My brothers,

I thank you for the trust and support you have shown to me and the new line of officers you have elected to serve Denver Lodge #5 for the coming Masonic year.  I would especially like to thank our Junior Past Master Stephen for providing such a fulfilling, educational, and entertaining year as he did throughout 2025.  In this coming year, you will frequently hear me say that “we stand on the shoulders of giants,” and PM Stephen is definitely among those giants who helped us grow and become the men and Masons that we are today.

Now that the Winter Solstice is newly behind us and our portion of the world is starting to come back to light, the officer line at Denver Lodge #5 will be setting into our new roles and working to bring some new, fun, and engaging activities to the fraternity.  We deeply appreciate you joining us for this adventure.

My theme for this year will be “Our Community in Masonry” where I plan to highlight many great opportunities we as Freemasons have to join into different forms of communities; with the brothers in our home lodges, with brothers we may not yet have met in other Masonic bodies, and throughout our neighborhoods and social circles.  In support of this theme, I have prepared a detailed plan and calendar of events for the coming year, and I look forward to presenting the year-long plan to the membership in our first meeting of the new year on January 15th.

For your awareness, our first few months have a lot going on:

• 1 January Stated Communication:

  • No meeting.

  • No quorum expected in accordance with the lodge bylaws due to the holiday.

• 3 January Installation:

  • No meeting, but all are welcome, and dinner is provided.

  • If you choose to attend, formal dress is expected, and this is an open event so Masons, prospects, and their family are all welcome.

  • Must RSVP to JW-elect Conner Gould before December 30th if you (and potentially a guest) would like to attend.

• 9 January Social:

  • Rooftop social at Brother Drew Turner’s building (800 N. Washington St., Denver) from 7pm until he kicks us out.

  • Street parking, and text him (410-499-4417) upon arrival so he can let you into the building and up to the rooftop.

  • If you choose to attend, indoor and outdoor spaces will be available, and casual attire is perfectly fine.  This will be an open event, so Masons, prospects, and family are welcome.

  • No RSVP needed.  Please bring a dish or bottle to share.

• 15 January Stated Communication:

  • We will open at the regular time on the 1st degree to perform courtesy work for a brother from New Mexico.

  • We will get some easily anticipated lodge business out of the way early.

  • I will display a presentation of all the plans we have for all of 2026 and host a discussion throughout.

  • Please RSVP to JW-elect Conner Gould if you are not a regular attendee.

• 17 January Social:

  • Denver Consistory’s annual Burns Supper, hosted by the Knights of St. Andrew.

  • D5 has already purchased three tables. As of this writing, a couple seats remain available. This is an open event. Masons, prospects, and their family are welcome.

  • Must RSVP with WM-elect James Warner to secure a seat. First come, first served.

• 22-24 January Grand Lodge Annual Communication:

  • The annual meeting is being held in Grand Junction this year.  See the Grand Lodge emails for details.

  • The principal officers are required and are planning to attend, optional for all others.

• 5 February Stated Communication:

  • Early Open on the 1st degree at 5:45pm to hear Brother Michael Canfield give his EA proficiency.

  • At 6:30 we will go to refreshment for the regularly-scheduled dinner, then return to labor at 7:30, where Bro. Canfield may receive the FC degree.

  • Please RSVP to JW-elect Conner Gould if you are not a regular attendee.

• 12 February Social:

  • Lodge visit to Black Hawk #11 (4625 Morrison Rd., Denver) one of the more relaxed lodges in the city, and they meet on the second and fourth Thursdays (dinner at 6pm, meeting at 7pm.)  Jeans and a polo are perfectly acceptable.

  • Must RSVP with JW-elect Conner Gould so he can provide our hosts with an estimate of how many of us to expect.

• 19 February Stated Communication:

  • We plan to open on the 1st degree and plan to initiate at least two new members.

  • Please RSVP to JW-elect Conner Gould if you are not a regular attendee.

This level of activity will continue throughout the year; including additional opportunities to visit other blue lodges (including Prince Hall lodges, mountain lodges which meet while we are dark, and some other interesting types of blue lodges and other bodies in our jurisdiction), participate in social opportunities (including the Burns Supper, the continuation of Gunsmoke, parades, and some fundraisers with other Masonic bodies), and educational opportunities (Masonica, Research Lodge, and Grand Lodge workshops).

To facilitate additional fellowship among our members, we have also established a group chat for D5 members in GroupMe (groupme.com or an app on your smartphone.)  This will give our members a place to socialize and share topics of interest between our official meetings.  Please ask any of the principal officers for a link to join.

This year is going to be chock-full of opportunities to revel in the many ways that we as Masons do good work in our communities and socialize among the extended fraternity.

Again, on behalf of the entire 2026 officer line, I appreciate all of you for taking this ride with us.

James A. Warner
Worshipful Master-elect
Denver Lodge No. 5

CALENDAR

Stated Communications:

Our meetings are held the first and third Thursdays of each month and typically dinner will be served at 6:30pm with Lodge following at 7:30pm.

Posting:

Every Wednesday Night 6:30 pm to 8:30pm

Greetings from the East!

December always seems to arrive faster than expected. One minute we’re opening Lodge for the new year in January, and the next we’re looking back at a whole year full of work. One filled with moments of Brotherhood and shared memories. December has a special way of slowing us down just enough to appreciate what truly matters.

As the daylight is at its shortest and the cold really sets in, the world around us fills with other kinds of lights. They show up on houses and in shop windows, or simply from the warm glow of fires lit. In Masonry, we talk about light all the time, but December reminds us why it’s so powerful. Even a small bit of light can make a big difference when things are at their darkest. And I hope many of us have had moments this year where a Brother’s kind word, steady hand, or simple presence made that difference.

Of course, December also is a time of giving. Not just superficial gifts, but gifts of more noble purposes like patience, forgiveness, time, effort, or understanding. Sometimes that’s the most meaningful charity a Mason can offer. Let’s all try to be as generous as possible with our families and Brothers this season.

As we wrap up the year, I hope each of you finds a little peace, a little rest, and a lot of light and warmth surrounded by the people you love. Thank you for showing up this year, not just for the Lodge but for each other. Thank you for making this fraternity feel like a place where good men can truly make themselves better.

Fraternally and appreciatively,
Stephen Carlson
Worshipful Master
Denver Lodge No.5

A Look at What’s Ahead (Please be sure to RSVP with the JW for more accurate count for dinner, this will help us better manage cost and food waste.)

Thursday 12/04 – Stated Communication
Committee reports and Officer Elections

Thursday 12/18 – Agape Dinner / Table Lodge
Dinner at 6:30pm

Lodge Officers – 2025

• Worshipful Master – Stephen Carlson
• Senior Warden – James Warner
• Junior Warden – Troy Greig
• Treasurer – Josh Ruegsegger, P.M.
• Secretary – Mike Scott, P.M.
• Senior Deacon – Conner Gould
• Junior Deacon – Adrian Fulle, P.M.
• Senior Steward – Donald Stewart
• Junior Steward – Max Petersen
• Marshal – Kevin Trabert, P.M.
• Chaplain – Van Troi Perozo, P.M.
• Tiler – Jim Weeks, P.M.

CALENDAR

Stated Communications:

Our meetings are held the first and third Thursdays of each month and typically dinner will be served at 6:30pm with Lodge following at 7:30pm.

Posting:

Every Wednesday Night 6:30 pm to 8:30pm