Acacia Lodge No 163 F&AM

From the Desk of the Worshipful Master:

Greeting Brethren,

It seems like April has flown by. The month started with the initiation of three new Entered Apprentices. I want everyone to welcome Brothers Arther Wielga, Timothy Ross and Jared Eversmyer. The degree team did a great job. I would like to thank them for putting in the effort to learn the work. Over the course of several days, I had the honor and pleasure to deliver scholarships to the well deserving highschool students of Martin County. I want to thank Brothers Steve Karr and Tim Van Den Heuvel for their hard work in all that together. We will be honoring the students at our second meeting in May (5/21) during our annual Law Enforcement/Scholarship night. Please come out and meet them. We also had our annual Shrimp Boil. It was well attended. I counted over 50 in attendance. The food was great and a big thank you to Brother Eric Schlossberg, his family and all the Brothers that helped set up, cook and cleanup. Brother Gary Gooldy and his band Cypress Creek gave a great performance and had several up and dancing. I also want to that the Eastern Star for providing the baskets to raffle off. Although Sister Vivian won the basket I really wanted, it was still a lot of fun. (insert my big smile) Also, between the first and second sections of the EA Degree we had RW Bobby Lickliter share with us his vision as he is running for the Grand South this year.

May and June are going to be big months also. Coming up at our first meeting we will be reviewing the proposed legislation changes that will be voted on at the Grand Lodge session this year. Please come out to hear these as your input to our three voting officers is important. If you do not know what is proposed and provide your thoughts on them to the voting officers, they will not have the information they need when casting the ballots. I would like to think that we as Masons will do a better job than many of those in DC when it comes to voting for the will of the brethren. I myself want to know how you feel on these things. This is just as much your fraternity as it is mine. I want to know your thoughts. I want to know I am doing the will of the craft and my Brothers. You can rest assured with me, that I will not just vote for what I want, but rather what the craft wants. I feel it is my duty and you have my word on it.

Also in May, as I mentioned before, we will have our Law Enforcement/Scholarship Night on the 21st. Dinner will be served at 6:30 and the meeting will begin at 7:30. This is an open meeting so please bring your family and enjoy the good fellowship. I do not have a full list yet, but there will be some other awards and presentations given out also. I am super excited for the honor to do this for both my community and my Brothers. We also have Grand Lodge May 25-27. Some of us will be up there much earlier for Grand Lodge business, but the primary times are the 25th -27th. Please see any of the officers if you need more info. And if all that is not enough, mark your calendar for May 30th at 9am as we will be

having a Master Mason Degree and raise Brother Joseph Ortega to the sublime degree of a Master Mason. Lunch will be served after the degree. I sure hope you can make it out and support Brother Joe. For June we are working on putting together a fun family night. IF we can get it scheduled, we are planning on an evening of axe throwing. I cannot yet provide the details as they are still in work. So, I ask that you check your emails and the website for updates. They should be posted soon.

Lastly my Brothers, remember this is the month that the Sprig begins being sent out on the odd numbered months. Please, please watch your emails and check in on the website for updates, additions or deletions. We are working very hard to get you the info you need in a timely manner and to provide many opportunities for fellowship and family fun. Thank you Brother Mark Porter for working hard to make sure the website is updated and informative.

Dear Brothers,

We are having our Stated Communication this coming Thursday night. We will be serving Spiral Ham, Hash Brown Casserole, Southern Green Beans, salad and dessert, dinner to be served at 6:30. Please come, bring your wife, girlfriend, a family member, or a friend to dinner and enjoy the fellowship with your Brothers.

Please mark your calendars for the upcoming event.

Saturday, May 16th, Pancake Breakfast 8:00-10:00
Thursday, May 21st Law Enforcement & Scholarship Night

Fraternally and Sincerely,

Julio Sanchez, PM
Secretary
Acacia Lodge No. 163 F&AM

From the Desk of the Worshipful Master

Greetings Brethren,

Welcome to April. First, looking back on March, what a month. Our first meeting we passed to the Degree of Fellow Craft, Brother Joseph Ortega. The degree team did a great job and I believe everyone had a wonderful evening. During our second meeting we approved two petitions for the 3 degrees in Masonry. Which leads me to April. Our first meeting we will be doing an EA degree for those 2 new candidates. Please come out and welcome them to the craft.

I want to take just a moment and thank everyone for the prayers and well wishes for me with the surgery I had to have back on March 4th. The support of the craft was great. I know it was very last minute, but when the VA gives you a date you take it. If you don’t it could be weeks or months before you get another. I had to jump on it. I am healing up well. I just must remember that even though I feel much better, there is still healing going on and I MUST take it easy. That and my wife watches me closely to make sure I don’t misbehave. A special thankyou to our Sr Warden, Steve Sumners, for his understanding and stepping in to run things while I recovered.

What else is going on you ask? Probably by the time you get this it will have passed, but there is a lodge picnic on March 28th at Flagler Park. I hope you were able to attend. If you did not get the emails about this, please let our Secretary Worshipful Brother Julio know so he can make sure you are on the email list. As mentioned there will be the EA degree on April 2nd. Easter is on April 5th. The monthly pancake breakfast will be on April 18th from 8 – 10am. For $8 it is a great value. Please come out and enjoy the fellowship. Our annual Shrimp Boil will be on April 25th from 4 – 7PM. The cost is $20 per person. You need to buy tickets in advance. This year you can buy them online. I will add the QR code you can scan with your phone at the end of my message. Brother Garry Gooldy’s band, Cypress Creek, will be playing. I hope to see you there! Also, on the 25th is Maters and Wardens with open books. It will be at the Ft Pierce Lodge and is open for Master Masons. Breakfast begins at 8am with the meeting starting at 9am. Open books is a great place to come and study and check on your ritual work.

Lastly, I would like to announce that starting in May our Sprig will begin coming out every other month. The look will be changing just a bit. I hope you find it still being informative and helpful. It will just show up on the odd numbered months instead of every month. The cost associated has been growing every year and in trying to be a good steward of your money, we thought it would be best to make this change.

As promised, this is the LINK for the Shrimp Boil Tickets.

https://buy.stripe.com/7sYbJ0em0aPn9PK4Qg1Nu04

May the Great Architect of the Universe watch over and keep you.

Fraternally yours,

Joseph Schoonover - Worshipful Master

From the Desk of the Worshipful Master

Greetings Brethren,
This year seems to be really moving. It is nearly March! Please accept our apologies
for not having a Sprig out for February. Due to several factors it was just impossible. I
believe we have corrected the issues we had and are ready to move forward, full speed
ahead.
I am sure everyone has already heard, but in case you have not, our Brother Bob
Eisenhardt has laid down his working tools and moved on to that beautiful house not made
with hands. Brother Bob served our fraternity faithfully for more than 60 years. There will be
a masonic funeral for him on February 28th. By the time this reaches you that will have
already passed. Please do keep his wife Pat and all his family in your prayers.
Last weekend we had the annual hotdog sale for the Stuart Art and Craft Fair. It was
a great success. I want to give a special thanks to Brother Efrain for his hard work putting
the event together. I also want to thank the Widows Sons for their generous donations that
helped make it a huge success. The feedback I have gotten from those who worked and
attended is great. Making a positive impact in the community and showing them who we
truly are will go a long way in building our great fraternity. We also had our Patriotic Night on
February 19th. Attendance was great. Our JW prepared a wonderful pulled pork dinner with
homemade mac-n-cheese. We gave out certificates of completion for MLT to Brothers
Efrain and Tim and Brother Efrain also received his certificate for completing MM 123.
Our First meeting in March will be a Fellow Craft degree. Please come out and
support our Brother Joe Ortega as he is passed to the degree of Fellow Craft. I know it
would mean a lot to him to be surrounded by his Brothers. The dinner that night will be
prepared by Brother Eric Schlossberg. I hear he is planning something special. We also
have several candidates in waiting for the EA Degree. Please be on the lookout for the
announce of when that will be taking place. Also, in March we are still trying to get a picnic
organized. Be watching for the info coming out on that.
On the note of info coming out. In addition to the Sprig, our Secretary sends out
emails and text messages with important info. If you are not getting these please first check
your spam for missed items and then let the secretary know if you have not gotten any
messages. He will check to make sure you are on the distribution list and that the info we
have is correct. If something is missing or wrong, he will get that updated quickly. Also
please be sure to check our website for updates. We are working to make sure it is always
100% correct and up to date. If you are reading this and have not been to a lodge meeting
for a while, please come. We would love to see you. We are always working on being better
and to improve ourselves in Masonry.
Finally, I know sometimes as men we find it di[icult to share our burdens or
hardships. If you need help, I encourage you to reach out and let me know. I can and will
keep you anonyms if you wish.
May the Great Architect of the Universe watch over and keep you.
Fraternally yours,
W:.M:. Joseph Schoonover

Brother Eisenhardt, of Hobe Sound, passed to the Celestial Lodge Above on February 11th at the age of 86. His life exemplified unwavering service, deep fraternal commitment, and steadfast dedication to the Craft.
Born in Thornburg, Pennsylvania, on September 2nd, 1939, he later moved to Boynton Beach, Florida, served in the military, and attended the University of Florida on a football scholarship. He went on to build a successful 40‑year career with S.C. Johnson & Son, serving territories in Charleston, SC, and Raleigh, NC.
After retiring, Brother Eisenhardt returned to Florida and became an integral part of the Treasure Coast Masonic community for nearly 25 years. A Mason for more than 60 years and a perpetual member of the York Rite, he served as Past District Deputy in the Chapter, Council, and Commandery. His extensive service also included:
Membership in St. Thomas of Acon, Knight Masons, and the York Rite Sovereign College, where he served as Past Governor and Degree Director
Membership in King of Kings XXV, Holy Royal Arch Knights Templar Priest
Election as Pursuant Sovereign of the Red Cross of Constantine
Associate membership in Hiram Lodge No. 40 in Raleigh, NC, where he had the privilege of attending Lodge with his son
Brother Eisenhardt was also a long‑time member of the District 22 Masters & Wardens Association, faithfully attending meetings and supporting district events. Many Brothers will remember his warm presence and steady participation in the Grand Lodge Hospitality Room, where he was a familiar and welcoming figure year after year.
His dedication was recognized through numerous honors, including the Order of the Purple Cross, the Ish Sodi Award, and Cryptic Mason of the Year. He was widely respected for his leadership, humility, and genuine kindness.
He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Patricia; his sister, Nancy Hennel; his children Nancy Wenning (Scott), Lisa Bender (Jeff), Robert Eisenhardt (Angela), Greg Barbour, and Jennifer Nelson; his grandchildren Robert Wenning, Michael Wenning (Marina), Jacob Bender (Stephanie), Eliza Schmidt (Joel), Sophie Eisenhardt, Dani Carnes (Halston), and Nate Nelson; and eight great‑grandchildren.

Photos by Brother Thomas Randazzo, You will be missed SIR Eisenhardt. RIP we honor his memory, support his family, and celebrate a life devoted to God, family, and the Craft.

The lodge members smoking 136 Pork Butts. Pickup is tomorrow morning 10:00-12:00 at Salerno Southern Methodist Church.

From the Desk of the Worshipful Master Jan 2026

Greetings Brethren,

Welcome to 2026! It’s hard to believe we are beginning another year together. First, I want to thank each of you for making 2025 such a successful and memorable year. Your hard work and dedication have helped our lodge remain a shining star in the community.

A special congratulations goes to our Mason of the Year, Brother Joe Amoratis—well deserved, Joe! I also want to thank everyone who attended the installation of officers for 2026. Your support means so much. Please join me in congratulating Past Master Jeremy Horton on his outstanding year of leadership. His inspiration and mentorship have been invaluable, and we are grateful for his service.

Our officers for 2026 are ready to serve: Senior Warden Steve Sumners, Junior

Warden Tim Van Den Heuvel, Senior Deacon Mike Lynn, Junior Deacon Efrain Vazquez, Senior Steward Richard King, Junior Steward John Hay, Marshal Joe Amoratis, Tyler Eric Vermilye, Chaplain Steve Hedrick, Musician Landon Friend, Secretary Julio Sanchez, and Treasurer John Pickford. Together, we look forward to working for Acacia Lodge and the Craft as a whole to make this year exceptional.

Although 2025 was a great year, there is still much work ahead. Every Brother has a talent or ability that can benefit the lodge—whether you’re an electrician who can help with repairs or someone who enjoys keeping things tidy, your contributions matter. Please reach out to me or one of the Wardens if you’d like to get involved. For those who already work quietly behind the scenes— thank you! Your efforts may not always be visible, but they are deeply appreciated.

This year, we’re focusing on family-friendly events that allow everyone— including wives and children—to join in the fun while supporting our charitable efforts. Please mark your calendars for January 30–31 for Pork Butts, February 19 for Patriotic Night (an open meeting with a guest speaker sharing his service experience), and February 21 for our hotdog sale at the lodge. Later in the year, we’ll host the Annual Dollars for Scholars Golf Tournament on No vember 7 and the Masters Ball on December 19. Additional events will be announced soon, so watch for updates in the Sprig, emails, and text messages from our Secretary. Brother Mark Porter will also keep our website updated at www.acacialodge163.org—thank you, Brother Mark, for your continued work

Brothers of Acacia Lodge No 163 F&AM, your new officers for the ensuing year.
WM Joseph Schoonover
SW Steven Sumners
JW Tim Van Den Heuvel
SD Michael Lynn
JD Efrain Vasquez II
SS Richard King
JS John Hays
Mus Landon Friend
Ty Eric Vermilye

Merry Christmas from Acacia lodge.

Acacia Lodge No 163 F&AM hosted The Officers and Members of St. Lucie Commandery No. 17 Knights Templar Fort Pierce York Rite Bodies on November 25th had the annual official inspection for the Ramsdell competition. Thank you to all the Sir Knights who helped and participated. It was good to see our Inspector General Sir Knight John Gray and his assistant Sir Knight Michael Leebove.