” which stands for Friendship, Love and Truth.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was founded on the North American Continent in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 1819 when Thomas Widley and four members of the Order from England instituted Washington Lodge No. 1. This lodge received its charter from Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows in England.

Odd Fellowship became the 1st national fraternity to include both men and women when it adopted the beautiful Rebekah Degree on September 20, 1851. This degree is based on the teachings found in the Holy Bible, and was written by the Honorable Schuyler Colfax who was Vice President of the United States during the period 1868-1873. Odd Fellows and Rebekahs were also the first fraternal organization to establish homes for our senior members and for orphaned children.