The Three Links Odd Cast

Toby Hanson, Ainslie Heilich, Mike Duminiak
  • 4.9 (18)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The Three Links Odd Cast is an exploration of and discussion about issues in Odd Fellowship for members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It provides a fun, light-hearted look at the history, traditions, customs, and practices of Odd Fellowship as well as an examination of where the fraternal order is today. NOTE: there will be *NO* discussion of The Unwritten Work or any of the signs, grips, or passwords of Odd Fellowship.

  1. 4D AGO

    WaxaTATchie

    Waxahachie Lodge No. 80 is one of the largest and best-known lodges in North America.  Because of their excellent promotion on social media, they have become household names in the world of Odd Fellowship.  We talk with their Noble Grand, Alex Freeman, about his journey into Odd Fellowship, how it intersects with his professional life, (spoiler alert: he's a tattoo artist) and what it's like to be in charge of such a large, active, prominent lodge.  Brother Alex offers some fantastic advice and insight for others on the journey through Odd Fellowship.  The Shoutout is back for this episode and it goes to Iroquois Lodge #74 of Illinois for their revival from near-death.  In the Odd Podge, Ainslie reviews the Odd Market, Mike reveals his new jobs in West Virginia and at Sovereign Grand Lodge, Alex follows Ainslie's lead and shares his experiences with the Odd Fest in Waxahachie, and Toby revels in the fruits of his fame as appreciative fans bought him dinner (and dessert) at the NW IOOF Meeting.

    1h 19m
  2. Burying The Dead

    OCT 28

    Burying The Dead

    We always like to do a cemetery episode during October in keeping with the "spooky" theme of the season.  This year, however, we're not playing up the spooky or macabre side of cemeteries.  Instead, we're looking at the compassionate, caring side of cemetery operations with Brother Jon Hart, manager of the IOOF Memory Gardens in Livermore, California.  Brother Hart had a meandering path to the job, starting with joining the Livermore Lodge and then jumping in to help save the cemetery when it looked like the lodge would need to sell it.  Since then he's been able to use his skills as an ordained minister and former systems programmer to make the cemetery experience a holistic and caring one.  There's no Shoutout in this episode (but you can contact us with info about other lodges doing great things for future Shoutouts) but there are some great items to share in the Odd Podge.  Toby went to the Idaho Grand Sessions in Pocatello and got to visit with old friend and fellow Washington PGM Kelly Hughes (now our Sovereign Grand Warden), Jon reflected on how the word "remember" means to bring people back together, and Ainslie shared his story of being elected Grand Warden of Illinois and then the triumphal success of his lodge's Odd Market.

    1h 25m
  3. Oddtistic

    OCT 18

    Oddtistic

    Mike fills two roles on this episode: one as host, and one as guest while we discuss his newest book, "Oddtistic."  The book looks at how Odd Fellowship has become a refuge for those seeking acceptance in a world that is often dismissive and uninviting.  It also outlines how community heals isolation and structure provides an anchor, all giving those seeking community a place to go with real prospects for inclusion and belonging.  The Shoutout goes to yet another brand-new lodge, Stillson No. 77 in Vermont.  In this episode's Odd Podge, Toby shares his observations from Reddit, Ainslie talks about the preparations for the Odd Market his lodge hosts in Illinois, and Mike double-dips as both host and guest, recounting Ainslie's guest appearance on his other podcast, Odd Fellows Today, talking about art and Odd Fellowship, and giving us an example of interaction with the wider community from his fundraiser ride for Hubbard House.

    1h 16m

  4. SEP 29

    Young Leader In The Heartland

    Looking to get his life on a better track, Bro. Niles Schumm took his mother's suggestion and joined the Odd Fellows.  That led him to his local lodge where he started to get more and more involved in lodge activities.  After not too many more years, he started to get interested in serving at the Grand Lodge level and is currently the Grand Warden of Illinois.  Bro. Schumm recounts his journey into Odd Fellowship and talks about his philosophy of desiring to bring about cooperation among members in Illinois and neighboring jurisdictions.  He also shares some of the things that he's done working with the Grand Lodge to help strengthen lodges in need of assistance.  The Shoutout goes to Tonquish Lodge #32 in Michigan for their recent success in growing the lodge and reaching out to their community.  In the Odd Podge, Toby shares the joy of receiving his 25 year jewel at his home lodge in Seattle; Ainslie tells us about the Riverboat Cruise he attended that was organized by Gem City Lodge #357 in Illinois, Niles invites us all to his Friendsgiving celebration, and Mike expresses his joy and gratitude over the recent Sovereign Grand Lodge session in Charleston, WV.

    1h 13m

  5. SEP 15

    The Cave Degree, Part II

    When we last spoke about the Cave Degree, it's fate was left uncertain.  The deck in the cave was in disrepair and there was a fundraising effort underway to restore it to a functional condition.  Now, in its second year post-revival, the Cave Degree has evolved into a full-blown Cave Weekend, with a meeting of the Richard Brouse Degree Lodge No. 190 and an English Country Dance on Friday evening, the Initiatory and First Degrees Saturday morning, instructional session later in the afternoon, the Second Degree in the Cave by the light of the moon, the Third Degree and Rebekah Degree Sunday morning, and then the Patriarchal Degree back up in the Cave on Sunday afternoon.  All this makes for a busy but exciting and inspiring weekend.  On this episode, we talk to three of the many people who helped organize the renovation of the Cave and organize the weekend: Lizzie Martinez of Yreka Lodge No. 19, Stacy Thomason of Gold Hill No. 129 in Oregon, and Mason Wolf of True Fellowship No. 52 in San Jose.  Andrew Crockett and Debra LaVergne also drop in to share a little bit during the course of the episode.  The Shoutout goes to Water Valley Lodge No. 82 of Mississippi for their fine work recruiting younger members to keep the lodge going.

    33 min

  6. SEP 2

    Live From SGL II: Almost Heaven

    Season six kicks off in Grand—or, should we say—Sovereign Grand style!  We recorded this episode of the podcast live from the historic hall of Kanawha Lodge #25 of Charleston, West Viriginia, host of the 2025 Sovereign Grand Lodge Session.  We were joined by a wonderful live audience and guests who told us about what's going on in their jurisdictions.  We heard about a tiny lodge in Rhode Island that suddenly had an influx of members, the growth of Encampments and Cantons in Texas, a roundabout way of getting the mayor of Pine Island, Minnesota to join that town's lodge, and many more great and inspiring stories from around Odd Fellowship.  In the Odd Podge, Ainslie talked about how Thomas Wildey had to place several advertisements in the newspaper in Baltimore before he was able to round up enough Odd Fellows to form a lodge (and he also gave a great plug to Mike's new book Oddtistic); Mike announced his new podcast "Odd Fellows Today" again; and Toby shared why he comes to Sovereign Grand Lodge even without a job to do.  Hint: it's all about all of you listeners out there!

    1h 35m
  7. Behind The Links

    AUG 5

    Behind The Links

    Five years ago, a new podcast emerged on the fraternal landscape, the Three Links Odd Cast.  Shrouded in mystery, the reclusive hosts have done their best to keep knowledge about the show secret—until now.  Join host Ian Love-Jones of Peninsula Lodge #128 of Portland as he guides this exposé of the Three Links Odd Cast.  Host Love-Jones digs into the shady past of the show, calling on disgruntled former hosts for their perspective.  Marvel as he reveals the secret process of choosing show topics.  Listen with rapt attention as the planning of each episode is captured with secret audio recordings of the hosts during a meeting.  This is the unfiltered, unfettered access to the show that fans have been demanding for years.  This episode is so shocking you may never want to listen to another episode (but probably not).

    19 min

  8. JUN 22

    Intro to Odd Fellowship

    As more and more people are searching the Internet for Odd Fellowship, many of them are finding this podcast.  As a service to them, we put together this episode where we give an introduction to Odd Fellowship, including what it is, how it's structured, how to join, and what members get out of it.  We hope this will be helpful to those of you looking for a way to connect with your community through Odd Fellowship.  As always, you can contact us for help in finding a lodge to join.  The Shoutout goes to the newly-rechartered Glacier Lodge #77 of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  In the Odd Podge, Toby looks forward to the Washington Grand Sessions (and the Past Grand Masters banquet), Mike shares a special and unusual event planned for the upcoming Sovereign Grand Lodge session, and Ainslie talks about his recent trip to Springfield, Ohio for the Midwest AMOS Meeting.

    1h 25m
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About

The Three Links Odd Cast is an exploration of and discussion about issues in Odd Fellowship for members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It provides a fun, light-hearted look at the history, traditions, customs, and practices of Odd Fellowship as well as an examination of where the fraternal order is today. NOTE: there will be *NO* discussion of The Unwritten Work or any of the signs, grips, or passwords of Odd Fellowship.

Information

  • Creator
    Toby Hanson, Ainslie Heilich, Mike Duminiak
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    119
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Three Links Odd Cast
  • Show Website
    The Three Links Odd Cast

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