Antonio R. Lamson Memorial Lodge No. 290
The Name
This lodge was named in honor of the late brother Antonio R. Lamson who, in life, was a member of Cabanatuan Lodge No.53 and was the first native of San Antonio, Nueva Ecija to be initiated into the mysteries of freemasonry.
The Lodge
This lodge was founded by twenty-eight Master Masons led by VW Joselito C. Villarosa, Alfredo G. Lamson, Teofilo Mallari, Ricardo Samson, Mario Concepcion, Rosalito E. Mabalay, Chan Chun Sang, Francisco O. Borja and Mario Azarcon, all of whom were residing in or near San Antonio, Nueva Ecija.
After securing the favorable recommendation of Gen. Llanera Memorial Lodge No.168 and Nueva Ecija Lodge No. 73 and after DDGM Uy An Sit put in a good word for the organizers, they petitioned the Grand Lodge on March 24, 1990 for a dispensation to form a lodge in San Antonio, Nueva Ecija to be named Antonio R. Lamson Memorial Lodge. Three days thereafter, Grand Master Juan C. Nabong gave them a dispensation and designated Alfredo G. Lamson to be the first Master, the dashing Guillermo Dumlao to the first Senior Warden and Antonio Lapuz to be the first Junior Warden, of the new lodge. Joselito Villarosa, the principal founder of the lodge, served as its first Secretary.
Although the dispensation was issued very close to the annual communication of the Grand Lodge in April 1990, the lodge managed to secure the favorable recommendation of the Committee on Charters and consequently was issued a charter by the Grand Lodge and assigned number 290. The
Committee on Charters noted that the lodge was able to comply with all the requirements and had held several meetings ever before it was granted a dispensation. The lodge, however, was not constituted during the ensuing year. During the annual communication in April 1991, the lodge again came under
the scrutiny of the Committee on Charters. The Committee noted that in the past year the lodge held twelve regular and four special meetings and was able to initiate 15 candidates, pass 9 and raise three. Moreover, the finances of the lodge were sound and it was safely housed at the San Antonio High School. The Committee, therefore, recommended that the lodge be granted a permanent
charter and be given the same number proposed for it the year before.
On June 22, 1991, Antonio R. Lamson Lodge No.290 was finally constituted regular lodge by Grand Master Jose Reyes Guerrero with the help of Masonic dignitaries.
The lodge showed early signs of progress. By 1994 its roster grew to 42. In that vear too it initiated a fund raising campaign for the construction of a Temple. Today, Antonio R. Lamson Lodge is one of the prosperous lodges of Nueva Ecija.
Location: San Antonio, Nueva Ecija