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From: "V"

To: @finance-rep.senate.gov

Subject: FW: [Masonryrelatedinformation] certain divan members are actually threatening their nobles with having their dues card revoked if they send me letters to publish

Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2006 16:34:22 -0400

From: Masonryrelatedinformation-bounces@ [mailto:Masonryrelatedinformation-bounces@] On Behalf Of C

Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2006

To:

Subject: [Masonryrelatedinformation] certain divan members are actuallythreatening their nobles with having their dues card revoked if they send me letters to publish

It's come to my attention that certain divan members are actually threatening their nobles with having their dues cards revoked if they send me letters to publish on our International Newsletter List...

Gee..... did those potentates graduate from the

Saddam Hussein School of Management?

Isn't this still the United States of America ?

Would someone please tell some of the pote's out there?

Once again........ a clear and vivid example of why our fraternity is in the midst of a membership crisis. Who wants to be part of ANY organization where the elected leaders so often and so quickly forget from whence they came.... hmmmn? Or the obligations I thought they took on bended knee...............

Potentates should be required (except in the case of a death in the line) to serve 4 full years before being allowed to be potentate. Examples of ridiculous leadership, stupid decisions and pandering to the "bad boys" (whom they allow to run their temples) by people who haven't been on the line long enough to learn to spell 'divan' are evident in many temples in our fraternity. And thus my friends, MORE decay creeping into the walls of what once was the greatest fraternity on earth.

YOUR OPINION PLEASE --

What do YOU think should be done to potentates

who abuse their positions of leadership

when they threaten their nobles with actions

only for the purpose of trying to scare them into submission?

When I attended the OG Seminar in Tampa a few years ago there were many things that were shared with us and some of them really stuck in my memory. Of course sharing those things with my fellow divan members at that time only got me a butt-chewing by the other members who reminded me they knew those things already. Needless to say, I asked them "why then aren't you taking action on them?" they didn't like that question to much...... Of the many things shared with the crop of OG's that year were these two statements (and these are virtually direct quotes from Charlie Cumpstone as best my memory can serve me)

1. A potentate can NOT simply "jerk a dues card" from a noble. An official process must be followed.

2. "The hot sands have NO place in modern Shrinedom."

How many times in the last few years have pote's who are drunk on their own bathwater threatened nobles with shape up or ship out! And regardless of how much fun the hot sands might be to SOME people (and my dad made certain I walked the hot sands in 1980) how many times have we endangered the financial stability of our Temples by taking "fun" action that in our litigious society, could result in "lawsuitarama" should someone have an accidental fall!?

Fellas, we must wake up and realize this is 2006. Things have changed. Like it or not, the pote is NOT the almighty god sent from Tampa to show us the errors of our ways. In MANY cases, I can easily name one, divans are nothing more than lines of "yes men" for the undesirables of Temples who can't get elected because of their past (repeated) blunders. Often, but not always, involving alcohol and public behavior which should have cost THEM their dues card, but didn't because the sitting pote "owed them a favor" and that's how they got even......

What say you on these matters? I'll publish your reply unless you mark it "publish anonymously"

Best Wishes!

C

p.s. people on this list who are not Shriners often email me and ask, "Gee, why WOULD I want to join an organization like the Shrine?" And often, it's hard for me to reply to them.....