Medinah Shriner Summer 2019

Volume 9, Number 2 Summer 2019 MEDINAH SHRINER A Publication of the Medinah Shrine The Most Amazing Care Anywhere Visit Page 14... Visit Page 34-35... for an exciting new to read about the Patient Acquisition newest Medinah Campaign club, the launched by TRAIL CRAWLERS Tampa’s Marketing & Communication Department. Visit Page 40... to meet the new 2019 - 2020 Shriners Hospitals for Children National Patient Ambassadors Madelyn & Cristian. Fraternal Entertainment Zone

MEDINAH SHRINERS In this issue: 3-4 5 Aleikum es Selamu The Potentate’s Message Imperial Potentate Introduction 8-9 A non-profit corporation operating under Treasurer’s Report 12,15,23 the auspices of Shriners International, Event Photos 24,25,38 Event Photos an Iowa Corporation News of Units, Committees, & SC’s 26+ First Lady (Imperial) Introduction 37 ELECTED OFFICERS 2019 William M. Kissane Save The Date 41 Potentate Keith M. Koopman Chief Rabban George E. Stimac Assistant Rabban K. “Tracy” Burcham High Priest & Prophet Joseph “Jay” Alfirevic Oriental Guide Treasurer Eric W. Keating Recorder Fred S. Kaufman REPRESENTATIVES TO THE IMPERIAL COUNCIL 2019 Potentate William M. Kissane Chief Rabban Keith M. Koopman Additional Photo Credits ~ Medinah Photography Past Potentate 2016 Craig C. Stimpert, P.P. Club, Medinah members, Family. 2019 Asst. Rabban George E. Stimac Representative Emeritus Robert O. Kuehn, P.P. Representative Ad Vitam Lewis K. Molnar Representative Ad Vitam Charles G. Cumpstone, Jr. APPOINTMENTS FOR 2019 Frank J. Palella ADVERTISING… Captain of the Guard Outer Guard John Wojciechowski If you would like to advertise in this publication, please contact the Ceremonial Director Patrick Robin Medinah Office at 630-889-1400 or email [email protected]. 1st Ceremonial Master Dwaine A. Churma Advertising prices: 2nd Ceremonial Master Terry Hartl Full page - $150 per issue - $540.00 all 4 issues Director of Units & Fraternal Committees Half page - $75.00 per issue - $270.00 all 4 issues John Wojciechowski Quarter page - $50.00 per issue - $180.00 all 4 issues Parade Marshall Daniel Smith Bus. Card - $35.00 per issue - $126.00 all 4 issues Director of Shrine Clubs Calvin Tazelaar The Medinah Shriner Magazine is for you, the Nobility, and any and all articles that you feel may benefit our members will be accepted and MEDINAH SHRINER MAGAZINE Jodie Keating reviewed for inclusion in an upcoming issue. Chief Editor Richard Schak Send your articles to: Chief Photographer [email protected] PURPOSE PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS Medinah Shrine was established in 1883 to provide a social and entertaining Oasis in the Desert of Chicago. The Shrine is a fraternity based on the Masonic Beliefs of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. Medinah was founded to further promote the tenets of Freemasonry, brotherly love, relief and truth. Remembering our creed – Faith, Hope and Charity – the greatest of these being Charity – we founded our own Charity, the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children®. Nobles, support your Fraternity and your Charity. ONLINE PUBLICATION: medinah.org > Members > Medinah Shriner Magazines > (select the issue you would like to view) MEDINAH SHRINE CENTER 550 N. Shriners Drive Addison, IL 60101 Tel: 630-889-1400 www.medinah.org Follow Us On: Volume 9 Number 2 Medinah Shriner Spring 2019 2

The Potentate’s Perspective Medinah Shriners “The Fraternal Entertainment Zone” Welcome Summer! Nobles and Ladies, Summer is finally here! I hope everyone is able to enjoy the great outdoors again. Thanks to everyone that participated, we have completed two great Shrine parades this year - the Wauconda Memorial Day parade and the Geneva Swedish Day Parade - without any rain. That was quite an accomplishment considering the wet spring we had. Thank you again to everyone for their attendance and participation. We just returned from 145th Imperial session in beautiful Nashville, Tennessee. Our Imperial Potentate is Jeff Sowder from Toronto, Kansas. Imperial Session 2020 will be in Kansas City, Missouri. The slogan for 2019 - 2020 is “Just One”. Each Noble is encouraged to bring in one new noble to double our membership. Do your best to sponsor one new noble. The International Motor Corps has a new club competing, our newest Shrine Club, Medinah’s “Trail Crawlers”. The Crawlers are off to a great start under the direction of President Rick Miller. The Crawlers paraded in the two Shrine parades and at the Imperial session in Nashville. They also decided to compete in the Imperial Motor Corps Competition in Class 10 Obstacle Course 1501 pounds and over, heavyweight. Without any practice, they won 1st place and DID have competition! The Motor Corps also made us proud and took 1st place in Drill, Inspection, Slow Ride, and Obstacle as well as taking home the high point trophy. A big thanks to everyone for their attendance, help, and support with the competitions! continued on the next page…. Summer 2019 3

The Sportsman’s Raffle planning is underway, and we have many great things happening! Nobles have been busy gathering sponsors and promoting the Sportsman’s Raffle. We have a great band playing “The Chicago 6” comprised of retired Chicago Bears Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael, and Otis Wilson due to a generous donation. Bobby Hull from the Black Hawks may be there too! This is a family friendly event. We will have games for the kids and many sports activities. Please help Medinah and sell tickets. This is our largest fund raiser for the year. SELL SELL SELL Several of us went to the Taste of Joliet to sell CD’s for the band Foreigner. $5 from each sale goes to the Shiners Hospital for Children. We presented the band with plaques and gifts from Medinah to recognize their generosity for making Shriners their charity. GLSA is quickly approaching: September 19 - 22 in Grove City, Ohio. Make your reservations by August 1st by completing the RSVP form and emailing it to [email protected] Also, mark your calendars for our family friendly events: Our Family Picnic is August 19th and the Children’s Christmas party will be December 7th. Please be safe in your travels in the busy parade season. Stay hydrated and always remember “Safety First”! Debbie Jo and I thank you again for your support! “Yours in the Faith” William M . Kissane Medinah Potentate Remember to support your Blue Lodge. Not all Masons are Shriners, but all Shriners are Masons. 4 Medinah Shriner

A MESSAGE FROM MEDINAH’S FIRST LADY Hello Ladies! Hello Summer! I would like to begin by shouting out a BIG Disco Thank You to all the Medinah Ladies that helped with the Catch a Rising Star – Love to the Rescue Fashion Show 2019. Drum roll please - $57,563.00! Wow! Great job ladies. A special thank you and a big hug to my Fashion Show Chairlady, Mrs. Linda Halvorson. I would also like to share with you all how awesome the Imperial Session was in Nashville, Tennessee. Thank you to the Medinah Ladies that attended my luncheon. Thank you to the best “Chief Aide” Lady, Sherrill Marquardt, for always being there and helping out behind the scenes. Bill and I also hosted a Family Dinner at Skulls Restaurant. It had a great club setting and amazing food and entertainment. Noble joined us at his first Imperial and was great! Now looking forward to the upcoming events, I hope to see you all at the Family Picnic on August 18th. It’s so much fun for the entire family! Please join Bill and I at the Great Lakes Shrine Association Ceremonial Session being held September 19th through 22nd in Grove City, Ohio. Please prepare for the best Disco Pajama Party ever!! Enjoy Summer! Love from the First Lady, Debbie Jo Kissane At the Shriners 2019 Imperial Session, held 5 June 30 - July 4 in Nashville, TN, Jeffrey L. Sowder of Toronto, Kansas, was elected Imperial Potentate. Imperial Sir Sowder became a member of Midian Shriners in Wichita, Kansas, in 1988 and served as the temple’s Potentate in 2004. He is also currently serving his 11th year as a member of the Boards of Directors for Shriners Hospitals for Children. The new Imperial Potentate is accompanied in his leadership duties by First Lady Cheryl Sowder. Summer 2019

When you buy from Amazon, make sure that part of your payment is donated to our hospital! Shriners Hospitals for Children recently received a donation of $12,334.92 thanks to customers shopping at smile. amazon.com To date, AmazonSmile has donated a total of $145.890.76 to Shriners Hospitals for Children. Thank you for supporting Shriners Hospitals for Children by shopping at smile. amazon.com! Update Your Information In WebFez Are you not receiving Shriner Magazine: Pride and Tradition or any other communications from Shriners International? Did you know that all nobles have the ability to log into their own records to update their contact information, view their records, and verify their payments via WebFez, Shriners International’s membership database? We encourage everyone to log into WebFez to review and update their information, including mailing address and email, to ensure everything is up-to-date. To access WebFez, please visit webfez.shrinenet.org. If you need help registering or logging in, click the “Need Help with register/Login” link on the top of the page for a full tutorial. 6 Medinah Shriner

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Below is the 2nd quarter 2019 summary of the income and expenses of the Medinah Shrine Hospital Transportation Fund: Description Amount Airfare - Commercial $ 2,425 Meal Tickets $ 2,676 Cab Fare & Transport Expenses $ 1,775 Wheelchair Transport $ 215 Housing & Lodging $ 60 Self-Transport Cost $ 416 Total Expenses $ 7,567.00 Contributions to the Medinah Hospital Transportation Fund Anonymous Medinah Classic Car Club Chicago Dogs Baseball Outing - Ron Comiano Hillbilly Clan No 57 Joseph Jamen Gary Parker P.A. Koroghlanian Leo Lewis, Jr. in Memory of Melvyn Freed Cal Tazelaar In Memory of Colleen Lyman West Suburban SC in Memory of Colleen Lyman Medinah Easter Egg Hunt Event Donations Total Contributions $ 3,470.00 8 Medinah Shriner

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IN MEMORIAM NOBLES VISITED BY THE BLACK CAMEL Thomas J. Anders “God rested them in Peace.” Glenn D. Pusch William K. Dammeier To the land of promised rest, John W. Schmidt Their work is done and the setting sun C. Benjamin Spencer Jr. Melvin N. Freed Has sealed their life’s request. James E. Hall They have left this earthly strand Glenn C. Stein Keith G. Harris For the house beyond the sea. Lee R. Tolksdorf Ralph P. Trapper LeRoy G. Lunniss Though the past is gone, Robert D. Watkins, Sr. E. James Nicola, Jr. They still live on James E. Wells II To us all ~ John H. Williams James Nuzzo Richard B. Wormley Charles “Bud” Bylen Sweet is our memory. Sven E. Oak William Prewitt Widows of Medinah Nobles Are you a Shriner’s widow or do you know someone who is? Are you looking for a way to stay connected to the Shrine family? Please let them know we are here for them. The Widows of Medinah Nobles was founded in 1982 by Past Potentate Milan Marecek as a way to keep Medinah widows connected. We would love to have you join Medinah’s newest club for a luncheon and meeting where we gather for fellowship, fun, and to support the Shriner’s Hospital. We meet the 1st Saturday of the month (except May, July, & September). If you are interested in joining our group, we will be meeting at 11:30am, June 1, 2019 at the Bloomingdale Golf Club. Please contact Jackie Moline (708) 422-7890 (Secretary/Treasurer) or Shirley McGillivray (708) 269-4068 (President) for further information. We look forward to meeting you! 10 Medinah Shriner

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Friends & Family 12 Medinah Shriner

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The Most Amazing Care Anywhere National Patient Acquisition Campaign In June of 2019, the Marketing and Communications Department launched, for the first time in the history of Shriners Hospitals for Children, a nationwide marketing campaign to attract new patients to our locations. Previously, hospital locations were responsible for their own patient acquisition marketing, with limited resources and budgets. This project is aimed at supporting and enhancing the efforts of our local teams. This six-month pilot campaign has launched in 14 Shriners Hospitals markets, and features a strong, focus-group-researched message about the high-quality care we offer. The “Most Amazing Care Anywhere” campaign uses a diverse mix of media, including three stunning new 30-second commercials, engaging digital elements, and beautifully photographed patients on outdoor billboards. The campaign targets “millennial moms” with the message that Shriners Hospitals for Children is an outstanding choice for their child’s orthopaedic care. Billboards: Social Media & Digital Advertisements: 14 Medinah Shriner

Warm Weather Fun! Summer 2019 15

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Dear friend, 4 year old Wyatt tries hard to keep up with his big brother and sister when they play. You see, Wyatt is one-in-a-million. His disease, which causes him to be paralyzed from the chest own, is so rare that it only occurs in one of a million children. Wyatt may not walk or run the way his siblings do...but that doesn’t stop him! Look at his smile! Thanks to caring friends like you and his adaptive wheelchair, Wyatt can play along and sometimes he even leads the way! When you donate to Shriners Hospitals for Children® you provide life-changing care to children facing ortho- paedic conditions, severe burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. And with your generous sup- port, we’re able to care for every child who needs us regardless of their families’ ability to pay. With summer on the way, our goal is to help even more kids like Wyatt experience all the joys of childhood. Together, we’re giving children hope and courage — and the resources they need to live full, active, and happy lives. Thank you for being part of our family. Sincerely, Me- 18 Jim Cain

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Take Me Out To The Ball Game! Summer 2019 23

Medinah’ The “Twins” 24 Medinah Shriner

’s Family Summer 2019 25

News of Units, Committees, & SC’s BLACK HORSE TROOP The Spring we never really had is over and boy did it rain! We are well into summer now, and a hot one at that. Of course, with that comes parades. Our parade coordinator has been busy scheduling parades all over the area for the horses. Thank you, Michelle. Greg Becker, our newest rider, and his horse Lucas, (pictured below) made their debut in the Glen Ellyn 4th of July parade. They have been working hard together to get ready for parades and all the obstacles that might appear. There are a lot of scary things out there for the horses like balloons and plastic bags blowing down the street. Greg’s hometown crowd cheered them on. They both did an awesome job, so well in fact that they also were in the Bartlett parade on that Sunday. We always say that if all the riders are on their horses at the end of the parade, and their shirts are clean, it was a great parade. We are looking forward to seeing Greg and Lucas in many more parades. If you would like to join the fun, you are welcome at any time to visit the Medinah stable located at 24W280 St Charles Road in Carol Stream. We ride every Monday night at 7:30pm and even have a horse for you to try out. Give us a call and come see what we are all about. Bob @ 847.754.1056 FLYING CARPETS Our parade season is in full swing and the Genies are flying all over Chicagoland representing Medinah and thrilling countless 26 parade spectators, while keeping a 50-year parade tradition alive and well! When we are not flying, we are repairing and cleaning our flying carpets and preparing for GLSA competition in September. The Medinah Flying Carpets have a long history of bringing home the gold and this year’s GLSA Team is out to be the best one ever. We would like to welcome our newest member, Genie Carl Molyneaux (at left). Carl’s nickname is “Juggling Genie”. Check him out in any parade and you will see why he has that special name. If you see us fly by this summer, remember our motto… We Fly So Kids Can Walk Medinah Shriner

KANKAKEE SHRINE CLUB Nobles from the Kankakee Shrine Club participated in parades all around. pictures are from Beecher 4th of July parade and the Bourbonnais Friendship festival in Illinois. From time to time, you get to trade in the Indian motorcycle for a camel.. MINI CHOPPERS Medinah Mini Choppers Having A Blast While Helping Kids We would like to extend our greetings to everyone in the Medinah family. The Mighty Mini Choppers have been having a great parade season, traveling all over the Chicagoland area, spreading good will and raising money for our beloved Chicago Shriners Hospital. Nothing makes us feel more proud than when a group of people at a parade starts to clap and yell “thank you Shriners” as we ride by. We know that every Medinah parade unit has experienced this wonderful feeling. Parade season is a busy time, but let us never forget the good you are doing by participating. You are not only fundraising for the hospital, but also bringing smiles to thousands of people. Your reaching someone with a wave and a warm smile could very well be the one thing that helps that person get through their day. We are so proud to be Medinah Shriners! Until next time, keep serving your fellow human beings and let everyone know about what SHC can do to change the lives of the young people in our community. As always, our special thanks to Illustrious Sir Bill Kissane, First Lady Debbie Jo and they entire Divan for all you do! YITF, Alexander “Fast Eddie” Edwards 1st Vice President, Medinah Mini Choppers Summer 2019 27

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MOTOR CORPS APRIL - JUNE Well the members and ladies have been busy, very busy, this spring. Even with all the rain we had, we still showed up and put on a good show. Congrats to Don & Suzanne Shaffer on their beautiful wedding day. It was a wonderful event and thank you for letting us be part of your special day…and yes, the rumors are correct...there was an attempt to bring in a motorcycle onto the dance floor, but we needed wider stairs. Better luck at the next event... Motor Corps attended IASMC in Nashville, TN in July and a great time it was! Your 2019 riders were Patrick Temesvary, Don- ald Shaffer, Dominic Rivera, Chuck Wilson, Chris Rupert, and Bill Kurz. We were awarded 1st Place in Drill and Inspec- tion, 1st Team Slow Ride (Temesvary & Wilson), 1st Team Ob- stacle (Temesvary & Wilson), 1st Individual Obstacle (Temesvary) and High Point Trophy. Congrats to the team on one of the fastest drills we ever ran – it appears Country and Western Music makes you ride faster. LOL Bruce Mack (along with his daughter Lauren (Chilly)) recently joined MMC at the IASMC Competition and participated on the Obstacle Course for the first time and maybe got the competition itch…who knows, time will tell. Thank you to all the MMC ladies for making us look good AGAIN! We know its not easy touching up perfection, but somebody has to try. Congratulations to Lester Szkodzinski for moving up the IASMC officer line to 3rd Vice President. Nobles – please spread the word and join in on the fun at GLASMC Sept 19th-22nd (Grove City, OH). You and your lady will have a wonderful time at GLASMC 2019. Reach out to other temples and try to get them to join in and compete… more the merrier! Keep October 5, 2019 open for 29 ThE SHRinInG Medinah’s Halloween Party (open to the public) Buy tickets now at www.theShriNing.org MMC members participated in Rolling Thunder in Washington, DC. Chris (US Navy), Chuck (US Marine Corps), Jeff (US Air Force), & Don S. Summer 2019

MOTOR CORPS (continued) Did you ever wonder what happens at Medinah Shrine when the Shriners are away? …….the rabbits come out to play…. ORIENTAL BAND What a scorcher! The 4th of July has come and gone. Our group together with the Brass Band gave their best performances of the year and Niles, Skokie, and Morton Grove were privy to our dulcet tones. Our next parade is in September at Elk Grove Village. This band has been headed for almost 20 years by our Director, Howard Giesen. If you would like to participate and occasionally eat at our expense, please contact Howard at 773-339-2335. Humbly, Bruce M. Allman, Scribe 30 Medinah Shriner

2020 Dues are now due. Please pay online at medinah.org. Hover over “Members” at the top of the Home page, and click on “Annual Dues Payments” OR… Mail your check made payable to “Medinah Shriners” to: 550 N. Shriners Drive Addison, IL 60101 OR... Call the office at (630) 889-1400 to pay by credit card Please remember to include your MEMBERSHIP NUMBER. Summer 2019 31

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USHERS We were again honored to host and welcome 25 lovely young ladies know as the “Blossom Queens” from Berrien County, along with several Blossom Kings. The Queens and Kings were chose from their respective communities in Berrien County Michigan such as Buchanan, Bridgeman, Paw Paw, Berrien Springs, St. Joseph, etc. The group toured the hospital in the morning and after lunch interacted with a number of the patients, parents, and hospital staff. They are all sponsored by the Berrien County Shrine Club (Saladin Shrine Center - Grand Rapids, MI) and have been visiting the Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago since the early 1940’s! Your Shriners Hospital in Chicago was again honored to host the Illinois High School Shrine football teams for a visit. Following a tour and a presentation in the auditorium, the boys were treated to lunch in the mall - hot dogs with all the trimmings. Later, they tried their hand at wheelchair basketball. In addition to the team, also attending were Potentates and Divan members from several of the Illinois Shrine Temples, coaches, corporate sponsors, and mem- bers of media, both in print and video. Following their basketball games the boys headed back to Bloomington for a late afternoon practice. FINAL SCORE: BLUE Squad 36 - RED Squad 26 Summer 2019 33

TRAIL CRAWLERS Who are these “Jeepers” you may be wondering…well…we are Medinah’s newest club known as the Medinah Trail Crawlers. We are an off-road club that has more than Jeeps. We also have two Silverados and are open to any off-road vehicle. How did this all come about? Kyle Fahy (Treasurer) came to me from time to time and asked some questions about Masonry and the Shrine. One day we were talking about the various clubs and units and got around to the Sportsman’s Club. A little time later he made mention that it would be cool if there was a Jeep/Off-Road club at Medinah. I agreed. I have often felt we need younger members and we agreed this might spark some interest. He and I then went to a Jeep car show in Lemont in July of 2018. Joey Fiandaca met us there and also had interest in Masonry as well as off-roading. This was starting to actually sound like a viable option. I knew that Donald Shaffer “Jr.” was also an off-road enthusiast so I called him, and Kyle and I met him for dinner. Jr said he never had much interest in the Shrine, that it was more of his father’s thing (Don Shaffer “Sr”) and the Motor Corps. In light of this club he now was VERY interested as this was something that could be HIS to do. Jr then called his friend Peter Swiderski. Soon after I was introduced to Mike Gutshall and he was all in. Mike later found out his grandfather was also a Mason. About a week later Rick Fabris (Secretary) reached out to me as he had heard we may be putting a club together. We later found out that his father raised Don Shaffer “Sr.” Kyle then talked to a friend named Anthony and we had a group of guys with one problem….NONE OF THEM WERE MASONS. I knew there was a “Blue Lighting” happening soon and discussed that option with the guys. Every single one of them wanted to do the long form for the experience. I can’t begin to tell how happy this made me. Queue up Steve Schenk. We went out for some camel’s milk one evening with Kyle and Steve (and some other Nobles) when it was decided to have them petition Medinah’s lodge. (Fabris petitioned Barrington Lodge). What did I get myself into? Being the intender for 7 men is a Horrible Idea! I am in!!! With the help of Fred Kaufman, Bob Murphy, Scott Neville, Jay Alfirevic, Brandon Zears, and the list goes on… we raised all of these men. These men gathered weekly to help each other with memorization. Then the Spring Ceremonial happened and they were all made Shriners. Now for the real work… building a new club. Illustrious Sir Bill Kissane gave us his blessing to build a new club and we had some work to do. By-Laws, uniforms, shirts, hats, and a mission statement. What were we doing in the first place?!?!?! Well, it soon came to us…Making Good Men Better. Every month (more often actually) we each take time to mentor someone (or each other). We have one member teaching another how to weld; another teaching someone how to move/park trailers; polish paint; change fluids; dress for formal functions; write resumes; use cutting wheels; plasma cutters; teach how credit cards work; and the list keeps growing!! It didn’t take long to see we had something special here. Our goal…Making Good Men Better. Since starting in July of 2018 we have participated in three parades, including Imperial Session in Nashville where we won 1st place in Team obstacle. We sang at Karaoke night; helped sell CDs for the hospital at the Foreigner Concert; had fun at Dixieland; went to the Shrine Circus in Milwaukee; and again, Imperial Session in Nashville. These guys are ACTIVE! Now if this was not enough to be proud of these men…Fabris as of July 13th holds an office position in his lodge. Four of the men have participated in Degree work at their lodges. Now let me tell you about Nashville...not the Honkytonks…*man it’s hard to keep up with 21 to 23 year olds! Did I mention that all but 1 of these men are under 23??? 34 Medinah Shriner

TRAIL CRAWLERS (continued) Back to Nashville…we attended an After Glow party after the competition where the Motor Corps joined us along with some of our Divan. The Trail Crawlers convinced the entire band and the bartender to wear our Medinah Trail Crawlers shirts the entire night! What a fun time! Then, after the Imperial Parade, three of the guys and some ladies went for ice cream while the rest went back to the parking lot where we were staged for the parade. When they arrived they found a significant amount of garbage throughout the lot. Together they said, “We can’t let Nashville think that this is what Shriners do” so they spent just under 2 hours cleaning up the lot! (see picture at right). WOW! Not a soul around. They say the true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching. Our goal is…Making Good Men Better. These Men are making each other better. These Men are making Shrinedom better. These Men are making Medinah better. These Men are making me better. So when you see the Trail Crawlers around please stop them (or they will stop you) and introduce yourself. These Men are happy to be part of something special and it shows. YITF Rick Miller Summer 2019 35

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Cheryl Sowder grew up in Eureka, Kansas, a town in southeast Kansas with about 2,500 residents. It’s the kind of place where roots are strong; she has only moved once in her life, and that was to the nearby town of Toronto when she married Jeff. In November, they will have been married and lived in that home (which they have made additions to) for 45 years. Cheryl’s father was the district soil conservationist, and her mother was a secretary for the county health department. Cheryl was something of a tomboy, and enjoyed being outside and playing football and baseball with her older brother, Larry, and his friends. That outdoor spirit remains strong – Cheryl still loves to mow the lawn, work with her flowers and, most especially, go fishing with her grandchildren. She grew up in a home where family was critically important, and guided by Christian faith and values. She learned the importance of giving to the less fortunate, making good grades in school and having a strong work ethic. Cheryl remembers her mother’s advice: “Anything worth doing is worth doing right, and giving it your all.” It’s easy to see that Cheryl still lives by these principles, as does the entire Sowder family. Getting to know her future husband - When the high school in Toronto closed, Jeff came to the one in Eureka as a freshman. He and Cheryl were aware of each other – she thought he was very smart and a sharp dresser – but it wasn’t until their senior year when they were chemistry lab partners that they began to know one another better. Apparently, he liked to get her in trouble in class. One Saturday evening, Cheryl went to the movies with her girlfriends. Jeff was there, with his brand new car. He had gotten help from Cheryl’s friends to make this “date” happen, as, according to Cheryl, he was afraid to ask her out. He got over that, they started dating, went to the Senior Prom together, and continued to date after high school, when she went to a nearby junior college and he left for college, thinking of possibly becoming an attorney. College didn’t really suit Jeff; nor did the idea of being a lawyer, sitting inside at a desk all day. He returned home after a year, and went to work for the family feed business (where he still works today – except now it’s four allied firms – and more like a local conglomerate). A year later, after Cheryl graduated from junior college, Jeff proposed. They were married November 24, 1974. Balancing family and career - Cheryl went to a work as a bank teller, taking time off when their daughters were born. In 1996, after working at the bank for 20 years and achieving the rank and responsibilities of vice president, she left to become an insurance agent for Farm Bureau Financial Services in Eureka. After 23 years, Cheryl still loves her work there because it allows her to “protect families, and help them achieve their goals and dreams.” Cheryl and Jeff raised two daughters who both grew up comfortable around the family business’ steers and heifers, and active in every school sport offered to girls. The girls were surrounded with the love, support and presence of their parents. They are both college graduates with master’s degrees, working, raising their own children, and making a difference in their communities. Stephanie is a teacher and 4-H leader. She and her husband, Jamie, have three children, Corinne, Sutton and Reid. Lindsay is a college volleyball coach. She and her husband, John, have two children, JJ and Hudson. When Cheryl has time, she enjoys nothing more than spending time with her grandchildren, whether it’s making cookies or going fishing. Supporting Masonry and encouraging the Ladies - Cheryl has been a part of Jeff’s Masonic journey for 44 years. She clearly believes in both his leadership abilities and the Masonic values. At every stage, she has worked tirelessly to involve the ladies, and help them see how important their role can be, and what a difference they can make. She has also taken that message to the ladies of our nobles, especially through the ladies’ program of the Membership Seminar, the Oriental Guide and Assistant Rabban Seminars. As First Lady of Shriners International, Cheryl will continue her efforts to encourage and empower women to make a difference in the lives of children, and to strengthen the Patient Ambassador Program of Shriners Hospitals for Children®, helping these young advocates become better public speakers and letting them know how much they are appreciated. She truly believes that our patient ambassadors are the Heroes Among Us. Summer 2019 37

Contact Larry Jones at [email protected] for more information. The reservation deadline is August 1, 2019 (no exceptions) 38 Medinah Shriner

Jimmy’s Bavarians jimmysbavarians.com 630-543-7899 Summer 2019 39

Introducing the 2019 - 2020 Shriners Hospitals for Children National Patient Ambassadors Madelyn, now 19, was born 10 weeks early. Doctors told her parents that she was beautiful, healthy, tiny – and was born without her left arm. Madelyn’s journey with Shriners Hospitals for Children began with her first visit to our St. Louis location, when she was just 3 months old. Throughout her childhood, Madelyn used prosthetics, mainly for balance, and to help with various activities. Occupational therapists at the hospital helped Madelyn learn to function and interact in the world. As she grew older, Madelyn began using her prosthetics less often, and by middle school, she opted to stop using them. In school, Madelyn’s busy schedule included not only her classwork but also competitive swimming, first on a team for children with disabilities, then on her high school team. She also participated in competitive, coed water polo. “Nothing is impossible in my mind,’ she said. “It’s just the ability to adapt and work around it.” Madelyn has always devoted herself to advocating and educating. She loves to make YouTube videos showing how to accomplish things using only one arm. At Ability Awareness Week, a program of St. Louis area elementary schools, Madelyn loves to share her story and to explain how Shriners Hospitals for Children changed her life. Drawing from her own experiences of being bullied for having only one arm, Madelyn likes to incorporate anti-bullying themes into her presentations. “I am incredibly excited to see where this year takes me,” Madelyn said. “I hope to inspire other kids, and be able to show them that they can do anything they put their mind to – they might just do it a little bit differently.” Madelyn is currently a student at Maryville University in St. Louis, where she is very active in student activities, and made the Dean’s List her first two semesters” Cristian, who is now 18, was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. In his first two weeks of life, Cristian had two surgeries and went on to have nearly a dozen more. Cristian faced several of the same challenges of many other patients with spina bifida, including gastro-intestinal system and balance difficulties, as well as complications from various surgeries. For several years, Cristian’s family had difficulty finding doctors who understood how to best help him. That all changed one day in 2012, when Cristian met a Shriner who referred him to Shriners Hospitals for Children. Cristian was 13 when he had the surgery that he says changed his life and gave him hope, at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Los Angeles (now Shriners for Children Medical Center in Pasadena, California). Devoted to his schoolwork and seminary studies as well as his part-time job and playing the cello, Cristian has also been active in supporting Shriners Hospitals for Children. He even dedicated his Eagle Scout project to the cause, raising funds to present more than 200 Build-A-Bear toys to the Pasadena medical center. Cristian is looking forward to his responsibilities as a National Patient Ambassador. “I know that I am who I am because of the Shriners,” he said. “I have been able to see that I can do whatever I want and I can overcome any obstacle that I face. I want to give back to them because of that – because of the life that they’ve given me. Through Shriners Hospitals for Children and the national ambassadorship that I’ve been given, I hope to share a message of positivity and hope to all those who need it.” We congratulate Cristian and Madelyn, and thank them for their willingness to represent Shriners Hospitals for Children, and share their stories. 40 Medinah Shriner

Save The Dates Family Picnic Golf SC Outing Aurora Area SC OV Addison Parade Medinah Shrine Center Location...TBD Anderson’s Tree Farm Addison, IL August 18 August 21 August 24 Family Dinner Unit Head Meeting Labor Day Steak & Lobster Fest Medinah Shrine Center Medinah Shrine Center Medinah Office Closed Medinah Shrine Center August 28 August 28 September 2 September 8 Electronics Drawing Sportsman’s Raffle Great Lakes Shrine Association Family Dinner Medinah Shrine Center Medinah Shrine Center Medinah Shrine Center Grove City, OH September 8 September 14 Sept. 19 - 22 September 25 Medinah Car Show The “Shrining” Fall Ceremonial Patrol’s Gin Tournament Medinah Shrine Center Medinah Shrine Center Medinah Shrine Center Medinah Shrine Center September 29 October 5 October 12 October 16 Northwest Glenbrook Family Dinner Unit Head Meeting Karaoke Shrine Club OV Medinah Shrine Center Medinah Shrine Center Oasis Restaurant October 20 October 23 October 23 November 2 Summer 2019 41

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Moving? Please remember to notify the Medinah Office so that your membership data can be updated. FEZ Fraternal Entertainment Zone LET’S HAVE FUN!