2026 Wishes From Our Noble Grand

A message from our Noble Grand, Zachary York, to members going into the new year. 🌟

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Good afternoon Brothers, Sisters, and Kin,

I am writing to wish you a meaningful holiday season. As winter settles upon Burlington, it is our duty as Odd Fellows to ensure the warmth of our Order continues to reach those who need it most. This year, our lodge has truly lived our command to "visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the dead, and educate the orphan" Through our various projects and member run nights we find new and interesting ways to serve our community. The North End Food Pantry began over a decade ago as a member run committee and it is now its own 501(c)(3) operating from our building keeping hundreds of our neighbors fed each month. Our Craft-afternoons, Yoga, Figure Drawing and Music nights have provided a vital, inclusive space for the community, proving that our hall is more than a building, it is a community hub. I am also truly thankful for the efforts of members who keep the Camp NEOFA and the Gill Home and Retirement Apartments running smoothly. We couldn't do it without you.

Let us carry our momentum into the new year guided by the principles of Friendship, Love, and Truth, we must remain steady in challenging times. I want to remind everyone that when we step across the threshold and enter our Lodge Hall, we work to leave the desperate and selfish trends of the outside world behind us. Within our Lodge, we shut out the challenges of the world to create a wholesome and fulfilling fraternal experience without violence, discrimination and vices. In our hall, we are exactly alike, as the Lodge acts as a great leveler of social, professional and other distinctions, allowing us to focus solely on the work of our order. Whether you are volunteering at an event or welcoming a new face to a meeting, your actions in our Lodge help elevate the character of humanity.

May you find peace and renewal in the days ahead. I look forward to working with you in the New Year as we continue our work for our members and the greater community.

In Friendship, Love, and Truth,

Zachary York

Noble Grand