posted December 13, 2010
To: All Odd Fellows and Rebekahs in the Grand Jurisdiction of Ontario.
Grand Master’s Christmas Message 2010.
A warm Christmas Wish and a Happy New Year to all Odd Fellows and Rebekahs, Patriarchs and Matriarchs, Chevaliers and Ladies. As your Grand Master, I hope All Brothers, Sisters and their families have a safe and joyous holiday season. As we sit back enjoying ourselves with our families and friends, take time out to examine Our Future as Odd Fellows and Rebekahs.
This Christmas Season, don’t forget to support your local charities along with your Grand Master’s projects. A little will go a long way. We have OuR Island, Camp Trillium and the IOOF Senior’s Homes Inc., in Barrie to e very proud of and this should be used in promoting Our Order.
In the coming year lets ALL work Together with better communication between all branches of Our Order and ourselves to make our Order Grow for Our Future Generations. As we look forward to a prosperous 2011 in health, welfare and in the GROWTH of our Order, I know, that working Together, we will be successful to Help Rebuild our Order.
I remain yours, in Friendship, Love and Truth,
Jim Edwards, Grand Master,
Grand Lodge of Ontario, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
posted September 07, 2010
The Grand Lodge of Ontario welcomes back all of its members from summer holidays. As lodges start up from summer break, we want everyone to remember we are here to answer your questions. Please be patient with us because we have a lot of things happening currently.
posted July 01, 2010
The Grand Lodge of Ontario wishes everybody a safe and enjoyable summer and hope to see everybody (as well as some new members) in September. The Grand Lodge Office is open all summer, so please if you have any issues, don’t hesitate to give us a call or drop us a line.
posted May 30, 2010
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows have decided to launch a new website with the input of their members. We are still currently testing and repairing every little detail on the site. We are listening to our members and giving them exactly what they want. Our goal at the end of this process is to have a website that our members can be proud of and to give visitors to the site the information they want. If you find anything that you want the webmaster to look at, email him.
PLEASE NOTE: Not all pages on here have text just yet. We will be adding more and more. Please return to see the changes we are making on a regular basis.
posted December 01, 2009
Grand Master’s Christmas Message
To: All Odd Fellows and Rebekahs in the Grand Jurisdiction of Ontario.
I wish for all Odd Fellows and Rebekahs, and all Patriarchs, Matriarchs, Chevaliers and Ladies a joyous Christmas and a safe, comfortable and peaceful holiday season. In particular, I pray for all members of our Order who are bereaved or in poor health, that your strength and well-being will return in the new year.
I also wish for better harmony in all of our Lodges, Encampments, LEA’s, Cantons and LAPM’s in the new year. Let us all resolve to work Together wherever we can. And let us Reach Out in the new year, into our own communities and across the jurisdiction, to promote and strengthen our Order through our projects and our good work. Remember, deeds speak louder than words.
Over the holiday season, let us all examine our lodges and ourselves, and our service as Odd Fellows to our Order and to society. We have good purposes and projects; but I believe the future health of Odd Fellowship requires that we respond to changes in the world around us. Are there changes we should make to help our Order flourish again? I ask every member to think about this over the holiday season.
Yours Friendship, Love and Truth,
Brother Don Beach, Grand Master
posted December 01, 2009
Members Only Area – Update
As a few of our members have found out, we are having a few issues with the Members Only Area with regards to the Forms you can download and use. We are working on it and we are fixing form by form, so as soon as we get a form fixed, it will be posted. We thank you to all who emailed us with the issues and we are trying very hard to get them back up and running. We thank you for your understanding on this matter.
posted March 09, 2009
Attention News Editors — For Immediate Release
Camp Trillium Announces New Board Members including a former Member of Parliament and a Belleville native and Grand Master of the Odd Fellows of Ontario
Media Advisory
Monday, March 09, 2009
Hamilton, Ontario – Camp Trillium, a provincial childhood cancer charity on Saturday, February 28, 2009 elected six new members to its Board of Directors. Business, Political, Volunteer and Medical leaders from around the province will be taking on the task of helping Camp Trillium to grow it’s programs province wide during a period of economic downturn and weak charitable giving.
In Eastern Ontario four new members have joined the board, Charles Benson, the Grand Master of the Odd Fellows of Ontario and well known Belleville Volunteer; Sheila Copps, former Member of Parliament and Liberal Party Member; Scott Whyte, Human Resources and Management specialist from Kingston and Deanna Lawson, Clinic Nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa.
“Challenging times require a Board of Directors who are hard working and driven to help raise funds and ensure that individual donations are well managed and used to provide the best camping and recreational programs for children living with cancer and their families. I feel we have that board.” Marci Shea-Perry, Executive Director
“Children living with cancer have enough worries without having to think about what tough economic times could do to their oasis from the disease, Camp Trillium. I am dedicated to raise awareness of Camp Trillium and it’s great work and help to ensure all of their needs are met …and that means picking up the phone and sometimes picking up a hammer.” Charles Benson, Board Member, Belleville
Camp Trillium provides recreational and camping programs for children living with cancer and their families in the province of Ontario. 54 programs operate year round in 12 communities for 3,100 campers. Summer Camping programs are run in Bloomfield, Ontario at Camp Trillium Odd Fellow and Rebekah Island and year round camping in Waterford, Ontario at Camp Trillium Rainbow Lake
For more information contact:
Fiona Fisher, Communications and Development
(416) 413-0968 or 1-888-999-2267 ext. 24
moc.muillirtpmac@fanoif
www.camptrillium.com
posted June 04, 2008
MEDIA ADVISORY – For Immediate Release Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Camp Trillium receives $1,000,000 gift from the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs of Ontario to purchase Garratt’s Island Camp Trillium is celebrating today with the purchase of Camp Trillium Garratt’s Island. Camp Trillium has operated programs and maintained the island for 18 years and now is the new owner thanks to the landmark gift made to the charity by the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs of Ontario. “This is an incredible gift. Garratt’s Island has been home to Camp Trillium for 18 years and now we know that we will be there forever. Our relationship with the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs has grown over the years. From their first donation 25 years ago they have always been there to support Camp Trillium in their time of need.” Marci Shea-Perry, Executive Director of Camp Trillium. Garratt’s Island will now be known as Camp Trillium Odd Fellow and Rebekah Island in honour of this gift. It will be shortened to OuR Island for daily use. Camp Trillium is looking to raise another $700,000 to upgrade the island. Starting this year Camp Trillium will be extending programming on the island and making full use of it 9 months of the year. On Saturday, June 21st, 2008 Friends of Camp Trillium and the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs are invited to celebrate with former campers, staff and volunteers at OuR Island. Celebrations begin at 10 a.m. and run to 2 p.m. A BBQ and an opportunity to tour the camp highlight the day. Camp Trillium is a not for profit organization that operates 54 programs year round. These programs are run at no cost to the participant. For children with cancer Camp Trillium provides an opportunity to enjoy the fun and friendship of camping through day, residential and family camps and clinic programs. It is a chance for children to get away from this terrible disease and share their unique skills with friends who understand. Trillium’s philosophy is to provide programs for all. Turning children away is not an option. We grow with our population and the challenge is always to meet the funding needs. Celebrating the purchase of Garratt’s Island… Camp Trillium and the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs of Ontario.
For more information on the purchase of the island, the innovative programs of Camp Trillium and OuR Island Open House please contact:
Fiona Fisher, Camp Trillium, Communications (416) 416-413-0968
The Grand lodge of Ontario, Independent Order of Odd Fellows is located at 157 Frederick Street, Stratford, Ontario and the contact information is as follows:
John Nichols, Grand Secretary – 519 273-8088
Bob Schwalm, Grand Treasurer – 519 273-8088
posted July 19, 2005:
Hello Odd Fellows:
We invite you to join us on the eve of the Annual Sessions of our Order for the 4th Annual Gloria Mundt-Wood golf tournament sponsored by The Educational Foundation, IOOF.
If you are a golfer and planning to attend the Annual Sessions, or even if you would just like to make a donation and come be a spectator, you don’t want to miss this event.
You could ask your local unit or Grand Body to financially support this effort of the Educational Foundation by becoming a team or hole sponsor. Your individual support of the Gloria Mundt-Wood Golf Challenge will help bring about a worthwhile and entertaining event for years to come.
Saturday, August 13, 2005, Maple Ridge Golf Club, London, Ontario.
Captain’s Choice – Tee Times Start at 1:00 pm
Prizes will be awarded for:
Hole-in One
Longest Drive
Closest-to-Pin
Any Other Good Reason
Hole Sponsor – $100.00
Four Person Team – $250.00
Individual Player – $65.00
DEADLINE FOR ENTRY IS AUGUST 5, 2005
R. Kenneth Babb, Director
The Educational Foundation, IOOF
315 N. Spruce Street, Suite 250
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Phone: (336) 723-2404
Fax: (336) 724-5116
email: ten.htuoslleb@1bbabkr
Download the Registration Form Sessional Golf Registration – 2005
Odd Fellow Webmail is Coming
We are in the middle of adding a new feature called ‘Odd Fellow Webmail’. This is going to be a link for people who have an email address through the Odd Fellows (anybody that has an – @ioof.net email address). To help this pilot project be successful, I am looking for 2 or 3 lodge Secretary’s or Noble Grand’s to help me out by getting an ‘@ioof.net’ email address for their home Lodge and test it out with myself and I will have The Grand Lodge of Ontario send you stuff to see if this is a feature worth looking into. If you are interested, let me know and I will give you more details about it. –> Email the Webmaster
To take part in the Pilot Project, you will need a few items to use at your lodge’s own expense.
A computer with an internet connection (High Speed Recommended, but Dial-Up will work)
The software you will need is follows: Adobe Acrobat Reader (free from the Internet), and either Microsoft Word or WordPerfect (both word processing programs may be purchased through a computer or electronics store) and Microsoft FrontPage or any Website design software if you wish your Lodge to have a free website through the Grand Lodge of Ontario (Somebody in your Lodge must have a basic understanding of FrontPage or another type of Website Design software and how to upload your website – we can help with this)
A Printer to print off emails, documents, etc that you may receive through this project
MOST IMPORTANT THING – Patience with this project. You have to remember that you are going to be one of the first groups to be testing this project out and you will be working with myself and the Grand Secretary to find all bugs in the system and correct them
History in the making
We now have had 5 lodges sign up for the Webmail Pilot Project. They now have active email accounts and are in the middle of designing their websites. As soon as they get the websites up and running, we will post them here and ask everybody to look at them and give them a big thanks for taking a step in the right direction. If your lodge is still interested, please read the above post and let me know. Eventually our goal is to have every lodge with an active email and website.
Warriner Lodge #75 of Port Perry, Ontario
We would like to thank the members of Warriner Lodge #75 of Port Perry, Ontario for taking the first step into the age of the Internet. They are the first lodge under the Grand Lodge of Ontario to have an active email address and there own website. Although their website is still being designed and updated continually, it is up. We would ask that you visit their site and give them feedback about it. You can visit their site by clicking on this link http://warrinerlodge75.ioof.net or send them an email congratulating them on their accomplishment ten.fooi@57egdolrenirraw. Once again a big thank you goes out to them!
Odd Fellows have invaded ‘FACEBOOK’
As some of you have now found out, the Grand Lodge of Ontario now has a group on Facebook. The group is just starting out and currently is small, but over time we are hoping that every member in the Order will join it and make it a huge success. If you are on Facebook – just search for the group ‘Grand Lodge of Ontario’. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to email me and I will answer them for you. Email the webmaster.
Odd Fellow Online Community
We have created an ‘Odd Fellow Online Community’ for our members and visitors. This is a new feature and we are still working out the bugs in it. The purpose of this ‘Odd Fellow Online Community’ is a new tool for all Odd Fellows to gather and share information, stories and just about anything they want to. If you or your lodge have something to sell or advertise, there is a spot on there for you to do so. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to email me or fill out a ‘Help Desk Ticket’.
Help Desk Ticket System
As more and more of our members start to join us on the “Online World”, we are finding some of them are having a few issues and we would like to help them in any way we can. The Grand Lodge of Ontario has created something called ‘Help Desk Ticket System’ and you will find a link to this at the top of every page in this website. The purpose of this project is for our members or visitors that are having issues to fill out a simple ‘Issue Ticket’ and we will respond ASAP. When you fill out a ticket, you will receive an email with a Tracking Number. When we respond to the ticket, you will be notified by email and you can login to see the solution. This ‘Help Desk Ticket System’ will eventually replace emailing the webmaster because this way you can track your issue from start to finish in a timely manner. If you encounter any issues with this new system, please email me with the issue and I will try to resolve it as quickly as I can. We thank you for your patience with this ongoing project.