My brothers,

February has been another busy month for the brothers of Denver Lodge #5, and I appreciate your continued support in all of the fraternal engagements we have enjoyed thus far, those we have ahead of us in March and April, as well as the ones we have scheduled for the remainder of the year.

On the home front, I offer my most sincere thanks to SW Troy and the entire officer line for stepping up for our Stated Communication on Feb. 5 so that I could attend the Masonic Week conference in Washington, DC.  It was very early in the year to ask the whole line to step up, but I heard great things about how everyone was able to do the work in new chairs.  I am so very proud of the work that this officer line has already put into our lodge, and the future of D5 remains strong because of your efforts on behalf of our fraternity.

We also had a great turnout on February 12th when visiting Black Hawk #11, one of the more relaxed lodges in the city.  While our visits to Marquis de Lafayette Lodge #41 and Rocky Mountain Lodge #1 PHA earlier this year showed us their beautiful and precise rituals, it is also great to see that we have the relaxed brotherhood of BH11 in our Masonic community.

Feb 19th was a long meeting, but we got some great work done by initiating four new brothers and getting them started on their Masonic journeys.  Thank you to all the Past Masters and brothers who stepped in to make this a reality for these newly-made brothers.

OUR COMMUNITY IN MASONRY
Thank you all again for the massive turnout when we received the traveling gavel from Marquis de Lafayette Lodge #41 at the end of January.  It was a short-fuse idea, but we had a great number of brothers turn out, allowing us to see another lodge’s ritual and continue that great Colorado tradition.

Similarly, we passed the traveling gavel along to Rocky Mountain Lodge #1 PHA at their meeting a few days later.  They were gracious hosts and it was truly inspiring to hear all the ways they are engaging with the community, and to see the beautiful differences in our very similar traditions.  I am really looking forward to hearing a couple of their speakers at Masonica in September.

Together, these events really help drive home my theme for the year of “Our Community in Masonry” by highlighting the breadth of ritual traditions available to us in these lodges.  From the procession and gloves at Marquis de Lafayette, to the ways Rocky Mountain attended to the altar, I really enjoy seeing how these various bodies are able to put their own touch to Masonic ritual.

Also, please remember to check in individually with our sick and distressed brothers. A thoughtful kind word can go a long way when life happens and interrupts a brother’s plans.

LOOKING FORWARD
In March and April, we will continue executing on the theme of “Our Community in Masonry” in a variety of ways:

March 5: Stated Communication

• The El Jebel Shrine is visiting to tell us about their organization, social units, and philanthropies.

• ATTENDANCE: EA and above

• ATTIRE: Business

• RSVP: JW Conner if you are not a regular attendee

March 19: Stated Communication (Joint)

• Joint Communication with Douglas Lodge #153

  • Early open at 1730 to hear Br. Canfield’s EA proficiency.

  • After dinner: At least one FC degree for Br. Valerio as courtesy work from DL153.

• ATTENDANCE: EAs are welcome at the early opening and dinner. FC and above are welcome at dinner and after.

• ATTIRE: Business

• RSVP: JW Conner if you are not a regular attendee

March 26: Social: Lodge visit to Mount Evans #7 PHA (650 Billings St., Aurora)

• Lodge meeting at 1930 with dinner and socialization to follow

• ATTENDANCE: MM only

• ATTIRE: Business

• RSVP: JW Conner if you plan to attend

April 2: Stated Communication 

• The Denver-Fitzsimmons Chapter #37 of National Sojourners will visit to tell us about their relationship with Masonry and their philanthropies.

• ATTENDANCE: EA and above

• ATTIRE: Business

• RSVP: JW Conner if you plan to attend

April 4: Social – Gunsmoke

• 10AM meet at the north clubhouse at Pawnee Sportsmen’s Center

  • 40914 County Road 71, Briggsdale, CO; https://pawneesportsmenscenter.com/

• Bring $20 to pay at the counter and pick up a target stand.

• We’ll talk for a moment about range safety and the three types of ranges on the grounds before heading out to shoot.

• Around noon, we will leave the range and head to Tonewood and Tobacco for cigars, then see if there’s anything else we want to get up to that afternoon

  • 811 8th St Ste A, Greeley, CO 80631

• ATTENDANCE: Open to the public

• ATTIRE: Casual, but dress for the weather

• RSVP: WM James so he knows who all to expect

April 5: Social: Easter Sunrise Service

• The Colorado Knights Templar Association (KTA) is hosting an Easter Sunrise Service at the Denver Consistory (1370 Grant St.) at 0630.

  • Free parking on the surface lot behind the Consistory building.  Garage parking is available for a fee.

  • Optional breakfast to follow (paid ticket required).

• This is a great opportunity to learn a bit about some of the other Masonic bodies (Knights Templar, Order of the Eastern Star, Amaranth, Social Order of the Beauceant, etc.) that are active throughout the state, since they will each have a moment to speak during the event.

• ATTENDANCE: Open to the public

• ATTIRE: Business

• RSVP: None needed for the service, purchase an optional breakfast ticket HERE.

April 16: Stated Communication

• We are hosting Mt. Evans #7 PHA as our guest.

  • This will be a short meeting, including education from ME7

  • After the meeting, we will break for socialization at a nearby bar

• ATTENDANCE: TBD.  Prospects are welcome to wait outside the meeting and join us at the bar afterward.

• ATTIRE: Business

• RSVP: JW Conner if you are not a regular attendee

April 18: Social: Crawfish Boil

• 4th Annual Crawfish Boil hosted by Paul Revere #130 (3550 Federal Boulevard)

• ATTENDANCE: Open to the public

• ATTIRE: Casual

• RSVP: Tickets available for purchase HERE.

DISCUSSION OF UPCOMING SOCIAL EVENTS
All of our brothers, EA and above, are welcome to join our GroupMe chat to socialize and stay updated on lodge events. Use THIS LINK or the QR code below to join our social group.

Also, please know that we are keeping the Mori calendar up to date as well, so you can bookmark THIS LINK to see what we have planned in each of our meetings.

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

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