Gilroy Lodge #154
Of The Independent Order of Odd Fellows
established 1869
For as long as there’s been a Gilroy, there’s been an Odd Fellows Lodge
Established in 1869, the Odd Fellows of Gilroy have been working within our city to make the world a better place for over 150 years.
*The town of Gilroy was established in 1868, and became a city in 1870
What are the Odd Fellows?
We’re part of a society that traces its origins back to 17th century England. The people of the time would organize into groups to provide mutual assistance and socialization. The groups provided some of the first life and health insurance services to their own members, but they generally drew from a particular religious community or profession. If you didn’t happen to have enough people in your religious or professional circle to form such a group, where could you go to find these important benefits? Well, you could always join the Odd Fellows. The Odd Fellows started as a group for everyone, and provided a space beyond the home or workplace where people could gather among a group of chosen friends, for the betterment of themselves and their community.
In 1819, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows was established in Baltimore, by Thomas Wildey and John Welch. 100 years later it was the largest fraternal society in America, and the oldest of barely 50 groups in our nation’s history ever to claim more than 1% of the population as members. We’ve significantly retracted since then. From a high of around 60,000 members in California, to now less than 5,000, but our purpose remains the same – supporting each other and our communities. We have over 100 lodges around the state that partner together in our drive to build a better world.
In Gilroy, we established one of the state’s first orphanages, which today is known as Rebekah Children’s Services, and is still overseen by the Rebekahs of California (a sister order to the Odd Fellows).
The Odd Fellows in Brief:
Our Mission:
“Visit the Sick, Relieve the Distressed, Bury the Dead, and Educate the Orphan”
Our Watchwords:
“Friendship, Love, and Truth”
Our Motto:
“To elevate the character of humanity”
About us
The Odd Fellows of Gilroy are in a rebuilding phase today. Our charter was suspended for lack of members in 2023. At that time, it looked like our building would be sold and Odd Fellowship was poised to leave the city for good. But an effort was made to restore the charter, and in 2024 we returned. We regularly have 10-15 members present at our meetings, and our first priority is taking care of the building that’s taken care of us for so many years. But once those immediate concerns are resolved, we want to invite the residents of Gilroy to come get to know us, and find out how “Friendship, Love, and Truth” are as relevant today as they were 150 years ago.
We meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 7459 Eigleberry Street. Our meetings are at 7, but our dinner is at 6. Give us a call or email if you’d like to share a meal with us and get to know us better.
how to get involved
We have a space, enough income to keep it, and enough active members to keep a charter on our wall. But what we do next is an unanswered question. We enjoy hanging out together at meetings (we always have a meal together beforehand), but we don’t have a goal to work toward. Every lodge takes on the character of its members over time, and the events they hold match their interests.
All of us are volunteers, and so we’re going to volunteer for the things we’re excited about. Some lodges sponsor a local little league team or a scouting group. Others like to host art shows or concerts. Some are very active with local food pantries, while others like to host dinners that raise money for charities. The exciting thing about Gilroy 154 is that the culture of the new lodge is still being shaped. If you’d like to help decide what we become, this is a great time to join us.