HERITAGE

     Call it what you want but the turn events during a stormy weather n August was to become one of the brightest of days for a group of Senior DEMOLAYS. In August 10 2007, The Escudo Lodge UD was instituted at the Jose Abad Santos Hall, Grand Lodge of F. &A.M. of the Philippines with the Grand Master himself MW Jaime Y. Gonzales presiding over its institution. A little over two months before, on May 30, 2007, representatives from the ESCUDERO De MOLAY ALUMNIA Chapter #4 made a courtesy call to the Grand Master to officially inform him of the serious intent of the Alumni Chapter to form a Lodge, and to invite him as one of its Chapter Members. The Grand Master gladly obliged. Escudo exclaimed that their move was in response to the Grand Master’s call to have more DEMOLAYS join the Freemasonry. Through the years, however, the idea of an Escudo Lodge was simply a “thought for-talk” by members of the Escudo DEMOLAY Alumni Chapter#4. It was like a dream topic after each stated meeting, after each fellowship, and after each passing year. Developing Escudo into a Lodge was first pitched sometime in the later 1990s to the Alumni Chapter by MW ROSENDO C. Herrera, PGM, then Grandmaster of the Supreme Council, Order of DEMOLAY of the Republic of the Philippines. However, the question that frequented the mind among the members of the alumni chapter was what was to become of the Alumni Chapter? The only multi-chapter DEMOLAY Alumni Chapter in the Philippines had to stay alive not only for Manila-based Senior DEMOLAYS from the provinces but also for other Senior DEMOLAYS in Metro  Manila seeking a second home and who wish to remain involved with the Order. Initially, it all began in 1975 when a group of DEMOLAYS studying in Metro Manila and with their Chapter Advisor organized a Manila-based extension arm of the SERAFIN V. Aguilar Chapter which is based in Bacolod City. The purpose was to continue in Manila the camaraderie and fellowship established in their Mother Chapter. The group was named “Escudo Group”. Escudo means “shield”. It vows to protect or shield the interest of the Order and its members. On the occasion of the Chapter Day of the Philippine Supreme Council of the Order of DEMOLAYS in March 13, 1983, the Escudo Group-moved and inspired by the historic event- snapped back from an on and off communication, regrouped again and formed the “Escudo Club”, Later in October 29, 1991 it OPEND its membership to all Senior DEMOLAYS who are willing to be active members of the club. It also affiliated itself with the DEMOLAY Alumni Association of the Philippines (DAAP). It is within historic perspective that the ESCUDO DEMOLAY Alumni Chapter #4 was born and instituted on December 14, 1991. The pioneers of Escudo Alumni from a Senior DEMOLAY group to the time it was instituted as a DEMOLAY Alumni Chapter; Alan A. JAVELLANA, George M. Benares, Raul ASTORGA, ARABICO Guerrero, JOEMARIE M. Benares, Leo MASBAD, Dennis LACSON, Alfredo DELA Paz, Amado Pal M. Benares and VW ALIPIO “Chap” YKALINA III-their Advisor.

HERALDRY

     The emblem is the product of a number of exchanges of ideas and suggestions which were subjected to lengthy deliberations by the then nine (9) original petitioners of the Lodge, namely: Tito G. Cruz, Rudolph C. COCJIN, SATURNINO R. NAVARETTE, Joseph Nolan H. Jacinto, DANILO B. Ramirez, ROICE E. Castro, BIENVENIDO V. SAMONTE Jr., Allan Bryan F. PUNCIA, and Dave HOMER Y. MACROHON.  All Senior, DEMOLAYS of the ESCUDO DEMOLAY Alumni Chapter # 4. The motivation to draft the Escudo Lodge emblem was first initiated by its charter Senior Warden-VW EDGARDO Z. PAREDES, PDGL during a fellowship after the Lodge’s first stated meeting in August 25, 2007. Sometime in October 2007, the Lodge’s charter Lecturer-VW EGIDIO R. ANCAJAS, PDDGM also presented his proposal. Bro. EDGARDO S. DELMO of Jacques DEMOLAY Memorial lodge #305, Bro. Dexter Y. MACROHON of Keystone Lodge #100 & Bro. BIENVENIDO V. SAMONTE Jr. (EAM) also unselfishly put in their thoughts. Brothers ANCAJAS, DELMO and MACROHON are also members of the Escudo DAC#4. Sometime February 2008, the Escudo Emblem designed by Bro. BIENVENIDO V. SAMONTE Jr. (FCM) with the assistance of Senior DEMOLAYS EMMAN James H. GONOWON (Mt. ASOG/JASC/Escudo DAC#4) and ENGELBERT H. GONOWON (JASC) were sought for the computer-generated draft of the emblem. Then on March 13, 2008, the group agreed on the final design of the emblem. Each part has a particular significance. HELMET-Symbolizes humility and fineness in character, and reminds us of our noble heritage. SHIELD - Symbolizes strength to uphold our obligations, tenets and cardinal virtues. 5- ARMED CROSS-Symbolizes the roots and beginnings of the Lodge. (At the tips of the cross are white pearls to honor the Chapter Master & the nine (9) original petitioners. Where one drops his working tools the white pearl, is replaced by a BLACK PEARLS) SQUARE-To SQUARE our actions.

HEART

     In March 04,2006 during its 14th public Installations of Officers, their Chapter ADVISOR- VW Felix “Boy” D. Ramos (High Twelve lodge #82), after prior discussions with the then Chapter President, picked up from where MW Herrera left off. VW Ramos, in his speech, encouraged Escudo to rethink its position and seriously consider the formation of an Escudo Lodge. Although in a agreement, the Chapter President, for his part and in a move to extinguish the anxiety among his fellow escudo brethren of losing the alumni chapter in lieu of a lodge, opted for the Chapter to first undertake a membership drive and pursued efforts to expand and extend its reach to spread its existence, vision and mission wherever and whenever possible. If more of the alumni chapter’s members had to move on to become Masons as did quite a number of its own who have earlier joined existing Lodges, a solution had to be made to keep the fires burning in the Alumni Chapter. New members were needed to be infused into Escudo Alumni. Year 2006 saw just that, TO date, Escudo candidates called PROFANUM, meaning “outside of the temple”, continue to pour in. During the Chapter’s 15th Public Installation of Officers in January 27, 2007, VW Ramos renewed his call for the formation of an Escudo Lodge. Seeing that the time was ripe, the new Chapter PRESIDENT acceded to the call. Thus, the tough task of taking in new tools and of building the blocks for an Escudo Lodge was to form part of the Escudo DAC#4’s priorities in 2007. When its number is set into place, the Escudo DAC#4 will be the first DEMOLAY  Alumni Chapter to have grown and moved on to form a lodge with the usage of its own name, and the first Masonic Lodge to have a Senior DEMOLAY Chapter. Moreover, the sponsoring lodges, namely; High twelve Lodge No. 82 and the Manuel A. ROXAS Lodge No. 152 will become the first Masonic lodges in the history of Freemasonry in the Philippines, if not the world, to have helped nurture a DEMOLAY Alumni Chapter to bloom into forming a full-pledged lodge.