Arabian Tales
Volume 31 – Issue #3
MESSAGE from the POTENTATE Illustrious Sir, Ed Stolze This year is flying by; I can’t believe the first quarter is almost over. The Nobility of El Zaribah is continuing to do a great job and move us towards our goals, and at the same time, having Fun and Fellowship. A great big thanks goes out to all of the Nobles and Ladies who participated in the Bash before the Ball and the Potentate’s Ball. If you missed these two functions, you truly missed a great time. We had over 200 people at the Bash, and the El Zaribah Performance Troupe really out did themselves this year, including Illustrious Sir Jack Garrett in his “Senior Chief” Uniform. Thank you to the Troupe for making the evening eventful and fun. Imperial Sir Bill Bailey and Lady Deb were impressed by all of the Shriners and their Ladies, and the work and dedication each one of you does for our Shrine. Lady Cheryl and I have two projects this year. We are raising money for the 3rd Annual Shrine Children’s Christmas Party, which will be held in December. We also want to put in a raised, digital sign out on 40th Street. It is very important that we take every opportunity to show off our Shrine Auditorium, and a new sign will be one way we can do that. As some of you have heard me talk over the last 3 months at the numerous OVs and events, Shriners International’s membership has now dropped below 300,000. Our membership total in El Zaribah is at 1,643. It is imperative that every member take seriously the need for gaining members, but at the same time, keeping and retaining those members we have within the Fraternity. Your Divan and Membership Team have worked hard to build and rebuild the relationships with the Grand Lodge, Masonic Lodges, Scottish and York Rites, and the DeMolay, and we will continue to work diligently to ensure that Arizona Masonry and El Zaribah stay strong. Together We will Conquer All, and each of us needs to remember our roots in the Masonic Family and ensure that we are doing everything we can to bring in new Masons and Shriners. We are rebuilding the membership committee and are looking for Shriners who are willing to assist us in building membership and mentorship programs that will take us into the future. Please contact any Divan member if you’re interested in assisting us in this task. One of the big projects we have going on is the start up of a new Lodge (Hunters Paradise), upstairs in the Blue Lodge Room. We have over 30 applications for membership and have requested dispensation from the Grand Lodge to start this Lodge. This will be a true and operational Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in Arizona, giving those of us who are at the temple every night the opportunity to practice the craft and continue our growth in Masonic education. Your Divan is also looking at more ways of building fiscal resources. Jane Clark, our new PR/Marketing person continues to bring in new business, and we are continually looking for ways to cut costs, and be more efficient in our spending practices. We ask that all Shriners and their Ladies who have ideas on how to make the Temple or our programs better, to please speak with any Divan Member. On a sad note, we have lost a very special person in our office. Lynn Britton, our Assistant Office Manager, passed away suddenly on February 10, 2013. She has been a mainstay in our front office for over 10 years and always had a smile for everyone. Her presence was a positive influence in everything she did, and she will be greatly missed. God gave us an Angel for a while, but she’s been called home. We will all be better because we knew her.
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