Welcome to EMON LODGE No. 179
Masonic District No. 54
FREE & ACCEPTED MASONS
Under the jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful
Grand
Lodge of the Philippines
Emon Lodge's earliest historical formation could be traced as far back as 1944 when the United States started to use Kwajalein - a small atoll belonging to the group of the Marshall Islands - as a military installation after having been captured from the Japanese in February 5, 1944 and thereafter officially put under US administrative control in accordance with the International Law of Belligerent Occupation. This, and the subsequent development of the atoll into various US military defense systems command posts and into tan eventual Ballistic Missile Defense System Command, brought together to kwajelein men and US Soldiers who were either Demolays or Masons.
Further later, Square and Compasses Club developed. Such assembly of worthy men tied by common bonds and driven by desires to propagate Masonic principles, ideals, and practices, spurred the idea of forming a Masonic Lodge in the atoll.
Owing to the impermanence of military and contractual personnel assigned in Kwajalein however, such ideas didn't materialize until almost 21 years later when on July 1965 the petitions, credentials, and evidence of intent to form a lodge were submitted to the Grand Lodge of the Philippines with the help of VWB Harold J. Leavitt - then traveling in Micronesia as Manager of Public Works of the Trust Territory of the Pacific - after the Grand Lodge of California declined the request to establish one in the atoll.
In the month following, a Dispensation was granted to Emon Lodge UD on August 16, 1965 by then MW Grand Master Raymond E. Wilmarth.
Labors for the meeting room, memberships, proficiency on degree works, and lectures thereafter ensued and then in just less than a year, on April 26, 1966 a Charter followed.
The word "emon" was derived from the Marshallese word meaning good.
The lodge was officially constituted on June 8, 1966 - also the date the first historic and memorable installation of Officers was held in Kwajalein with 38 Charter members that included to 13 already Emon-raised.
Since then, the lodge existed perfectly well in the atoll that membership, had in fact, rose to its pinnacle to 263 as of March 1985.
Owing to the high re-assignments of it's members in the latter part of the 80s' probably due in part to the advent of the end of the cold war, the physical presence of the brethren deteriorated overtime and the Lodge's activities eventually degenerated to a point that the Lodge cannot conduct it's regular meetings and its leadership was left no option but to surrender the Lodge's Charter to the Grand Lodge of the Philippines in 1991.
By the grace of the Supreme Architect and efforts of then VWB Celso Gianchand and Leslie Moreno as well as of selected brethren belonging to Micronesia Lodge #173 in Guam however, Emon Lodge, instead of dying by natural death, with due authority from the then MW Grand Master Agustin Mateo, found its re-existence in Saipan.
And since the Lodge's transfer to its new place, it began to resuscitate on Saipan with the Guam brethren at the helm of its leadership for 4 years until 1997 when the first Saipan based Worshipful Master, Senior and Junior Wardens were elected and installed and since then strengthen Saipan based membership where it is now.
The Lodge meets at 1800 hrs every 2nd Saturday of the month at the 2nd Floor of MMC Building located in Chalan Piao, Saipan.
By virtue of edict #211 the CNMI was made Mason District #54 to which Emon Lodge #179 now belongs.
Source:
Written by our WB
Danilo E. San Pedro
Published in Emon Lodge No. 179 Masonic Yearbook
Masonic Year 2003-2004