19/10/2025
Brothers and Sisters in Odd Fellowship,
Each of us carries stories of both triumphs and trials. We have all gone through moments that were not so pleasant — times when we stumbled, made mistakes, or acted out of immaturity, curiosity, or naivety. Yet those moments, though imperfect, have shaped us into who we are today. They are part of the journey that molded us into better, wiser, and more compassionate individuals.
I do not deny that I, too, have made mistakes in my youth. We all have. But we have learned from them. We have grown. And we continue striving to be the better versions of ourselves — guided and strengthened by the timeless values we learned from Odd Fellowship.
I firmly believe that a person should not be forever judged by the errors of his past, but by how he rises, corrects himself, and dedicates his life to doing better. This, my Brothers and Sisters, is what Compassion and Justice truly mean.
For justice reminds us to uphold what is right, while compassion teaches us to understand, forgive, and give others — and ourselves — the grace to change. Together, Compassion and Justice form the perfect balance that leads to true personal and moral growth.
And it is upon these very principles — Misericordia et Justitia — that the emblem of my term as Grand Sire was built.
Before you is the emblem that defines this term. This is not merely a mark of our Order, but the living symbol of the mission we shall carry together. It is our shield and our banner — the emblem under which we will walk, serve, and fulfill our sacred calling as Odd Fellows.
At its very center lies the Hand with the Heart, a timeless reminder that the hand of an Odd Fellow is always extended in sincerity, and the heart is always given in compassion.
This is the very soul of service, the essence of charity, and the pledge of sincerity that binds us all.
Above it gleam the Three Interlinked Rings — Friendship, Love, and Truth — shining in gold.
These eternal principles are the chain that unites us as brothers and sisters. They will bind and guide us throughout this administration, for no work can truly succeed unless it is rooted in unity.
The shield is quartered in the four sacred colors of the Degrees of Odd Fellowship — white, pink, blue, and red.
These are not mere colors, but a reflection of the journey of every Odd Fellow — and of this term:
• White, for purity and innocence — calling us to lead with honesty and humility.
• Pink, for compassion and peace — reminding us that leadership must always be tempered with mercy and reconciliation.
• Blue, for truth and justice — teaching us to govern with fairness, wisdom, and loyalty.
• Red, for courage, sacrifice, and divine love — anchored in the Book of Sacred Laws, ensuring that all our actions are guided by eternal principles and divine truth.
Together, these four colors proclaim that this term will be a journey of balance and growth — from innocence to compassion, from truth to divine love.
Each quadrant of the shield bears its timeless emblem:
• The Crossed Gavels on white — symbolizing order, governance, and just leadership.
• The Dove on pink — for peace, reconciliation, and the strength to heal divisions.
• The Scales on blue — representing fairness, integrity, and justice in all our decisions.
• And the Book of Sacred Laws on red — our foundation of faith and wisdom, unshakable and eternal.
Encasing them all is the golden frame — a declaration that these virtues are more precious than wealth or honor, for they are the true treasures of Odd Fellowship.
And at the very foundation of this emblem rests the guiding light of this administration — “Misericordia et Justitia”, meaning “Compassion and Justice.”
This shall be the guiding principle of my charge as Grand Sire. It shall be the measure of every decision we make, and the spirit that will inspire all our labors.
For justice without compassion is tyranny, and compassion without justice is weakness. But together — Compassion and Justice — they form not just a balance, but a force: the heart that feels and the hand that acts, firm yet kind, strong yet humane, the light that shall guide this term, this leadership, and this fellowship through every challenge ahead.
And so, Brothers and Sisters, this emblem is not simply art — it is our covenant. It is the symbol of our unity, the declaration of our vision, and the embodiment of our faith in the noble principles of Odd Fellowship.
Under this emblem, we shall fulfill our duties with dignity, act with sincerity, and uphold the highest ideals of our Order.
And so I solemnly declare —
That throughout this term, our guiding star shall ever be Misericordia et Justitia — Compassion and Justice.
Thank you, and may Friendship, Love, and Truth ever guide us all.
Ian Irving Bacungan
Grand Sire
