Part F: Activities - Summary of Recommendations: Activities involve the events, meetings, projects and ritualistic works of the organization. Three quarters of the respondents (75.17%) show satisfaction and think that the events, projects and activities allow the I.O.O.F. to become known in the community while other aspects such as events, projects and activities can encourage non-members to join (68.08%), events, projects and activities are fun and exciting (48.93%), the initiation rituals are enjoyable (58.15%), and lodge meetings are interesting (64.67%) did not reach at least a 75% satisfaction rating. Based on the results and suggestions by respondents, it is recommended that I.O.O.F.: 1. Convince Lodges to create at least one (1) “hands-on” community project and/or fun social event – Membership is the life-blood of the I.O.O.F. Failure to attract and retain members will eventually lead to its demise. A member in Sweden shared: The Odd Fellows have greater competition from other associations than they previously had. To get younger and new members, they must be more open and easily disseminate information about the Odd Fellows activities. We, who are already members of Odd Fellows, should take stock of our children or other relatives as suitable brothers or sisters. Very important is that we have interesting programs and fun afterwards in the dining room.” Yes, there are so many groups that offer the same or even better things to do than the I.O.O.F. It is thus important that we strive to offer the same or something better. There are also many other leisure activities, such as computer games and sports, which take people’s time and give them a sense of enjoyment. What makes I.O.O.F think that focusing on just having business meetings and doing rituals in the lodge will help increase our membership and will preserve the I.O.O.F.? Business meetings in the lodge were the main thing in the past because, the truth is, Odd Fellows was involved in insurance as lodge business. Today, majority of our lodges no longer offer insurance or benefits for our members. Our main business now is basically offering friendship and charity. Ritualistic works, on the other hand, is a part of our tradition as a fraternal order but are just a means to an end. Ritualistic works are instructions of our principles and what we aim to accomplish. But if our lodges don’t deliver actions to express our principles and goals then we become an “all talk” organization? Today, people often perceive lodge membership as serious and boring. But it is not because of the rituals or the business meetings why younger people quit or do not join the I.O.O.F. but because of the absence of social functions in the lodge that allow members to interact and enjoy each other. It is therefore the duty of each lodge to also create events or projects that are not only fun and exciting for their members of all ages and the community but those that can increase the bond of friendship and improve the character of members. For I.O.O.F to become captivating to those who want to join, people must see members enjoying attending the lodge, Grand Lodge or Sovereign Grand Lodge sessions so they can see the reason for joining. As compared to projects that only involve a simple turning-over of a check donation, growing lodges has proven that projects and activities that allow members to enjoy and participate give a bigger impact and provide a positive benefit to membership in I.O.O.F. If lodges organize community projects or social events that allow members to join, it will not only help increase the social bond between members but may also help the community get to know who the Odd Fellows or Rebekahs are. When the community can see that I.O.O.F. members are actually doing something and enjoying each other’s company, it may also create an image that the I.O.O.F. is indeed an organization that does something and worthwhile to join. 2. Determine target population and consider “updating” the social events of the Lodge, Grand Lodges and the Sovereign Grand Lodge – Over 100 years ago, the average age of the membership in I.O.O.F. is estimated to be 45 years old. Times have changed. With its aging membership today, many leaders of the I.O.O.F have admitted that lodges need to attract and retain people who are at least below 65 years old to be able to secure its future. But simply recruiting younger people doesnt guarantee that they will stay as members unless we offer something that these people would also enjoy. Most lodges in North America continue doing events and activities that were fun and exciting for members at least 50 to 100 years ago, for example, BINGO, simple pot-luck dinners or banquets using music and games from the 60’s. But what is fun and exciting in the past does not necessary mean it will also perceived as fun and exciting for people under 60 years old and below. This is, if I.O.O.F wants to attract people below 60 years old? Also, people by nature group themselves into categories based on age, personality, and so on. This is the reason why there seems to be an existing inter-generational conflict between senior members and younger members. This has resulted to either senior members threatening younger members out of the lodge or younger members quitting their membership in the lodge. It is hence vital for Lodges, Grand Lodges and the Sovereign Grand Lodge to consider organizing something new and exciting for the members, if possible, for all ages. If not possible, it is important that I.O.O.F. determine the exact age bracket for membership in the Lodge because having people from 16 year to 90 years old may not be feasible and will only result in significant inter-generational conflict. If I.O.O.F. doesn’t update its social events then it may just need to focus on attracting people 60 years old and above. 3. Consider conducting a Cost-benefit Analysis (CBA) on the National/International Projects of the Sovereign Grand Lodge - CBA is defined as a systematic process for calculating and comparing benefits and costs of a project or projects. Brother Melvin Astrahan of California, a PhD degree holder, attended the Sovereign Grand Lodge Sessions in 2012 and observed the presentation of approximately $75,000 donation from the IOOF to the Arthritis Foundation. In return for our donation, which ranks in the top-ten donations received by the AF that year, IOOF received a single line of recognition in their annual report in the half-million to one million dollar bracket. All of the other donors at that level were major medical equipment and pharmaceutical corporations. He was amazed that IOOF, with its generally aging and shrinking membership, could afford to make such a large contribution to a single entity. He has since done some research into the operations of the AF. The AF has been steadily declining in revenue for at least the past decade. For example, their revenue was reported as $122 million in 2004, it was $62 million in 2008 and it was $47 million in 2012. That makes our donation about 1.5% of their total income that year. What does the AF do with the donation from I.O.O.F.? Below is the AF expense report for 2012. Total expenses were about $55 million dollars, on revenues of about $47 million, so a loss of about 8 million dollars. The AF expenses related to arthritis research were 7.7 million dollars, which was about 14% of their total expenses for that year. The AF spent about 12 million on salaries and another $12 million on direct response marketing. The total income generated by that direct response marketing campaign was about $14 million, a profit of about $2 million. This means that the companies that conducted the marketing campaigns kept roughly 86% of the money they raised on behalf of the AF. Arthritis researchers would have had an additional $10 million available if the AF had simply directed those $12 million direct marketing dollars towards research. He looked at the $12 million in AF salaries. In 2004, when the AF revenue was $122 million, the CEO of the AF received a salary of $287,000. His salary has increased substantially every year since. In 2010, when AF revenue had fallen to $52 million according to their audited financial statement, his salary was about $498,000. So, what happened to our $700,000 donation? Well, it appears that maybe about $100,000 of it actually went towards arthritis research, and the rest paid the salary of the CEO. He concluded that the I.O.O.F.’s continued support for the Arthritis Foundation indicates a serious failure by our leadership to pay attention to how our hard-earned dollars are utilized. He recommended that the SGL should end contributions to the AF and all other outside entities that are not competently managed. He concluded that our lodges would be far better served by concentrating 100% on local, home-town, charities such as childrens homes, playgrounds, schools and so on where our work is recognized and might attract new members rather than support national and international charities where our efforts are lost in the corporate mega-dollars, largely ignored, and most of the money goes into the pockets of the CEOs and marketers. Take note, all the national/international projects by the Sovereign Grand Lodge are good and do coincide with the purposes of Odd Fellowship but are they worth it of continuous support? Will continuous support to these projects outside the I.O.O.F help our Order increase its membership? Or will creating our own distinct I.O.O.F projects benefit our membership more? It is hence highly needed that the Sovereign Grand Lodge considers studying the cost-benefit of supporting the following projects - Arthritis Foundation - Visual Research Foundation - S.O.S Children’s Village - And other projects 4. Come-up with “original” Odd Fellow-Rebekah national or international Projects – For many years, many of our lodges, Grand Lodges and the Sovereign Grand Lodge focused on donating or supporting projects of other organizations which is good but not highly beneficial to the I.O.O.F. Why? Because is an unconscious battle between foundations, groups and organizations who does more good and who does better projects. We live in a time when all other groups and organizations including local businesses, multi-million for-profit corporations, universities and churches also donate and organize charitable and social activities for their members and the community. Everybody can organize community projects. What makes I.O.O.F think more people will join us if we just support and donate to projects organized by other groups or foundations? For example, one member commented that he asked a former member why he dropped out. His comment was that all the charities that the Odd Fellows supported, he already supported through United Way. So there is really no reason to pay dues to the I.O.O.F. to help. There are many other reported cases similar to this. What makes I.O.O.F think that we will increase our membership if we choose to donate, for example, to Red Cross or Visual Research over conceptualizing our own project? It is thus important that we have projects we can call our own because it will give people one of the reasons to stay. In a cost-benefit perspective, the I.O.O.F. would be far better served by concentrating a big percentage of our funds on an “original” I.O.O.F project where our name and our work will be recognized and might attract new members rather than donate a big amount where other groups or foundations gets all the credit. 5. Consider adopting a “Sibling Lodge Program” United we stand, divided we fall. We all know that I.O.O.F. has lodges that do not have many members and are struggling financially. If there is no existing program to help these lodges, they will soon surrender their charters or will become defunct and our numbers will continue to decrease. I.O.O.F. also has lodges that were chartered recently and are in need of some guidance so they will continue to grow. But we also know that there are also long-existing lodges with huge financial capacity and have adequate members who may be able to assist struggling or developing lodges. The Sibling Lodge Program is an agreement between two lodges from different States, Provinces or countries to form a long-term relationship to promote understanding, goodwill and carry-out the principles of Odd Fellowship through inter-lodge visitations, project or event sponsorship or sending volunteers from one lodge to help organize projects or events of another lodge.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Jul 2014 16:04:57 +0000
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