Thank you for the honor to be your Potentate of the El Riad Shrine Temple for 2020. I am very humbled and will do my best to serve the Nobility of this Temple.
Thank you to our newest past potentate (PP), Illustrious Sir John Whitelock, for his dedication to our Fraternity and his Leadership in 2019. It was an honor to follow this Marshall for nine years.
Thank you to all that were able to attend the Annual Meeting and Installation. Our newest member to the Divan Team is Bill Thompson, Bill is an officer of the Motor Corps Unit and on our Membership team. Our new Chief of Staff is Aaron Zahn, Assistant Chief of Staff is John (Hank) Schuety, Paul Berndt is our Chaplain, Don Laurila is our Temple Director and Brian (Sticky) Schultz as Chief Pote’s Aide. Please, as you see these gentlemen, congratulate them and thank them for their dedication to our Fraternity.
I want thank all who made the Annual Meeting and Installation Possible. The Culinary Unit, On the scale of one to ten they are a fifteen. The Chanters…WOW…thank you. The Steel Drum Band…another Wow, you guys are fantastic and my niece’s daughter Paisley agrees. Thank you. Legion of Honor, Pote’s Aides, our Office Staff Kent Quail, Gail Gustafson and Joel Baker and to anyone I may have missed, thank you.
Congratulations to our In-Town Shriner of the Year, Paul Berndt and our Out-of-Town Shriner of the Year, Rick Brownlee. These awards were well deserved and thank you for being great Shriners.
In 2020, I am asking El Riad to TAKE AN EXTRA STEP. To do this the list is endless. For example, membership…remember we are all on the Membership team. As PP Illustrious Sir Ken Steele said “replace yourself”.
Please support our Membership team Co-Chaired by PP Illustrious Sir John Archer and PP Illustrious Sir Charles Brown.
TAKE AN EXTRA STEP…
• Go back to Lodge
• Attend a Rush Party
• Attend a Stated Meeting
• Attend your Unit Meeting
• Help work one more event
• Buy one and sell one Cash Calendar
• Bring a friend to a Wednesday Night Social
• Wear something Shrine
This list does not stop…please TAKE AN EXTRA STEP.
On Saturday, January 18, the unit and club seminar had to be postponed due to a winter storm and blizzard.
Our upcoming MSA Winter Session will be in Regina, Canada, Feburary 6–8, hosted by WAWA Shrine Temple. The Summer Session will be August 12–15. The Imperial Shrine Session is in Kansas City July 4–9. Because the Imperial Session is so close I am asking El Riad to go to Kansas City. You are more than welcome to come to Regina, Canada if you wish.
Winter has showed up and some of us want warmer weather. March 2, we are out of here and headed to Cancun, Mexico. With Past Potentate John Whitelock’s “But for the Shrine” you know it’s gonna be a party.
Lastly, I want to thank the Ladies. The support you give us is priceless. We are able to do what we love, because you allow us the time and support us for what we do. My Lady Du were it not for you I would be lost without your guidance and support. From Lady Du and myself thank you.
Thank you to all and remember the words from PP Illustrious Sir Jim Burma Jr. “We are the El Riad!”
Fraternally,
Al Zahn, Potentate
El Riad Shriners