CHRONICLE OF CONFERRAL

First Degree — Apprentice Gardener A Joint Conferral of the Craft

RW Ariel Matias Ramos

5/24/20263 min read

Upon this solemn and auspicious occasion, let it be duly recorded in the annals of the Independent Ancient Order of Free Gardeners – Philippines – that the sacred rites of the First Degree were conferred upon deserving candidates and they were received into the ancient and honourable fellowship of Apprentice Gardeners of the Craft.

The Worthy Brothers of Royale Oasis Gardeners Lodge No. 2, meeting under the storied arches of Intramuros, Manila, together with the Worthy Brothers of Logia de Vanda Sanderiana Gardeners UD, assembled in the Zamboanga Peninsula and stood united in purpose and in spirit. Lending further honour to the occasion, the Legendary Ficus Benjamina Gardeners Lodge No. 12, esteemed among the lodges of the Order for the enduring strength of its roots and the breadth of its branches, was represented in full fraternal fellowship under the able leadership of Worthy Master Carlo and Senior Warden Clipton Bogabil Domaguing, together with the loyal members of its lodge. Brethren from lodges across the Philippine Islands gathered to witness this momentous working, and the fraternal salutations of all Worthy Brothers from the far reaches of our Order were welcomed with warmth and joy befitting the Garden.

The Order was graced by the honoured presence of the Founder and Honorary Past Grand Master, Right Worthy Ferdinand Tablac, whose guiding vision has cultivated this great fraternity on these islands. Acting in the noble office of Most Worthy Grand Master was Right Worthy Nico Ortega, Deputy Grand Master, whose steady hand and fraternal wisdom presided over the solemnity of working with the dignity the Craft commands. The assembly was thus blessed with the full patronage of the Grand Lodge, and the ceremonies unfolded beneath its ancient authority.

Though the ground upon which these three lodges stood lay many leagues apart one beneath the ancient walls of the capital, the other upon the sun-blessed shores of Mindanao the work was singular and whole. The same ancient rites were administered; the same solemn obligations were received; and the same eternal principles of Love, Wisdom, Harmony, and Truth were declared and affirmed. Though miles apart, the work was one.

As the faithful Gardener tends the soil in patience and with care knowing that the seed buried in darkness shall, in due season, press upward toward the light so too were these new apprentices received into the sheltering branches of our Order. The First Degree is not merely a ceremony; it is the planting of a living seed. Into prepared ground, nourished by the teachings of those who laboured before us, each candidate was lowered and raised again — enlightened, bound by obligation, and welcomed as a Brother of the Craft.

The Garden of Free Gardening in the Philippine Islands continues to flourish. From Luzon to Mindanao, new hands take up the tools of the Craft, and new voices affirm the covenant that has endured across centuries. The roots of our brotherhood run deeper than any storm may reach, and the canopy we share grows broader with each conferral, casting shelter and fellowship upon all who walk beneath it.

Let this chronicle stand as faithful testimony to the growth and strength of the order and to the faithful stewardship of its officers. The Grand Lodge watches with pride as its branches extend their reach, trusting that the seeds planted in this degree shall be tended well so that future generations of Free Gardeners shall reap what has been sown in honour, labour, and love.

✦ Benediction ✦

May the seeds planted in this Degree continue to flourish, bearing fruit in brotherhood and strengthening the Garden of Free Gardening throughout the Philippine Islands. May each Apprentice Gardener prove worthy of the soil entrusted to his care, grow in the light of our ancient principles, and render faithful service to Lodge, to Order, and to humankind.

So Mote It Grow.

✦ ✦ ✦