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Happy New Years, and Greetings from the East!

As we step into the new year, let us welcome this next chapter with enthusiasm, renewed purpose, and unwavering commitment to the values that bind us as Masons. The beginning of a new year provides us with a fresh opportunity to strengthen our bond of brotherhood, deepen our pursuit of knowledge, and continue our journey toward personal growth.

Let us reflect on the past year with gratitude for the challenges that have helped shape us, and the successes that have brought us closer together. As we look ahead, may our Lodge continue to be a beacon of light in our community. A place where brotherhood, charity, and integrity shine brightly in all our actions.

In the coming months, we will have several exciting events and opportunities for fellowship, education, and service. I encourage each of you to actively participate, to connect with old friends, and to extend a warm welcome to new brothers who join us on this journey. Together, we will make 2025 a year of growth and unity.

In our first meeting on January 2nd, I aim to lay the groundwork for the upcoming year and introduce the amendments that will be voted on during the Grand Lodge Communication later in the month. Then, in our second meeting on January 16th, we’ll have a brief overview of plans to bring Masonica back in 2026, followed by a talk on the shared ideas and concepts between Masonry and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Fraternally and appreciatively,

Stephen Carlson
Worshipful Master
Denver Lodge No.5
Stephen.P.Carlson@gmail.com

Upcoming January Events
Jan 2nd – Stated Communication
Masters Welcome
Review of BOC Amendments
Jan 16th – Stated Communication
Masonica 2026 introduction
Short Talk: Masonry and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
Jan 18th – Robert Burns Dinner – Denver Consistory
RSVP Required
Jan 23rd – 25th – Grand Lodge Annual Communication
Principle Officers

Lodge Officers – 2025
Worshipful Master – Stephen Carlson
Senior Warden – James Warner
Junior Warden – Troy Greig
Treasurer – Josh Ruegsegger
Secretary – Mike Scott
Senior Deacon – Conner Gould
Junior Deacon – Adrian Fulle
Senior Steward – Donald Stewart
Junior Steward – Max Petersen
Marshal – Kevin Trabert
Chaplain – Van Troi Perozo
Tiler – Jim Weeks

Greetings From the East!

First off, I would like to thank all the brothers who made it to our last meeting and were a part of raising Brothers Eli and Max to the sublime degree of a Master Mason. Your presence helped make it a truly memorable experience. I would also like to thank the brothers who were able to make our visit to Longs Peak Lodge #197 on the 29^th. We had a great time visiting with our brothers in Loveland and listening to the various Masonic conspiracy theories that were discussed. I look forward to more Lodge visits in the near future.

I encourage all of you to attend our first meeting in March on the seventh. Worshipful Brother Van Troi will be presenting a talk on “What has Freemasonry Changed in you.”  This is also a reminder that we will be doing the polar plunge this Saturday the 9^th at the Boulder Reservoir. If you would like to attend but have not yet signed up, please reach out to me, and let me know. Please remember to bring a second pair of shoes to take the plunge in. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to contribute to the Colorado Special Olympics.

For our second meeting on March seventh we will have the pleasure of welcoming the brothers from Prince Hall lodge Mount Evans #7. I encourage all the brothers to attend. This will be a terrific opportunity to share fellowship with our brothers from Prince Hall.  They will be presenting the History of Prince Hall Masonry and telling us a little about their lodge.

As we witness the change of seasons from Winter to Spring, I invite all of you to reflect on how Masonry has changed you, and the ways in which it can help you continue on the path of becoming a better man and mason.

My best to all of you, my Brethren

Joshua Ruegsegger
Worshipful Master 2024
d5wmaster2024@gmail.com

Greetings from the East!   

   I am excited to be your Worshipful Master for the 2023 year.  The installation ceremony was a blast and I thank everyone who came out and worked hard to make it happen.  There are a whole host of events planned for this next year.  Many great education nights, district lecture workshop, fellowship fun nights, an outrageous summer picnic and Masonica in the fall.  All this while maintaining our excellent degree work and charitable causes.  Stay on the look out for fun events and opportunities to help out at Denver 5.  Starting January 1st the applications for student scholarships will be available on the Denver 5 website.   If you will be sponsoring a student please make sure they turn in all the required information to be considered for scholarship and note the deadline for submission is March 31st, 2023.

The first meeting  January 5th  I will lay out my plans for the year in greater detail, introduce committees and their goals, we will hear a FC proficiency and prepare for the Grand Lodge annual communication happening Jan 26th – Jan 28th.   Please plan on attending this meeting and get involved we have a lot of work to do!  RSVP for dinner here.

The second meeting  January 19th lodge will open early at 5:30 to take care of business.  The rest of the night will be our big Denver 5 dinner celebration.  Stay on the look out for further reminders of this event.  We are going big with this one, don’t miss out!   We expect a great turn out to capacity. Reserve your spot before its full by RSVPing here.

We have a couple brothers that have been waiting patiently to receive their third degree.   I will be putting together the cast list this month, feel free to let me know if you will participate.  I will be reaching out as well. My email is Brycummings@comcast.net.  We will have a practice Jan 25th and one again in February the night before the degree. Even if you know your part well it is super helpful to practice the parts in unison so do your best to attend the practices.

Many hands make light work!  I look forward to laboring together with my Brothers.

Warmly and Fraternally,

WM. Bryan Cummings

Greetings from the East!

Spring is finally here!  Hope you are spending some time outside getting some Vitamin D and working on the tan.

Things are not slowing down, we are keeping our momentum going in May.  We will be initiating two more candidates at our May 6th meeting.  We will be opening early at 5:45 to take care of some business and then will start the initiations right after dinner.  The degree team has been putting in a lot of practice for these degrees, so you won’t want to miss them.  Please RSVP here!

Our second meeting is on May 20th and is our annual Scholarship Night.  Scholarship Night is an open meeting, so it is a great opportunity to bring your significant other to show them what we do on Thursday nights!  We have received some excellent applications for the scholarship and look forward to helping these students in their educational endeavors.  Since we will be hosting these scholarship recipients, it is very important that you RSVP here so that we can make sure to have enough food and can plan ahead to allow for social distancing.

Our Brothers at Central Lodge #6 have invited the Brethren from Denver 5 to join them for a joint communication on May 12th.  I know a number of us have been itching to visit some Lodges and this a great opportunity to visit the oldest Lodge building in the State.  There is some great history in this building.  Let me know if you are interested in going and we will put together a carpool.

We are still working on the details for Masonica which will take place on August 28th.  It will be an afternoon of Masonic education and a great chance for brotherhood after being away from Lodge for most of the summer.  We will be adding details about this event as they come to be.  Keep an eye on the Denver 5 Facebook and Instagram for upcoming details.

I want to thank everyone who has been attending meetings!  I was unsure what kind of turnout we would have at our meetings when we started meeting in person.  I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the turnout.  I’m also happy to hear that most other Lodges in the State have started back to meeting in person as well.  It is crucial to The Craft!

Hope you all have a great month!  Look forward to seeing you all in May!

Greetings from the East,

Wow!  What a crazy year this has been so far!  I hope everyone has emerged from the pandemic with good health and are returning to normalcy in your lives.  I know I have missed everyone and I can’t wait to return to Lodge for fellowship and brotherly love.

Denver Lodge No.5 will hold a Zoom meeting on June 18, 2020, at 7:30 PM to discuss the plan for reopening the Lodge and the schedule of Lodge activities for the summer.  I highly encourage everyone to attend this Zoom meeting to provide input.  Discussion topics will include:

• Timeframe and concerns of resuming in-person meetings
• When to conduct degree work over the summer
• Fun lodge & family activity
• Committee reports from:  Membership & Posting, Visitation, and Community Outreach

No lodge meeting on July 2, 2020.  Have a wonderful and safe 4th of July celebration!

Denver Lodge No.5 will begin meeting in person on July 16, 2020, with dinner at 6:30 PM and lodge to follow at 7:30 PM.  Please RSVP to Brother Sean Murphy, JW to ensure we are able to meet the necessary COVID guidelines.  As we return to lodge, we will adopt the current safety protocols of social distancing, limiting physical touch, and wearing masks while not able to maintain physical distance.  Please note that the lodge building has been thoroughly cleaned while we’ve been away and will continue to be cleaned on a routine basis.  All Freemasons are encouraged to determine whether to attend lodge based on your individual health and risk factors and those of your family.  We’d love to see you in lodge, but at no time should you feel compelled to attend lodge against the best interests of your health and welfare.  Please remain flexible as we adapt to changes in the COVID guidance and as the protest situation around downtown changes.

Typically, the lodge will “go dark” during the summer months.  Historically, this was because the miners would return to the mountains in search of precious metals.  Contemporarily, the reason is to allow for family vacations and relaxation.  Since we have a lot of masonic work left to be done, I plan on holding stated and special communications during the summer.  I understand that some of you may miss lodge activities due to vacations or other summer events.  Stay tuned to the trestle board and website for upcoming meetings and degree work.

I hope everyone had the chance during the pandemic to contemplate on the glorious works of creation and reflect on our masonic teachings.  Patience, temperance, fortitude, immortality, and perseverance were just a few of our virtues that I found myself contemplating over the past few months.  And just as I thought we were emerging from the darkness, society found itself in the middle of protests and riots.  These recent events reminded me of our duties that are given to us in the Entered Apprentice Charge; please refresh yourselves on these duties.  We, as Freemasons, are the bedrock of our nation.  Now more than ever in our lifetimes we must be there to support, encourage, and assist as our nation rebuilds.  Let’s celebrate the diversity of Denver Lodge as we dwell together in unity and use it to our advantage as we spread light throughout society.

Fraternally,

Kevin Trabert
Worshipful Master
Denver Lodge #5 A.F. & A.M