Potentate’s Notes September 2021

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Welcome back from summer break. It’s been a busy summer for many of us, but I am looking forward to seeing all of you soon.

This summer your Divan and several Past Potentates represented Zenobia at the Imperial Session for voting on various legislation brought forward this year. I am proud to say that your representatives voted and acted with unity and our brotherhood as the focus.

For the families of our members and community we held a drive-in movie at the Shrine that went very well. A big thank you to Jacob Squire and John Grafing for set up and the technology to make this possible. We enjoyed watching some family friendly movies and I am happy to say the Millers and Fries finally saw “A Princess Bride.”

The Marksmen also held a “Big Game Hunt” where attendees had the opportunity to use air guns to hit animal crackers. Several fami­lies attended and the Pitmasters barbecued some excellent burgers for everyone to enjoy. It was a creative event that was loved by all, and we hope you will have the chance to attend next year.

As we come back from summer, the Divan ladies are putting on a pig roast to be enjoyed by family and friends alike. We hope you buy one of the supporting piggy banks and come out to the event.

Your Divan also attended the Ohio Shrine meeting in July, and we are so proud of our own Illustrious Boyd Durain, representing Zenobia for the state of Ohio. Also in attendance was the Deputy Grand Master of the Ohio Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Ma­sons, Tim Wheeland. He rolled out an excellent program that the Divan thinks you will be excited about and we will present on it at the September meeting.

If you had the opportunity to attend the John Hoffman Memorial Golf Outing, I hope you had as much fun as I did. Our turnout was great with 30 teams coming out and more sponsors than I can count. Our hearts go out to Robin Hoffman and the Hoffman family, as well as the family of Tim Martin, the two chairmen of our event who we have lost this last year. In loving memory of John and Tim, their fam­ilies put together teams and Robin chaired the event. We have John and Tim to thank for the great weather we enjoyed and Tim Martin’s son-in-law and daughter won the event this year. Thank you to Heatherdowns Country Club, the Divan ladies and all the other vol­unteers who came out to help, the Hoffman and Martin families, Dan from the Shriners Chicago Childrens Hospital, everyone that came out to golf or help, and anyone I might have missed.

We hope you enjoyed the fellowship we shared in helping out the National Tractor Pull this year. A big thank you to both the drivers and people who manned the Sportsmen’s Raffle booth at the tractor pull, as well as those who provided all the fantastic food you enjoyed during breaks. Without your help we wouldn’t be able to sell the tickets we need to make the Sportsmen’s Raffle successful each year. Please continue getting the Sportsmen’s Raffle tickets out this year to the community.

Come on out to the stated meeting in September. We will have a casual meeting with burgers and hot dogs before the meeting. Thank you all for what you have done to make this year great so far, and we look forward to many more months and years of Family, Fun, and Fellowship.

Potentate’s Notes May 2021

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We enjoyed the hospitality of both the 5th and 11th District re­ceptions last month, and one of the highest compliments for our Shrine came during a conversation with the Ohio Grand Lodge offi­cers. We spoke about the personality of each Masonic District and when we discussed northwest Ohio they mentioned that Zenobia per­meated the personality of this area. The Grand Lodge loved the way we are integrated into the blue lodges and how our members are so active in all the various Masonic bodies and activities. I wanted to thank all of our members for supporting their lodges, their districts and all the other appendant bodies we are a part of. Without your presence we wouldn’t be the Shrine we are today. One Grand Lodge officer even spoke about becoming an endowed member of our Shrine because he loves our members and activities. What high praise from these hard working Masons who see our fraternity in all fashions from Ohio and around the nation and world.

I want to thank Noble John Fulton, Noble Dick Fries and all the Nobles and brothers who attended our Friendship Night. Your atten­dance is an amazing testament to how we all serve as ambassadors to the fraternity, and we are all responsible for membership. Speak­ing of membership, we are having our ceremonial in just a few days. It is not too late for a Mason to turn in their petition to become a member for our ceremonial on the 15th at 2:00 p.m. Our Member­ship Director, Noble Steve Hessler, the Dramatic Cast and Director’s Staff have a wonderful program planned. It is exciting to see the an­tics coming back to our ceremonial, and I know that several of our new members are excited for it.

Please don’t forget to pick up your onions and provide them to the community for one of our biggest fundraisers. A big thank you to Noble Dave Black and Noble Kevin Ridgeway for being our point people on this endeavor. Please thank Illustrious Tuttle, when you see him as well, for all he provided to the onions for years.

June is a big month for our Shrine as well, with the potentate’s party on Saturday, June 5; tabloid sales; the Clown golf outing Sat­urday, June 19, and the Strawberry Festival parade in Holland. The potentate’s party committee has put together an appropriate theme this year with a Rat Pack vibe, live music and great drinks. I am sure there are some tables left, so if you want to participate in the revelry, please contact the office or Noble Harder, Weiker or Illustrious Mur­phy for a reservation.

Our clubs and units have been very active lately and we are high­lighting the Roadrunners this month and the Clowns in June. A big thank you to the Wise Guys, Pitmasters and Tiffin Hornets for out­standing representation this year. Please support these units by at­tending a meeting and checking them out. We are so lucky to have such active and innovative units, so please support them.

If you have not purchased your piggy bank for the pig roast here at the Shrine on Saturday, September 11, please contact one of the Divan or the Divan ladies. We would be happy to get you a piggy bank, which is your ticket for the event.

We have a lot going on still this year and those who have been to an event are so excited. If you have not had the opportunity to par­ticipate yet, please consider doing so. We are creating so many new stories and memories and we would love for you to be a part of them.