Saint Augustine Lodge No. 300

The Name

            St. Augustine Lodge was named after St. Augustine, the Patron Saint of
Tanza, Cavite, were the lodge is located.
 

The Lodge
           

            Almost one hundred active Master Masons in good standing signed the petition for a dispensation to establish this lodge in Tanza, Cavite to be named St. Augustine Lodge. Two lodges in Cavite, namely Mount Mainam Lodge No. 49 in Naic and Magdiwang Lodge No. 238 in Noveleta, and the District Deputy Grand Master of Masonic District No. 10, VW Ceferino Bautista, favorably endorsed the formation of the lodge.
           

            Sometime in February 1993, the petition to form a new lodge in Tanza, Cavite was forwarded to Grand Master Agustin V. Mateo. Only forty-five of the petitioners, however, were able to complete their papers, so when MW Mateo gave them a dispensation on March 4, 1993, he named only forty-five as petitioners. In the dispensation MW Mateo appointed WB Hermogenes Arayata, Jr. to be the first Master, Bro. Rolando Manas to be the first Senior Warden and Bro. Raymundo A. del Rosario to be the first Junior Warden, of the new lodge.

            During the term of MW Mateo, eight lodges were instituted and St. Augustine Lodge UD was one of them. It was formally instituted on March 5, 1993. The Master of the lodge, WB Arayata, Jr., thereafter wrote to the Grand Master respectfully requesting that his lodge be granted a charter and assigned number 300 because the number is meaningful to the brethren of the new lodge. He added that they had already organized the Tanza Square & Compass Club which would insure the success of St. Agustine Lodge No. 300. He also mentioned that they had the necessary number of members and pledges of financial support as well as a site for the proposed lodge.

            St. Augustine Lodge No.300 was granted a charter by the Grand Lodge in April 1993 and was duly constituted on May 8, 1993. It was first lodge to be constituted by the newly installed Grand Master, MW Rizal D. Aportadera. On the same day, the first charter officers of the lodge were installed, to wit: Worshipful Master, WB Hermogenes F. Arayata, Jr.; Senior Warden, Bro. Rolando C. Manas; and Junior Warden, Bro. Raymundo A. Del Rosario

            On June 12, 1993, the dream of the members to have a Temple they could call their own was born. On that day the cornerstone for their Temple was laid in ceremonies presided over by MW Rizal D. Aportadera. Caima .

            Location: Tanza, Cavite