Our Past
Chester Odd Fellows was originally chartered on May 10th, 1905, with 20 Charter Members. By 1943, membership had dwindled and in 1945, after 40 years of service to the Chester community, the lodge disbanded.
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In its early years, the Lodge met in numerous locations, to include the Chester Masonic Lodge #94 and upstairs of the Burton Brothers Grocery Store. Some of Chester's most recognizable names were Odd Fellows: Harold T. Goyne, Sr. (Board of Supervisors & Goyne Chevrolet), C.E. Curtis (School Board), W.F. Burton (Oil Distributor), C.B. Graves (Postmaster), and R.D. Moore (Moore's Lake).
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One of the last acts of the original lodge before disbanding was donating their land and building to the first fire station in the county. This is what is now known as Chester Fire Station No. 1, located at 4325 Old Hundred Rd, on Route 10.
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In the fall of 2019, a group of concerned friends were yearning and searching the internet exploring for something that Chester was missing and needed. They looked at the Elks, the Eagles, the Optimist Club, and tens of other organizations, but something kept drawing this group back to the Odd Fellows. The name... the history... the purpose and goals... all of it spoke louder than all the others.
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In January 2020, after an ad was taken out in the Village News, along with some personal invites, a meeting was held on January 15th. Coincidentally, this was the birthday of the Founder of American Odd Fellowship. Learning of that just hours before the meeting only cemented what already felt right. Over the next two months, others came to our meetings expressing an interest also.
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In late March, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our in person planning dinners were suspended. Communications were continued through texts, phone calls, video chats, and group messages. Fortunately, a strong bond of friendship had already began to blossom before the pandemic hit.
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Meetings resumed on October 14th for the first time since March 25th and Chester Odd Fellows received its charter on December 13th, 2020, with 18 Charter Members.
Our Present
Our lodge is a big supporter of mental health awareness. This is a ongoing crisis in our world and our community and we firmly believe that when the principles of Odd Fellowship are practiced 24/7, we can truly make a difference in this area of need.
Annually, we participate in the Walk out of Darkness event in Byrd Park and we have successfully gotten both our Grand Lodge and Rebekah Assembly to contribute a combined $15,000 in 2025 towards the walks held throughout the state.
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Our lodge adopted the Burgess Family Cemetery in the Enon area, which has family ties back to the original lodge's membership. We visit the cemetery at least annually to weed-eat, mow grass, and care for the headstones where needed.
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Additionally, we partner with Liberation Veterans Services in Richmond and provide fresh cooked meals quarterly to homeless veterans. This brings joy to our hearts to see our Veterans get a warm meal and a warm conversation with us.
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Our biggest fundraiser is done annually in November. We make "Odd Sausage". Visit our online store to learn more and place your order!
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Our membership is diverse in many ways, and we have a passion for doing community service. Several of us have formed other non-profits or held leadership roles in some capacity in other organizations - these include, but are not limited to: Broken Leg Theater, Backpacks for the Homeless RVA, The Village - Be Kind, and Place of Miracles Cafe & Clothes Cottage.
Our Future
"How am I going to spend my life?" That is a question that an Odd Fellow or potential Odd Fellow must ask themselves. We base our thoughts and actions on healthy philosophical principles. We believe that life is a commitment to improve and elevate the character of humanity through service and example. By being advocates of Friendship, enactors of Love, and pursuers of Truth, we believe we position ourselves uniquely to the needs of our community.
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We want to never look at people with prejudiced eyes or base our judgement on outward appearances. We do not desire take an undue advantage of our power or the weakness of those around us. We want to be gentle in behavior and never inflict pain. We feel jointly responsible for our fellow men and women and are prepared to give attention and help wherever and whenever help is needed. We want to treat others with dignity and respect, and we believe we have an obligation to contribute in making the world a better place to live. We believe that making good and well-considered choices is called "behaving in a responsible way".
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These things are not immediate changes that can be conquered so quickly, but being an Odd Fellow is not something that happens only when you're at a meeting or an event. It is a 24/7 commitment that really should, and will, challenge you to be the best version of yourself. By doing so, we project to see a domino effect and a gradual change in the community around us.
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Tangibly, we envision our future to be simple enough for people to want to join, yet complex enough that it encourages self-growth. We would be most thrilled to see membership reach 50 people and as it grows, it taps into other nearby communities, thereby potentially providing opportunities for members to branch off and form another lodge, and so forth.