Congratulations to our own Bektash Clown, Noble Dave Rouleau. He competed in the Northeast Shrine Association Clown competition in Kingston, Ontario. He walked away with a first-place trophy for makeup and costume, and a third- place certificate for Individual Paradability. I’m not a clown, but the “paradability” part sounds kind of weird to me. Anyway, we’re all proud of Noble Dave for participating (and winning) in the competition.
There were 31 Bektash Nobles and ladies who attended the NSA weekend, and we had a wonderful time. Our bus driver was so much fun, and she learned a bunch about Shriners (only the good stuff). Luckily, we finished our Bloody Marys before reaching the Canadian border! Someone even brought celery for our adult beverages. Next year, in 2025, the festivities will be taking place in the city of Summerside, Prince Edward Island in Nova Scotia. Can’t wait for that one. Stay tuned for details early next year.
At our September stated meeting, it was reported that the Motorcycle run was successful with the proceeds to benefit our Transportation Fund. This is a very important fund, as the money is used to transport/house our Shrine patients and their parents for their medical procedures. The money in this account is only used for this purpose and cannot be used for anything else. Year to date, Bektash has spent over $5,500.00 transporting and housing our patients. We presently have five or six children being transported from this fund. One of the patients must fly to Philadelphia for treatment on a regular basis. We utilize the Ronald McDonald House when it is not fully booked, but sometimes we must have them stay at a local hotel. A big “Thank you” to those of you who volunteer to take our kids to the airport or the medical facilities for treatment and their appointments.
A Bektash Bylaw change was also acted upon at the meeting. Our Bektash bylaws dictate that we must have a yearly financial audit done by a CPA. Shriners International law says we only need a financial review by a CPA. It will save us some money and time. The Imperial Potentate or our own members can still call for a full financial audit if they see fit. We have changed the wording to just That way, if the International Bylaws are changed, we will not need to change our bylaws again. The paperwork is all set for our Potentate’s signature and then it will be sent to the Shrine Headquarters in Tampa for review.
We were honored to have our Most Worshipful Grand Master, MW Dan Hotchkiss attend the September Stated Meeting. He closed out the business by remarking on the importance of our fraternity and what we do for our kids.
I guess that’s about all the ramblings I have for this month!
It’s Great to be a Bektash Shriner!
Tom Brison, PP, Recorder