Odd Fellow
a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a secret fraternal society instituted in Eng- ODE land in the 18th century, and now having extensive lodges in Great Britain, Australia, Denmark, Switzerland, the United States, etc. Its organization is in lodges and encampments, grand lodges, grand encampments, and the Sovereign Grand Lodge of the World, and good moral character and belief in a Supreme Being are the requisite for membership. The first lodge in the United States was established in 1819; the grand lodges of the United States reported in 1914 a membership of 1,508,791. Pennsylvania, 137,751; New York, 126,294; Illinois, 105,062; Ohio, 87,788; Indiana, 87,044, etc. The Rebekah lodges admit to membership female relatives of the male members. There is also an organization of colored Odd Fellows, entitled the "Grand United Order of Ódd Fellows of America."
Canada and the maritime provinces have a membership of 100,305. Australia, 45,300. The largest body is the Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows with a membership throughout the British Empire of 950,000. In the east, including South America, 18 Grand Lodges have been started among 22 nationalities, provinces and territories. In Europe lodges were founded in Germany 1876, Denmark 1878, Netherlands 1877, Switzerland 1871. In Cuba 1883, Mexico erland 1871. In Cuba 1883, Mexico 1882.