Odd tradition Odd tradition (August 23, 2002)

Fraternal order continues decades of service Fraternal order continues decades of service (August 23, 2002)

By Candice Shih

It takes a secret password to get into one of the most visible buildings in downtown Mountain View.

That's because the building at 206 Castro St. is the lodge hall for the Mountain View chapter of the Odd Fellows.

Twenty-six years before Mountain View was incorporated as a city in 1902, Lodge #244 of the International Order of Odd Fellows was instituted.

Today, the fraternal order is adjusting to its recent acceptance of women while fighting a trend of declining membership.

Stressing the three values of friendship, love and truth, the Odd Fellows society was formed in 17th century England. Members were called Odd Fellows because organized community service was thought to be odd.

"We raise money and have fun at the same time," said Jackie Meierdierks, a member of the Rebekahs, the women's counterpart of the Odd Fellows.

According to her husband John Meierdierks, the secretary of the Mountain View Odd Fellow Lodge, the lodge helps support the Community Services Agency with monetary and food donations and sponsors a Mountain View Babe Ruth baseball team.

In addition, members contribute to the Rebekah Children's Services, a $10 million-per-year operation in Gilroy which houses and counsels emotionally disturbed children.

The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs also support two retirement communities in Saratoga and Napa as well as the Three Links Camp in Tuolumne County.

Furthermore, they award student scholarships and give financial aid to eye, arthritis and heart funds.

"It goes way back to being a support system," explained Jackie.

Performing rituals, as well as community service, is important to being an Odd Fellow, too.

Meetings -- which, like the building, are not open to the public -- are "canned," said John.

Each one begins with an opening in which officers state their duties, the members make a pledge to the American flag, and the chaplain leads a prayer.

The Odd Fellows is not a religious society, but members must believe in a "supreme being" and participate in prayers during the meetings.

"The symbols and prayers we use are Christian-oriented," said John.

Then members must show they know both the verbal password and a visual password, the latter of which consists of hand motions (this step is particularly crucial in lodges where the membership is so large that it's difficult to recognize everybody; the Mountain View Odd Fellows number 35).

The body of the meeting involves reports of member news, finance reports and other committee reports.

"It's kind of like a big extended family," said Jackie. "You're there for each other through births, deaths, happy times, not so happy times . . ."

In the past, the Odd Fellows organization was successful at involving entire families, with junior clubs for both the men's and women's groups.

Jackie herself joined the now-defunct Mountain View chapter of the Theta Rho Girls' Club, its junior women's branch, when she was a teenager. At the time, it was popular to belong to more than one fraternal organization, she said.

Times have changed, however. According to John, membership in the California Odd Fellows was highest before and after the Great Depression, but has decreased annually since 1947.

In 1947, the state counted 30,739 members. At end of the 2000, there were only 5,846 members, just 19 percent of the 1947 total.

He attributed the decline to the death of members and a lack of successful marketing. Of the 35 current members of the Mountain View Odd Fellows, all but one are over 50 years old.

John added that other activities, such as outdoor recreation and sports, are apparently more appealing to young people.

"We have become a more affluent and mobile society, and the entire fraternal community has taken a hit," he said.

In the past, the order in Mountain View attracted policemen and firemen and other blue-collar workers, as well as former mayor Robert Schatz. Today technology and other desk workers help make up the ranks. In addition, in response to the threat of a lawsuit by a group of Rebekahs in Canada, said John, the order began accepting women almost two years ago. The Mountain View Odd Fellows now has two women in its membership. Jackie is optimistic that the Rebekahs will remain viable, however. Some of the activities and fundraisers are different from the men's, she said, and women who aren't married to Odd Fellows may be more likely to join the Rebekahs. Although 206 Castro St. has also been a bank, meeting space for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Christian Science reading room, shoe store, and dress shop since it was built in 1912, perhaps the Odd Fellows will be more permanent residents.

The Odd Fellows Lodge in Mountain View is seeking new membership. Call John Meierdierks at 967-4266 for more information.
E-mail Candice Shih at cshih@mv-voice.com