Thirty years ago, in a small town in Washington State, a young twenty-something man stood surrounded by five elderly men in a leaky, damp building in a small town doing something that would change the trajectory of his entire life. In that moment, Kelly Hughes made a commitment that would shape his destiny and give him a new purpose in life. From that time forward, as an Odd Fellow, Kelly would work tirelessly for the betterment of his community, his lodge, and his jurisdiction. Through his work, Skookumchuck Lodge No. 129 was able to get their building renovated (no more leaky roof!) and they were able to grow and sustain themselves. That spirit of hard work and leadership eventually propelled Kelly to the top office in Washington, serving as Grand Master for 2017-18. His mid-life crisis brought him to Florida where he eventually joined a lodge and became Grand Secretary. During his time in Florida the jurisdiction has chartered two new lodges with another one scheduled for institution in the coming months. In this long-ranging interview, Brother Kelly shares his story with us and gives us information about what has been successful in Florida and lays out his vision for the future of Odd Fellowship. It's a lengthy interview, but definitely worth listening to all the way through as Kelly has an incredible insight into the current state and future of Odd Fellowship. The Shoutout goes to a lodge which has reclaimed its charter after going dormant for a few years, Richland #338 in Washington State. In the Odd Podge, Toby recounts his gig at a former Odd Fellows Hall in Bellingham that has been beautifully preserved, Kelly talks about the musical legacy of the lodge in Lynn Haven, Florida, and Ainslie gives a sneak preview of the tattoo gathering that he's planning for Sovereign Grand Lodge this year in Charleston, WV.

Every lodge wants to grow—but how many lodges are actually able to incorporate new members successfully in such a way that the new members feel valued? Brother Matthew Thornton, NG of Houston Heights Lodge #225 in Texas, joins us to talk about how his lodge maintains a healthy lodge culture with a mix of everyone from oil workers to urban hippies. Spoiler alert: their secret is holding a lot of events that give people an opportunity to do something. Brother Matthew goes into more detail with us to talk about how that all comes together and how it turns out. The Shoutout goes to yet another new lodge, Vandalia Rebekah Lodge #9 in West Virginia. In their Odd Podge contributions, Toby gives an update on the wedding gifts he and his new bride received for the Vanderlinden-Sheppard Adult Visual Aid Fund, Ainslie shares an update on his hand tattoo, Mike announces the publication of his new book, and Matthew gives his thanks for a wonderful year and looks forward to the next one.

Based on the classic holiday film "It's A Wonderful Life," this year's Christmas episode is an Odd Fellows' retelling of the old favorite in which George Bailey is the harried Past Grand of Bedford Falls Lodge #310. Straining under the weight of his lodge's expectations, he finally breaks and wishes he had never been an Odd Fellow. The ghost of Thomas Wildey visits him to give him a glimpse into the world where he never joined the lodge. This episode features an all-star cast including Gil T. Rodello, Kyle Fuller, Mason Wolf, Matthew Thornton, Fran Carris, Kaitlyn Osman, Ian Love-Jones, Steven Cross, Michael Greenzeiger, Joseph Benton, Elizabeth Keena, and Toby Hanson.