Come one, come all: the Orcas Island Odd Fellows will once again welcome folk from all walks of life into their roomy wooden hall to share an annual Thanksgiving meal. Odd Fellow Bill Gincig and his wife Monique, an honorary member, are now in their eighth year of organizing the potluck.
“My favorite part is to see people of the community gathered together in one place, how happy they seem to be enjoying each others company,” said Bill. Over 200 people attend each year.
Monique will cook two to four turkeys herself, finding volunteers to cook the rest of the 14 turkeys the Odd Fellows will provide for the meal. Attendees are asked to bring a beverage and a dish to share as follows: last names beginning with A-G: salad or bread; H-R: a side dish; S-Z: a dessert.
A team of carvers will arrive around 2 p.m. to help Monique carve the birds for the 4:30 p.m. meal.
“Everybody who wants to be there can be there,” said Bill. “Bring your friends, bring your family. It’s a community type thing…. Normally we request they bring a dish. If they can’t, it doesn’t matter.” Bill also said plates of food can be picked up by friends or family for shut-ins; just call 376-8857 to arrange.
Tables are arranged for eight, and the Gincigs will reserve tables for family groups wanting to sit together.
“The variety of food is just unbelievable,” said Bill. “Just about everything under the sun. Anything and everything that can be done with sweet potatoes is done,” in addition to pumpkin pies, salads of all kinds and more.
So why do the Odd Fellows and Gincigs undertake this labor of turkeys each year?
“It’s for the community,” said Bill. “The Odd Fellows started in the late 1700s in Europe with the goal to help those who could not help themselves, those could not afford food or medicine, (etc.). They came to the Americas in the 1800s… What the Odd Fellows have to do with is helping people. That’s really our goal: community support and helping people get together.”
As for Monique, “I get always emotional when I see all the people sitting and all the people coming, to know that we put it together, it’s really the community at work,” she said. “It’s a nice feeling. This is for everybody: you bring your friends or you bring your family or you meet new people. I have a tendency to be organized, and I know who to ask for help. I like to see these guys all together and lead this thing. I really like it a lot… we get all together and it’s so friendly.
Fun fact: Bill said that while the Odd Fellows had a female corollary goup of “Rebekahs” on Orcas over 10 years ago, they are now accepting women into the fellowship.
A group of self-appointed volunteers always steps up to wash dishes and tidy up the hall after the feast, which wraps up around 7 p.m. For more information, call the Gincigs at 376-8857.
