Independent Order of Odd Fellows Sweden

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Sweden (IOOF), is a part of a worldwide altruistic and benevolent Fraternal Order, made up of men and women of good character who have a desire to promote Universal harmony and are always ready to exercise works of charity and benevolence specially to those in need. Odd Fellow Order is a non-political and non-sectarian worldwide organization with old traditions.

Goals and Purposes

The Odd Fellows Order are dedicated to improving and elevating the character of mankind by imparting the principles of friendship, love and truth and making the world a better place to live by aiding the community, the less fortunate, the youth, the elderly, the environment and the community at large in every way possible. Specifically, Odd Fellows aim:

Odd Fellow, four commandments, which every member has to respond to:

Origins

In all times and among all nations, which reached a sufficient level of cultural development, there has always been voluntary associations formed for higher purposes. From these traditions also grew new associations until, sometime in medieval darkness, and came to form the basis of our fellowship. No one can say exactly when the first lodge came but it said that there are records in Scotland which shows that the Odd Fellow in its original form may have arisen in the 1500s.[1]

It is known, however, that the current Order can be identified with the craft guilds in England and it is during the 1700s that the name Odd Fellows were a group of like-minded men belonging to various groupings and walks of life. Different professional groups belonged to a strictly regulated guild system, which not only took pride of craftsmanship and trade secrets but also had a social function by helping and supporting the members and their survivors. The background of the word "Odd Fellow" in our Order is divided. One group believe that it means 'sworn friends'. Others argue that they were workers who could not be integrated into the normal guild system, those who stood outside and were regarded as redundant or odd, and hence the word Odd. Others mentioned that the Romans during the first century AD had social gatherings and associations for mutual aid in funerals that went over the Latin equivalent of the term "Oddfellowship". The term itself should therefore have a long historical background with different meanings from time to time.

Towards the end of the 1600s, the guilds became insignificant, and evolved to what we call today 'Orders' in the early 1700s, which embraced the guild system social function, but also brought a new dimension by stressing the need for ethical education and compassion. Odd Fellows, as noted above, historically well documented into the second half of the 1700s and even created the four commandments ever since: To visit the sick, help the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphans.

Independent Order of Odd Fellows

The Odd Fellows Order developed in various forms during the late 1700s in England and the beginning of the next coming century. It was in this period when the Manchester Unity of the Independent Order of Oddfellows got a clearer position of power in England.

Many Manchester Unity Brothers left the country and created a new future in America. Among them was Thomas Wildey, wagon blacksmith by profession and the champion in a couple of lodges in England. Thomas Wildey, who missed his Odd Fellow Brothers, managed to find some like-minded people and formed Washington lodge no.l in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 819 at the "Seven Stars" Inn, which became the first resident of the lodge. Since then, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows had spread throughout North America and then went back to Europe.

History in Sweden

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows came to Sweden when two businessmen who are members of the Odd Fellows in Copenhagen, Denmark, took the initiative to open a lodge. The Scania Lodge no. 1 was instituted in Malmo on October 29, 1884. The second lodge, Veritas Lodge no. 2 was then established in Trelleborg, also in Skane, Sweden. At that time, both lodges were still under the jurisdiction of the IOOF Grand Lodge of Denmark. On August 1, 1888, Amicitia Lodge no. 3 was instituted in Malmo under the jurisdiction of the Sovereign Grand Lodge in the United States. From this lodge, other lodges were also established such as John Ericsson Lodge no. 4 in Stockholm on July 20, 1892, Concordia Lodge no.5 in Eslov on November 4, 1893, and Linnea Lodge no. 8 in Ystad on November 18, 1894. Holmia Lodge no. 6 Holmia in Stockholm was formed on March 1894 and Westmania Lodge no.7 in Vasteras on October 27, 1894. On July 8, 1895, the Grand Lodge for the Kingdom of Sweden was instituted on July 8, 1895. The first "Storsire" installed was Wilhelm Laurentz, a member of Lodge #4 John Ericsson.[2]

Today, the Swedish Odd Fellow Order occupy a leading position in terms of membership with over 40, 000 members and about 272 Lodges.[3] The Encampment branch is also very strong in Sweden with 22 Odd Fellow and 12 Rebekah encampments totaling 19,000 members. There are no mixed lodges and Patriarchs Militant do not exist. There is also a great number of clubs and associations within the framework of the IOOF of Sweden with all kinds of objects from socialization to providing poor children with summer homes. Moreover, Odd Fellows of Sweden was entrusted to reintroduce Odd Fellowship in Poland and 2 Odd Fellows Lodges and 1 Rebekah lodge were quickly established. The Rebekah movement is fast growing in members.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.oddfellow.se/storlogen/historia.asp
  2. ↑ http://www.ioof.org/history/history_sweden.html
  3. ↑ http://www.oddfellow.se/storlogen/historia.asp
  4. ↑ http://www.ioof.org/history/history_sweden.html