SWAMPSCOTT — Peter Preble knows what it’s like to steer an organization dedicated to helping others through good times and bad.
The Marblehead resident and secretary of Odd Fellows Hall Kearsarge Lodge No. 217 said the big grey building on Swampscott’s Elmwood Road is seeing a revival even as businesses and organizations begin to re-emerge following the shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After having meetings and events suspended since mid-March due to the pandemic, the Odd Fellows are holding meetings again and slowly trying to get back to normal.
“It’s been an interesting year, that’s for sure,” said Preble, adding, “Unfortunately after shutting down meetings and everything back in March, we haven’t been able to do as much as we’ve wanted to in the community. We’ve still been able to contribute as much as we can, but it’s certainly been a bit of a tough road.”
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows as it is known today began in Baltimore, MD, where five members of the Order from England founded Washington Lodge No. 1 on April 26, 1819, by self-institution.
In modern times, the Odd Fellows have been in the forefront of nearly all organizations in helping to make this world a better place in which to live. Odd Fellowship is a family fraternity with activities and programs for every member of the family.
The first lodge in Massachusetts — Massachusetts Lodge No. 1 — was self-instituted on March 26, 1820 in Boston. A charter was granted May 18, 1823 by the Grand Lodge of the United States.
Prior to this recognition, it had acted with the powers of a Grand Lodge and authorized the institution of the Siloam Lodge. The Massachusetts Lodge has been dissolved and reinstated several times throughout the years. In fact, the Grand Lodge ceased to exist in 1832 only to be revived in 1838. The Lodges of Massachusetts have a long history of revival and consolidation. There have been 244 different numbers given out over the years and many numbers have been given out more than once. Today there are 42 active chapters in Massachusetts, with Kearsarge Lodge No. 217 residing in Swampscott since its founding in 1892.
The Order of Odd Fellows’ mission statement is a simple one — “The command of the IOOF is to ‘visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan.'”
Specifically, Odd Fellows today are dedicated to the following purposes:
— To improve and elevate the character of mankind by promoting the principles of friendship, love, truth, faith, hope, charity and universal justice.
— To help make the world a better place to live by aiding each other, the community, the less fortunate, the youth, the elderly, the environment and the community in every way possible.
— To promote good will and harmony amongst peoples and nations through the principle of universal fraternity, holding the belief that all men and women regardless of race, nationality, religion, social status, gender, rank and station are brothers and sisters.
To that end, Kearsarge Lodge No. 217 has remained busy even during the pandemic. Despite having to cancel meetings for the majority of the summer, the Lodge has still been donating to a number of organizations including My Brother’s Table, the Salvation Army, the Greater Boston Food Bank and many more.
“We’ve really been trying to help in any way we can, because we know so many people are having a tough time these days,” Preble said. “It’s our mission to help people who need it, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
Now that pandemic restrictions are easing a bit, Kearsarge Lodge No. 217 is back to conducting normal business — albeit with a scaled-back operation.
“We’re still conducting business and still paying the bills and all that, but things have been scaled back a little bit to keep everyone safe and distanced,” said Preble. “We started meetings up again about a month ago and we’ve been keeping the attendance down a bit for safety as well.”
Looking ahead, Kearsarge Lodge No. 217 is still waiting to move offices after the pandemic forced them to delay their move. It’s still a game of wait-and-see, but Preble feels that things are moving in the right direction.
“We’re just trying to help people in any way that we can,” said Preble. “We’re going to be changing offices eventually and we’re still working to survive, but we’re as dedicated as ever to helping those in need.”
