Bill Thompson is the new Outer Guard of the Divan. If you don’t know him, get to know him. He is a great guy.
Bill was born in Grinnell, Iowa and has lived in Nebraska and now South Dakota. Right after high school, Bill went into the Marine Corps. After the military, Bill started his career as a State Farm Agent and continues to due so today.
Bill is a husband, father, and grandfather. He married Lady Kim in 1988 who works with Bill and they have two children.
Their daughter, Melissa, is a commercial lender and lives with her husband Jimmy Reed in Grand Island, NE. Jimmy is a realtor and they have a daughter and are expecting another.
Their son, Chris, lives in Chandler, AZ with his girlfriend Abby. Chris works for State Farm at their hub in Phoenix and Abby is a traveling nurse working in Chandler.
In 1997, Bill was raised a Master Mason in North Riverside Lodge and had a dual membership with Morningside Lodge. He also joined the Scottish Rite and York Rite. He is now a member of Unity Lodge here in Sioux Falls. Bill joined Abu Bekr Shrine Temple in May of 1998. He joined the White Horse Mounted Patrol and other social memberships. Before moving to Nebraska, Bill was President and Captain of the White Horse Mounted Patrol, Membership Committee and Marshall on the Divan with Abu Bekr.
In 2017, Bill joined El Riad Shrine. He is currently the Road Captain for the El Riad Motor Corps, member of the Ski Unit, on the Membership Committee, and also the Outer Guard on the Divan.
This journey started because Bill’s friends knew he could ride a horse and convinced him to become a member of the White Horse Mounted Patrol. When asked if he had anything else he wanted to share Bill said, “joining these various fraternal organizations has been the highlight of my life and my families life. The friends we have made in both of these Shrine Temples are friends we will have the rest of our lives. I am a natural helper so it is nice to know that there are people that can count on me and I can count on them. Personally and professionally being on the level is the best way to go through life. Our kids most fond memories are those spent with us going to a parade, shrine outing or family trips with our shrine family friends. So it is safe to say that I and my family are who we are because of those we have surrounded ourselves with all these years and thank God for that.”
Go introduce yourself to Bill and meet your new friend.