On August 15th, I boarded a flight from San Jose to Dallas, excited to begin my first trip to our Sovereign Grand Lodge Sessions. I arrived at the hotel too early to check into my room, but one of the first people I saw was none other than Rodney Metoyer. Among other things, Rodney was …
Friday morning began at 5:15, with a trip to Ben Shuler’s dialysis appointment. From there, I returned home to make sure all of the luggage was packed, weighed, and ready to go. I took care of the cats, made sure the house was as ready as it could be for us to leave, and had …
Read more “Brigadier General Deborah Shuler’s 2026 GMC Report”
For the first time, the annual Degree weekend will not be held at the cave: Odd Con 2026 is moving to Vallejo, and registration is now open. For those who know the Pythian Cave — the creaky yellow gate that guards the access road, the gravel trail lit by moonlight, the view of Mount Shasta, …
The recently revived Ladies of the Oracle (LOTO) is a vibrant, century-old women’s fraternal organization known for blending philanthropy with satirical pageantry. Originating as a playful and inclusive counterpart to AMOS (Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans), the group has a culture of “mirth and clean fun” while providing women with a supportive, creative outlet. LOTO …
The Odd Fellows of San Jose joined the Rose, White, and Blue parade for the second time this year, just in time to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the declaration of independence. Last year, we ended up pushing Jane and Andrew’s 1930’s Chevy through the last two thirds of the route, so this year, we …
On Saturday, April 18th, District 107’s own Zoe Timmerman (Grand Instructor), along with other Grand Lodge appointed officers Alan Thomas (Grand Musician), Anne Leong (Grand Marshal), and Lawrence “Stark” Degesse (Grand Bodyguard) were honored at a lavish reception hosted by Berkeley Lodge #270. There were 70 members in attendance, making for quite the crowded kitchen …
On Sunday, May 26, 2026, many members from various Bay Area Lodges gathered together at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Livermore to receive the Royal Purple degree. As members waited to begin Royal Purple Degree ceremony, they walked around the grounds respectfully observing the names on headstones of past members of the early 1900s, as …
In the space between Christmas and New Year’s, more than a hundred Odd Fellows and Rebekahs come together in Pasadena to put the last final touches on the Rose Parade float we do each year. This year, our district’s own Debra LaVergne and Elizabeth Satterfield, as they have done so many times before, joined in …
On November 23, 2025 some 30 California Odd Fellows travelled through time and space to arrive in London on December 24, 1856 – the perpetual date frozen in time and sentiment at the charming Great Dickens’ Christmas Fair, located at the Cow Palace in South San Francisco, CA. The yuletide Odd Fellows came dressed in our …
Members of True Fellowship 52, Sara Bruce, Kat Powell, Scott Spence, and Debbie and Mason Wolf, decorated a tree in the Enchanted Forest at San Jose’s Christmas in the Park. This was our second year participating, and again we decorated out tree with Odd Fellows symbols, a triple-links chain, and a skeletal Santa. Our location …