Thirty-four years with Plaridel
Media
Part of The Cabletow
- Title
- Thirty-four years with Plaridel
- Creator
- NBM
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1966
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- yjeari with Plaridel Bro. Garcia receives Certificate of Merit from MWB Mosebrook, PGM. After more than thirty years, he finally got it — a diploma of merit for service to the Grand Lodge. Bro. Alejandro Garcia of Kasilawan Lodge No. 77 was given the award last April 29, 1965 during the installation ceremonies at last year’s annual Grand Lodge Communication. Brod Andoy,” as he is known to brethren and even non-Masons in the Grand Lodge, was hired as a messenger in what was then the Pla ridel Masonic Club of Manila back on Sept. 2, 1932. At that time, the present Grand Lodge Temple was the property of a few lodges in Manila which had pooled their resources to acquire the property from the gov ernment which had previously taken it over as alien property. It was pri marily the German Club of Manila, a one-story structure with spacious dining rooms and offices, a ballroom and a billiard room, to say nothing of the wide lawn, garden and tennis courts. Bro. Garcia recalls that when the Plaridel Masonic Club of Manila took over the property, it partitioned the building for a couple of lodge halls and offices. At that time a few lodges were meeting in the premises while most of the other lodges in Ma nila and the Grand Lodge offices were located in the old Philippine Na tional Bank building on the Escolta. Bro. Garcia used to carry messages from San Marcelino to Escolta. In 193S when MWB Jose Abad Santos was the Grand Master, the Grand Lodge of the Philippines bought the property from the Plaridel Masonic Club and added a second floor to the building. Since then it became Plaridel Temple and Brod Andoy continued as an employee of the Grand Lodge. During the Japa nese occupation, when the temple was used as a club and residence of officers of the Imperial Navy, Bro. Garcia continued as caretaker of the building until one day when unknown to him, some residents of Paco looted the dormitory. That cost him a good deal of beating and for two days he was tied to one of the tennis court posts. When the Japanese found that he was innocent, he was released. Brp. Garcia was raised on Nov. 6, 1939 in Kasilawan Lodge No. 77 and has since become a fourteenth degree Scottish Rite Mason of the Philip pine Bodies and an Eastern Star. Rosario Villaruel Chapter No. 2, OES. He has also taken over the duties of clerking for the Grand Lodge, keeping the files, taking charge of listing the petitioners, affi liates, demits. SND’s, etc. which he sends out three times a month, de posits money in the banks, and mails the Cabletow. NBM March 1966 27