xTHE TRESTLE BOARDx
xTheVillages Masonic Lodge No. 394 F. & A.M.x
xApril 2026x
FROM THE EAST
My Great Brothers,
Once again, I consider it a great honor to serve as your Worshipful Master this year. Thanks to all of you for having the confidence in me and the rest of the Officers and hopefully we will continue to make you proud.
We’ve had a few very successful months already, and we have some VERY exciting news in the future. We are working the details right now and will announce it very soon.
I want to thank our Brother SW Carl for setting up the very successful, fantastic trip to Dezerland this month. Great turnout and many photos will be on the Facebook page and website. We are looking for future trips, so we ask for your input on opportunities you would like us to set up.
We're trying to do a better job on capturing Sickness and Distress. We've added a new form onthe website main page (left side) where you can add a prayer request to the list and keep it public or private.
Don’t forget about of Gun Raffle that we will be drawing at May’s stated: a S&W .357 Magnum. One for $10, three for $25.
Once again, it takes the entire Lodge Team to be successful, so please don’t hesitate to provide any input to make OUR Lodge better. As always, if you would like to get in the Line or fill a chair in the future, please let us know.
Fraternally,
Brother Bruce Ferri, Worshipful Master
(559) 287-8332 or bruce@ferricapital.com
FROM THE WEST
March has been a good month for the Lodge. Our March stated meeting was both educational (great Job and topic RW Mike) and enjoyable from all the feedback we received from the Craft.
Our first social trip to Dezerland Park took place this past Tuesday and everyone who attended had a wonderful experience, both getting there and viewing the Auto Museum and James Bond themed room. We also had a great Lunch at the 007 restaurant. Pictures will be posted on the Lodge website www.villagesmasoniclodge.com, so be sure to log on and view what you experienced and what you may have missed if you could not make the trip. If you have suggestions for any future trips, please contact me at 215-285-1048 or email me at vml394sw@gmail.com.
Calling All Bothers! We are looking for additional help with our ritual team! We hold practice every Thursday between 12 and 1:30 PM at the Lodge. All brothers are welcome no matter what your experience may be, even if you just want to observe. We have a Master Mason degree coming up in the next few months and want to put on the best degree work possible.
We are still working to get a presence reestablished in the Villages Town Squares, Once we have the go-ahead from The Villages, we will need brothers to come out and share the values and benefits of Free Masonry for our retired brothers moving to and living in the friendliest town in Florida.
Mark your calendars for our nest Stated Meeting on Monday, April 13th, for another opportunity to share time, fellowship and a great meal with the Brethren of our Lodge.
I want to paraphrase something from Brother Rob in his Square Thoughts:
n“Every Lodge has traditions that look pointless from the outside. The way the altar is set, the order of business, the meal before Mthe meeting instead of after or the particular way the Tyler handles the door. A newer brother looks at these and sees Minefficiency. An older brother looks at the same things and sees continuity. Neither is automatically right. Younger members Mwant to modernize, older members want to preserve. Both impulses are legitimate. Before you change the ritual schedule Munderstand why it is structured the way it is, Before you eliminate the dinner, understand what that meal does for the men who
Mrely on it as their only regular gathering. Some brothers use tradition as a wall against every new idea. A lodge that asks, ‘why Mdo we do this?’ before asking ‘should we stop?’ will make better decisions than one that makes them reflexively.”
PS: If you are in need of a ride to Lodge, please contact any one of your elected officers and we will get you a ride for our next Stated meeting on Monday April 13th.
Fraternally,
Carl Chew, Senior Warden
chewcl1@centurylink.net sprs33@verizon.net (215) 285-1048
FROM THE SOUTH
There’s so much happening in our Lodge right now. Worshipful Master Ferri and Senior Warden Chew have so much great stuff going on for us that it’s hard to keep up with everything. That’s exactly why we put all the information you need to know in one place— our website! As an adjunct to our monthly The Trestle Board, now there’s no more losing sleep wondering if anything’s changed about upcoming events, or what time does anything start, or “Am I missing something?” No more frantic wondering about date, time and place. And as a special thank you just for listening today, and thanks to our beloved Secretary, you can now find The Trestle Board itself, in full form in all its glory right there on the website.
From our website’s Events Calendar to the Announcements section, to the Welcome page, anything and everything going on at The Villages Masonic Lodge will be in either of those places, and sometimes even in all three. Sometimes things do change over the month, and we take pride in keeping everything up-to-date and accurate. And if it’s not, believe me, we hear about it. So, it’s information you can count on. Wouldn’t have it any other way. Check it out, if you dare. (villagesmasoniclodge.com)
Our next Social Dinner will be our Widows’ Night on Monday, April 20, at Francesco’s Restorante, 16770 S US Hwy 441, in Summerfield. Social Hour at 4:30, dinner at 5. The link to Francesco’s is on the “Announcements” section on the website. And don’t forget our First Fridays Breakfast Bunch on April 3rd, at 9:00 at Bob Evans off C 466. No agenda, no wives, just brothers with brothers.
John Markel, Junior Warden
(410) 746-1105 jsmarkel1000@gmail.com
Lodge Events
4/2, 12:00 PM: Ritual Rehearsal
4/9, 12:00 PM: FC Catechism
4/13, 1:30 PM: Stated Communication, Lunch at 12:30 4/16, 12:00 PM: Ritual Rehearsal
4/20, 5:00 PM: Widows’ Night Dinner, Francesco’s Ristorante, 16770 US 441, Summerfield
4/23, 12:00 PM: Ritual Rehearsal 4/30, 12:00 PM: Ritual Rehearsal
District Events
M4/8, 6:00 PM: Open Books/School of Instruction, Peninsular Lodge No. 85, 1234 Wells Ave, Tavares
M4/15, Memorial Lodge No. 15 and Masters & Wardens Meeting, Dinner at 6:00 PM, Memorial Lodge at M6:40 PM followed by Masters & Wardens Meeting, Umatilla Lodge, 101 N. Central Ave, Umatilla, FL
M4/19, 8:30 AM: 15th District Spring Golf Tournament. Click HERE for flyer.
FROM THE SECRETARY
MPetions Pending: David Borden and Joseph Caban Affiliation by Transfer; Angel Alvarez, Three MSymbolic Degrees of Freemasonry
MPetitions to Receive: Randy Justus, Affiliation by Transfer Petitions to Ballot: Randall Aman, Affiliation Mby Transfer Degree
MWork: Ian Ganci, FC Catechism (April 9th)
Fraternally,
Frank van Leer, PM
(352) 430-9449, vml394secretary@gmail.com
