Table Lodge No. 9717 E.C. Ladies Night, Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia - Nov 2023

by Bro. Wilson C. A. CHANG

The Ladies' Night officially started with a welcoming address by none other than Bro WH Kong’s (our most junior Brother) heartwarming Ladies' Toast, expressing our deep appreciation and recognition for the incredible women in our Masonic family-

“Good evening, everyone!

 I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible women in our lives who make everything we do possible. You are the backbone of our community, and we are so grateful for all you do.

We know that behind every great man is an even greater woman. Your unwavering support and dedication shine brightly.

Before I take a seat so we may continue the fun, here's (a toast) to the ladies of our Masonic community!

May your glasses always be full, your laughter always be loud, and your hearts always be full of love and joy. May health, happiness, and love be never done! 

Cheers!”

Let me share a bit about the fantastic Ladies' Night we had on Saturday, November 18, 2023, hosted by Table Lodge 9717 E.C.

This Ladies' Night was a long-awaited reunion. It was long awaited as our last Ladies' Night was in 2020 before the pandemic threw everything into chaos. Thanks to our Worship Master, WBro Peter Hshieh, we, the Brethren and their good ladies, gathered once again with the twin objectives of strengthening bonds within our Freemason community and expressing gratitude for the commitment of our members and their partners.

None of this would have happened without W Bro William Saw, who took the lead as the Organizing Committee Chairman. This article is a peek into how we organized and prepared for this special night, and we hope will be beneficial for future aspiring organizers, as reference for their future endeavors.

The Organizing Committee had three preparation meetings and one post-mortem meeting. Leveraging the digital age, we used the WhatsApp group to streamline communication and assign each role efficiently. This strategy proved a significant time-saver throughout the organizing process.

As the Ladies’ Night organizing secretary, yours truly had the pleasure of navigating the event's logistics. The workload was manageable thanks to shared minutes from past Ladies' Nights, especially for a first-timer like me.

The first committee meeting set the date and time. Luckily, capable hands were on deck to handle food, drinks, budgeting, decoration, and more. The real challenge was deciding on the perfect gift for our fabulous ladies. It took until the third meeting to find the right fit within our budget.

In the meantime, e-invitations and an e-registration form were created, approved, and sent out. Our Organizing Chairman kept the team well on track with regular updates. Additionally, invitations were made to sister lodges and local Brethren so that they may share in this glorious occasion.

Knowing that Table Lodge's regular meeting was scheduled earlier that afternoon, a decision was made to open and close the lodge to ensure all the Brethren in attendance had sufficient time to head home and fetch their fabulous ladies. After all, this night was dedicated to them. Indeed, Freemasonry does make us Brethren the more considerate man and the better husband.

The evening itself was filled with joyous moments. The Ladies were greeted with roses, captured beautifully against a themed backdrop. A retro-polaroid photo added an instant memory to the special occasion.

Welcoming our WM and the First Lady.

Roses for the Ladies

Thanks to the WM and the First Lady for receiving us.

All the Brethren and their Ladies will get a picture taken, and ...

a retro-polaroid photo.

As our Ladies mingled, our talented Steward, Bro Victor Ho, concocted special cocktail drinks in vibrant colors, adding a touch of glamour to the gathering. Our Ladies loved it.

They are named by our Ladies as: Blue Lodge, Purple Rain, Pink Lady/A Rosy Day, Orange Sunrise and Lime Happiness.

The Ladies gift, a stainless-steel vacuum insulated wide mouth water bottle, were well received.

Dinner commenced at 7:30 pm and featured a delightful array of courses, including a Smoked Salmon Chinese Salad, Ginseng Chicken Soup, Chicken Roll with Dried Mushroom, Abalone, and Broccoli, Shrimp and Grilled Unagi Fish Noodle, and a sweet finale of Sogo Malacca Sugar Dessert—all fit for a Queen!

Shrimp and Grilled Unagi Fish Noodle (虾求拼烧曼鱼麺底)

Chicken Roll with Dried Mushroom, Abalone, and Broccoli (冬菇鲍鱼西竺花拼鸡卷)

Smoked Salmon Chinese Salad (烟熏三文鱼中式沙律菜)

Formalities included the Toast to Ladies and the Masonic Ladies' Song, and a lively atmosphere filled with singing and dancing continued well into the night.

This night of Celebration, Community and Brotherhood will certainly not be forgotten and is a testament to the spirit of our wonderful Brethren and our Ladies of Table Lodge.

Editorial Note:

As our member DDGM W Bro Jacob Pang has observed: "Table Lodge of Tawau, Sabah is at the most eastern end of the Eastern Archipelago."

According to the Wikipedia: "Tawau, formerly known as Tawao, is the capital of the Tawau District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the third-largest city in Sabah, after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. It is located on the Semporna Peninsula on the southeast coast of the state in the administrative center of Tawau Division, which is bordered by the Sulu Sea to the east, the Celebes Sea to the south at Cowie Bay and, and shares a border with North Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is the home of Table Lodge, Consecrated on the 14th of April, 2000." - Link: Tawau - Wikipedia