Sunday, June 17, 2007

Featured Lodge

Aruba is one of the world famous places for vacations. Apparently it’s not only a place for rest, but also a place for work. Masonic work that is. In the small island in the Dutch Antilles, there are three working lodges. The first one was El Sol Naciente #113.
Masonry in Aruba started in the beginning of the 20th century with the arrival of the English Engineers who supervised the gold mining on the island. There wasn’t a lodge, but there was a Masonic Club. Arubans also joined the club, being members of the Lodge Igualdad #653 in Curacao. It took many years before they managed to receive a charter for their own lodge. The Lodge El Sol Naciente (that was the name of the Masonic Club too), received light on November 15, 1920 from the Grand Lodge of Netherlands. In its long years of existence this lodge was working in Spanish, English and Dutch. Has seen its membership rise to 167, and drop to just 8 active members, changed the meeting location several times and survived the hard times for the Dutch Masonry during the WWII.
Today, it is active and vibrant, and carries the Masonic message and values in this small piece of Caribbean Heaven.
They can be contacted by e-mail:
aua.avro@setarnet.aw


by regular mail:
Lodge El Sol Naciente# 113 East of Aruba
Chartered under the Grand East of the Netherlands
Cumana
26, Oranjestad, Aruba, Dutch Caribbean
P.O. Box 187

Or check their web-site:
El Sol Naciente #113