Kate receives a telegram from Railroad President Norman Curtis that he is sending Homer Bedloe with someone named Fred. Fred is actually Mr. Curtis' housekeeper's aged basset hound. Curtis believes Fred needs some good country air and space to re-energize himself. Curtis also hopes that Bedloe will soften his ways in the process. Bedloe comes up with the plan to "ruin" Fred and have him return to Curtis in worse shape than he arrived. That will hopefully sour Curtis' view of the Shady Rest and what it stands for. Kate figures out a way to bring back spirit to Fred and a way to break Bedloe's spirit.
A religion is a belief system with rituals. The missionary kopimistsamfundet is a religious group centered in Sweden who believe that copying and the sharing of information is the best and most beautiful that is. To have your information copied is a token of appreciation, that someone think you have done something good.