jmc

Let $2n-3$, $2n-1$, $2n+1$, and $2n+3$ be four consecutive positive odd numbers. Their sum is $(2n-3)+(2n-1)+(2n+1)+(2n+3)=8n$. Clearly, for any value of $n$, $8$ must divide the sum. By choosing $n=3$ and $n=5$, we can see that $\boxed{8}$ is the largest whole number that must be a factor.