Winnebago City Lodge #30

WINNEBAGO CITY #30 ODD FELLOWSHIP was chartered in 1871.

The first Odd Fellow lodge in Minnesota was in Stillwater in 1849. The first 5 lodges were located and established the Grand Lodge of Minnesota on May 4, 1853. From those first few lodges, Odd Fellowship continued to spread into the new communities as Minnesota continued to grow.

The Sioux Railroad rolled into Winnebago City in 1870 and allowed an influx of people. Winnebago City #30 was instituted January 13, 1871, and has met weekly to carry on the business of the lodge. Starlight #11 is the sister Rebekah lodge that was established in 1894.

Both lodges follow a general agenda which includes an opening ceremony, general business activities, and "Good of the Order" criteria. They establish programs, contacts, and friendships that develop into the duties to perform the commands of the Order: "to visit the sick, bury the dead, relieve the distressed, and educate the orphan". There is something different going on all year long, but the general concept is to promote charity and benevolence among its members and the community.

The charter members were as follows: John Robbins, J. F. Davis, E. G. Buck, George E. Conaly, W. W. Potter, and Bailey Madison. They first met sharing the Masonic hall until their original building was constructed in 1888 on Main Street. That building was sold in 1971 and the lodges continued to meet there for 10 years following.

In 1984, after renting for several years, they purchased and met in the building at 204 N. Main until January of 2007. “Are you going to quit? “ was one of the questions asked by those familiar with the Winnebago City #30 Odd Fellows. Their inquiries were in response to the recent sale of their existing building. That is not the case, but they did remove the financial burden on the lodge.

The cost of building ownership was becoming an area of concern for the current membership. With insurance, heating expense, and taxes all on the increase, and with no significant rental incomes, it seems most of its fundraising that once supported their projects were being consumed in maintaining the building. After some brainstorming to find renters or increase fundraisers, it was decided to remove the building debts with the sale. A building does create an identity space for the lodge to carry on its business and fundraisers, but it is not entirely necessary for the operation of a lodge. Membership in any organization is the key to its survival and this lodge is not ready to quit just yet. About 15 members still hold fast the principles of the Order.

Both lodges now meet on Thursday at the Winnebago Municipal Center. The Odd Fellows and the Rebekahs meet 1st and 3rd Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and alternate opening formats.

The Municipal Center has been working very well. There is a serving kitchen and two meeting rooms with dividers. The regalia and supplies are kept in a locked closet in tubs that are wheeled out to the meeting areas. During the meeting, the officers actually sit in the council room and are able to hold a closed-door lodge meeting.

Both lodges pride themselves on opening meetings in due form. Sometimes they have struggled to have a quorum of 5, but still, open in form when they do. The formality and passwords of the opening set the tone of an Odd Fellow meeting and need to happen. “How else do new members learn and the existing ones maintain procedure if you are not following the Ritual?”

Winnebago City #30 enjoys Degree work also. They have partnered with Mapleton #101 for many years to confer a very powerful Initiatory Degree. The First, Second, and Third Degrees have been works in progress, since losing several key members over the years. It has been fun working with the Mapleton group learning the degrees once again. The Rebekahs can also confer their degree in a very dignified manner.