SNAPSHOTS FROM 24th CENTRAL LUZON MULTI-DISTRICT CONVENTION

29 November 2014

Lou-is Resort and Restaurant

Balanga City, Bataan

THE LODGE DELEGATION

Bros. Shubert Ciencia (Master), Nathaniel Elegado (Senior Warden), Jojit Floro (Junior Warden) Virgilio Santos (Secretary), Rafael Perez (Senior Deacon), Angelito Dela Cruz (Assistant Secretary), Fitzgerald Hierco (Assistant Treasurer), Aquilino Valino Jr. (Immediate Past Master and Tyler), Roberto Bulanadi, Emil Andrew Dela Rosa

QUOTES ON THE WAY TO DINGALAN

PALAYAN CITY to DINGALAN: 48.3 kms

"Ride as much or as little, or as long or as short as you feel, but ride." --- EDDY MERCKX

"You can't buy happiness. But you can buy a bike and that's pretty close". ---UNKNOWN

"Don't like hills? Then you should probably ride more hills." ---UNKNOWN

"It is unknown around the corner that turn my wheels". ---HEINZ STUCKE

TO BE TRIED AND PROVEN

Beyond its activities and projects, Model Lodge was established with the ultimate goal of living the Masonic way of life.

Members of the Lodge therefore, as its name imply, are expected to subscribe to the tenets of Freemasonry and subject themselves to the regulations governing the fraternity with no exception or any precondition.

And this path to "making good men better" start at the first knock on the gates of King Solomon's Temple where those who "ask to be one" are "tried and proven".

The gates therefore must be guarded with utmost vigilance at all times by those who are worthy and qualified.

With this in mind, the first 20 members completed the Lodge's first ever course on "Capacity Enhancement of Lecturers for the Tried and Proven Meetings" that was hosted by Bro. Monico Delgado at his private lounge in Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija.

Four modules were discussed during the 1-day course whose main objective is to familiarize members of the Lodge on the "Tried and Proven" orientation manual for candidates and develop them into effective lecturers. 

The course started with an overview of its content and objectives followed by Bro. Ernesto Jimenez who facilitated the discussion on Module 1 (The First Meeting) and Module 2 (First Degree), Bro. Arnel Landingin who discussed the elements of Module 3 (Second Degree), and Bro. Shubert Ciencia who walked the participants through Module 4 (Third Degree) and Module 5 (Effective Teaching and Communication Strategies).

Of course, the usual refreshment and fellowship ala Model Lodge [i.e. billiards] followed which ended with a huge exclamation mark at Bro. Reynaldo Requito's residence who was celebrating his birthday.

TEAM 45/55 BAGS 3rd IN AMARANTH SMILE OLYMPICS

Congratulations to the combined forces of the Pantabangan-Bonari Court No. 45 and Model Court No. 55 who topped the cheering and tug-of-war contests, lost big time in the sack race and dodge ball wars, almost won in the basketball shoot-out and word games, and fought hard in a down-the-wire tie breaker to emerge as the 3rd placer in the District V SMILE Olympics of the Order of the Amaranth at the Wesleyan University-Philippines Gymnasium in Cabanatuan City.  

OCTOBER BIKE-FEST

Twice in Carranglan.

The first is for Bro. Darwin Pastor to test the route that was intended to conclude at Aloha Falls but ended in Digdig anyway, while the second saw all competing 373 Bikers finishing with five of them taking Top Ten honors in the 1st Kadanglaan Mountain Terrain Bike Invitational.

There was Cuyapo too and a homage to Katabay and the Lodge named after him.

At the end of the month, too little biking resulted into too sweet blood as FBS levels shoot up during Model Court No. 55's monthly pricking session.  

There will always be next month, the bikers murmured, when the weather will be rainless but cooler.

That they promised, and that alone required a celebration.

THE 2014 DISTRICT CONVENTION

With the Very Worshipful District Deputy Grand Master Jerome Malaca presiding, subordinate Lodges of Masonic District RIII-D trooped to the Talavera Lodge No. 273 Masonic Temple for the Annual District Convention to hear from the District and elect their preference to be the next District Deputy Grand Master.

All 18 subordinate Lodges also submitted their reports during which two of them --- Bro. Emil Matias of the Mario S. Gracia Memorial Lodge No. 306 and Bro. Shubert Ciencia in behalf of the brethren of Model Lodge No. 373 --- were asked to make a powerpoint-assisted presentation of their respective interim reports.

And for the second time of this year, District Treasurer Rey Samonte reported that there are no past due accounts from all the 18 subordinate Lodges to which the delegates responded with a loud applause that was more of a testament to the District Deputy Grand Master's extraordinary leadership than the report being a rare phenomenon.

The votes were cast afterwards and followed by the low whispers outside the Temple Hall on who has the inside track of becoming the District's Top Gun next year...  

7th INSTITUTION DAY HELD

The Lodge-in-construction got a good cleaning...

...and 50 mahogany saplings were planted.

That in a nutshell was what transpired when members of the Lodge with Model Court No. 55 of the Order of the Amaranth commemorated the 7th year of Model Lodge No. 373's institution.

That was the fact established as District Deputy Grand Master Jerome Malaca delivered his message as the occasion's special guess of honor --- that the Lodge was instituted on 31 October 2007 at Cabanatuan Lodge No. 53 by then Grand Master Jaime Gonzales which makes 2014 as its 7th institution anniversary year, and that what was celebrated during last May's third edition of the "Takbo para sa Bahay ni Kuya" fun run was the 6th year of its constitution as a regular Lodge on 17 May 2008 during the incumbency of Grand Master Pacifico Aniag.

And to commemorate that historic occasion of 7 years ago, those who made it happened planted what will be known as the "Remembrance Tree" --- Bro. Monico Delgado who is the acknowledged father of Model Lodge No. 373, Bro. Arnel Landingin who as Master of Talavera Lodge No. 273 gave the required endorsement, Bro. Emil Andrew Dela Rosa who as the District Deputy Grand Master then gave his total support, and Bro. Prudencio Elegado who was Model Lodge's first Master.

To all those who made Brother Monico's "Dream Lodge" come true, the brethren of Model Lodge No. 373 together with the Honored Ladies of Model Court No. 55 and the officers of Masonic District RIII-D present extend their most sincere gratitude and warmest regards...