Imp. Sirs, Ills. Sirs, Nobles, Lady’s Friends, Warmest Greetings from the Recorders Office!!
Having come off another rainy Saturday, the 13th in a row and it now being early Wednesday morning with more rain falling it’s truly hard to be in a great frame of mind but that is not the case here at Bektash!! Much to celebrate as we get closer to the summer solstice!!
On Monday the 16th we had our latest Stated Meeting. While it was a rather small crowd, total of 26 in attendance, some very important business was undertaken.
Several new members were voted upon, Daniel, E. Miller, Andrew M. Peiffer, and Mark S, Thamm!! Welcome to Bektash Shrine.
Several reinstatements and affiliations were also voted upon. We welcome David S.Soroka, Daniel R. Bean, and Nicholas Isaia, Jr. The upcoming ceremonial should be a great event and having more initiates will only enhance the experience.
And on the topic of the Ceremonial, please don’t forget the date, August 9th. Complete with a Second Section!! Director Lothrup and Asst. Director Tuttle are looking for more players so please, if interested, reach out!!
I am pleased to report that all our permits for operation are in place for another calendar year. This was a big deal for me as it was the first time I had handled these duties and while I think a couple of entities are tired of hearing from me with questions etc., all in all the process went relatively smoothly. I still have a lot to learn, and Dixie has been a tremendous help!! Thanks Dixie!!
Our Bektash sign project from Lady Kat’s year is progressing nicely. Special thanks to Ed Lewis for all his efforts with this project. Hoping to have the new sign up very soon.
Our new ATM and Lucky 7 machines are having an impact!! Deposits are up at Bingo due to us not having to transfer actual cash back and forth to accommodate players. And we are making a commission on each ATM transaction. While it’s a small amount, it is less fees we incur so a win, win for Bektash!!
The Lucky 7 machines are generating passive income each week with little effort from us. So far the high amount made is just slightly under $600.00.
We have received the Call for the Imperial Session and while most action items have to do with jurisdictional changes etc. there are two items our reps will deal with.
The first is the, what seems to be annual change wanted in the travel per diem and simply phasing it out. Members attending the Stated Meeting voted to have our reps vote no on this article.
The second article is a dues increase (per capita tax) going into effect if passed in the year 2027. The increase would be from $50.00 to $70.00. Members attending the Stated Meeting again voted to have our reps vote no on this article.
The Stated Meeting also included, during the dinner portion, a presentation from the Senior Director of Philanthropy of Shriners New England in Springfield. Kerri Tichy gave a great presentation of what Shriners New England is doing and how they are setting records for patients seen. Basically, Shriners New England is seeing more patients than ever having moved to the clinic type of operation.
Shriners New England is also celebrating their 100th anniversary and having a gala commemorating this event. October 18th is the date. Information on this event may be obtained by contacting the office if you are interested.
And please don’t forget that also that weekend, the Boston Hospital Haunted Walk on Sunday October 19th!!
By now everyone should have seen the information pertaining to the NSA and Prince Edward Island. Looks like a great time is planned!! Please make your reservations as soon as possible as the July deadline is approaching and there is so much going on we wouldn’t want to see anyone get left out!!
As I conclude this message a milestone to recognize as was pointed out at the State Meeting. Ills. Sir Rick Perry will celebrate his 50th anniversary of becoming a Shriner this year. This is truly a milestone to be proud of. Congratulations, Ills. Sir and we hope to see you for many more!!
Looking forward to seeing everyone very soon and thanks for your continued support of Bektash Shriners!!
Fraternally,
Lloyd