I am both honored and humbled as I write this as your new Potentate for 2026. Thank you for trusting me to lead Bektash Shriners this year.
First on the agenda for 2026, is membership. Our numbers are still declining since the average age is 68-78. We need more members, If I remember it right the year was 2020 when Tampa started the “Just One” campaign. If a noble could bring just 1 mason to join the Shriners, then we could double our membership. Thus, we do the Fun & Fellowship hosted by your Divan, we encourage you to attend and bring a mason friend just to let them know who and what Shriners are.
2nd is the units, please, please I encourage you to join a unit. They are only
busy/active during parade season which is from May to August and sometimes
September, depending on which unit you join.
3rd Bingo volunteers – this is one of our fundraising here at the Temple, we need volunteers, we only need 4 hours of your Thursday night, we will teach you.
4th is the biggest Fundraising event for our Temple which is the Feztival of trees. We’ve come a long way, last year was our 25th anniversary and we are hoping for 25 more years. We need volunteers as early as today.
Please reach out to us, your Divan, call the office and they will direct you to the right people.
Last but not the least, please attend our events! Our events will not be a
success without the you, the nobility’s presence. We missed you, come back to your Temple!
Let’s move on from all the negativities, let us set aside our differences and work together for the benefit of our common goal which are the CHILDREN and the HOSPITAL. This is here and now and let brotherhood prevail again.
As I have said over and over again, please support your temple, WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, let’s help kids while having fun and enjoying it too.
Lady Dixie, our kids and yours truly would like to thank you all for your trust.
Thank you so much and may God bless us all!
Ken Thoroughgood
Potentate