The biggest obstacle faced by Odd Fellows today is invisibility; most people don’t know that 100 years ago, 1 out of 5 Americans were in a fraternity and that Odd Fellows was the biggest. We can only reverse the invisibility through education: classroom education, public awareness and branding. We define branding as what people know about you: right or wrong. This site provides classroom tools for teachers (still in development) to demonstrate the main reason why Odd Fellows was once so popular: the social safety net. While today our social safety net provides things like unemployment, healthcare, hospice, widow stipends and orphanages, these are largely paid for by taxes, churches and donations. Before this social safety net existed, these were once benefits only accessible through a union, guild or fraternity such as Odd Fellows. And for Odd Fellows, we have developed a comprehensive 50-lesson plan of 5-minute programs that teaches public relations (marketing, branding, events, etc.). By understanding what once made Odd Fellows necessary and also what made it so popular because it was often the hub of activity in many communities, it’s easier to appreciate and consider the importance of Odd Fellowship in American history. Odd Fellows have been around since 1819 helping their brothers and sisters as well as those with no one to care for them. The command of the Odd Fellows in 1819 was to “Visit the sick, relieve the distress, bury the dead and educate the orphans.” We have grown and evolved since then to establish a mission statement to:

• To improve and elevate the character of mankind by promoting the principles of friendship, love, truth, faith, hope, charity and universal justice.
• To help make the world a better place to live by aiding each other, the community, the less fortunate, the youth, the elderly, the environment and the community in every way possible.
• To promote good will and harmony amongst peoples and nations through the principle of universal fraternity, holding the belief that all men and women regardless of race, nationality, religion, social status, gender, rank and station are brothers and sisters.

Americans love to help others and it wouldn’t be too hard to see this is also why we were once so popular that every American once knew an Odd Fellow as a helpful neighbor or family member whose hand was always extended.