Volume 51 Issue 8 Tacoma, Washington September 2015 Kenneth Keesler Potentate Thank you Nobles for all your hard work and for sharing the good works that the Shrine Hospital is doing. As we enter into September there are several things that will be happen- ing. First we will be honoring our Past Potentates’ and old timers. I am looking forward to the fellowship and the opportunity to share with you what has been going on during the summer months. Right after the Stated meeting Lewis County Shrine Club will be up in Packwood selling tickets for our raf- fle car. This is a big weekend and they could use your help if you have the time. The week following Labor day we will be setting up for the Puyallup fair and getting ready for our final push in raffle sells for the car. Remember that this year we are going to have the drawing at the Puyallup fair on the last day (27th) at 5pm. We are really pushing to get as many Nobles as possible to the drawing on the last day, so please show your support and mark your calendars. If you would like to volunteer for a shift please let Doug Baker or me know right away. Lets not forget that we have a parade in Aberdeen on the 12th. IS Doug Bates always makes sure there is great conversation and plenty to eat and drink. Octobers meeting will be with Thurston/Mason Shrine club on their meeting night, which is the 23rd of October.
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Volume 51 Issue 8 Tacoma, Washington September 2015
Kenneth Keesler
Potentate
Thank you Nobles for all your hard
work and for sharing the good works
that the Shrine Hospital is doing. As
we enter into September there are
several things that will be happen-
ing. First we will be honoring our
Past Potentates’ and old timers. I
am looking forward to the fellowship
and the opportunity to share with
you what has been going on during
the summer months. Right after the
Stated meeting Lewis
County Shrine Club will be up in
Packwood selling tickets for our raf-
fle car. This is a big weekend and
they could use your help if you have
the time. The week following Labor
day we will be setting up for the
Puyallup fair and getting ready for
our final push in raffle sells for the
car. Remember
that this year we
are going to have
the drawing at the
Puyallup fair on
the last day (27th)
at 5pm. We are
really pushing to
get as many Nobles as possible to
the drawing on the last day, so
please show your support and mark
your calendars. If you would like to
volunteer for a shift please let Doug
Baker or me know right away. Lets
not forget that we have a parade in
Aberdeen on the 12th. IS Doug
Bates always makes sure there is
great conversation and plenty to eat
and drink.
Octobers meeting will be with
Thurston/Mason Shrine club on
their meeting night, which is the
23rd of October.
With the Strategic Plan nearing completion, it is time to begin imple-menting our top priori-ties. One of those pri-orities is enhancing our relationship with our Masonic lodges. The Shrine does not add any moral or ethical principles to those of Freemasonry. Our lodges are the place where we learn and practice those princi-ples. The lodges are also the place where our bonds of brother-hood are first formed. The Shrine provides
the opportunity to form additional bonds and, through our hospitals, to demonstrate those princi-ples. Our hospitals are one of a handful of purely Ma-sonic charities. They were created by Masons and Masons (past and present) provide the bulk of their funding. I hope every lodge would consider these charities as their own and set a goal to support them. At the Imperial Session, I learned that in North Dako-ta, 81% of the Master Masons are Shriners. They real-ize that they are all part of the Masonic family. And, as a family, we may have set up different “households”, but our commitment to brotherhood and mutual support transcends organizational distinc-tion.
So what is our responsibility to our lodges? First, we each need to be active in our lodge. If you joined Ma-sonry to immediately advance to the Shrine so you
could be a clown or fundraise for our hospitals, then you have missed an incredible gift given to you by your lodge. Those principles I mentioned will guide you to becoming a better human being. They are so profound and so fundamental to navigating this com-plex world that you short change yourself if you do not work in your lodge to better understand them and learn how to apply them. I was a Mason for 38 years before I joined the Shrine (I became a Past Master, District Deputy, Grand Lodge officer and committee-man). I guess it takes longer for some of us to “get it”. What I “got” was that I was being recognized by family members of Shrine Hospital children as a contributor to the hospitals simply because I was a Mason. They didn’t see us as “separate”. If I was a Mason, I must obviously be a Shriner. I could have fixed that by con-tributing cash to the hospitals without becoming a Shriner but I believe that brothers working together can accomplish more than a man alone. So I joined the team. But I have not abandoned my lodge. I’m currently Senior Warden and very active in my dis-trict.
There are 46 lodges in our geographical area (districts 3, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19). I’ve set a goal to visit eve-ry one of them at least once in the next 16 months with a message of cooperation and mutual support. I want to establish “Shrine Ambassadors” for each of those lodges so we can share ideas and identify oppor-tunities to attend and support their activities. We are always looking for opportunities to have fun. That doesn’t mean we have to be the ones to always provide them. If a lodge has a fun activity planned, let’s add it to our calendar and support it (less work for us). Consider becoming an Ambassador. It doesn’t require any more work because you’re attending your lodge already. Remember, “Brothers working together can accomplish more than a man alone”.
Ray Zimmerman
Chief Rabban—Protem
Afifi News moves to E-mail and Website
Starting with the February 2015 issue, we will be distributing the Afifi News via e-mail, Facebook and posting on the www.afifishrine.org website. The response to sending the Afifi News electronically has been very positive and has resulted in huge cost savings. Clubs & Units should update their rosters with members e-mail addresses and those who do not have e-mail. If a Noble does not have access to e-mail or the website, they will need to notify their Shrine Club Secretary and have him print them a copy. Recently it has been decided that for an an-nual subscription fee of $30.00 (prepaid) you can now receive the Afifi News by mail. Details are on pg. 9
Afifi Black Camel Report
August 2015
David P. Burrough 73, Shriner 32 years
Paul R. Hunter 77, Shriner 22 years
1950 Chevy Two Door Coup with an inline six and three speed
manual transmission.
Car has been restored to include heated seats, AM/FM stereo, power trunk popper, after market
heater and A/C that blows cold air.
VIN#A89155769
Tickets are available, $5.00 ea. see your local Shriner.
The car will be at the Puyallup Fair from
Sept. 11 to Sept. 27, 2015
We will need all hands on deck to ensure that all shifts are
covered and that the tickets and money are collected. If
you can help out give Noble Ben Schatz a call.
Noble Ben can be reached at:
360 480 8336
“Frank Patchell Jr. enjoyed celebrating his 100th birthday
with family, friends, nobility and a grand group of Illustrious
Sirs. Happy Birthday Patch!”
Donations to Patient
Transportation Fund
June 2015
Mildred S. Igawa
Stephen & Judith Turner
Robert & Marilyn McFarland
Kimberly E. Jones
Joan & Thomas Caldwell
Toshio & Suzanne Akamatsu
Rufus & Trudy Allen
In Memory of Noble Thomas K. Jones Jr. M.D.
Doug & Diane Baker
In Memory of Nobles David Burrough and Paul Hunter
Frank Patchell
Afifi Provo Guard
On behalf of the Children,
We thank you
September 2015
Afifi “Stated” Meeting—Old Timers & Past Pote’s—Sept 3
You’re a Shriner. When you become a Shriner you become
part of a brotherhood of men committed
to family, engaged in ongoing personal
growth, and dedicated to providing care
for children in need.
While our backgrounds and interests may
be diverse, what binds us together are
shared values and a desire to have fun, do
good, and build bonds that can last a life-
time.
Becoming a Shriner is easier than you
think and its rewards can be far more that
you expect.
Visit our website
beashrinernow.com
Birthday Club Donations
The below listed Nobles
have generously donated to the
Distressed Nobles Dues Support Program
William L. Arent
LeRoy W. Walton Jr.
Rory Johnson
Murray Falk
Charles T. Heberle III
Wesley Odani
Donald J. Daly
Basil Anton
Jack L. Wormwood
Wilton Ellison
Unknown Noble
“Thank You Nobles”
September is here al-
ready the year has been
moving pretty fast.
The Divan has several
projects underway. One
of the things we are
working on is our Strate-
gic plan. This is a docu-
ment that will serve as
our roadmap over the
next several years how
we do business, what
issues we will focus on
and lead to where Afifi
will be in the next five
years.
The other is the sale of our building. This is a priority for the
Divan so that we can focus on the future and fun of Afifi. Once
we have sold the building we can start the next chapter Afifi’s
sure to be long and fruitful future. This will be both challenging
and exciting as we will doing things in ways that we may have
never thought of before. We will have to be creative and willing
to try new ideas in order to be successful. This is where each
and everyone of you come in.
My hope is that we all become even more involved with each of
the Clubs and Units. Afifi Divan will visit and likely hold many of
our meetings across Afifi’s jurisdiction.
There are many Shrine Temples across the country that are al-
ready doing what we will soon be doing ourselves. Many of
those Temples are very successful and continue to carry on the
Shrine mission while having fun. Afifi Temple will join the ranks
of those before us who have shown that it is possible to contin-
ue without a brick and mortar shrine temple. I look forward to
working with each and every one of you over the next several
years in making this reality a success.
Some of the work that lies ahead of us is our membership; both
in retention and finding new members. There are a couple of
ways we can do this. One way is to be active Masons in our
Lodges. Go to your Lodge meetings; participate in events and
show everyone what and who Shriners are. Shriners are Masons
who have decided to do more for our Masonic Family by becom-
ing Shriners. To be a good Shriner you must be a good Mason.
Another way is to reach out to our current members; the Nobles
you have not seen in a while. Give them a call. Invite them to
come out to the next Club or Unit meeting. Be sure to have a
program that will keep them coming back.
Nobles while embarking into the unknown may be daunting it
can be very exciting. I am excited and believe in my heart that
Afifi will persevere.
Edward Woods
Assistant Rabban—Protem
Patient Transportation Fund Report
Doug Baker - Recorder
The AFIFI Patient Transportation Fund is healthy because numerous of our Nobles several Clubs &
Units and outside sponsors have been very generous. We are fortunate that most of our currently spon-
sored children live close to the Portland Unit and require little or no support from us to receive their excel-
lent care. Our most notable expenses are still associated with patients treated at Shriners Hospitals far dis-
tant from the Portland Hospital.
We are currently sponsoring six Shrine Kids being treated at Shriners Hospitals outside the Pacific
Northwest area. These kids and a parent require continual support of our paying major transportation ex-
penses to distant hospitals. The most dramatic issue has to do with a patient being treated at the Boston
Hospital twice a month and patients being treated at Montreal, Chicago and Sacramento Hospitals several
times each year. We carefully monitor the expenses to ensure compliance with our intentions, but even
then the totals can be staggering. The best news is that all the children are being carefully attended to and
are their conditions are improving on schedule. Our October 23, 2015 Hospital and Patient Appreciation
meeting sponsored by the Thurston Mason Shrine Club in Olympia will address the Shriners Hospitals for
Children and several ideas of their new directions and achievements. Put the date on your calendar now
and plan to invite your family and friends. It will be a very informative meeting. On behalf of their parents and guardians and most especially the children:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
From the Clubs and Units
Afifi Clubs and Units. Do you have something to
share from your Shrine Club or Unit; send us your
photo’s and a short description so we can share with
all of our Afifi Nobles. Let others see what you are
up to or what you have for upcoming events. Who
knows you may even see some new faces.
Article submissions are due by the 10th of each
month.
They can be sent to the following email address:
Thurston Mason Shrine Club
Nobles, I have good news. Thurston Mason Shrine Club has three days scheduled to sell raffle tickets at the Puyallup Fair. The days are September 25th, 26th and the 27th. This is the last Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the fair. The raffle drawing will be held at the end of the fair this year while we are there. I would ex-pect a large rush and lots of sales to be made. Our club is in a good position to do well. We all need to pitch in to sell tickets. I've set a schedule below to sign up (two people per shift). Ben Schatz or I will be able to get tickets to you.
Friday
9:00-2:00 2:00-7:00
7:00-11:00 Saturday 9:00-2:00 2:00-7:00
7:00-11:00 Sunday
9:00-1:00 1:00-5:00
5:00-10:00 Raffle is at 10:00
Please email or call me to sign up. Get a brother to
sign up with you.
Sam Lantow (360) 481-6730
Secretary
Grays Harbor Shrine Club
Greetings Nobles & Ladies:
September is almost here! I hope your summer was a great one. September 3rd is our stated meeting for Afifi at the Shrine Center in Tacoma. This is our annual Old Timer’s & Past Potentate’s night so make sure you RSVP to our Recorder so that you have your reserva-tion set.
September 12th is Hoquiam Logger’s Playday Parade. GHSC will again be hosting hospitality prior to the pa-rade with lunch after the parade. All festivities will be
held at the Hoquiam Masonic Bldg. on the corner of 8th & K Streets.
NOTE: Be aware when coming into Hoquiam as there will be road detours due to the closure of the Hoquiam River Bridge for work. October 9th – ZemZem @ 6:00 pm dinner @ 7:00 pm
Kenneth Keesler Potentate Dusty Rhodes Chief Rabban Alex Jordan Assistant Rabban Ray Zimmermann High Priest & Prophet Edward C. Woods Oriental Guide Ben Schatz Treasurer Douglas Baker Recorder
Appointed Divan
Ross Retzlaff 1st Ceremonial Master Rory Johnson 2nd Ceremonial Master Larry Newsham Director of Units Gerald Burg Marshal Billy Wolfe Captain of the Guard Cord Anderson Outer Guard I.S. W. Gary Norton Chaplain Hugh D. Ford Ambassador Rod Mason Ambassador
Afifi Board of Directors Kenneth Keesler, Potentate/Chair
Dusty Rhodes Alex Jordan
Ray Zimmerman Edward C. Woods
Ben Schatz Douglas Baker
Membership Chairman
Sam Lantow
Fundraising Chairmen I.S. Kenneth Keesler & Billy Wolfe
Hospital Representatives
Portland Hospital - Board of Governors Ray McDermott
IS Keith Christensen Rory Johnson
Hospital Representatives Emeritus
Hon. Richard Brosey – George Mohoric, DDS IS W. Brandt Bede MD – IS Douglas A. Baker
RESERVATIONS are IMPORTANT (NOBLES PLEASE MAKE NOTE)
In an effort to alleviate the confusion for dinner and to be sure that eve-ryone who has made a reservation is served a quality meal the following change is being made. All who have made a dinner reservation will be sold a dinner ticket and served first. Those who have not made a reservation will be sold a dinner ticket, however they will not be served until all who have made a reservation have been served. If those who have not made a reservation find that there is not enough food when they are received, they will receive a re-fund for their late-purchased ticket. There will be no seconds until every-one is served.
All reservations must be in by the Monday prior to the Thursday meeting.
Nobles after much discussion and considera-tion the Divan decided to make the Afifi News available in print. This will be Color copy, you can go online to see the full color version.
There will be an annual Subscription Rate of $30 a year (pre-paid) to have the Afifi News sent to your mail box. You can send a check made out to the Ray Zimmerman. Checks are to be sent to:
You are certainly aware of the recent political controversy relating to the display of the Confederate Battle flag
by units of government. Shriners International is not a political organization. Therefore, it has no interest in in-
volving itself in the political debate over whether this particular flag should or should not be displayed. As your
Imperial Potentate, however, I have a great interest and an even greater responsibility in ensuring this political
controversy does no harm to Shriners International or Shriners Hospitals for Children.
As a Texan, I understand the passions that surround this issue. In drafting this Special Order, I had to dispas-
sionately consider the following question: “Is the display of this flag beneficial to Shriners International or
Shriners Hospitals for Children?” I ask that you carefully consider this question from the perspective of our
great fraternity. If the display of this flag by Shriners is not beneficial to our fraternity or to the children we
serve, what, then, is the purpose of the display?
Therefore, we have ordered Temples, Units and Clubs to refrain from using the Confederate Battle Flag in
Shrine or Civic Parades and in Shrine or non-Shrine public appearances and events. We also ordered that a
Temple, Unit or Club refrain from participating in non-Shrine public appearances in which a Confederate Battle
Flag is expected to be displayed by the organizer, promoter or those in control of the premises or facility of the
non-Shrine event.
The purpose of this effort is to protect the image of Shriners International and Shriners Hospitals for Children
from those who would seek to drag our fraternity and charity into a political debate that has absolutely nothing
to do with strengthening our great fraternity and the World’s Greatest Philanthropy, Shriners Hospitals for Chil-
dren. This order is not issued for purposes of “political correctness.” To the contrary, this Special Order contin-
ues the long-standing position of Shriners International to avoid political entanglements.
Additionally, this Special Order is intended to protect the peace and the safety of our members and members of
the general public who attend events where Shrine Temples, Units or Clubs participate. In addition to threats of
violence against those who display the Confederate Battle Flag, there have also been violent actions. This Spe-
cial Order is not motivated by a sense of fear but instead by prudent judgment based upon actual occurrences
and the foreseeability of future harm to those attending events where Shriners participate and damage to the
reputation of Shriners International.
Many of our members are aware of very unfortunate incidents that have occurred in the distant, as well as the
very recent, past in which the display of the Confederate Battle Flag led to serious harm to the reputation of our
fraternity, where no harm was intended. While appropriate efforts to apologize for the harm caused by the dis-
play have in certain cases been made, some measure of that harm cannot be erased.
OFFICE OF
JERRY G. GANTT
IMPERIAL POTENTATE
MEMBER
ARABIA SHRINERS
HOUSTON, TX
Our reputation has been built by nearly one hundred fifty years of selfless service to mankind. Shriners are re-
spected and trusted throughout the world. It is unfortunate but true that one sensational and unintended incident,
captured on a cell phone and alleged to have been provoked by the display of the Confederate Battle Flag at a
parade, could have devastating consequences for the future of our fraternity and our charity. It would be irre-
sponsible to ignore the fact that there are politically motivated people who would eagerly seek out the oppor-
tunity to create such a controversy.
This Special Order restricts display of the Confederate Battle Flag only as it relates to the participation of No-
bles in their capacity as Shriners. It does not, in any way, place any limitation upon any Noble’s right to express
his personal views or expressions on the issue. Furthermore, this Special Order does not limit a Noble’s ability
to freely associate with others in historical, patriotic or heritage organizations, such as Sons of Confederate Vet-
erans. It does not limit a Noble from joining an organization of other like-minded individuals in advocating for
or against any political question. The only prohibition is that a Noble attending such non-Shrine events or gath-
erings be careful not to give any impression that his participation is in any way related to an official Shrine
body.
Historically, our leaders have protected our fraternity by keeping it separate and apart from divisive political
issues. This Special Order continues that tradition, so that we can remain focused on our stated mission.
Shriners are admired and respected throughout the world for our integrity and compassion. We are committed
to protecting the hard-earned reputation built by generations of Shriners. Together, we have moved mountains
by building a great fraternity and a world-class health care system. I ask that you work with me to protect
Shriners International and Shriners Hospitals for Children from the divisiveness and unnecessary strife typically
caused by political controversies.
Our fraternity currently faces many great challenges. It will take the focused energy and commitment of every
one of us, working together, to meet those challenges and strengthen both our fraternity and philanthropy. Let
us focus on those efforts and the purposes to which our founders and forbearers selflessly and steadfastly dedi-
cated their lives, and continue to move forward together, in unshakeable unity, as brothers.
I thank you for your understanding and for your commitment to Shriners International and Shriners Hospitals
for Children. I value and appreciate every one of my fellow nobles.
Yours in the Faith,
Jerry G. Gantt
Imperial Potentate
Nobles, I’ve created an Afifi Google calendar. If you add this “ical” link:
(https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/s7v0snl2rrdg547uom6r0e9p9o%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics) to your Outlook or Google (or other “ical” compatible) calen-dar, it will include it in your calendar. As I make changes to the calen-dar, it will then update your calendar automatically. Your calendar program will have a “help” explanation on how to do that. Please send me event additions, deletions or corrections so I can keep the calendar accurate.
The summer parades are happening and Afifi Shriners are on the street making and having fun! Capital Lakefair was well attended by many No-bles. Lets keep up the momentum and finish the year Shrine strong.
Remember: WE ARE SHRINERS HAVING FUN HELPING KIDS! Let’s Just Do It!
Afifi Shriners Remaining Schedule of Parades for 2015:
Saturday, September 12th- Loggers' Playday and Parade, Hoquiam
Saturday, December 5th - Shelton Christmas Tree Town Parade, Shelton
Saturday, December 12th - Montesano Festival of Lights & Parade, Montesano