Cassi Colangelo of Santa Maria won our inagural essay scholarship contest in 2018. Presenting Cassi with the check made out to the school she is attending at the University of California Los Angeles is our Noble Grand Joe Avila, Jr. and Warden Joseph Dowdy. When asked what her major will be, she said that she plans to study English and Administration and will return to the Central Coast to become a school principal; perhaps in her hometown of Santa Maria. We at the Odd Fellows wish Cassi the best of luck in her studies and congratulate her on her win of $1,000 toward her studies. We also hope to receive news of her success at school and in her chosen career path and perhaps she will visit us again where she will be just as welcome as she was when she won. We appreciate Cassi’s willingness to learn more about Odd Fellows and Rebekahs and to write about us. Who’s next?
Would you raise funds for a worthy project? Would you create a volunteer effort to do something no one else is doing? How would you make a difference with Odd Fellows behind you? Take a look at our website, research Odd Fellows on the web and tell us what you would do if you were an Odd Fellow in at least 300 words.
The first Odd Fellows lodge in California was founded in 1849 exactly one year before statehood as the Golden Age of Fraternalism was about to dawn.
Historians note that in 1900, 50 years after California became a state, that 20% of all American adults were members of one or more fraternal organizations. Some sources claim it was as high as 40%! Can you imagine one to two out of every five adults were in a fraternity whose primary benefit was mutual aid and held a mandate to help others?
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was the largest of these fraternal organizations and in large part because of the mutual-aid benefits as there was no “safety net” for those who fell on hard times.
The Odd Fellows were progressive for their time supporting the start of a sister organization for women in 1851 called Rebekahs; this was a time when women were discouraged in general from activities common among men and 70 years before women were allowed the right to vote.
With so many Californians joining Odd Fellows and Rebekahs, the organization was woven into the fabric of our society in so many ways (which can still be seen if you know where to look). Odd Fellows cemeteries and orphan homes still exist today although many have changed hands or closed.
Our mission has given us the opportunity to help so many people that our positive impact on America is difficult to imagine. In 1868, total aid in one year given through our mission to “visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan” was $951,556.21; today that amount is equal to over 2 trillion dollars.
Our mission has changed over the years. In 1935, the Social Security Act was signed into law by an Odd Fellow (President Franklin Delano Roosevelt) to help the blind, the handicapped, the elderly and others in need. This and other factors shifted our focus to other ways to fulfill our mission such as investing in medical research to help people regain their eyesight. Few people know our history and the positive impact we have had yet we continue to help.
One finalist will receive a scholarship award of $1,000.
The Essay Contest Prizes are sponsored by the Lompoc Odd Fellows.
Deadline for entries submitted by mail, web and email.
The winner and their school will be notified by email and phone and letter.
Your privacy is something we respect completely; no information collected will ever be sold. We will use your contact information only to notify you if you have won unless there are questions that arise from your entry. Entry in this essay contest lawfully assumes that you irrevocably release, indemnify and hold harmless the sponsor and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows national and state organizations for any reason.
If your entry is disputed as a violation of any copyrighted material or creates any legal issues, your entry will be disqualified and grants us freedom from any claims or penalties. If your entry is too similar to another entry, then both will be disqualified.
This contest is subject to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations and taxes and are subject to revision only when necessary to respond to unforeseen circumstances which may alter the outcome.
Void where prohibited. No purchase or membership is necessary to enter or win. Rules are subject to change and entrant may withdraw at any time by phone or email.
The Odd Fellows Lodge meets the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at 7:00 PM.
Rebekahs meet the 1st and 3rd Monday night at 7:00 PM.
When we meet, we welcome anyone who would like to attend to find out what we’re all about. Stop by and say hello. We like to think of ourselves as family and we would love to meet you.
Our dining hall is spacious and can hold up to 100 people. Our kitchen and dining wear are available for your use as well. You can reach us at the following number or by email for more information:
The Lompoc Odd Fellows and Rebekahs jurisdiction falls under the California Grand Lodge which, in turn, falls under the national jurisdiction of the Sovereign Grand Lodge.
The Odd Fellows Lodge meets the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at 7:00 PM.
Rebekahs meet the 1st and 3rd Monday night at 7:00 PM.
When we meet, we welcome anyone who would like to attend to find out what we’re all about. Stop by and say hello. We like to think of ourselves as family and we would love to meet you.
Our dining hall is spacious and can hold up to 100 people. Our kitchen and dining wear are available for your use as well. You can reach us at the following number or by email for more information:
The Lompoc Odd Fellows and Rebekahs jurisdiction falls under the California Grand Lodge which, in turn, falls under the national jurisdiction of the Sovereign Grand Lodge.
Our dining hall is spacious and can hold up to 100 people. Our kitchen and dining wear are available for your use as well. You can reach us at the following number or by email for more information:
The Lompoc Odd Fellows and Rebekahs jurisdiction falls under the California Grand Lodge which, in turn, falls under the national jurisdiction of the Sovereign Grand Lodge.
The Odd Fellows Lodge meets the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at 7:00 PM.
Rebekahs meet the 1st and 3rd Monday night at 7:00 PM.
When we meet, we welcome anyone who would like to attend to find out what we’re all about. Stop by and say hello. We like to think of ourselves as family and we would love to meet you.