Burned out & droopy fez

I get Google Alerts on any news story using the word “Shriners.” It goes in handy being an active Shriner, writing a monthly newsletter and personally believing so deeply in the work of the Shriners and the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Some of the links don’t really reach anything pertinent about Shriners and some are obituaries. I do see several interesting articles related to our Fez-head fraternity and the 22 children’s hospitals.

I saw an article this morning from the Poughkeepsie Journal about a 12 year girl selling her artwork to raise money for the Springfield, MA hospital. Her family had received a letter stating that this hospital was in danger of closing. The young lady raised $300.00 with her efforts.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20091008/LIFE/910080307/1005/Your-positive-achievements

Nice normal positive feature story for a local newspaper and $300.00 doesn’t sound like much, but it is a whole heck of a lot more raised than a majority of card carrying Shriners. I applaud her efforts and grateful her local newspaper featured her in their publication.

Those that know me best know that I have been extremely active in Hamasa Shriners for the past several years, especially since 2003. I have been probably too active and too involved because when the crash came it came hard. I knew going into the first of this year I needed to slow down and back off some of my involvement because I was feeling burned out. A majority of phone calls I received involved Hamasa or the Lee County Shrine Club. I was heavily involved in every activity and fundraiser. Several friends told me I needed to learn how to say, “No.” I felt obligated and I started to feel like it was someone else’s turn.

Mix my burn-out with a Potentate (The head guy) that has been totally ineffective, narcissistic, and just plain wrong and I had to come to a screeching halt. Screeching is what I did too. We tried to help him. We tried to warn him, but he has consistently refused to listen. It’s not just the internal politics of Hamasa; it’s the basic mistakes that anyone can see. Besides having the main Potentate’s Ball on Easter weekend, he now has scheduled the Fall Ceremonial on the same day as a Mississippi State home football game. We tried having regional meetings to increase participation due to the fact that Meridian is too far to travel on a Tuesday night. Especially for the Northern have of the Hamasa Territory. We had two this year and it was starting to work and we were getting more members involved, but he killed that too. I wrote a few years back in one of my newsletter articles, that “in the absence of good leadership, bad leadership will come forth.” I guess I was right, especially when it come to Hamasa. I sent a nasty e-mail a couple of months ago to the Potentate and Divan (Divan is like the officers) that I regret and feel bad about. I told them I have lost faith in the Hamasa leadership and I have. I have also lost faith in the Hamasa membership. The Potentate has not responded and I really didn’t expect him to respond. The Recorder and Treasurer both sent me replies demanding an apology. I guess I should apologize but like I told the Recorder on the phone, I don’t see other people in Hamasa apologizing. I think what my nasty e-mail really was all about was me trying to commit Fraternal-Suicide, so I could justify not being involved anymore.

A Couple of Days Later…….

I was in the middle of scripting this blog and my phone started ringing, so I never got the opportunity to actually finish my thoughts. My phone rings a lot concerning the Shriners. I ended up attending another Shrine Club meeting in the next county with a member from my Shrine Club. We took the two petitions over there so they could participate in the process. There is a petition to change the location of Hamasa Shriners from Meridian to Starkville and a second one to change the name of Hamasa Shriners to “Magnolia” Shriners. Seems like some people mistake “Hamasa” for “Hamas” and we are confused with the terrorist group. If each petition gets 100 member signatures, then a notice will have to be sent out and then a vote. Then it will take two-thirds vote to pass and after that approval at the Imperial Session next July. I do not expect the name changing petition to get the required 100 signatures to even call for a vote. It might, but I would be real surprised.

Changing the location of the temple to Starkville will centralize it and allow more members from the Northern half to attend meetings. It could even mean a new beginning for Hamasa. Don’t get your hopes up. There are enough members in the South that do NOT have to drive three hours or more to a meeting that will show up and vote it down. Just so they won’t have to drive. Hamasa will become even more divided, more will drop out and we will eventually wither up and die. If more boys from the South would have been active in Hamasa, this petition would have never seen the light of day.

The ironic thing is “IF” our elected leadership had done their jobs and kept their obligations, a petition never would have been written. We had District meetings but our present leadership mucked that all up. If he had been a true leader, this petition to move Hamasa would have never appeared. I claim neither credit or blame for either of these petitions. I have only one vote, period. If the Hamasa membership is truly interested in making a change, they will do something about it. I stand neutral, not willing to argue the subject one way or the other. I have one vote. The subject of moving Hamasa is a long drawn out complicated matter. It seems like people are more interested in obtaining titles for themselves rather than the responsibility and service of office. They prefer to lead by demand and not inspire or enlighten. They forget that even though they think they are a king the servants are not truly bound and simply can stay at home. I prefer peace over turmoil and have declared not to spend six hours in a vehicle to attend a Hamasa meeting consisting of empty meaningless nonsense. I guess we will see……

I am really sleepy so I am going to post this. I have more to blog about, but I think I will go back to bed; maybe I will sleep this time…..Later….