![]() Greetings Nobles, I hope this article finds you well, and you have survived the cold winter. Warmer weather is coming. Lady Sandie and I would like to thank everyone for your continued help and support of the temple. The wine and bourbon tasting the Hillbillies hosted was well attended. The Chili cook off could have been better supported, but a good time was had by those that attended. Our next big fundraiser for the temple is our Sportsman's Raffle, which is our biggest fundraiser for the year. Everyone's help would be greatly appreciated. If you would like a job during the event, please contact the Sportsman's Raffle Chairman, Phil Brack. I would like to let the nobility know that the Temple received an email from Tampa about Sponsoring 2 Shrine patients from Mexico to come to Chicago for treatment. They are siblings and both have a severe case of Scoliosis. They will be at the hospital in Chicago for 4 - 6 months for their treatment. The Executive Board made the decision to sponsor these 2 patients. The cost of sponsoring them is $18,000. These funds are coming from our Transportation fund. This is the reason why we do what we do as Shriners. I would like to thank Oriental Guide John Banning and Assistant Rabban Brian Geiser for attending their respective schools in Tampa to receive more education as they work their way to being Potentate. Yours in Faith, Jim Dameron Potentate
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![]() Nobles- The Wine and Bourbon tasting event was a ton of fun and I am looking forward to next year. For the first time having it, it was a great success. Calendar- I am in the process of doing the events for the 2026 calendar so if you have an event and want it in the calendar please get with me. The Spring Fling is March 29th at 5pm and is a lot of fun. This year is a PJ theme and the Hillbillies put it on. I will see you there in my PJ’s. You can also come dressed as a Hillbilly. Poker-The next event will be March 30th to April 2nd. After this event, the last one for the year will be in December. I will have a report at our next business meeting. The next main event will be the Sportsman’s Raffle so SELL SELL SELL! Phil Gean Chief Rabban ![]() GREETINGS NOBLES AND LADIES Myself and Lady Jami are back from Assistant Rabban school in Tampa. It was good to catch up with our counterparts. We compared all of our experiences so far, had some laughs and a few drinks together. As I sat through the classes, I’ve gained a better understanding of some of the things that we haven’t been doing and some ideas on how to improve on some others. Here in the very near future, I will be looking for some volunteers for a committee to discuss the future of EK Shrine and steps to improve the membership and our long-term and short-term goals. This committee will be made mandatory to the divan as a role in the executive board and also will be open to all nobles in the beginning, after we iron out some of the basics. If this is something you would like to be a part of, please reach out to me. It is nice to see the hard work that is being done to get our finances in order are paying off. This was the first trip where I was not pulled aside for a chat, nor was our Temple the highlight of how not to do things. Thanks Jeff Downing for all your hard work thus far. I am still looking for feedback on new ideas to get our nobles back involved and active. We still have quite a few nobles that have joined but we have not seen much of them. Please reach out and get their thoughts on what they would like to see differently to help our membership grow, and please communicate this to me. As always, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at all of our events that are scheduled for this year. If there is any information you need, please feel free to reach out to me and I will answer what I can and get you the answers for anything I can’t answer. Brian Geiser Assistant Rabban ![]() Happy St. Patrick’s Day, fellow Nobles!! By this time, you should have heard the results of the vote to move the Temple Charter to Clio. But did you know that there are still more steps that have to be taken before the move is official. All of the paperwork, the steps taken and the proper following of the Imperial guidelines, the vote results themselves, have to be sent to the headquarters at Tampa, where they will be examined and approved or turned down. The Potentate and Executive committee will keep you informed as to the progress as we are informed. I would like to thank those Nobles who showed up at the meeting, expressed their thoughts, and exercised their right to vote. There were 71 Nobles in attendance at the meeting, and I would love to see that kind of attendance at all of our business meetings. We need YOUR participation and ideas to make our Temple better and stronger. We had a nice turnout at the chili cookoff, and if you didn’t make it, you missed some high-quality chilis’. Congratulations to our 3 winners! We have some Temple events coming up, and the Divan encourages all to participate. Hope to see you all at the Easter Party on April 6 th , and the April business meeting on April 9 th , and the Oasis Craft show on April 12 th and 13 th . The Divan initiated 5 new members prior to the business meeting, and it would be fantastic if you Nobles would get petitions for that many each month. What a wonderful thing that would be for our membership!!! God Bless you all!! Yours in the Faith, Chuck ![]() Happy Spring nobles and ladies! Warmer weather and longer days is our signal that parade season is right around the corner. Make sure you get your club or unit’s parade schedule turned in for the Recorder’s and Potentate’s awareness. Hopefully everyone has a fun and safe parade season! If you haven’t paid your dues yet, please make arrangements to get that done. As of March 16th, we had 181 members still owing dues and 89 of those are projected to be suspended for non-payment of dues at the end of this year. If you are unsure if you still owe money, please contact Recorder Phil Brack, P.P. and he can check your record. If you need help paying dues, Illustrious Sir Phil will work with you to get things handled. I’m sure other Divan members will have mentioned this in their monthly report, but we have been offered, and accepted, the opportunity to sponsor two children from Mexico to receive treatment at Shriners Children’s - Chicago. They are siblings; a female aged 9 and a male aged 18, and both suffer from Syndromic scoliosis. They both require surgery and will be staying in Chicago during their recovery period which will last between 4-6 months. This is why we do what we do - to help kids. Congratulations to all of the nobles and ladies of Elf Khurafeh Shrine for all you have done and continue to do for our kids. It’s your generosity and volunteering that make a difference in the lives of kids. Don’t forget our upcoming Sportsman’s Raffle on April 19th. We can use all the help we can get. Contact Illustrious Sir Phil Brack to see what help he needs. Illustrious Sir Jim Dameron and Lady Sandie have lots of other fun things planned for the year. Check your pocket calendar for more info. If you don’t have a pocket calendar, stop by the office at Circus Park and grab one - there are plenty available. Fraternally, Jeff Downing, P.P. Treasurer ![]() Greetings Nobles, it has been a busy month. We are still getting dues money coming in, but we still have 181 members with a balance. Please send in your dues. Many ife members do not owe “Dues” but are still asked to pay their “per capita” and “hospital assessment”. The “per capita” amount is $50 and the “hospital assessment” is $5 annually unless they have been “pre-paid”. If you have questions about this, feel free to contact me and I will tell you your status. We had the vote to move the charter from Saginaw to Clio on March 12th . After much discussion the vote was held. A 2/3 majority (66%) was needed for the vote to pass and the motion to move the charter passed by a 74% to 26% margin. The vote results are being sent to the Imperial Recorder and will be passed to the proper committee for approval and on to the Imperial Potentate for his authorization. On a brighter note, we held a short form ceremonial at the March 12th meeting and five new Nobles were created. Welcome to Elf Khurafeh and please become active. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at (810)686-2641ex 2 or [email protected] . Until next time. Fraternally yours, Philip Brack P.P. Recorder ![]() Greetings Nobles and Ladies from the First Ceremonial Master. The snow is going away and the northern clubs will be coming off their dark months. This past February 27th I made the trip to Mio for the Oscoda County Shrine Club meeting. We were served hot pasties that the Lodge sells and they were delicious. We had great fellowship and a good meeting. As usual, some questions were asked and I did my best to answer them. Nobles, as you read this the Sportsman’s raffle is just around the corner on April 19th. This is a major fundraising event so if you have tickets to sell, please get them out there. More tickets are still available from the office so call if you need them. That is all for this article but more next month as three of the clubs I represent are having meetings and I will be in attendance. Fraternally, Tim Birch First Ceremonial Master ![]() The Elf Khurafeh Chili Cook-off is now complete. Attendance was down. We had 7 people make chili. Those who attended had a great time. Congratulations to our winners 1st Place Terrie Soper, 2nd Place Jami Geiser, 3rd Place Sandy Swartwood 50/50 winner Chuck Birch Financial breakdown for the Chili Cook-off: Trophies were donated, Admission: $170, Temple's share of the 50/50: $45 Thank you to all who helped setup and clean up. You are appreciated! Timothy Corrigan 2nd Ceremonial Master Chili Cook-Off Chairman ![]() I’d like to welcome all of our newest Nobles that came in at the March business meeting. Oasis Members Meeting and Dinner April 17th Doors open at 5:30PM Circus Park, 4240 W Wilson Rd, Clio, MI 48420 Chicken Parmesan , Minestrone soup & Salad, Dessert will be Tiramisu. A stocked bar of spirits, sodas & beers. An Evening of Friends and Fellowship Everyone is welcome to attend. Business Dress. Suits For Officers, Bring your Fez. A surprise game for all to enjoy as well. Don’t Forget Oasis Spring Craft Show Saturday, April 12·9:00am – 4:00pm and Sunday, April 13·10:00am – 4:00pm ![]() Greetings to all. Be reminded that we are about to enter into one of the holiest months of the year as we celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins and his resurrection allowing us to enter into eternal life for those who follow and have given their life to him. It is a very simple process, if you make this decision, and the most significant one you will ever make in your life, as eternity is at stake. Is it all true ? You bet it is. Any doubts ? Experience it for yourself and you will see the truth. Need assistance to make this step ? Let me help you or send you to someone with more qualifications. You will never regret your positive decision and you will lead an unbelievable life as a result. As I write this article, I am mourning the loss of our great brother Mason and Shriner, Bugsy. The night before he passed, he attended our monthly business meeting and was in great spirits. I started to leave and spotted him sitting alone at a table and felt the need to delay and spend some time with him. We had an excellent conversation. Little did I know that it would be our last one as he passed the next morning. This reminded me that we never know when we will have our last conversation with anyone or anyone with us. As most of us are getting in the upper age group, it is even more important to be reminded of this. Please be gentle in our words to each other. Please leave every conversation on a positive note. Please show love to all around you while you can. Please don't leave anything unsaid that needs to be said. Jesus set the example. The full story of the crucifixion of Jesus is in Matthew Chapter 26 - 28, and also Luke 22 - 23 and the resurrection is in Luke Chapter 24. Also, John Chapter 17 forward. Other citations as well. Perhaps this will be an excellent time for all to review these important verses. May God Bless you all. Robert L. Swartwood, P.P. Attorney at Law Chaplain |
Divan NotesUpdates from the Elf Khurafeh Shrine Divan Archives
March 2025
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