The logo of Cagayan de Oro Lodge No. 298, F. & A. M. depicted the beehive. That was the first thing that I noticed when I petitioned to be a member the lodge. At the beginning, I thought the beehive merely represented the temple and the bees were members of the lodge. Later on, when I became a member of the lodge or became a Master Mason after experiencing a rejection or black ball as we call it, the beehive does not only embody a temple of a lodge but also an emblem of industry.
It teaches us to be industrious ones and never sits down contented while our follows around us are in want, especially when it is our power to relieve them without inconvenience to ourselves. We call it “relief” Recently, I found out that in a beehive, there are three kinds of bees, the thousand workers, the few male drones and one queen bee; like in our temple we have members with different field of works, we have (EAM, FC and MM) and we have members, officers and worshipful master-meaning I’m the queen!;
Do you know that Honey Bees have perfected their craft to a level that they have served not just themselves or their colony, knowingly or unknowingly – only a bee knows why. They make perfect honeycombs out of perfect equal-sided hexagons. Why hexagon and not circles, square or other shape? There are mathematical explanations that have solved this mystery. It the hexagon has fewer perimeters than other shapes have and create no gaps in between when connected to each other, and thus, less material or wax to be used. And wax is so expensive for bees. Its eight ounces of honey to make an once of wax. Likewise, hexagons are more compact than connected squares or triangles. They are stronger, tougher and firmer. Thus, engineers, like VW Earl Navarro, emulated this in their architectural designs to fortify a structure or building. Hence, the bees have perfected their craft. In their own way perfect way, they have served not just themselves, but aslo our mother nature. They have helped in the pollination, which produces fruits while collecting nectars from one flower to another. They have produced honeys which we eat. Do you know what honeys are century food. Thousands years ago, honeys were valuable food already and they lasted long, to the extent that they are packed to be food of the souls of the pharaohs, so that they will survive in heavens.
So what is this for us my brethren? How can we be perfect as masons? I tell you my brethren: we are almost there! We just have to live with the moral teachings and symbols of masonry. Use and work with the tools and implements of masonry in our everyday life. Thus, we will continue what we had been doing; improving ourselves, by studying masonry in general, by joining the IMES, by actively participating in the rituals and conferrals, memorizing the teachings; and serving the community, like our feeding program and medical missions at Lumbia and Camiguin and aiding assisting our public school partner, Baluarte Elementary School.
As we go on with these endeavors and activities, there will surely be growth, innovations and efficiencies towards perfection of the craft. With this perfection, we can build a legacy, which I think we already have through the labors of our forefathers like VW Ildefonso Agbuya, VW Stephen Lim, VW Roy Urot, VW Ildefonso Chavez, VW Isidro Butaslac Jr., VW Julius Ceasar Platon and all other Very Worshipful Sirs and Worshipful Sirs like Worshipful Brother Mat Kieven Naduma who had lead the lodge to successful year.
Like bee hive, it started small and gradually grew over a period of time and gradually produced more sweet honey, the Cagayan de Oro Lodge No. 298 Free and Accepted Masons will definitely grow and improve to produce a legacy, a sweet and encompassing success to the brethren and to all mankind.
