The word Lodge refers both to a group of Masons meeting, and to the room or building in which they meet.
The word is derived from the temporary structures which Stonemasons or Operative
Masons built at the sides of great buildings during its construction. In winter, when work outside had to stop because of severe weather, the Stonemasons lived and carved stone inside these lodges. Masonic buildings are also called Temples because much of the symbolism that Masonry uses to teach its lessons comes from the building of King Solomon's Temple in the Holy Land.
The term Mother Lodge is frequently used to identify the particular Lodge where an individual was first "made a Mason"
The Lodge is presided over by a Worshipful Master. "Worshipful" is an old English term meaning respectable and worthy. The Worshipful Master is elected by his brethren.
A Lodge is usually named after the place where it was constituted as in the case of ours Saigon in Vietnam, after a National Hero, in memory of a brother Mason, or any term relating to Freemasonry.
In Philippine jurisdiction, a Charter emanating from the Grand Lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines (GLP) is necessary in order for a Lodge to be recognized as a legally constituted lodge. Saigon Lodge bearing the No. 188 means that it is the 188th Lodge under the jurisdiction of the GLP. At present, around 400 subordinate Lodges are under the jurisdiction of the GLP.
