Cavite Lodge No. 2

The Name

        The word Cavite is the name of the city where the lodge meets. It comes from the Tagalog Kawit, which means, “hook,” so called from the hook shaped point of land extending into the waters of Manila Bay in which the city is situated.

The Lodge

        Cavite is eight miles across the bay by launch from Manila and Twenty-Five miles around by land. Because of the distance, the American naval brethren in Cavite at the turn of the century, found it too difficult to get to Manila to attend the meetings of Manila Lodge, so they established their own lodge in Cavite. Under the leadership of Mason E. Mitchell they secured a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of California on October 19, 1902. On November 24, about 80 Manila Masons crossed Manila Bay to Cavite on board the “Buckey  O’Neill, a police boat, to institute the lodge. On October 15, 1903, Cavite Lodge was given its charter as Cavite Lodge No.350. On November 24, 1903, exactly one year after it was instituted, the lodge was formally constituted. This time it took two big launches to ferry the Manila Masons across the bay to Cavite.

          In December 1912, Cavite Lodge No.350 collaborated with Manila Lodge No. 342 and Corregidor Lodge No.342 in founding the Grand Lodge of the Philippines Islands. The three lodges became subordinate lodges of the new Grand Lodge. Cavite was given a new charter as Cavite Lodge No.2

           A few years after its establishment, Cavite lodge acquired a building of its own. Unfortunately, it was completely destroyed by fire on the night of August 13, 1924. But the members led by WBs. Frank DeHaven Jones, John A. Cropper, Henry E. Smith and Henry D. Riley forthwith reconstructed the Temple. The new was formally opened on January 17, 1925. The Dedication ceremonies were marked by the presentation of the Movables Jewels of a Masonic lodge to the lodge by the Cosmos Lodge and the installation of its officers. About 50 brethren made the trip to Cavite from Manila by Naval Ferry. Seventeen lodges under the Grand Lodge of PI and eight Grand Jurisdiction in the US were presented. Then came the Second World War and the temple was again razed to the ground.

          At the end of the war, Raymund Kubilis, Gunval A. Gagalie, Claude D. Masters and William L. Lord reorganized the lodge. Many of the members, however, died during war, while the US Government sent home those who survived for treatment and recuperation. Forming a quorum became difficult. The situation was aggravated by an old agreement with Bagong Buhay Lodge No.17 under the terms of which petitions coming from Filipinos are to be processed by Bagong Buhay Lodge and only those filed by Americans were petitioning, the prospects of increasing lodge membership were dim. Representations were therefore made to revoke the agreement. Fortunately, Bagong Buhay Lodge agreed. With the influx of filipinos the lodge made steady progress.

       During the first years after its reorganization, Cavite lodge had to hold its meetings at the Temple of Bagong Buhay Lodge No. 17. The members, however, never abandoned the idea of reconstructing their Temple. On August 14, 1953, they finally laid its cornerstone. A few months later they had their Temple consecrated. In the following years further improvements were added. Today, the members can point with pride to their beautiful Temple

      Location: Cavite City.