Sovereign Grand Lodge is over for another year and we did another live recording.  This year, we were asking the attendees in Frisco, Texas about whether their jurisdictions were growing or dying, and why they felt that way.  We got a wonderfully diverse group of members from all around the US and Canada to tell us about what's going on in their jurisdictions.  We heard all kinds of stories, from the triumph of a new lodge in Halifax, Nova Scotia which draws on international migrants, to the disappointment of a Rebekah Assembly President in Maine who lost her home lodge to consolidation.  Toby, Ainslie, and Meredith were definitely at their best talking with this wonderful audience.  Be sure and give it a listen and get ready for the beginning of Season Seven of the Three Links Odd Cast!

One of the questions that comes to us frequently is if we have any training materials to help prepare members to step up and serve in an elected office.  To that end, we have recorded a series of training episodes to help members feel more comfortable moving up into those roles.  The fourth in our series is about serving as Secretary.  Since most lodges are small and don't have a separate Financial Secretary, we have combined those roles in this episode to match the most common practice.  Those lodges with a Financial Secretary may split out the duties in this episode as appropriate under local jurisdictional laws.  We made every effort possible to present the material we have in an easy-to-follow, conversational style.  If you're a member looking to move up and become an elected officer in your lodge, give these episodes a listen.  If there's something you think we should include in an update of each episode, be sure and let us know

One of the questions that comes to us frequently is if we have any training materials to help prepare members to step up and serve in an elected office.  To that end, we have recorded a series of training episodes to help members feel more comfortable moving up into those roles.  The third in our series is about serving as Treasurer.  These are by no means completely comprehensive; we may have missed something in the process.  However, we made every effort possible to present the material we have in an easy-to-follow, conversational style.  If you're a member looking to move up and become an elected officer in your lodge, give these episodes a listen.  If there's something you think we should include in an update of each episode, be sure and let us know

One of the questions that comes to us frequently is if we have any training materials to help prepare members to step up and serve in an elected office.  To that end, we have recorded a series of training episodes to help members feel more comfortable moving up into those roles.  The second in our series is about serving as Vice Grand.  As the line of officers is progressive, the Vice Grand needs to be familiar with the duties of the Noble Grand should it be necessary to assume those duties at any time, so we recommend listening to the Noble Grand episode as well.  These are by no means completely comprehensive; we may have missed something in the process.  However, we made every effort possible to present the material we have in an easy-to-follow, conversational style.  If you're a member looking to move up and become an elected officer in your lodge, give these episodes a listen.  If there's something you think we should include in an update of each episode, be sure and let us know.

One of the questions that comes to us frequently is if we have any training materials to help prepare members to step up and serve in an elected office.  To that end, we have recorded a series of episodes to help members feel more comfortable moving up into those roles.  The first in our series is about serving as Noble Grand.  These are by no means completely comprehensive; we may have missed something in the process.  However, we made every effort possible to present the material we have in an easy-to-follow, conversational style.  If you're a member looking to move up and become an elected officer in your lodge, give these episodes a listen.  If there's something you think we should include in an update of each episode, be sure and let us know.

Season six brought some exciting developments to the Three Links Odd Cast.  The biggest one was Meredith Moore joining as co-host and Director of Institutional Research.  We expressed our gratitude for Past Co-host Mike Duminiak and his years of hard work on the show.  We also reviewed and discussed our various episodes from throughout the season.  Some of those highlights included the on-location episode recorded in Yreka, California for the Cave Degree, an interview with Past Co-host Duminiak about his book "Oddtistic," a look at the fraternal cemetery business with Brother Jon Hart of the Odd Fellow Memorial Gardens in Livermore, California, another tattoo episode (of course!), the Christmas episode, Meredith's two survey episodes about burnout and the future of the Rebekahs, the new lodge in San Antonio (for which Toby made a special musical recording), and the episodes about new and revitalized lodges in Tennessee, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  We closed out with a great conversation with Sovereign Grand Master Tom Calabrese who provided us with some great wisdom and insight.  All in all, it was a pretty good season.  The Shoutout went to another revived Encampment, Pueblo #1 of Colorado.  In the Odd Podge, Toby is looking forward to his Washington Grand Sessions with old friend Kelly Hughes returning as Sovereign Grand Warden, Meredith gave credit to a number of lodges doing great things, and Ainslie spilled the beans on the upcoming Three Links Emporium and Tattoo Extravaganza at Sovereign Grand Lodge.

Odd Fellowship is built around the principle of mutual aid, which implies that we should all be of service to one another.  Our current Sovereign Grand Master, Tom Calabrese, exemplifies the spirit of a servant leader.  Modest and unassuming, he has shown throughout his career in Odd Fellowship that he is always ready to pitch in and help out and that spirit of service has extended to his time as Sovereign Grand Master.  Brother Tom worked his way up from being a member of his father's lodge to becoming a Past Grand, joining the Grand Lodge of New Jersey, joining the Sovereign Grand Lodge, and then moving up to the highest office in Odd Fellowship.  Along the way he has exemplified the best aspects of service at every opportunity.  He shares his thoughts about the Order's direction, tells what he has done to keep the Sovereign Grand Lodge functional, and gives insight into how he deals with issues that come to him.  The Shoutout goes to yet another new Encampment, Barataria #73 of New Orleans, Louisiana.  In the Odd Podge, Toby shares the visit of PGM David "Ace" Adams of Minnesota to Seattle, Ainslie talks about his adventure driving a century-old dump truck, Meredith gives credit to a lodge in the Philippines for their amazing relief efforts in the face of a disaster, and Tom shares his wonderful cemetery experience with the Grand Master of Vermont, Teppi Zuppo.

Brother Aiden Brink returns to the podcast to share some insight that he has gained about his lodge, degree work, regalia, robes, community involvement, and a host of other topics.  Grab your notepads and get ready to take notes because this episode is chock full of great information that will be useful for every lodge, from the smallest kitchen-table lodge to the biggest traditional lodge.  Changes that can help a lodge can start with just one member who wants to memorize rituals and make degrees more meaningful.  The Shoutout goes to Victory Encampment No. 34 of the Atlantic Provinces (yes, it's *another* new Encampment).  For the Odd Podge, Ainslie shared a remarkable experience where a prospective member stopped in at his shop to meet him and talk Odd Fellowship; Meredith gave props to Oustomah Lodge No. 16 of Nevada City, California for being so active in their community and sharing it on social media; Toby gave us the update on his lodge's German Dinner (which brought in some applications!); and Aiden thanked two groups of members for aiding in his lodge's success: newer members for their assistance with outreach and older members for their hard work and support.

There are many historical connections between Texas and Tennessee, from country music to Davy Crockett to Willie Nelson to the many brave Tennesseans who helped defend the Alamo.  Because of those links, it's appropriate that we follow up two very Texan episodes with one from Tennessee.  Recently, Crockett Hall Lodge #59 was re-chartered in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.  Brother Robert Gentry, who headed up the effort to revive the lodge, joins us to tell his story.  Like many of us, he first encountered historical relics of the Odd Fellows' presence in Middle Tennessee, including a road bearing the name of the Order.  That led to research, which led to a desire to form a lodge, which eventually led to the Grand Lodge of Tennessee and PGM Tammy Barton, who assisted with the process.  He also shares some of the ways in which he was able to find members interested in reviving the lodge, including taking many people down to Alabama to get their degrees in the closest lodge.  The Shoutout goes to Four Creeks Lodge No. 94 of Visalia, California, home lodge of our guest host Michael Crile, for their work in becoming active again and getting new members.  In the Odd Podge, guest host Brother Michael gives us a brief history lesson of Tennessee Wesleyan University, which was first going to be chartered as Odd Fellows Women's College and spent an amount of time named for Brother Ulysses S. Grant; Robert previews the August Back-To-School Motorcycle Run, Toby shares his visit to Mount Constitution Lodge No. 88 on Orcas Island and gives an impromptu history lesson on the Pig War; and Meredith talks Cinco de Mayo and the "Good Neighbor" policies toward Latin America under President Brother Franklin D. Roosevelt, which, of course, prompts another history lesson from Toby.

For nearly 150 years, prior to 2001, the Rebekahs were a strong and vital companion organization to the Odd Fellows.  However, once women were allowed to be Odd Fellows and were no longer restricted to just Rebekah membership, numbers for that unit of the Order started to decline precipitously.  Director of Institutional Research Meredith Moore attended the Testamonial of IARA President Pam Isenhower to meet with and interview many prominent Rebekahs from around the US and Canada.  Sister Meredith asked many important questions of the attendees hoping to get a feel for the future of the Rebekah branch.  What followed were some frank and surprising answers, some of which may be controversial.  The Shoutout goes to Scott Encamment #132 of Pennsylvania that listens to the podcast and discusses what they hear in each episode.  In the Odd Podge, Meredith previews her upcoming trip to the now-passed Founders Day Reenactment in New Jersey, Ainslie shares his trip to a recently revitalized lodge hosting its first Degree Day in several years, and Toby lets our colleagues at Modern Goat Rider know that he's attending the Grand Sessions of British Columbia.