Odd
Fellowship is a benevolent society with a history that dates back
to the seventeenth century and earlier.
Odd Fellowship paralleled Freemasonry in the foundation of the United
States and Texas, her ranks being drawn more from the working men
and artisans. While dress and deportment are similar, Odd Fellowship
is
more practical in its purpose as well as being more overtly charitable.
In its heyday, Odd Fellowship provided its members with benefits
including rent relief during unemployment and retirement housing.
The first public
cemeteries were owned and operated by Odd Fellows under the proclaimed
directive “To bury the Dead.” The other directive, “to
educate the Orphan,” spurred the foundation of a network of
orphanages that spanned the country. A number of notable figures
have been Odd
Fellows including Franklin Delano Roosevelt, William Marsh Rice,
and Jesse Jones. Unfortunately, with the increasing reliance on insurance
and social security, Odd Fellowship went the way of many fraternal
organizations, declining and even ceasing to exist as the twentieth
century drew to a close.
Heights #225 is committed to reviving and
upholding the principles of Odd Fellowship with the long term goal
of providing its members with some of the same kinds of benefits
as years past. We are actively looking for opportunities to give
back
to the
community. This year we have started 2 volunteer projects. We have
been assisting the Descendants of Olivewood in working to restore
the Texas Historical Cemetery, Olivewood Cemetery, located in Houston's
First Ward. We have also been volunteering for shifts at the Houston
Food Bank. These are ongoing volunteer projects and as our membership
expands, we hope to do more.
First Tuesday:
The First Tuesday of every month is set aside for
a social meeting where all are invited to come by and tour the facilities
and have any questions answered. We are currently looking for new
members. Click here for a map and more information.
Chili Cookoff
- January 30th:
It's time for the fourth annual chili cookoff.! This
is our signature event, always a well attended event.
Lots of things have been going on recently. We held
elections, changed our by-laws and meeting night, and initiated several
new members. The new elected officers for 2010 are Terry
Brooks - Noble Grand; David Cothran - Vice Grand; Marilyn Brooks
- Treasurer; and Shannon Pruitt - Treasurer. We still have some appointed
offices to fill. Get in touch with Terry if you wish to hold one
of these offices.
As you may have noticed, we are going live with
the new look to our website. It is still a work in progress
and I will be uploading more pictures shortly. Please report
any broken links to me. Also send me any pictures or articles
to post on the site. Email
Dave Thanks!
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Odd
Fellowship is a benevolent society with a history that dates back
to the seventeenth century and earlier.
Odd Fellowship paralleled Freemasonry in the foundation of the United
States and Texas, her ranks being drawn more from the working men
and artisans. While dress and deportment are similar, Odd Fellowship
is
more practical in its purpose as well as being more overtly charitable.
In its heyday, Odd Fellowship provided its members with benefits
including rent relief during unemployment and retirement housing.
The first public
cemeteries were owned and operated by Odd Fellows under the proclaimed
directive “To bury the Dead.” The other directive, “to
educate the Orphan,” spurred the foundation of a network of
orphanages that spanned the country. A number of notable figures
have been Odd
Fellows including Franklin Delano Roosevelt, William Marsh Rice,
and Jesse Jones. Unfortunately, with the increasing reliance on insurance
and social security, Odd Fellowship went the way of many fraternal
organizations, declining and even ceasing to exist as the twentieth
century drew to a close. 
