Members of the Oddfellows Friendly Society from Cornwall and Plymouth have returned home from a very successful 2024 annual national conference week which was held in Llandudno, North Wales. 

Jane Nelson, the 14 Board of executive and non-executive directors and nearly 200 voting deputies from across the country including those from Cornwall joined hundreds of other Oddfellows in working through a very full conference agenda. 

Members received reports from the financial side of the society which manages investments and property holdings worth hundreds of millions of pounds and from the fraternal side which provides many activities, services and benefits and much support to its members in times of need. 

Three days of business proceedings were accompanied by a concert given by the highly accomplished and award winning Oddfellows Brass Band which has performed both nationally and internationally, by a packed church service officiated over by the society’s own Anglican minister, by outside visits and social events including a Celtic ceilidh night with Celtic dancing and singing, dinners as well as a conference centre packed with welfare and financial information and sales stalls. The conference also saw huge sums raised for medical research and other charities. 

Oddfellows board of directors
Oddfellows board of directors (Submitted)

One of the great achievements of the conference was the agreement to extend dental and other financial, legal and welfare benefits and services and this came as a relief to many members particularly as the cost of dentistry is spiralling with NHS services becoming increasingly unavailable compelling members to turn to private and more expensive schemes. 

A formal Grand Lodge was convened and attended by senior members of the society wearing full ceremonial regalia and a number of new people were elected to serve as departmental directors as well as a considerable updating of the societies rules with special awards made to those who have worked hard to support the principles of Oddfellowship.  

At the conclusion of the conference, Sister Tina English from Redruth who serves as Provincial Grand Master of the Plymouth and Truro District Oddfellows said, “It has been a very busy and successful conference week and a real eye opener for some of our younger members who have attended for the first time.

“Of course, the Oddfellows is all about people and looking after those who join us as members, something the society has done so well for 215 years. It really is a great organisation to belong to and offers so much.”