Odd Fellows not-so-odd good fellows

While watching a video of Salt Lake City crews moving the old Odd Fellows Hall the other night, I thought: I've known some odd ducks in my life, some odd couples — I even know a guy named Odd — but in 60 years I've only met one soul who associated with the Odd Fellows clan. His name was Lenny Redelings — a welder and small-engine master repairman from Brigham City. He'd make the short trip to Corinne from time to time to attend Odd Fellow meetings.

He was one of the most decent souls I've ever known.

In fact, because of Lenny I did some research on the Odd Fellows society several years ago. I figured if they attracted guys like him they were worth looking into.

I was right.

For openers, the Odd Fellows (Oddfellows, in England) are kind of like the Masons, only different. They seem to be a down-home, salt-of-the-earth bunch of folks who like to use exotic names — like "Black Heart Brigade."

They're kind of like Laurel and Hardy's famous band of brothers — The Sons of the Desert. The difference is the Odd Fellows are smarter, better organized and much better looking.

According to a couple of histories I found, the group got under way some 200 years ago in England when there was a lot of illness and poverty but no health insurance or state welfare. So, to help out, various guilds of workers formed to gather donations, aid the ailing and feed the needy among them. In small towns, the organization had to recruit workers from a dozen different guilds, hence the name "Odd Fellows." (Women jumped in as well, forming a partner organization called The Rebekahs.)

As I suspected — knowing Lenny Redelings as I did — the Odd Fellows have a reputation for always being generous and helpful. They raise millions for the unfortunate and often link up with other good endeavors from the Arthritis Foundation to the Rose Parade.

And while mentioning "links," the traditional Odd Fellow symbol is made up of three chain links with the letters FLT (for "friendship," "love" and "truth") written on them.

For a code to live by they take their cues from the Bible. They divide themselves into encampments. And though they are few in number these days, they're still out there. In fact, the Salt Lake City Odd Fellow bunch will be having a meeting on May 21 (Google "Odd Fellows and Utah" for info).

So, in the end, it's probably no wonder Salt Lake City has taken such care with the venerable old Odd Fellows Hall. Odd Fellows are venerable fellows. They have earned our respect.

I find the more I read about them the more I like them.

And it makes me wonder, at a time folks like the Odd Fellows — and Leonard Redelings — are needed more than ever, why is it so hard to flush one out?

And what would it take to help jump-start things again and get people back to lending a hand — no matter how odd that fellow on the receiving end may appear?

E-MAIL: jerjohn@desnews.com