Apollo Lodge No. 123
of The Independent Order of Odd Fellows was instituted
in Covenant Hall, 26 - seventh Street, San Francisco,
California, on the afternoon of February 24, 1866,
by Grand Master C.O. Burton of the Grand Lodge of
California. On the same evening, Apollo Lodge held
its first regular meeting and initiated a class of
thirty candidates.
The name 'Apollo', after
the Greek God of music and poetry, was suggested by
Past Grand Representative Daniel Norcross, who was
most active in the organization of the Lodge and who,
previous to coming to California, had in 1848 helped
institute Apollo Lodge No. 296 of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1899 Apollo Lodge,
then 33 years old, along with the other subordinate
Lodges of San Francisco participated in the Golden
Jubilee Celebration of the first 50 years of Odd Fellowship
in California.
Most of the early records
of Apollo Lodge were lost when the old Odd Fellows
Building was destroyed by the earthquake and fire
of April 18, 1906. The Lodge met in temporary quarters
following this disaster and furnished financial aid
to those of its members who were in need of assistance.
During the 1915 Panama-Pacific
International Exposition the Lodge acted as host to
Odd Fellows from all over the world who had gathered
here for the Sovereign Grand Lodge Convention.
On February 24, 1916
Apollo Lodge commemorated its 50th Anniversary with
a Grand Ball at the Palace Hotel.
The Lodge celebrated
its 100th Anniversary on February 26, 1966 when a
Grand Reception and Dinner Dance was held in the Gold
Room of the Fairmont Hotel.
The 125th Anniversary
of the Lodge was held on February 22, 1992 at the
Marriott Hotel in the Grand Ball Room, with a Grand
Reception and Dinner Dance.
In 1992, Apollo Lodge
set up an office in the building for the benefit and
future of Apollo Lodge. At that time a computer system
was purchased and records of each of our brothers
and widows were created and entered into the system.
We are now entering our
127th year and are proud of the fact that we have
faithfully carried out the obligations and principles
of our great fraternity and look forward to the continuation
of Odd Fellowship, rededicating ourselves to the wonderful
lessons of FRIENDSHIP. LOVE AND TRUTH.
Borrowed from the writings
of Brother William Watson, PG, and brought up to the
current times by David J. Fullmer, PG, Recording Secretary.
