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Jonathon Naylor Editor Throughout its long and storied history, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Flin Flon Lodge No. 57 has deliberately kept a low profile. Over the decades, as the fraternal organization provided countless dollars to the community, members shunned attention, preferring to let their good work speak for itself. And it was with such humbleness that the few remaining members made the difficult but unsurprising decision last week to fold one of Flin Flon's longest-serving volunteer groups. 'The biggest thing is money,' says George Rideout, who goes down as the last Noble Grand, or president, in lodge history. 'We have (financial) commitments that we make, and when you can't pay them then you're finished.' Rideout was one of just eight Odd Fellows gathered in the basement of the Masonic Lodge to approve the fateful vote last Wednesday, June 13. The turnout was a far cry from the 100-plus members who met in the early days of an organization founded on Jan. 15, 1930, three years before Flin Flon was incorporated as a town. Though sometimes viewed as a religious organization, the Odd Fellows were strictly non-denominational. There was a requirement, however, that members believe in a supreme being. The Odd Fellows first assembled in the old Legion Hall before shifting to the Masonic Lodge on Church St. in 1939, where they remained until the end. See 'Contri...' on pg. 3 Continued from pg. 1 In time members would contribute hundreds of thousands of dollars to worthy local and international causes. They sponsored minor hockey and baseball teams, and children's groups like the Girl Guides and Scouts. Among many others, they also gave cash to the hospital, the care homes, Camp Whitney and the scenic fountain at the Jubilee Residence, and provided bursaries to high school graduates. One of the Odd Fellows' more visible projects _ the refurbishment of a creek-spanning foot bridge near the Aqua Centre _ was completed in 2001 and dedicated to the victims of 9/11. Beyond Flin Flon and area, the Odd Fellows supported vital medical research, including work related to vision impairments. But the years took their toll. With an aging and shrinking membership, the lodge had only been meeting once a month for the past couple of years. When it first launched, meetings were every week. At the time of its closure, the lodge had not welcomed a new member in seven years, and the prospects of anyone else joining were bleak. As the last members freely but regrettably admit, the writing was on the wall. 'It's not good, but what can you do,' says long-time member Cam Yeo. While other local volunteer groups have managed to weather a dwindling membership base, this was particularly damaging to the Odd Fellows. The lodge had undertaken some fundraisers, such as bingos and raffles, but most of its revenue came from membership dues. With only 16 members left _ 10 of whom were considered active _ the lodge's capacity to support causes grew more and more narrow. Good times Yet members like Rideout will prefer to remember the good times. 'I travelled quite a bit during my time in the lodge and met a lot of people, and always felt we were doing some good,' he says. Rideout is one of a few Flin Flon Odd Fellows to join the provincial executive of the lodge, serving as Grand Master for Manitoba for a year in the early 1990s. He followed in the footsteps of Lawrence Brough, who was Grand Master in 1977, and C.C. Sparling, a Flin Flon pioneer who held the position in 1935. Bernadette Benson, one of four female members of the Flin Flon lodge, will miss its subdued nature. 'Our mandate is not to brag about ourselves, just to go quietly and do what good we can,' she says. Adds another female member, Gail Martin: 'I'll miss meeting with the fellows and the girls. We have very relaxed meetings, and we always have a laugh or two.' With the closure, the lodge's assets will be shipped to the provincial lodge in Winnipeg. Funds will be held for two years in case someone decides to restart the Flin Flon lodge. None of the now-former Odd Fellows expects that to happen. In all likelihood, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge No. 57 will now exist only in the memories of members and those whose lives they touched.
