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FROM THE RECORDER’S DESK...
Well here it is, December already, and
we are about to have another meeting,
election and installation of a new Divan. I
just can’t understand how time goes so fast
in a Shrine year, but how slow it drags on
when you’re in a meeting. Yet another one
of those mysteries of life.
I would like to share the following with
all of our Nobles –
ALL APPOINTMENTS BY A
POTENTATE EXPIRE AT THE
END OF HIS TERM
For the information of all Nobles, when
a Potentate’s term of office expires, all of
the appointments made by him during his
administration also terminate.
Appointments include but are not limited
to the Potentate’s Staff, the Appointive
Divan, Ambassadors, Membership
Representatives, Chairman of Committees,
and their members, Appointive Officers
and Ceremonial Divan.
On occasion, it is mistakenly believed,
or assumed, by some Nobles that their
appointments are permanent.
This is NOT the case. Each Potentate,
when he is installed in office as the Chief
Executive of a Temple of the Mystic
Shrine must make his own appointments,
including the 1st and 2nd Ceremonial
Masters, Director, Marshal, Captain of the
Guard, Outer Guard and Chaplain.
The Potentate has the power and
authority under the Imperial Shrine Law to
replace every appointee, or he may, if he
believes it to be in the best interest of the
Temple, retain all appointees by
re-appointment.
Traditionally many Nobles of
demonstrated ability are continued in
office or appointment by re-appointment.
But this is at the will and pleasure of the
incoming Potentate.
If a Noble is to continue in his
appointive office or position, by
re-appointment, he will be notified by the
incoming Potentate, to that affect.
The Voice of Syria December 2018
Should any Noble not holding an
appointment by the current Potentate, wear
a Fez carrying a title bestowed upon him
by a previous Potentate, the Noble wearing
that Fez does so in violation of the Imperial
Code, except for an Ambassador, which is a
lifetime appointment.
In the event a Noble is not re-appointed to
a position, his feelings should not be
offended as there are many good Nobles that
deserve an opportunity to serve Syria
Temple.
The Syria Shriners are affiliated with and
directly support Shriners Hospitals for
Children, a health care system of 22
hospitals that provide pediatric specialty
care. Children up to the age of 18 with
orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord
injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible
for care and receive all services in a family- life. Please don’t be sad that I am leaving
centered environment regardless of the
patient’s ability to pay.
Please keep this in mind, with everything
you say, think and do, because we do this all
for the sake of the Children. Just imagine
if we took ALL the energy we waste on
the petty things every day, and put it toward
fulfilling our mission. We would be one
tremendously unstoppable force.
Think about why you joined the Masons,
and then sought to become a Shriner. Think
about the Oath and Obligation you took in
both bodies. I ask all of you to look your-
selves in the mirror, and ask yourself – “am
I a better man for doing this”? You know
Freemasonry makes a good man better. Has
it helped you to become a BETTER man?
I ask you all to do some soul searching,
and try to look beyond, and to get beyond
any pettiness. Are our actions, our thoughts,
words and deeds making our Shrine a better
place to be a member? Let’s all come
together, work to get new members, and
make our Shrine GROW, so that we’ll never
have to worry that someday we may cease to
exist. Replacing yourself with just ONE new
member will double our numbers, and get us
to almost 9,000 members. Then the next
year, let’s do it again, almost 20,000
members. See where I’m going here? We
need to work together for the betterment
of the Syria Shrine, and therefore the
betterment of our wonderful hospital
system. We can’t stop now!!!!
With all of that being said, I must sadly
announce my retirement as the Recorder
of the Syria Shrine Center. It is with a
great deal of mixed emotions that I have
come to this decision, but in case you
have not heard, I accepted an appointment
as the Chief of Police of the Springdale
Borough Police Department. If you know
anything about me at all, you know how
much I missed being a COP! It has been
in my blood since I was a child. I am now
again able to do what is my passion in
the Recorders positon, be happy we got to
work together for a time.
I began this new phase of my life in
late June of this year, but have found it
increasingly difficult, nay, impossible to
serve the Shrine Center with the
necessary time and efforts required. I
have not resigned yet, as I was elected to
this position, and wished to serve out my
elected term of Office. I thank the elected
Divan for allowing me the opportunity to
do so.
I am waiting until our next Quarterly
meeting, which, by the way will be on
Monday January 7, 2019, at 7:30 pm. I
will not resign, but rather will not
accept any nomination for this position.
I encourage every Shriner in the Oasis
of Syria to attend and vote. This is your
Shrine, and the Potentate and Divan work
for you, not the other way around.
Nevertheless, it has truly been my
privilege to serve all the members of the
Syria Shrine Center. Sometimes I made
you happy, and sometimes I made you
sad. Please know I always tried to do the
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