140 year of Shriners

140 year of Shriners

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Shriners Hosting Free Wellness Clinics


RENO, NV - The Shriners are holding four free screening clinics to see whether kids qualify for free medical care once a month until June.
If you're a parent of a child who needs medical care, or if you know of a child who needs medical care… there is an opportunity to see if he or she qualifies for free treatment through the Shriners Hospital.
The Reno Kerak Shrine temple is hosting four free screening clinics in the upcoming months. One each month from March through June. The clinics are open to all children with orthopedic conditions, spinal cord injuries, burns, and scars from any cause. Club foot, scoliosis, absence of limbs, spina bifida, and orthopedic problems of cerebral palsy. Shriners Hospital also cares for children with birthmarks, congenital ear deformities and scars from any cause.
Clinic dates and locations are as follows:
Saturday, March 31
9am-Noon
Lake Tahoe Surgery Center
212 Elks Point Road, Suite 201
Zephyr Cove, Nevada

Saturday, April 28
9am-Noon
Douglas High School
1670 Nevada Highway 88
Minden, Nevada

Saturday, May 19
9am-Noon
Sierra Surgery Center
1400 Medical Parkway
Carson City, Nevada

Saturday, June 2
9am-Noon
HAWC Health Community Center
1055 South Wells Avenue
Reno, Nevada


Friday, March 30, 2012


Grand Forks' masonic center opens doors of ‘secret’ society

Grand Forks Masons’ temple welcoming visitors, hoping to sustain membership
It may come as a disappointment to some that there are no subterranean pens holding goats to be offered in ritualistic sacrifice. No torture chambers for intruders or revealers of secrets. No dragons. But in the cavernous dark of the Grand Forks Masonic Center, the book is still open on ghosts.
By: Chuck Haga, Grand Forks Herald
It may come as a disappointment to some that there are no subterranean pens holding goats to be offered in ritualistic sacrifice. No torture chambers for intruders or revealers of secrets. No dragons.
But in the cavernous dark of the Grand Forks Masonic Center, the book is still open on ghosts.
“Some specialists came in here and set up their cameras once,” said Carol Martell, the office manager. “They said there are a couple of hot spots, whatever what means.
“And the delivery man, when he brings us something, he always runs out of the building.”
For the imaginative and the mystically minded, there are ceremonial sabers and a brass gong, plush altars and tall embroidered chairs for costumed potentates. An expansive auditorium boasts a wraparound balcony and a stage outfitted with drop-in sets of late-medieval and Renaissance background scenery. Formal lodge rooms, named the red and the blue and so appointed, are lined by Doric and Ionic columns.
A stroll through the many-chambered Masonic Center at South Fourth Street and Bruce Avenue is like a wandering through time, tradition, ritual and secrecy, with enough old lamps, artwork, leather chairs and tables of burnished wood to fill several antique shops.
You can take the tour Saturday night, when the Shriners open their century-old fortress to the public and explain — up to a point — what it means to be a Mason and a Shriner.
You don’t have to know the secret handshake.
Staying healthy
The objective is to bolster membership in the fraternal organization, Shriner Bill Steckler said, although he notes that Masonry is holding its own regionally and bucking a national trend toward dwindling membership. A banner hangs in the center’s entrance, in fact, boasting of 12 straight years of membership growth.
“We’re not having an event because we’re struggling,” Steckler said. “We’re having an event to stay healthy. Every organization needs to do that at times.”
And while holding steady and even growing in numbers, the membership is aging, he said, a challenge facing many other fraternal organizations and service clubs.
Fundraising
The Masons share their grand building with several other societies, including DeMolay and the Order of the Eastern Star. They also rent it out for weddings, receptions and other private gatherings, and the auditorium has been used for plays and musical performances.
A big socializing room features a bar, a spacious wood dance floor and a well-appointed kitchen.
Not all Masons are Shriners, but one must be a Mason to become a Shriner, whose fez-wearing members are known for their participation in parades and hosting of the annual Shrine Circus, which raises money to maintain the Masonic Center and to support the Twin Cities Shriners Hospital in Minneapolis.
Just more than 1,200 Shriners, hailing from Bemidji, Minn., to Williston, N.D. but mostly in the Grand Forks area, count the Grand Forks Masonic Center as home.
Of approximately 5 million Masons worldwide, about 3 million are in the United States, according to local officers, with about 3,000 in North Dakota.
One requirement
Freemasonry grew from obscure origins in Europe centuries ago, probably from stonemasons’ guilds of the late Middle Ages. Many of the symbols used in Masonic ritual reflect those origins, as do greetings used by Masons to identify each other. Centuries ago, traveling stonemasons used handshakes to indicate their craft level and what they should be paid.
“It was like having a union card,” Steckler said.
The society became popular in colonial America, and members at the time of the Revolution included Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and George Washington, one of at least 14 presidents who were Masons. Mozart was a freemason. So was John Wayne.
Freemasonry came to Grand Forks in the 1870s and ’80s. The Grand Forks Masonic Center was built in 1913 and often was called the Kem Temple, but not so much today. “We’re trying to get away from ‘temple’ because people associate it with religion,” Steckler said.
The only requirement for membership “is that you believe in a supreme being,” he said. “That said, once you become a Mason there is no mention of religion or politics when you’re here. It isn’t allowed.”
Modern Masons
In the past masters room, portraits of “worshipful masters” dating to H.T. Caswell in 1880 line the walls. The room also features a large portrait of Washington in Masonic regalia.
It is an all-male society, though Steckler said that women — wives — play an increasingly important role in Masonic activities. He said he expects and hopes that women will be admitted as members in the near future.
Freemasonry has a long history of segregated membership, as well, with separate lodges for black Masons. But Steckler said that, too, is changing, and his Malta Lodge — one of four in the Grand Forks area — has welcomed several black members in the past few years.
“It used to be a rich group that ran here, mostly business owners,” he said. “But there are fewer local business owners now, so we are more working class and professional.”
When people raise questions about it being a “secret society,” members are likely to respond that they are more a society with a few secrets. “And most of those are on theIinternet,” he said.
“What I like about the group is the tightness of it, and how quickly we come together for each other and for other people,” he said. “That’s why it appeals to a lot of people with a background in the military or fraternities. They appreciate that strong bond.”
Reach Haga at (701) 780-1102; (800) 477-6572, ext. 102; or send email to chaga@gfherald.com.

Thursday, March 29, 2012


6th Annual Shriners Bowling Fundraiser Palooza
Jerry Weiers has always made it a priority to give back to the community, so when the idea of hosting an annual bowling charity event to raise money for the Shriners Hospital for Children, he was excited for the opportunity.
"When I started the event in 2007, it was my hope that it would be a great event where people could get together and have a little fun, and at the same time raise money for a very important cause." Jerry Weiers Said. "Every year it gets bigger and bigger."

The 6th Annual Shriners Bowling Fundraiser Palooza will take place March 28, 2012 at the Glen Fair Lanes, located at 6110 N. 59th Avenue in Glendale, Az. The event will begin at 5:30 PM.
"The outpouring of support has been amazing." Jerry Weiers Said. "It goes to show that when you are doing work for a good cause, the community always comes together to help out."
Currently, the El Zaribah Shrine located in Phoenix has over 2,000 patients throughout Arizona. The children are seen from four (4) main groups: Orthopedics, Burns, Spinal Cord Injuries and Cleft Lip and palete treatment. They use six different Shrine hospitals because of various specialties and ongoing research.
The local Shriners spend about $250,000 annually to provide this service at no cost to the families of the "Shrine Kids."

Wednesday, March 28, 2012


Big stars show up for circus preview

 by Drew Trafton 

 Big stars show up for circus preview
  •  Big stars show up for circus preview
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  •  Big stars show up for circus preview

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BILLINGS- For the past 61 years, the Al Bedoo Shrine Circus has been delighting children of all ages in the Billings community.
Tuesday evening was no exception.
Clowns, jugglers and a myriad of other entertainers enthralled the crowds while Shriners tossed free cotton candy and popcorn to children and adults during the preview show at Skypoint in downtown Billings.
But the big draw was easy to see-mainly because they were the biggest things you could see.
Click on the video link to check out the Shrine Circus elephants in action.
The circus will be performing on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
On Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday there will be a 1p.m., 4p.m. and 7p.m. show.
On Thursday and Friday there will be a 4p.m. and 7p.m. show-all to be held at the Shrine Auditorium.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Shriners Hospital celebrates renovation


Sacramento Business Journal by Kathy Robertson, Senior Staff Writer
http://assets.bizjournals.com/sacramento/about-us/robertsonkathy2.jpg
Senior Staff Writer - Sacramento Business Journal
Fifteen years after the eight-story, $75 million Shriners  http://www.bizjournals.com/  Hospital for Children Northern California opened in Sacramento, the lobby got a facelift.
A fundraising campaign generated more than $200,000 to renovate the area, and celebrated the changes in a community party Saturday.
Play stations shaped like airplanes invite kids to color and play while they wait for the doctor. New armchairs and couches provide comfortable seating for parents as they watch and wait. A new carpet highlights the architecture and color scheme of the building.
Fundraising efforts were lead by Everett Thorne, chair emeritus of the hospital board of governors. Shrine clubs throughout Northern California made donations, the largest coming from the Pomo Shrine Club in Ukiah. Second was the Ben Ali Shriners Club in Sacramento.
Kathy Robertson covers health care, labor/workplace issues, law, immigration, medical technology and biotechnology for the Sacramento Business Journal.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Benefits of an ENewsletter-True Blue Communications Tampa

Shriners Sponsor Screening Clinic at Lake Tahoe Surgery Center


Provided to South Tahoe Now
Local orthopedic physicians will screen children for possible acceptance into the medical programs offered by Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California at a screening clinic sponsored by the Kerak Shriners on Saturday, March 31. The screening clinic will take place from 9 a.m. - noon, at theLake Tahoe Surgery Center, 212 Elks Point Rd, Suite 201, Round Hill Plaza, Zephyr Cove.
All families who feel they may benefit from the expert care provided by Shriners Hospitals for Children are welcome to attend. Appointments are not necessary, and any child up to age 18 may be seen at a clinic. Screenings are provided free of charge. A parent or legal guardian is required to complete a screening forms before being seen by the doctor. Required forms are provided at all screening clinics.
Screening clinics are organized by Shrine clubs throughout Northern Nevada so that prospective patients can be seen by healthcare professionals in a location easily accessible to them. Volunteer medical personnel staffing the clinics examine prospective patients to determine whether or not they might be eligible for care provided by Shriners Hospitals.
"As Shriners we are committed to providing opportunities for children and families to benefit from the expert medical care provided by Shriners Hospitals," says Bob Pohlman, chairman of the Hospital Screening Clinic. "Hundreds of children are referred to Shriners Hospitals for care through screening clinics each year, and we are extremely grateful to the doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals who so generously donate their time and partner with us in supporting the Shriners mission." says Pohlman.
The clinics are open to all children with orthopedic conditions, spinal cord injuries, burns, and scars from any cause. Club foot, scoliosis, absence of limbs, spina bifida, and orthopedic problems of cerebral palsy are among the many orthopedic conditions treated at the Shriners state-of-the-art medical center in Sacramento. The Sacramento Shriners Hospital also provides acute care and rehabilitation to children with burns and spinal cord injuries. Through its specialized plastic surgery program, Shriners Hospital cares for children with birthmarks, congenital ear deformities and scars from any cause.
Screening Clinics are not the only route for acceptance to Shriners Hospitals. Patients are referred by their doctors, nurses, friends, and Shriners.


Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Concert at Shrine Auditoriun -LA

     Potentate David Wehmeyer
and the
Al Malaikah Shrine
host a 
Concert Extravaganza
to benefit
Shriner's Hospital for Children

Sunday, April 1, 2012 @ 3:30 pm
Shrine Auditorium
665 West Jefferson Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90007

featuring the
Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic 
& Legal Voices 
and California's famed 
Jr. Philharmonic Orchestra 

Gary S. Greene, Esq., Conductor 
June Lockhart, Master of Cermonies 

Shriner sponsors Bray

By 
March 21, 2012 | Leave Comment
CARLY BRAY, who lost her leg after being hit by a car March 1, was sponsored in attempt to get a prosthesis at Shriners Hospital. Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
CARLY BRAY, who lost her leg after being hit by a car March 1, was sponsored in attempt to get a prosthesis at Shriners Hospital. Democrat photo by Krysten Kellum
When Kevin Brown, owner of Breaker Glass, heard that Carly Bray had lost her leg, he knew immediately he had to help.

Brown, a Shriner, e-mailed El Dorado High School Principal Matt Barnes. Brown's son attended the school, as did Bray. When Barnes informed the Bray family that Brown would be submitting an application for Bray to go to Shriners Hospital, "They were happy to get the referral," Brown said.

Shriners provides free hospital work to children under 18 years old, provided that a Shriner sponsors the patient.

He filled out sponsor paperwork the day after Bray went through surgery and handed it off to Barnes. Barnes sent it to the hospital where Bray was staying, which then sent it to Shriners.

"It's pretty much automatic after that," Brown said. He noted that Bray would have to do an interview to make sure the hospital could help her, but that was the last obstacle.

Shriners primarily deals with cases such as Bray's, where prothesis is needed, Brown said.

"As she starts to heal, they'll fit her and provide her with a prothesis for free," he said. "(Shriners) is about helping kids. So I turned in the application right away."

Although he said that it's all "in (the Shriner's) hands now," it's pretty much "guaranteed, a done deal. They don't turn away kids."

Brown was just happy to help the family out.

"If something positive comes out of this, it's that it will help reduce the strain on the family," he said. "This is what (Shriners) are about."

He said that he has been in contact with the hospital, and that Shriners had been in contact with the Brays, collecting insurance information, medical notes and records.

"It takes time," Brown said. "They are moving forward."

The three people in the Shriners office that he deals with had all spoken to the family, and things seemed to be going well.

"It will get taken care of, I'm sure," Brown added.
Cole Mayer

Cole Mayer

Cole Mayer started writing for the Mountain Democrat in early 2012. A 2011 graduate of CSU Sacramento's journalism program, he has written news, features and opinions in the past, and currently works the crime, court and fire beat.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Shriners plans evaluation clinic


Shriners Hospitals for Children — Twin Cities is planning a pediatric orthopedic evaluation clinic next month in North Dakota.
The clinic will provide comprehensive medical, surgical and rehabilitative care for children with orthopedic conditions. Children up to age 18 are eligible for care at Shriners Hospitals for Children if there is a reasonable possibility they can benefit from the specialized services available. Acceptance is based solely on a child’s medical needs, regardless of ability to pay.
The clinic will be from 1:30 to 4 p.m. April 20 at the Bismarck Masonic Center, 1009 Basin Ave., Bismarck, N.D.
For appointments, call Frank at 701-255-7990 or 701-400-8196. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Friday, March 2, 2012


Shriners Hospital for Children to hol

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Shriners Hospitals for Children to hold pediatric orthopaedic evaluation clinic 
Shriners Hospital for Children will hold a pediatric orthopaedic evaluation clinic from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 20 at the Bismarck Masonic Center, 1009 Basin Ave., Bismarck.
Those that think their children may have a bone, muscle or joint problem are encouraged to attend. To make an appointment, call Frank at 701-255-7990 or 701-400-8196. Walk-ins are welcome.
Shriners Hospitals for Children-Twin Cities provides comprehensive medical, surgical and rehabilitative care for children with orthopaedic conditions. Children 18 years old and younger are eligible for care at Shriners Hospitals for Children if there is a reasonable possibility they can benefit from the specialized services available. Acceptance is based solely on a child’s medical needs, regardless of their ability to pay.


Read more: http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/shriners-hospital-for-children-to-hold/article_4754d7e0-63e7-11e1-9ffd-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1o05Ji820