Best Toby Hanson Podcasts (2025)

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Intro to Odd Fellowship 1:25:14

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18d ago1:25:14

1:25:14

As more and more people are searching the Internet for Odd Fellowship, many of them are finding this podcast. As a service to them, we put together this episode where we give an introduction to Odd Fellowship, including what it is, how it's structured, how to join, and what members get out of it. We hope this will be helpful to those of you looking…

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Big Ideas with Robin Hanson 1:15:35

28d ago1:15:35

1:15:35

Welcome to Ideas Untrapped podcast. In this episode, I talk with economist Robin Hanson. This episode is about an everyday exploration of some of Robin's biggest ideas. We discussed the hidden motives behind our everyday behaviours and how they shape institutions like education, healthcare, and government. We explore his ideas on signalling, innova…

1
Help! The Grand Master Is Coming! 1:38:40

1M ago1:38:40

1:38:40

Spring is here and many jurisdictions are having their Sessions, which means electing new Grand Masters who will be traveling around to visit lodges. In response to a listener's question, we discuss the process and protocols involved in a Grand Master's visit. Should you feed the Grand Master? When does he or she get introduced? Where should they s…

1
Power to the People 52:07

1M ago52:07

52:07

Welcome to Ideas Untrapped podcast. In this episode, I speak with economist Sugandha Srivastav about the hidden political economy of electricity in developing countries. Using examples from her study of Pakistan's electricity market, we explored how opaque power purchase agreements, regulatory capture, and poor procurement practices drive high cost…

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Evangelicals And Odd Fellowship 1:34:29

2M ago1:34:29

1:34:29

Not everyone understands fraternalism or takes the groups at face value. The suspicion of Freemasonry by the Roman Catholic Church is well known. Lesser known is the skepticism of so-called "secret societies" by Evangelical Christians. In response to a listener question, we asked Paul Michaels (not his real name), an Evangelical pastor, to come on …

1
New Perspectives On Odd Fellowship 1:40:20

3M ago1:40:20

1:40:20

Brothers Aiden Brink and Will Sparks both joined their respective lodges in the past couple of years. Each have become very active and spurred growth in their areas. They were both kind enough to join us to discuss their perspective on Odd Fellowship: what we get right, what we get wrong, and what we can do to build a solid future for our Order. So…

1
Ritual And Regalia Changes 1:52:12

4M ago1:52:12

1:52:12

Although it's tempting to think that Odd Fellowship has been handed down from the past completely unchanged from some visionaries at an ancient building site, that's not the case. Odd Fellowship has adapted and changed through its history to meet the needs of members and the Order as those needs have changed. In this episode, Kris Gratz of Virginia…

1
Free Markets in Africa 46:40

4M ago46:40

46:40

Hello, everyone, and this is Ideas Untrapped podcast. In this episode, I explored the challenges of acceptance of free market ideas in Africa with my guest, Tinashe Murapata. We talked about how the struggles of free market ideas can be traced back to historical misinterpretations that link capitalism with colonial oppression. We also discussed the…

1
Mystery And Benevolence 1:41:57

4M ago1:41:57

1:41:57

In 2016, an exhibit opened at the American Folk Art Museum showcasing various artifacts from American fraternal orders, most notably the Odd Fellows and Freemasons. The collection shared the best of fraternal folk art with the wider world. One of the curators of that exhibition, Dr. Aimee Newell, joined us to talk about the collection and give us s…

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America's New Deal 38:41

4M ago38:41

38:41

Welcome to another episode of Ideas Untrapped podcast. My guest on this episode is Raymond Fisman, who is the Slater Family Professor in Behavioural Economics at Boston University. He is one of the foremost researchers on corruption and institutional behaviour in the last three decades, and I have been looking forward to talking to him. The main th…

1
How Global Are We? 1:39:21

4M ago1:39:21

1:39:21

Most of us know about our local lodge and may be familiar with a couple other lodges in our area. However, Odd Fellowship is global in scope and scale—or is it? Brother Chuck Hillberry of the State Of The Order Committee of Sovereign Grand Lodge joins us to discuss exactly how much global reach Odd Fellowship has and how various overseas groups are…

1
Digging Up Our Roots 2:03:20

5M ago2:03:20

2:03:20

We think we all know the story of how Odd Fellowship began in North America: five brave souls, led by Thomas Wildey, held the first meeting in Baltimore in 1819 and, from there, Odd Fellowship exploded across the continent spreading friendship, love, and truth from sea to shining sea. The reality, though, has a lot more detail and challenges than w…

1
Global Value Chains 47:44

5M ago47:44

47:44

Happy New Year to our listeners. This is the first episode of the year, and I had a conversation with Oliver Harman about global value chains (GVCs), foreign direct investment (FDI), and regional governance in economic development. Oliver and I discussed how GVCs have evolved, the crucial role of multinational enterprises in knowledge transfer, and…

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Growing In The Sunshine 2:05:26

6M ago2:05:26

2:05:26

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 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…

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Mixing Old And New Members 1:12:52

6M ago1:12:52

1:12:52

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. …

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It's A Wonderful Lodge 33:06

7M ago33:06

33:06

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 Tho…

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Eating Oddly 1:22:56

7M ago1:22:56

1:22:56

Eating together is an integral part of Odd Fellowship and has a long tradition of inclusion within our Order, from formal banquets at Grand and Sovereign Grand Lodge meetings to sandwich platters during a Degree Rally, to tried-and-true fraternal staples like spaghetti feeds, pancake breakfasts, and pie auctions. Mike, Ainslie, and Toby discuss the…

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Moving from Promise to Progress 1:12:17

7M ago1:12:17

1:12:17

In this episode of Ideas Untrapped we discussed the challenges and complexities of education, economic growth, and public health systems in developing countries with two brilliant guests James Habyarimana and Jishnu Das. We started off with an example on the rapid expansion of tertiary education in India and its unmet promise of better jobs, which …

1
Learning from East Asia 46:27

8M ago46:27

46:27

In this episode of Ideas Untrapped, I sit down with economist Oliver Kim to explore the complexities of African economic growth and the challenges surrounding industrialisation. We discuss why Africa has struggled to replicate the manufacturing successes of East Asia, touching on issues such as labour costs, political economy, and the global market…

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Growing Prosperity 1:26:16

8M ago1:26:16

1:26:16

In high school, Dustin used to wander past the dusty old Odd Fellows Hall in Wenatchee, Washington. Intrigued by the music blaring out on to the sidewalk one evening, he went in to find an all-ages punk rock concert. Joel was the producer of those concerts and made sure the teens and young adults of Wenatchee had a safe, fun place on Friday nights.…

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Sovereign Grand Master Workman 1:29:19

8M ago1:29:19

1:29:19

Our Sovereign Grand Master, the Honorable Gerald V. Workman of West Virginia, sat down with us for a wide-ranging discussion about his path in Odd Fellowship and how it led him to the top job in the Order. He tells about his early days joining the Junior Lodge, his many years working in his local lodge, his eventual path through the chairs of the G…

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Odd Fellows' Rest Revisited 1:34:22

8M ago1:34:22

1:34:22

As has become tradition at the Three Links Odd Cast, we like to take a turn to the spooky for Halloween and talk cemeteries. We're joined by Brother Michael Duplantier to discuss the progress on restoring New Orleans' famous Odd Fellows' Rest Cemetery. Brother Duplantier does a wonderful job of giving us the history and background on the cemetery a…

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Lodge Is Bustin' Out All Over 1:09:19

9M ago1:09:19

1:09:19

Usually, by the time we at the Three Links Odd Cast hear about a new lodge being chartered, it's already meeting regularly. However, in this instance, we got to talk to Brother Garrett Hite of Oklahoma as he's in the process of re-chartering Durant Lodge #57. Brother Garrett shares his story of how he first came to join the Odd Fellows, his time aw…

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Sovereign Grand Lodge: Reactions 1:26:04

10M ago1:26:04

1:26:04

Mike, Toby, and Ainslie are all safely home from their trip to Pittsburgh and back to their usual lodge activities. The brothers got together to discuss their experiences at Sovereign Grand Lodge and how they felt the Order was progressing as a result. They all had wonderful experiences at the event and enjoyed the fellowship and are energized with…

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Trade-offs and Tensions 50:58

10M ago50:58

50:58

In the episode, Tobi talks to Dmitry Grozoubinski about the politics and complexities of global trade, emphasizing the tension between free trade and protectionism. Dmitry explains how trade policy decisions involve difficult choices that impact both producers and consumers, using Nigeria's food inflation as an example. They explore the balance bet…

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Live From Sovereign Grand Lodge! 1:31:06

11M ago1:31:06

1:31:06

The 2024 Annual Communication of the Sovereign Grand Lodge was noteworthy for many reasons, not least of which was our live recording of the first episode of Season Five of the Three Links Odd Cast. We had a packed meeting room full of members from jurisdictions all across the US and Canada on hand for this lively discussion of the state of Odd Fel…

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Anniversary IV: More Of The Best 1:25:08

12M ago1:25:08

1:25:08

One might think that after four seasons and over 30,000 downloads of the Three Links Odd Cast that there would be nothing left for the hosts to talk about. Au contraire, mon frère! Mike, Toby, and Ainslie are very opinionated and love hearing themselves talk so it was easy for them to take some time to talk about the highlights of the previous seas…

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The Case for Parliamentarianism 48:16

1y ago48:16

48:16

Tiago Santos joins Tobi on this episode of the podcast to discuss Parliamentarianism. Tiago believes that if African countries had adopted parliamentary systems during their democratization wave, they would have likely seen better development outcomes, citing the success of Botswana and the economic growth seen in parliamentary countries. He also h…

1
The Lord's Prayer: Reactions 2:07:04

1y ago2:07:04

2:07:04

Our recent episode on inclusion of the Lord's Prayer in the lodge opening generated some of the greatest volume of feedback from listeners we've ever received. We went through dozens and dozens of listener emails, Facebook posts, Instagram messages, and other communications and read them all and then came up with our responses. This is a long episo…

1
Beyond GDP 1:03:48

1y ago1:03:48

1:03:48

In this episode, Tobi talks to David Pilling, Africa editor for the Financial Times. They discussed his book "The Growth Delusion", exploring the significance and limitations of economic growth, particularly in poor countries. David challenges the conventional reliance on GDP to measure economic success, proposing a more nuanced approach that consi…

1
Lone Star Rising 1:32:19

1y ago1:32:19

1:32:19

The Grand Jurisdiction of Texas is on an upswing. Its membership is growing and getting younger and they are chartering new lodges. Grand Master Charlie Stephenson and Brother William Plotts join us to talk about the chartering of Brazos Valley Lodge #76. They share how the Grand Lodge supported their efforts, how what they learned from the failure…

1
The Dynamics of Growth 47:36

1y ago47:36

47:36

In this podcast episode, Tobi interviews Rasheed Griffith - who is the CEO of The Caribbean Progress Institute, and host of The Rasheed Griffith Show explores the adaptability and policy implementation in smaller countries compared to larger ones, noting that smaller nations can change more swiftly due to simpler institutional structures. Rasheed c…

1
The Lord's Prayer 1:17:53

1y ago1:17:53

1:17:53

Odd Fellowship is non-political and non-sectarian. But why, then, do we recite the Lord's Prayer as part of the opening of the lodge? Ainslie and Toby dig into some of the history around this observance and discuss whether it makes us truly non-sectarian or if that was just a thin veneer applied to the top of Odd Fellowship to make it appeal to mor…

1
True Fellowship 1:44:12

1+ y ago1:44:12

1:44:12

Like many lodges, True Fellowship No. 52 in San Jose, CA had seen better days. As members got older, the focus of the lodge became more insular and they were less interested in connecting to the outside community. That all began to change when a new member with an interest in building community joined. Since that time, the lodge has become a dynamo…

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History and the Future of Prosperity 57:29

1+ y ago57:29

57:29

In this episode, I had a conversation with economic historian Johan Fourie, who is a professor of economics at Stellenbosch University, and the author of one of the most enjoyable books on economic history called Our Long Walk to Economic Freedom. We spoke about the resurgence of economic history, particularly in Africa. Johan attributes this reviv…

1
Minnesota Miracle 1:57:45

1+ y ago1:57:45

1:57:45

A remarkable convergence of events led to the revival of Friendship Lodge No. 50 in Northfield, Minnesota. A Mason in Red Wing, Minnesota started an educational program for his Masonic lodge and then reached out to the Odd Fellows to request them give a presentation about Odd Fellowship. Four of the Masons present decided to check out Odd Fellowshi…

1
The Promise and Challenges of Charter Cities 50:49

1+ y ago50:49

50:49

In this episode, I had a conversation with Kurtis Lockhart who is the executive director of Charter City Institute - a non-profit that thinks and executes governance models for cities to power developing economies into growth and productivity. Our conversation started with an update on the concept of Charter Cities and how they differ from traditio…

1
Rethinking Good Governance 1:24:05

1+ y ago1:24:05

1:24:05

Welcome to another episode of Ideas Untrapped podcast. In this episode, I spoke to Portia Roelofs who is a Lecturer in Politics at the Department of Political Economy at King's College London, and also a research associate at the African Studies Centre in Oxford. She is the author of a fantastic book titled Good Governance in Nigeria; Rethinking Ac…

1
What Is Going Wrong? - Part II 1:28:32

1+ y ago1:28:32

1:28:32

Billy and Tara from Modern Goat Rider joined us for a thorough and in-depth discussion about leadership in the Odd Fellows. The first half of the episode is available on their feed on your favorite podcatcher or directly from their podcast host. In this episode we discuss the leadership at the Grand Lodge and Sovereign Grand Lodge levels and specif…

1
Selling Out 1:31:42

1+ y ago1:31:42

1:31:42

A recent email from a listener prompted this episode's discussion about what happens when a lodge sells its building. A lot can happen, but only a very few things should happen. We dig into the question and examine the process and what knowledge members should have when dealing with major lodge property. The Shoutout goes to Prestonsburg Lodge #293…

1
An Odd Fellows Christmas Carol 29:07

1+ y ago29:07

29:07

This year, for our Christmas episode, we present this adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Listen along as an all-star cast of Odd Fellows presents this unique Odd Fellows take on the classic story. Ebeneezer Scrooge: Gil T. Rodello Thomas Wildey: Steven Cross Bob Cratchitt: Joseph Benton Tim Cratchitt: Ainslie Heilich Ghost of Odd F…

1
Sovereign Grand Master Interview 1:37:02

1+ y ago1:37:02

1:37:02

Our Sovereign Grand Master, John Cupp, is a very busy man. We were very fortunate when he made some time at the West Virginia Grand Sessions to sit down and talk with co-host Mike Duminiak about his time as Sovereign Grand Master and some of his experiences in Odd Fellowship. He was joined partway through the interview by his wife Emilie who also s…

1
Vernon Wolf Memorial Lodge 1:18:45

1+ y ago1:18:45

1:18:45

Pueblo Lodge #8 was down to just four members after the passing of one of the five who was maintaining the quorum that kept their charter. John Jones had recently moved to Colorado from another state and was looking to join a lodge. One day, a man with a letter from the Grand Secretary showed up on his doorstep to meet him and possibly bring him in…

1
Remember Me 1:23:15

1+ y ago1:23:15

1:23:15

We always like to do an episode about cemeteries around Halloween and this year is no exception. Given our command to "Bury The Dead" as Odd Fellows, and how many lodges have administered cemeteries throughout our history, it's no surprise to find a lodge engaged in activities related to a final resting place. For this episode we are joined with Pa…

1
Linked In The Lodge 1:36:19

1+ y ago1:36:19

1:36:19

A life of academic wandering and creation has brought Dr. Heather Calloway to her present position as Executive Director of University Collections and Director of the Center for Fraternal Collections and Research at Indiana University. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and having grown up in a fraternal family, Dr. Calloway was destined from…

1
The Cave Degree (Part 1?) 1:42:18

2y ago1:42:18

1:42:18

In a secluded corner of the wilderness around Mount Shasta in Northern California, a secret rite has been taking place for generations. No, it's not something from the latest thriller novel, it's the Cave Degree! In a natural cave that faces east toward Mount Shasta, Odd Fellows (and before them, Knights of Pythias) have been performing degree work…

1
Hahn Farm Degrees 1:06:08

2y ago1:06:08

1:06:08

Tucked away in a secluded corner of Oregon's rolling farmland northwest of Portland sits the Hahn Farm. Owned by Gary Hahn, a third-generation Odd Fellow and fourth-generation owner of the farm, it has become a beacon for Odd Fellowship in the jurisdiction of Oregon. Every year since the early 1990s, on the third weekend of September, the farm host…

1
Join Or Die! 1:38:50

2y ago1:38:50

1:38:50

Civic life in America has been in decline for decades. A prescient few, including noted author Robert Putnam, have chronicled that decline. In his book "Bowling Alone," Putnam explored the link between civic engagement and the function of government and described the nature of the decline in participation in clubs, churches, and other groups. Pete …

1
Dead Horse Cave 1:05:44

2y ago1:05:44

1:05:44

Odd Fellowship has found many spaces in which to adapt its Degree work. Our beginnings were in pubs and taverns so Degrees were originally performed there. Eventually we built lodge halls but we still looked for more interesting and unusual places to perform Degrees. Caves became a popular choice in the 20th Century. California's Cave Degree near Y…

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Anniversary Spectacular 3: Onward! 1:43:25

2y ago1:43:25

1:43:25

Hard to believe, but it's been three years since the launch of the Three Links Odd Cast. Way back when, Sergio, Ainslie, and Toby could hardly imagine the cultural touchstone this podcast would become. Here we are at the beginning of Season Four and we're just as excited to make new episodes as we were when we started in 2020. We take a look back a…