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SYRIA SHRINE MEMBERSHIP CHALLENGE SLIDESHOW

Noble Barry J. Lipson, Membership Chair
Circa 2007
A comprehensive Shrine Membership Program,
chock full of novel and fun ideas that can work!
Noble Barry J. Lipson as Oriental Guide
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01 - This Evening we will be challenging you to excel!
02 - For the Shrine to Survive & Prosper our #1 Commitment MUST be to Membership
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03 - And you can NOT expect to "leave it to the Membership Chair!"
04 - EVERY Unit, Caravan, Club, Group and EACH individual Shriner must be an ACTIVE
member of the Membership Team.
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05-06-07-08-09 - Your Membership Chair is just your Conductor ................
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10 - You are the Team, the Membership Orchestra, each of whom must carefully manipulate your
instruments and talents to make them work properly!
11 - Shrine Membership is a 3-legged Stool ---- Fun....
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12 - Oops! Let's start again.
13- Shrine Membership ---- is a 3-legged Stool
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14 - Fun,
15 fellowship
16 - and good work All of these legs are of extreme importance.
17 - Brake or take away any one of these legs and the stool can not stand!
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18 - The first Leg is Fun --- Master Masons and potential Master Masons need your help to let the
Shrine Genie out of the Lamp.
19 - If you just let them know theyll want to Whoop it up with us!
20 - Play at our Circus ...
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21 - Clown around with the kids ...
22 - Ride around in fun things on wheels ...
23 - What wheels?
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24 - Oh, there they are!
25 - And do all sorts of other strange -- fun -- things.
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26 - All symbolized for us by Fezhead Fred.
27 - The second Leg is Fellowship --- We welcomed you with fellowship, AND WE WILL THEM!
28 - In fellowship we drank to your health, AND WE WILL THEM!
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29 - We embraced your family in fellowship
30 - and brotherly love , AND WE WILL THEIRS!
31 - In fun & fellowship we play, , ,
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32 - sing,
33 - ride,
34 - march,
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35 - clown around,
36 - "take to the hills,"
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37 - toast together, and much more, AND SO CAN THEY!
38 - And we are all united in fellowship as Belly Masons!
39 - The third leg is also MOST important, it is "Good Work" --- You gotta have heart and look
deep into your heart!
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40 - And our heartfelt "Good Work" leg
41 - goes out to crippled and burnt kids
42 - through our support and outreach efforts
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43 - and through our Shrine Hospitals. It's all about kids!
44 - Thus without any one of these three legs the Shrine stool falters and falls! However, this third
leg, "Good Work," is all too often stressed too much over the carrots of the other two legs, or even
solely singled out, when attempting to attract new Shriners, which, indeed, may prove to be
counterproductive.
45 - Who needs another "Hand in Pocket"? -- a potential Shriner may think. --
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46 -While he may be truly beguiled into joining by our running carrots of fun and fellowship. But
who should I seek out as a potential new Noble?
47 - Not little Stewie, of course, until he matures. - But worthy men from all walks of life,
48 - be them associates of Donkeys
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49 - or Elephants, be them 18 year old Master Masons
50 - or Brother Gramdpa Simpsons. And don't forget your own family members, your Sons and
Grandsons, your Dad, Grandfathers and Sons-in-Law, your nephews and uncles. I "raised" my own
father,
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51 - and as you can see my two sons, Noble Steve and Noble Dave, are members of Syria. Perhaps
we need a Dads & Sons Society here at Syria?
52 - But you are not alone. Syria Membership is working to strenthen our Membership stool with
additional tools and bracings to aid you and to make your membership efforts really FUN! There
our materials describing some of these programs being distributed, with important opportunities
for fun, fellowship and Leadership, which can also be found in the latest two issues of the Voice of
Syria. Future generations of Shriners may remember YOU as a guiding force behind one of these
new initiatives.
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53 - First among equals is the Syria Sojourners. Now you too can answer the calls of Illustrious
Potentate Bill McCarrier and Chief Rabban Ken Eastgate to actively work on behalf of our Shrine,
while having the exhilarating experience of giving our Blue Lodge Brothers a real feel for the
Shrine, including its fun, fraternal, and helping children message, through an "in Lodge" taste of
Shrine-type Ritual, by signing up to be one of the Syria Sojourners Thanks to dedicated fellow
Nobles, the script and rich musical accompaniment have been developed, two test performances
have proven very successful, and a growing number of Blue Lodges are already requesting
performances. So now all we need is you! There are acting and non-acting positions, such as
Performer, Ritualist, Narrator, Announcer, Producer, Director, Business Manager, Sound Guru,
Publicity and Public Relations, and Wardrobe and Make-Up.
54 - Next, "Have a Ball Answering the Call of the Syria SCOUTS!" If you are a member of a
Shrine Unit, Club or Group that sports
55 - special attire,
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56 - dapper duds,
57 - spiffy outfits,
58 - fancy wear,
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59 - kilts,
60 - or uniforms, you have it made!
61 - As a member of the Syria SCOUTS you will have a ball being out there in your fancy attire,
spreading the message of the Shrine to interested groups, public and private, social and service,
Masonic and Non-Masonic, a picture being worth a thousand words. "Tell our story of good work,
fun and fellowship, while enjoying the fun and fellowship of other Nobles who, like you, appreciate
'Puttin' on the Ritz'." And we have a special opportunity for a special Shriner, probably a past
Leader of on of these "Fancy Dress Outfits," to step forward and have the fame and prestige of
being the Founding Honcho of this high visibility unit.
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62 -Answer the calls of Noble Uncle Sam, Illustrious Potentate Bill McCarrier, and Chief Rabban
Ken Eastgate. If you attend or agree to attend Blue Lodge regularly, and agree to wear your
Credentialed Lodge Deputy Badge proudly, keep your lodge up-to-date on Shrine happenings, and
work to increase the membership of your Lodge and the Shrine, these calls and this Prestigious
Position are for you!
63 - As an Illustrious Sir has advised: "We are proud of the manner in which a number of
Shriners have stepped forward to be the active link between the Lodge and the Shrine," to be
Credentialed Lodge Deputies! Keep this link strong, make a difference and answer these calls, be
among the elite few, be a Credentialed Lodge Deputy.
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64 - Join us tomorrow, Tuesday, October 2, 2007, at 7:00 PM Sharp, in the Syria Shrine Center
UNIT MEETING Room for an Important Meeting/Duty Call of the Deputy Unit. LEARN what's
New, what We can do for Your Blue Lodge & what Your Lodge can do for Us.
65 - If you are a Syria Ambassador,
66- please give us your complete attention now.
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67 - We are nearing the final tabulation and formation of Ambassadorial Recruitment, Retention,
Renewal and Mentoring Teams, to spread the important Shrine message of "good work, fun and
fellowship." As you know, the job of an Ambassador is to travel throughout the Oasis "making
friends and helping to achieve the goals and to implement the initiatives" of the Shrine. You
participation on an Ambassadorial Recruitment, Retention, Renewal or Mentoring Team is a
perfect way to do this and is of prime importance to your Shrine. We seriously need you to
affirmatively spread this important message of the Shrine to the Blue Lodges and to potential Blue
Lodge Brothers; to keep this message firmly planted in the hearts and minds of all the Nobility; to
rekindling this message in the hearts and minds of former and delinquent Nobles; and to educate
our new Nobles in the true meaning of this message and in the inner workings of the Shrine. We
also need you to step forward now and agree to Chair one of these important Teams.
68 - Past Masters, Ahoy! Have you docked at the Knights of Mecca yet? Through the Knights of
Mecca, the Shrine's exclusive Past Masters Club, our Great Fraternity and you can explore the
depths of the store of knowledge of a multitude of Past Masters from Blue Lodges throughout the
Oasis of Pittsburgh and beyond, to the benefit of all Masonry. To sail smoothly through these vast
resources, maintain your dedication and contributions to the Craft, and continue your Masonic
journey accompanied by other dedicated Brothers who have served like you in the East, you need
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to join the Knights of Mecca. But even if you are already a Knight of Mecca, your obligations in
these areas to the Knights of Mecca, the Shrine and your Blue Lodge have not yet been fulfilled
unless you have personally encouraged other dedicated Past Masters to share their Masonic
knowledge, experience and wisdom by journeying with you and joining the Knights of Mecca,
including the 2006 Worshipful Master of your Lodge, and all Worshipful Masters from prior years,
even if they are not yet Shriners. SHRINE PETITIONS ARE READILY AVAILABLE. Then too,
have you offered to assist your 2007 Worshipful Master in maintaining his dedication to the Craft
and continuing his Masonic journey, and to do so in the company of other dedicated Past Masters,
through his affiliation in 2008 with Syria Shrine and the Knights of Mecca?
69 - The Masonic Happenings Newsletter, wouldn't you like to pick this up and know just about
every thing that was happening Masonically in the Oasis of Pittsburgh?
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70 - Is the Canadian Royal Mounted Police Masonic Degree Team exemplifying a Third Degree in
New Castle? Is there a $5.00 Lobster Dinner at Chapter in Rochester? Is Brother John Glenn
speaking at Scottish Rite in Uniontown? Well, I know that at least one of these events has happened
and most Nobles and Brothers knew nothing about it. We feel that sponsoring such a publication
would certainly bring recognition and new members to Syria and are looking for an Editor to
undertake the planning and implementation of this ambitious project. Are you game?
71 - There is also a great opportunity coming up this month. In addition to signing-up for on of the
projects already discussed, please donate a couple of hours staffing the Syria's Masonic
Membership Trailer at Syria's Second Annual Haunted House, which opens Friday, October 5,
2007.. You'll be right in the midst of all the fun and "spooktivities." There are Syria Membership
Trailer sign-up forms on the back tables for you to choose your dates.
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72 - So don't be a Closet Mason! Drop your completed Membership project forms in the boxes on
the back tables and sign-up for the Haunted House Membership Trailer.
73 - Remember, Noble Uncle Sam WANTS YOU!!! Proudly claim a membership assignment and
enjoy the fun and satisfaction of a job well done!
74 - Accept the Challenge!
Copyright 2007-2012 by Barry J. Lipson