Our Name

The Odd Fellow Rebekah Children’s Home of California conducts business under the name of Rebekah Children’s Services.
The name Odd Fellows has always registered curiosity and intrigue. Individuals are surprised to learn about the depth and rich history represented by the originating fraternal organization. The history takes us all the way back to the early days of England in the 1700’s.
Essentially during these early times it was considered “odd” or strange to form a fraternity to address the needs of people in despair. It was the development of mutual help.
The Rebekahs, comprised of women, came into existence in 1851 focused on visiting the sick.  Odd Fellows and Rebekahs, to this day, continue to make an effort to care for the sick. The united approach positively impacts the lives of thousands of children, families and senior citizens.
“Many people joined the fraternity for the desire of helping others, and this is probably one of the most over riding desires of the present membership in the Three Link Fraternity. In modern times the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs have been in the forefront of nearly all organizations in helping to make this world a better place in which to live. Sponsorship of Boy and Girl Scout troops, or youth organizations, youth and adult athletic teams and leagues, hospital and nursing home programs, various health agencies including the Odd Fellows World Eye Bank and Visual Research Foundation, Educational loans and scholarships for deserving young people, and generally helping to make this world a better place in which to live are some of the activities of modern day Odd Fellows and Rebekahs”.

Rebekah Children’s Services carries on this tradition and fraternal responsibility by meeting the needs of mental health care for children, families and our communities.

The links below provide excerpts from the following book and is a great introduction to our name and history:

The Three Link Fraternity - Odd Fellowship in California
An introduction to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs
by Don R. Smith and Wayne Roberts, Linden Publications - 1993.

History of Odd-Fellowship
Then and Now

To gain a deeper understanding of the rich history and growth of this caring fraternity, we recommend reading the following publications:
Additional Reading