My Brothers,

It is truly a great honor to be elected Worshipful Master of Ansantawae Lodge. First, I would like to thank the Brothers who elected me and for entrusting me with such a great responsibility. Also, thanks to those Brothers who have been important mentors to me in my Masonic journey. Your counsel has been invaluable in preparing me for the office of Worshipful Master. Thank you also to my fellow Officers for all of your help and support and I know that I can depend on you this coming year. Finally, thanks to my family and their support as I have moved up the officer line in the Lodge.

As we begin a new Masonic Year, I ask you to take a moment to stop and reflect on your Masonic journey so far. What does the Fraternity mean to you? How is it relevant in your life? Have you been putting in the work to reap the rewards that Freemasonry has to offer? I can say from my own experience that Freemasonry is the epitome of an institution that gives back what we put into it and the journey is much more fulfilling if not made alone. Since this is a fraternity, derived from the Latin word fraternitas meaning “brotherhood”, it is important that we do the work together as a brotherhood. The best way to accomplish this is to attend Lodge. Many of you reading this message have not attended Lodge for quite some time, but that is all the more reason to come back and we welcome and meet you on the level, as it should be. Others have only been Masons for a few years and attending Lodge is the best way to gain more Masonic knowledge and get to know your brethren. It is only a few hours of your time and I am looking forward to seeing you at Lodge!

It is also fitting that as we ring in the New Year, we will be welcoming a new class of candidates to begin their Masonic journey by receiving the Entered Apprentice degree at our second meeting on January 16. I strongly encourage you to attend this Degree and to support these candidates in this first step in Masonry.

We will also be welcoming in the New Year by having a happy hour at Bar 3 Thirty Three in Milford on Friday, January 30 (see calendar below for more details). Spouses and significant others are welcome as well. This is the first in a series of social events on the fifth Fridays of the months in which we have an extra week between Lodge meetings, dubbed “Fifth Friday Fellowship”.

I would also like to congratulate the Milford Chapter of DeMolay International on 2026 being its 100th Anniversary as a chapter here in Milford. Ansantawae Lodge has been a proud sponsor of Milford Chapter, so be on the lookout for future announcements about upcoming events to commemorate this milestone.

I hope to see you soon!

Fraternally,

Jeffrey J. Scepanski

Worshipful Master