Thanks William. I always thought it was "International" as you state, but I now see several chapter websites using "Independent", even this one: http://www.ioof.org/ . Does that mean they are not associated with the international organization? My interest is that my Dad was a member in the 1920s. To clarify my earlier response on the founding of the IOOF, it started in Great Britain in the 1700s, and the first chapter in the USA was organized in Baltimore in 1819. WILLIAM WRATTEN <wratten@prodigy.net> wrote: Hi Max-- IOOF is the International Order of Odd Fellows ==== BIGGS Mailing List ==== What came before us, is like a path....we can follow it or make our own!! bev