- Apollon
History of Chapter Apollon No 16
Updated: Dec 19, 2019
Chapter Apollon No. 16 to be confirmed.
President: George Chiotis
Phone: 0413 213 377
Secretary: PO BOX 5164 GREYSTANES NSW 2145
The Inauguration and Installation of Ch. Apollon No. 16 took place on the 27th July 1977. Bro. Bill Lynch a Past President of Ch. Diogenes No. 8 was appointed to lead the chapter in its first year and accordingly was installed as the Inaugural President.
The Installation/Inauguration was held in conjunction with that of Ch. Demetra No. 10, of the Daughters of Penelope at the Parramatta Town Hall. The Inauguration was conducted by the Supreme Vice-President Bro Steve Manos who travelled from Melbourne for this occasion, to undertake the Inauguration in the absence of the Supreme President Bro Tasha Vanos who was overseas. The Grand Lodge of NSW, AHEPA chapters and Daughters of Penelope chapters presented gifts to the two new chapters on their Inauguration.
Ch. Apollon No. 16 appeared to flourish with a total initiated members being 30. At a particular chapter meeting the Initiation ceremony was conducted in the Greek language. This was a rare occasion at the time.
The chapter was instrumental in showing Greek movies on a regular basis in the Parramatta district, which met with a gratifying response from the local community. The chapter's first social function a barbecue held at the home of the President Bro Bill Lynch was a rousing success, rising in excess of $1500.
The chapter organised Thalassaemia screenings in the Western suburbs and participated in a number of Naturalisation ceremonies. They also adopted a Cypriot child and made donations to the Cypriot Refugee Appeal. The enthusiasm of the chapter was such that they sent representatives to the Inauguration of the Ch.Atlas in Hobart Tasmania. In 1979 Bro Peter Comino was installed President of Ch. Apollon by the Grand President Bro Peter Kolivos.
Enthusiasm waned and the chapter became dormant from 1979 until 1991 when a number of members from Ch. Heracles No. 12, who resided in the Blacktown district, expressed a desire to start their own chapter in the Blacktown district. The obvious solution was to reactivate the western suburbs Ch. Apollon No. 16.
On the 29th November 1991 a meeting was convened by the Grand Lodge of NSW and Ch. Apollon No. 16 was reactivated. The meeting was attended by 30 members, most of which had transferred or affiliated with Ch. Apollon. Bro. Jim Antonakos a Past President of Ch. Prometheus No. 6 was appointed as the caretaker President to assist and guide the new members of Ch. Apollon. Elections were held at that meeting and the chapter was back in the mainstream of AHEPA. The Installation of the new President and Investiture of the officers was conducted by the Grand President, Bro. George Kyriazakos in a ceremony held in Blacktown’s prestigious Bowman Hall on the 14th February 1992.
The chapter has been meeting regularly since then at the Greystanes Community Centre located in the outer western suburbs. The chapter is one of only two Sydney chapters that have decentralised and don’t meet in the Rockdale area. Although small in numbers the chapter has maintained a strong allegiance from its financial membership and been represented at State/National Conventions since 1992.
