SHRINER MARCH 2018

CeNter
NeWS
Clowns
Thank goodness February is past! For
the clowns it’s always slow with no
dress-outs to be had! We stayed busy
regardless meeting most Tuesdays at
the “barn” going over skits and just
enjoying the fellowship (and Razz’s
pickled eggs). The Erin St. Patrick’s
Day parade on March 17th will be our
first of the year. It will be great to get
back into make-up and bring joy to
the crowds.
The Valentines Part was well
attended, chaired by our Captain
Frank “Froggy” Wilson. The romantic
movie theme decor that Lady Valerie
came up with was wonderful! Thanks
are in order for the kitchen crew, the
steak dinner was perfect.
Not to sound like a broken record
(millennials can look that up), but
March is time for the South East
Shrine Clown Association (SESCA)
Mid-Winter convention and clown
competition; also known as the “2018
Shrine Clown Jamboree” March 8
through 10 in the Great Smokey
Mountains, Gatlinburg Tennessee.
We’ve dusted off some classic skits
and look forward to bringing home
the trophies!
Congratulations are in order for
Clay “Flat Top” Hedgepath and Brent
“Shooter” Aulidge. They’ve put in a
very productive first year and have
been elevated to Regular Clown
status!
Thank you again, brothers for all
the support you give to our children’s
hospitals. Please keep those that are
sick and unable to attend our events
in your prayers.
Keep on Clowning!
Jim “Snips” Lee
Secretary
8
Director’s Staff
The New Year has begun with our
Captain Barry Eldridge putting the
focus of the Directors Unit on growth
and attendance.
Our Past Captain Randy Byram
was very instrumental in starting this
by signing up several new Directors
in 2017. With this focus we look
forward to some new events that will
be happening through out the year.
Captain Barry announced that Billy
Fits will be the units Social Chairman
and request that anyone with new
ideas present them to Billy so that
we can continue to increase our
fellowship.
We do have several events that
the Directors are involved in and are
already planned or happened:
• The Valentines Dinner Feb 10.
A great time was had by all who
attended.
• The Potentates Ball March 23-24,
“Hospitality at the Maxwell House”
• The Paper sale May 3rd to 6th A
great fund raiser but does require a
lot of support
• The Fun Fest will be announced but
is usually in May and we will have
our Hospitality Room
• The Golf Tournament date and
location to be announced
• The Fall Ceremonial Sept 15, The
stunts will be repaired and some
new ideas will be looked at as we
approach the date
• Circus in October, This was a huge
success last year and look forward
to another great one
• The Onion sale will not take place
this year due to the quality and
timing of the onions creating an
unfavorable response from the unit
At every Al Menah Stated Meeting
there will be a drawing for a 22 riffle,
although you must be present to win,
your attendance at the Unit meeting
gives you an additional chance to win.
Please note these dates, plan to
attend, and help out as needed.
Fred Lysak
Lt Directors Staff
Legion of Honor
While the cold winds and rain of
January held up our Stated Meeting,
the Legion of Honor was busy in
January supplying support to the
National Sojourners meeting in
Nashville. The LOH provided drivers
for various activities that the ladies
were attending, the LOH honor guard
provided the presentation of colors
at the National meeting. It was a
pleasure for the two veterans groups
to work and function together.
With that, the LOH has started the
rewrite of our Unit Handbook and
bylaws, which we plan
to have done by August for Unit
member and Divan approval. We
are forming various committees for
the upcoming year, and all chairmen
have begun their work. An initial
success is the update of our Al Menah
webpage and our LOH Facebook
page. Nobles Singleton and Lindsey
are leading the charge, and we also
now have a handout brochure and
presentation to give out or present.
A key activity in 2018 is the
formation of the Color Guard Teams.
Under the capable leadership of
Nobles Steele and Singleton, the LOH
will have a team to present colors at
Al Menah’s Stated Meetings, and
we will have a separate team to
present colors as we are asked by
various groups, for competitions
and for Imperial Sir Jim Cain’s
presentation as the new Imperial
Potentate.
With this article, the LOH is
inviting all Nobles with military
experience to come forward and be
part of these teams. We are in need
of help, and we will work with you
to become a member of the Unit!!
There is no unit more visible than the
LOH, and just think what Unit will
lead the 2019 Parade in Nashville!!!
With this, we are preparing for
SESA meeting in Gatlinburg March
9 - 11, where Noble Harry Dunn
will assume Commandership of
SESA LOH - Southeastern Shrine
Association - Legion of Honor. The
Al Menah Unit is in total support of
Noble Dunn and Noble Silva - Noble
Dunn’s Vice Commander!
Lastly, we always look forward
to the Shrine’s parades, and we are