GRAND LODGE

INDEPEN DEN T OR DER OF ODD FELLOW S OF TEXAS -INSTITUTED 18413440 W EST SECOND AVENUE CORSICANA, TEXAS 75110 (903)872-7438 (800)299-7438 FAX (903)872-7277

ORGANIZING NEW ODD FELLOW LODGES RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO PROCEED: 1. COMMISSION AS SPECIAL DISTRICT DEPUTY GRAND MASTER: If you accept this assignment, a needed commission or commissions as Special District Deputy Grand Master will be issued for the purpose of organizing a new lodge as designated. If you have members in mind who are willing to help you, give us their names and addresses so they also may receive commissions. These commissions, when issued, will evidence your authority to act for the Grand Master. Such commissions, when issued, do not authorize you to perform the duties regularly enjoined on our regular District Deputy Grand Master. 2. FIRST THINGS TO DO: First, go to the proposed location and try to find some members of the Order who live there, and try to locate some former members also. You may wish to insert an advertisement in the local newspaper to help you locate such persons. The Grand Secretary will, if you request it, provide you with the names of members he knows of in the area, and also a list of former members if there was a lodge there previously. Write to the Grand Secretary at 3440 W. Second Avenue, Corsicana, TX 75110, or contact him by phone by calling (903) 872-7438 or toll free at 1800-299-7438. Contact these members and former members and ask them to help organize a new lodge. After you find two or three interested persons, with their help, find a meeting place for the new lodge which can be rented at a reasonable cost. We often find when everything is all set to institute a new lodge, that a meeting place is a problem. Try to locate a meeting place at the beginning of the process. It may be possible to arrange with some organization to share their hall at a reasonable rent. Do not become dependent in thinking that former members of the previous demised lodge, if such are in the location, will be of assistance to you in your efforts to organize a new lodge. Remember, many such former members failed to give support to the lodge previously, or such former lodge would still be active today. It would strongly be recommended that you locate a listing of men and women in the area who are well respected in the community and those who are leaders within their own community to call on as prospective new members for the new lodge. If you can obtain prospective new members through a little research, you will have a better opportunity to gain influence that will enable you to obtain greater success in the work at hand. For example, if you would find ten to fifteen people in the area who are well qualified and 1

well respected from different occupation levels, then you could call on each person individually to discuss our Orders history and explain to each the need to have a lodge located within their community and to explain that their influence would better serve for building a fraternal organization as the Odd Fellows, which could serve their community for many generations to come. Whenever such persons are personally contacted, ask each to recommend others for being considered as charter members. Such persons, when approached correctly, could provide the spark needed to assist you in accomplishing your goal of obtaining qualified people to become charter members, as a solid foundation from which the new lodge can build upon for the future. 3. PETITION FOR DISPENSATION: When you accept a commission as Special District Deputy Grand Master to organize this new lodge, you will receive a form Petition for a Charter, for a lodge, a supply of membership application forms, etc. The petition for charter must be signed by a least FIVE members in good standing, or by FIFTEEN people who are eligible to become members. If there are some former members, you may be able to arrange with a nearby lodge to accept them by reinstatement back into the Order by either deposit of expired withdrawal card, deposit of defunct certificate, or deposit of dismissal certificate with the understanding that as soon as they are in good standing, they may take withdrawal cards (Code, See Chapter IV, Article 2). This would enable you to get the necessary active withdrawal cards. Have them sign the Petition for Charter. They need not take out their withdrawal cards until just before the new lodge is instituted so they will have them the date the lodge is instituted and in the hands of the officer designated to institute the new lodge, provided however, that in lieu of withdrawal cards, not more than 2/5ths of the members in good standing may be Associate Members, who submit applications for membership as Associate Members, accompanied by the certificate provided for in the Sovereign Grand Lodge Code. The petition shall be accompanied by the charter fee of $25.00, plus such sum as required by the Grand Secretary for initial stock of rituals and supplies. 4. APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP: It is suggested that you carry the Petition for Charter and applications for membership with you at all times. When talking to a prospective member, if he or she indicates a willingness to join the new lodge, have them sign both the Petition for Charter and an application for membership, and then collect the minimum fees set forth in the Texas Code of General Laws listed in Chapter IV, Article 33 of the Code. If the person is coming in by withdrawal card in date, collect $1.00; if out of date, collect $3.00; by deposit of dismissal certificate, collect $6.00; by deposit of defunct certificate, collect $3.00; by associate membership, collect $3.00. If he or she is coming in as a new member by initiation, collect $25.00 for Initiatory Degree fee and $5.00 for each of the First, Second, and Third Degrees. Assure these signers that if for any reason the new 2

lodge is not instituted, their fees will be refunded in full. The following minimum lodge dues per year will be charged, but a lodge may provide in its presented bylaws for higher dues: Beneficial Members ............. $18.00 per year Non-Beneficial Members ......... $ 9.00 per year Associate Members .............. $ 9.00 per year For example, if the signers feel the lodge dues should be $24.00 per year for Beneficial Members, $12.00 per year for Non-Beneficial Members; and $12.00 per year for Associate Members, then make the effort to collect all fees and dues in advance and submit same with the signed membership application. Collect fees and dues from members in good standing and new members as follows: MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING: (a) BENEFICIAL MEMBERSHIP: $24.00 dues, plus card or certificate fees (b) (c) NON-BENEFICIAL MEMBERSHIP: certificate deposit fees ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP: $12.00 dues, plus card or

$12.00 dues, plus $3.00 Associate fee

Be sure to furnish a receipt for the fees and dues you collect. Past experience indicates that it is very important to collect all fees and dues as you go along. In the past, many workers have gotten plenty of signers on the petition and on applications for membership, and after getting an adequate number to insure success of the new lodge, then start back to see them all to collect their fees and dues. Some will be out of town, some broke, and some will have changed their minds about joining, and it will probably delay things another couple of weeks or so. You can eliminate all of this by getting cash with all submitted applications for the new members to cover the necessary fees and dues. 5. OPENING A BANK ACCOUNT: As soon as you collect some fees and dues, open a bank account in a local bank in the name of the new lodge, with your signature authorized to sign checks. Deposit all fees and dues promptly in this account. If for any reason the lodge is not instituted, you will issue checks refunding all fees and dues received from any and all signers. If the lodge is instituted, you will transfer the bank account to the proper officers of the new lodge. We think it is business like to have all funds handled in this way. We believe those dealing with you will have more confidence in you if you handle funds in this matter. 3

6. DISPENSATION FOR THE NEW LODGE: The Petition for Charter or dispensation must be accompanied by a fee of $25.00 made payable to The Grand Lodge I.O.O.F. of Texas. As soon as five members in good standing have signed the petition for dispensation or it has been signed by at least fifteen persons qualified to receive the Initiatory Degree, send it in to the Grand Secretary with a check for the $25.00, even though you know you are going to get many more members. When you actually have a dispensation from the Grand Master authorizing you to institute, the new lodge will be instituted. If for any reason the lodge is not subsequently instituted, you may return the dispensation issued by the Grand Master directly to the Grand Secretary and the $25.00 fee will be refunded in full. 7. REGALIA: Some lodges nearby may have some surplus collars, ballot boxes, and other similar items which they might donate to the new lodge. In all probability, you can get plenty of members collars donated, but it will be very difficult to find a set of officers collars. You may be able to find a lodge which has a surplus scene, although these are very scarce. Such items can be furnished to the new lodge from items obtained by the Grand Lodge from the demise of lodges providing such is available, at no cost to the new lodge. 8. ROBES: It is difficult to get good surplus robes from other lodges that are still active. At times, robes are obtained by the Grand Lodge from the demise of lodges, however, robes received from this source are very limited as most are not useable. The Grand Lodge will provide as many used robes as possible to the new lodge, if available, at no cost to the new lodge. The best bet is to arrange for members of the new lodge to borrow a set of robes from a nearby lodge if at all possible, and ask their wives to use the set as patterns to make a set of homemade robes. We have seen many sets of homemade robes which are as nice as the expensive sets and they are usually made of material which is more comfortable for our Texas climate than the high priced robes ordered through the C. E. Ward Company in New London, Ohio. Material for the homemade robes usually can be purchased at a nominal cost. 9. FUNDS FOR THE NEW LODGE: The new lodge should not be instituted until fifteen or twenty members have signed applications to become members by initiation, and have paid their fees and dues. This will insure that the lodge will receive from $960 to $1,280 in degree fees and dues from these new members and will also insure that there will be an adequate number of members to insure success of the new lodge. It has been customary for the Grand Master to request lodges over the state to donate something to each new lodge and the new lodge will probably receive from $200 to $450 from this source, although this doesnt usually come in for two or three months. The degree fees, plus some donations received, will insure the new lodge of some funds to start off with.

10. INSTITUTING THE NEW LODGE: After the Grand Secretary forwards you the dispensation for the new lodge, set a date for institution of the new lodge, make this date not less than three weeks or not more than six weeks hence. As soon as you have set the date, inform the Grand Master of such fact in order for him to be aware of such date so he will have time to arrange his calendar schedule so he can be present if at all possible. Get all members who have signed the dispensation to agree to each bring in two applications for membership by initiation before the lodge is to be officially instituted and to collect the necessary fees and dues, which will be turned over to you for deposit in the local bank fund. When the date arrives for the lodge to be instituted, meet as early in the afternoon if held on Saturday, or as early in the evening as practical, if held on Saturday or during the week day, preferably around 6:00 P.M. or 6:30 P.M., because the program of the day or evening will be quite long. Dont attempt to confer all four degrees on the new members on the date of institution. To confer four degrees, institute the lodge, and install officers will take about seven to eight hours and everyone will be so tired that they will not get much out of the ceremonies and degree work. Just confer the Initiatory Degree, then institute the lodge, and then install the officers. Those who actually organize the new lodge may serve as instituting officers if they wish, providing they are qualified to do so, or you may desire to ask one of the Grand Lodge officers to come and institute the lodge. If you wish to have a Grand Lodge officer present, be sure to give him several weeks advance notice. You probably will wish to ask the regular District Deputy Grand Master of the District to install the officers of the new lodge and of course, you will want to arrange with some neighboring lodge to bring a degree team over to confer the Initiatory Degree and request that such lodge bring the degree items needed, such as robes, etc. You may desire to set the date of the institution for a Saturday so that more members will have the opportunity to be present. 11. CHARTER MEMBERS AND REPORT OF INSTITUTION OF THE LODGE: When you receive the dispensation for the new lodge, you will also receive a blank form to use in reporting the institution of the lodge. All members who sign the Members Register the day the lodge is instituted are listed on this report and become charter members of the new lodge. It has been customary that the Grand Master, when requested to do so in writing, would issue a dispensation that would permit the new lodge to hold up about thirty days on making this report, and listing the names of all who were initiated during that thirty days as charter members. After the lodge is instituted, it is probable that some additional new members can be signed up if they are told that if they sign up now, they will be charter members. Upon the expiration of the thirty days, if granted by the Grand Master, the report of the institution would be due to be sent to the Grand Secretary.

12. SELECTION OF THE NAME AND NUMBER OF THE NEW LODGE: A new lodge may not be chartered under the name of a living person. A new lodge may not be issued a lodge number that is already being used. If you select a lodge name and lodge number, be sure to check with the Grand Secretary to see if such name and number are cleared and may be used for the new lodge. Any lodge number may be used as long as such number is not presently an active number already in use. It is therefore recommended that you refer to Chapter IV, Article 2, New Lodges, Sections A through F, of the Grand Lodge I.O.O.F. of Texas Code of General Laws for gaining information that will be useful to you. Youll probably run into quite a few people who will tell you that it is impossible to institute a new lodge in this location. Dont be discouraged by this. In nearly every case where a new lodge has been instituted, there have been lots of people who assured us that it couldnt be done. Remember that many of the people who said it couldnt be done are those who usually have a very negative attitude in the first place. But by hard work and cooperative efforts, it was done. Dont rely too much on former members if there was previously a lodge in this location. Remember, these are the people who let the old lodge die. Of course, we want them back in the Order if they want to come back into the Order and are willing to work at keeping the new lodge active and growing. However, most of such former members will probably be advanced in years and wont work too hard. Get their applications if you can, but dont try to build the lodge around them. Be sure to get some young, live-wire people who will develop into real workers and leaders and who will insure success of the new lodge. Instituting this new lodge will involve some time and hard work. We cant pay you for your time or your work but at least we will make an effort to get approval of limited funds, so that we can assure you that you wont be out any cash in instituting this new lodge. We trust that limited funds will be made available to give you assistance in paying for your gasoline, any money you will need to spend for newspaper advertisements, rent you may be out for a meeting place for organizational meetings, money youll be out to buy coffee and cokes, and so on. Write and tell us how much expense money you think youll need to organize this new lodge. When this information is received, an allocation of funds to cover your expenses will then be considered for approval. This allocation would be good for only 90 days. Before the end of 90 days, send the Grand Master an itemized statement of your expenses and such will be approved, up to the amount allocated, for payment by the Grand Secretary. Remember, unless funds have been allocated in advance, you will receive nothing for your expenses and after allocated, expenses will then be paid only on itemized statements, including receipts, submitted within 90 days after the funds were allocated. This will be paid whether or not you succeed in instituting the new lodge.

We hope these suggestions and recommendations will be helpful to you. If you desire additional information or assistance, please do not hesitate to write us. If you work hard at it, we feel that with just a little help, you can finish up the job of organizing a new lodge. If you feel you need assistance, let me know so we may possibly be able to send someone in to help you for a couple of days. Your consideration appreciated. given to this matter will greatly be

Fraternally yours,

ATTEST:

Derrell C. Hollingsworth Grand Master

James R. Daniel Grand Secretary DCH/nc