FINALLY, A DREAM COME TRUE FOR MODEL LODGE

It started as a dream. Then came the plan. Finally on October 31 this year, the brethren of Model Lodge No. 373 witnessed Sto. Domingo mayor Bro. Leonido De Guzman broke the ground to announce the construction of the Lodge’s Masonic temple in Baloc.

As the groundbreaking started, Brother Leonido who is the incumbent Junior Warden of Nueva Ecija Lodge No. 73 was teased by Bro. Prudencio Elegado to dig a 1 meter hole to which the good mayor good naturedly responded that he is not a petitioner. Laughter filled the air as the temple ground was finally broken. Brother Leonido then committed his support to the project and expressed his happiness that a Masonic temple will finally be erected in his municipality and during his term. Immediately after the groundbreaking, the lay-outing of the temple foundations and the installation of batter boards proceeded.

 

October 31 is an ominous date for Model Lodge because it was the day of its institution way back in 2007 at Cabanatuan Lodge No. 53 which was presided by Grandmaster Jaime Gonzales. Among those who witnessed the institution rites were Grand Secretary Danilo Angeles, Grand Chaplain Manuel Palomo, Senior Grand Lecturer Flor Nicolas, District Deputy Grand Masters Emil Andrew Dela Rosa of Masonic District RIII-D and Celso Paderes of Masonic Disrict RIII-F, and other luminaries from other lodges. Brother Prudencio was then Worshipful Master with Bros. Narciso Nieto as Senior Warden and Anacleto Fernandez as the Junior Warden.

The temple will measure 15 meters in width and 33 meters long in reference to the Lodge’s 33 Charter Members as conceived by Brother Prudencio in a allusion to the highest degree of the thirty-third and last degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rites of Freemasonry.

It will be a long way before the temple will be completed but such is not built instantly. Even King Solomon’s Temple took years to be constructed. Model Lodge is hopeful that its dream will be realized through the help of its members and the Good Samaritans among the brethren. Then it can be said that dreams can indeed turn to reality.

 

FOOTNOTE: This article was written by Worshipful Master Bro. Manolo M. Mercado for the "The Craftsman". All photos unless cited were taken by Bro. Shubert L. Ciencia.