ABOUT US
Independent order of odd fellows Tarpon Springs lodge NO. 34
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Tarpon Springs Lodge No. 34 was established March 18, 1892, making us one of the oldest fraternal service organizations in Tampa Bay. While we are proud of our history, we are still active and looking toward the future! Here are some of our recent activities:
- Every year we have a local yard sale to raise funds for community projects.
- In July 2021 and July 2022, donated $500 to Tarpon Springs Elementary School to help underprivileged students with school supplies.
- We are a full member of the Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce. ( www.tarponspringschamber.org )
- Helped to form the Greater Tarpon Springs Community Council, in order to coordinate the actions and increase the effectiveness of local civic, fraternal and service organizations.
- Every year we donated $250 to the Odd Fellows Rebekah Rose Float organization ( www.oddfellows-rebekahs-rosefloat.org ) that participates in the annual Rose Parade held on January 1st in Pasadena, California
- In September 2021, donated two books, Odd Fellows: rediscovering more than 200 years of history, traditions and community service by Louie Blake Saile Sarmiento and Symbolism of Odd-Fellowship by William Henry Ford to the Tarpon Spring Library ( www.tarponlibrary.org ) to raise public awareness about our organization.
- In September 2021, partnered with Orange Cycle Creamery in Tarpon Springs ( www.orangecyclecreamery.com ) and created an Odd Fellows flavor ice cream, a marshmallow base, in order to raise funds for Tarpon Springs Elementary School.
- Every year we have an Odd Fellows Craft Faire to support local artists and craft makers.
- In November 2021, adopted a section of the Pinellas Trail in Tarpon Springs running from Cypress Place to Rivo Place through Keep Pinellas Beautiful ( www.kpbcares.org ). Our bimonthly clean up is open to the public. We meet at 9:00am at the Tarpon Springs Dog Park on Live Oak Street. You must agree to the rules established by Keep Pinellas Beautiful and sign a waiver. The next few cleanups are scheduled for November 4, 2023, January 6, 2024 and March 2, 2024.
- On March 19, 2022, Tarpon Springs Lodge No. 34 celebrated 130 years of continuous philanthropy and Odd Fellowship in Tarpon Springs. We had over one hundred people attend a celebratory picnic, including a Proclamation from the City of Tarpon Springs and the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners. Numerous Brothers and Sisters visited from various Lodges across the State of Florida, including a Brother from New Hampshire! On March 18, 1892, twelve Odd Fellows, members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, an international fraternal order, came together to form the Tarpon Springs Lodge. That event makes our Lodge one of the oldest fraternal service organizations in Tarpon Springs and the Tampa Bay area.
- Worked with other local organizations to create the Odd Fellows Corner at the Tarpon Springs Boys and Girls Club which includes a refurbished garden so that the children enrolled there can learn about food, gardening and nutrition.
Our Lodge is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.), an international fraternal order with thousands of members with close to 10,000 Lodges in almost 30 countries. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Sovereign Grand Lodge website is www.ioof.org
Photo Gallery
The front of our Lodge constructed in 1965 facing East Lemon Street in Tarpon Springs, Florida.
A side view of our Lodge.
Come join us and make a difference in the Tarpon Springs community and the greater Tampa Bay area.