Trestle Board - January 2026
Greetings Brothers,
I hope everyone had an enjoyable time over the holidays! It is this time of year when charity and fellowship are at an all-time high. These characteristics which we as Masons carry all year round are what truly bring out the best in our fraternity.
First, I would like to congratulate our new Past Master WM Travis White on an excellent 2025. You have made Ionic proud and cannot thank you enough for all the work you have done.
With the beginning of the New Year, I am excited to begin my role as Worshipful Master, and I look forward to working with all our brothers over the course of 2026. During the new year, I would like to see more brothers at the lodge. There are many members of Ionic who I have not had the pleasure of meeting. I would love to get to know more about the members of our lodge and what brought each of you to Freemasonry.
We have a few key dates scheduled for the upcoming year:
In January, the lodge officers will have floorwork practice Thursday 1/8/26. We will go over opening and closing the lodge so our new officers, including myself, can familiarize themselves with their new roles before our first official meeting on Thursday 1/15/26.
In February, we have our first DDGM visit on 2/19/26. The attire will be formal for this meeting, and we will be graded on our opening floor work. I would encourage our new officers to be proficient in the opening so we can pass with flying colors.
Ionic Lodge will be hosting two important events this year:
The first is School of Instruction which will be on Wednesday 4/15/26. The subject will be on the Master Mason Degree, but it has not been confirmed if it will be part 1 or part 2 of the degree. Dinner will be at 6:00PM with class starting at 7:00PM.
The second event will be the NEFMA Meeting on 8/26/26. Ionic has received high praise for hosting NEFMA these past two years. I look forward to making Ionic proud for the third year in a row. If you would like to assist our Junior Warden in preparing the meal, please reach out to him as we approach the date.
Finally, I would like to congratulate Ionic Lodge on its upcoming 126th birthday. On 1/17/25, Ionic Lodge will have officially been active for 126 years. I would like to thank all the brothers who have put in the time and effort into making Ionic what it is today.
Take Care of One Another!
Fraternally,
Derek Ploeg, WM