October 2024
Well, here we are again Billy, this will be short & sweet, hopefully.
First thing, Halloween Party, Oct 26th. Food and DJ. Grazing starts at 6:30 and music starts at 7:00. Best costume wins a nice prize, you don't have to wear Halloween costume if you don't want to. Come one come all. Bring adult friends and family. $30 a couple. I remember the last one we had, it sure was a lot of fun.
Terry Martin and all of his crew will be cooking ribs Oct 19th. Come help or come listen to the bs. It will be great. Be sure to get your ribs ordered. They must be prepaid. Let Cathy Stockton know how many you need.
Alright guys, it is getting to be that time of the year where ya'lI will kick me out and vote someone new on the line, OG I'm talking about. Please be thinking about it and step up to help keep Maskat alive. Remember this is a five year commitment that you and your lady will be stepping up to, believe me you will need your lady's support. This is a lot of work but in the same breath it's a lot of fun. You will have the
opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and Shriners from other areas besides just Texas.
The stated meeting in Oct will be ladies night, Kathy & Bev Sloan will give a talk about the Hospital trip to Sacramento. There will also be drawings for the ladies to win. Make sure your lady comes to hear all the new great things our hospitals are doing.
For the Kids,
Bill H
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September 2024
I must be getting mellower, it only took one call from Billy to get me started, so here goes.
Summer is about over, hopefully cooler days are ahead. We had Happy Hour both July & August, and had a fairly decent turn out both times. We are still sending out birthday cards to all for their birthday months, haven't got as large a turn out as we hoped for, but sure glad to see those who came. My bill for the first drink (your birthday month) hasn't broke me yet, so you better come on out. Besides, we need some new lies told.
We tried Puzzles, Pizza & Pitcher, several teams showed up, and every one talked about how much fun it was. Many thanks to Ford Swanson, Jr at McBride Steakhouse for the 4 $50 gift cards for the first place team. As in everything you do, you need to look back and see what needs to be changed. We have done that and when we do it again there will be several changes.
One of the things Kathy and I have wanted to do this year is try to get us back together to socialize. Most things have worked, some better than others. Nobles, looking hard at the shape we are in if we want Maskat to survive we have to pull together. Please come to stated meeting, Happy Hour, let us know what you want to see us do. As small as we are we ALL have to work together. We can do it. Ok I'm off my soapbox.
Rib cook will be Oct 19th 180 ribs will be cooked @ $25 a rack. Terry Martin & his crew will do the cooking. Call the office to order and ALL orders must be prepaid. You ask why prepaid? In past years we have had people order multiple racks and we saved them, a lot of times we would have people call and we would tell them we were sold out, then, when they came to pick up their order they would tell us they decided not to take as many as they ordered. That was leaving us with racks we could have sold if we only knew. Come help us out. Come Visit and BS.
October will be ladies night, I know Beverly Sloan, Annette Priddis, & Kathy are planning a program about the Hospital they visited while at Imperial. Just listening to them visit it will be a good eye opener about what they can do now.
Alright, Billy I'm finished rambling, I'll stop now.
For the kids,
Bill H
==============================
August 2024
Ok Billy, got back to the house so here goes. Hope everyone is having a great summer. The trip to Reno for Imperial was pretty good. When we first got there, finding where we were gonna shoot was a chore. We got to visit with the folks on the range and it turned out fine. Made it through Texas Breakfast and on to the meetings. PETA showed their rear a couple of times, but we ignored them and they did not get anything done. The parade was held in front of the Casinos and was one of the better parades I have seen.
My Potentate's pin went over size large. I had people come up to me and ask for a pin. I had a little over 100 left from the original 600 when we got there and within 3 days they were all gone. Got some more ordered.
If you get to go to Imperial, make the trip and visit with everyone you don't know. Kathy and I met so many new friends. All the way from the west coast to the east coast and from all over the world. The only thing that didn't work out good was that almost everyone brought back Covid or a sinus infection. Not just us but almost every temple in Texas. All in all it was a great trip.
Make sure you are at the September meeting to find out what else is on for the rest of the year. The Puzzles, Pitchers & something else is the 17th of August at 6 pm. Contact my Kathy for more information.
For the kids,
Bill H
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June 2024
I think Billy has started calling earlier so he can say he called.
May has been a little bit of a slow month. At Happy Hour we had five birthday guys show up to visit and get their first drink paid for by me. Great time was had by all. You will get a card in the mail during your birthday month, and, if you will bring that card to Happy Hour the third Thursday of the month, I'll buy you your first drink. There will be a lot of talk going on; you may be able to teach us something, or you may find out a lot of what is going on. Come on out; we want to see you.
The ladies had a Brunch and Style Show last weekend. I understand a great time was had by all. I didn't go because I was told I wasn't invited. Thanks to Kathy and all her helpers for putting this on. Tammy Robertson had the style show. Thanks Tammy.
Well, get ready for June. TSA is next month and I understand only the Provost Guard is going to compete. We either brag or whine next month.
June is also Oil Bowl time. We always need help putting this on. If you can help, PLEASE come help us.
For the kids,
Bill H.
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May 2024
I swore last month I would not be late getting this to Billy. Well I was wrong. Late again. Here it is Bev.
Thanks to Jerry and Bev Sloan for putting on the High Tea the first weekend of the month. Thanks to all that stepped up and helped. From where I was it was a really good turnout and the food was great. A good experience was had by all. I'm not sure but I thought I heard Jerry mention the fact that as I was still in a leg brace, they could put me somewhere and keep me out of the way. It worked. Again, thanks to all.
Next was the Thank You Dinner for the Past Potentates and their Ladies. Since we had a couple of past patients there to give their talks, we opened it up to nobles and the public. The turnout was great. Rachel Davis and Austin Tyree talked about what they went through. Both talks sure tugged at your heart strings. A size large thank you to my bride Kathy for putting this together. She did a heck of a job. Thanks for the help of the Cooking Unit; the food was great. I'm glad Kathy and Rachel weren't talking long distance; I couldn't work enough to pay those charges.
I swear I won't be late next time Billy.
For the Kids,
Bill H
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April 2024
I'm really late writing this, so Billy hang on!
Just got back from Provost Guard MidWinter. A fun time was had by all. The list of wins and losses will be in another article. I will fess up, I won Dead Ass Last. To say the least, I didn't have a good day. Between Gun troubles and this bad knee, it was tough.
April 13th will be Past Potentate Appreciation Dinner. We will have been able to have three people that have been through our Medical system that are gonna be there to talk about their experiences. If you have a friend that would like to hear all of this, let them know and bring them with you. There will be a meal--$15.00 a plate--with Potentates and their ladies comped. I have heard most of these stories and you don't want to miss this.
The 27th of April we will host a fun shoot for the Provost Guard. Lots of folks will be here from all over the state. It will be a team competition and we will draw for teams. A good time will be had by all. Come and join us.
All should be getting ready for TSA. It is just around the corner. Make plans to attend.
For the Kids,
Bill H.
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March 2024
Here we are for another busy month. We have made Divan Midwinter, Super Bowl Party, Stated Meeting and Happy Hour. Most likely by the time you get this, the Potentates Ball will be behind us. As of right now it looks like a good turn out. A lot of mine and Kathy's counterparts are gonna try to be here. I think a good time will be had by all. A lot of folks are working hard to get this put on. I think they are kinda glad I'm still down so I am out of the way. I know when I go to thanking everyone I'm gonna leave somebody out, so I want to let everyone know how much I thank you for all you have done. My wife, my daughter, and my granddaughter have got me under control, so all will be well.
There Were a large number of people at Divan MidWinter. Suez did a heck of a job putting it on. One of the things Imperial told us about was the number of Clinics that are to be opened in the future in the United jStates and Mexico. It looks like we will be able to serve more kids for the same amount of money. Really good news. Looking forward to TSA in SanAngelo.
After San Angelo, Sunday morning, I was down. I had to miss the Super Bowl Party. I was also informed that it was a great time. Even though we are smaller in number, we need to keep these get togethers going. Let's work hard to keep our fellowship working.
We had one birthday boy at Happy Hour. Happy Birthday Rusty Park. You will get a card the first of the month of your birthday. Come out and get some of MY money, because I'll buy your first drink.
As most of you know I'm down with a screwed up knee. It is getting better and maybe I won't be back as good as I was. I am getting old you know, but I will be back.
Kathy is working on getting us det up to have our Potentate's Trip with Imperial. It will be the last part of June. She needs for you to let us know if your are interested so we can know how many to plan for. Trying to get a good rate.
I think Billy is about to call me wanting to know where this is, so . . .
For the Kids,
Bill H.
====================
February 2024
Here we go, another new year, another Divan, eager to get started. Thanks to everyone for giving me a chance as your Potentate. A special thank you to my bride for standing by me through my journey to get here. I love you so much.
Mike, Congratulations on a great year. Hope I can do as well. I'm looking for brighter carpet. Just Kidding.
As most of you know, I didn't start well. After a great knee replacement, I pulled a stunt and ruined a tendon in that knee. Right know I'm in rehab writing this. (To my Provost Guard friends, it's my knee I'm rehabbing, not my liver.) It will get well & we will be going full blast, hang on for a great ride.
We did get Installation of Officers done, thanks for the Daughters of the Nile for their help. The Chicken N Dumplings were great. I was only a couple of days out of the hospital, but
with everyone's help, we got it done. Saturday night we had a Meet The Divan, not a large turn out, but those that came had a good time. Manya & Brian did a heck of a job with the food. Thanks to all.
My Lady & I remember years past with a lot of fellowship & get togethers. We want to get some of this going again. Trying to get some members we haven't seen in a while back.
One of the first things we are doing is every member will get a birthday card around the first of their birthday month. Bring that card to Happy Hour the third Thursday of the month & I will buy your first drink.
Well I gotta go & get this to Billy.
In honor of my great friend, & brother Mason, & Shriner, John Tunnell,
For the kids,
Bill H.
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January 2024
Congratulations to all of the 2024 Divan! Bill Hammack will be your new Potentate and all of the other officers moved up as well. Mathew Spradlin is the new Oriental Guide and he
is excited to take on the challenge. Please welcome him and his Lady Annette.
The Foster Kid's Party early in December was a great evening. The kids had fun and were all happy to get their gifts from Santa Claus (Clint Lee). Thank you to all of the volunteers that helped with the party and to the foster parents that make sure these kids have a great life. We also had a surprise donation of chairs from Blue Cross Blue Shield that we were able to sell as a fundraiser. Thank you to all of the volunteers that helped sell the chairs and the Nobles that purchased them also.
Your support and participation last year meant so much to Rickie and me. We have thoroughly enjoyed representing Maskat over the last few years. Thank you to every Noble and Lady that helped make my Potentate year successful. It seemed to fly by and I have so many wonderful memories with friends and pride in the fact that I was able to serve our great organization. I will still be active and look forward to many more years at Maskat. Let's make 2024 another great year!
Mike Knox
2023 Potentate
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December 2023
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with their families. The Rib Cook in November was a -big success. The ribs were great and we sold out. Thank you to Terry Martin and crew for all of their hard work on this fundraiser. It didn't hurt that the guys had a good time cooking too.
December is a busy month for everyone with the holidays upon us. The FEZtival of Trees is the first weekend of the month at the Wichita West VFD Christmas Show. The same weekend we will also shop for the annual Foster Kids Christmas Party which is Monday, December the 4th. Please volunteer for these events if possible. We also have several rentals at the Temple in the month of December.
This year has gone by so quickly. Rickie and I want to thank all of the Nobles and Ladies
for their support and participation this year. We have enjoyed it so much and hope that
you have as well. Maskat Shrine is important to all of us and it gave me great pride
to have served on the Divan and as your Potentate representing such a meaningful
philanthropy. The Divan coming up has big plans so please remain active and enjoy the
activities knowing that we are doing it for the children.
Mike Knox
2023 Potentate
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November 2023
Can't believe that we are in the 11th month of the year. It is true that times flies when you are having fun!
At Stated Meeting in October we gave service awards to quite a few Nobles who have been members for 25 years or more. We thank you for your membership, loyalty and service to Maskat. It was also a Ladies Night and we had several of our Noble's Ladies in attendance. As always, we appreciate the participation from the Ladies.
It was decided that Ceremonial for new Nobles should be postponed until next spring. The date will be announced later.
Keno and Eva Lopez prepared a wonderful taco dinner at the Hatton Road land and the food and comradery was a big hit. Thank you to Keno, Eva and their family for your generosity and great food!
By the time you read this we will have had the 2024 Calendar Meeting. If your unit has any event to add please call the Maskat office.
The Maskat Rib Cook is November 4th. We sold out of ribs in record time! Don't forget to pick yours up that Saturday if you ordered. The pick-up times are 12:30 and 5:30. Thank you to Terry Martin and his crew for doing the cooking. This is always a great fundraiser for Maskat.
I hope that you are all enjoying the cooler weather. The holidays will be upon us in no time at all!
Thank you for being a Shriner!
Mike Knox, Potentate
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October 2023
I hope all of you had a good summer. We are back to business as usual at the Temple and had a busy late August and September. We had a great turnout at the Summer Celebration Shrimp Boil and there was plenty of food and fun. On Labor Day weekend we had two events. The SCA Steak Cook-Off at the Hatton Road land brought steak cookers from all over to compete. This cook-off is sponsored by SCA and we provide the location and volunteers to set up. On Labor Day we had the annual Maskat Shrine Circus at the Mounted
Patrol Arena. It was 106 degrees that day so the crowd was not as large as usual but everyone had fun and saw a great show. Thank you to all of the volunteers that helped with these events!
October will bring several events as well. Stated Meeting on October 10th is a Ladies night and also Service Awards will be presented. Ceremonial to welcome new Nobles is on Saturday, October 14 at 2:00 pm. Please come out and welcome our new Nobles and their Ladies. Happy Hour is the 3rd Thursday of the month (Oct. 19th). The Rib Cook has been rescheduled to November 4th. If you would like to purchase ribs to be picked up, please call the Maskat Office.
Thanks for being a Shriner!
Mike Knox, Potentate
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September 2023
The summer flew by even with the Temple being dark. By the time you read this we will have had the Summer Celebration Shrimp Boil, SCA Steak Cook-Off and the Circus. The Shrimp Boil was an event I wanted to do in lieu of a Potentate Trip. I hope that everyone had fun. Thanks to Bill Hammack and all of the volunteers that worked on the SCA Steak Cook-Off. Also, thank you to the volunteers that helped sell coloring books at the Circus.
We will begin having Units Council and Stated Meetings again in September. I hope that everyone is ready to get back in the swing of things and comes out to the meetings. We will also have Happy Hour on the third Thursdays of each month. The Provost Guard will be competing at Fall Invitational in San Antonio on the 22nd through the 24th. Good luck to all of our shooters!
All of our new Nobles need to start planning on coming to Ceremonial on October 14. We also have a Rib Cook coming up on October 28th. There will be more information on these events in the next Wildcat.
Thanks for being a Shriner!
Mike Knox
Potentate
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August 2023
Well, it is time for me to report to all of you on the summer happenings. Even though the Temple is dark in the summer there are a lot of Shrine activities.
Our main focus in June was the Oil Bowl. Yoshi Fukasawa did a great job again this year organizing all of the events leading up to and including the basketball, volleyball and football games. The football game was interrupted several times due to lightning and rain but was completed and the entire week-long event was a huge success. Thank you to Yoshi and all of the volunteers that work each year to make the Oil Bowl happen.
TSA was in Fort Worth this year and hosted by Moslah Shrine. The Divan, Provost Guard, Golf Team and Clown Unit were all represented. The meetings and trade show were at Will Rogers Coliseum and most of the evening events were at the Stockyards. A good time was had by all.
The Imperial Session was in Charlotte, North Carolina in July. Maskat Shrine was represented by Chief Rabban Bill Hammack. The session is several days long with a lot of meetings and activities, so Bill and Kathy were really busy. Bill, Jerry Sloan and Tim Bradberry also competed in the Provost Guard Shoot the day before the meetings began. Thank you to Bill for representing Maskat at this important convention.
If you have not been by the Temple lately you need to come check out the expansion of the Oasis. The room was enlarged to accommodate more activities and more people. New carpet was installed and it looks like a completely different area.
Jerry and Beverly Sloan and Joe Kirk had a 238th birthday party at the Hatton Road land that the entire Temple was invited to. If you missed it, you missed a great time!
In lieu of a Potentate trip this year Rickie and I are hosting a Summer Celebration Shrimp Boil at the Temple on August 19 at 2:00. It is open to all Nobles and their ladies. Please call the office and make reservations by August 10. The flyer has been in your email.
Events coming up are the SCA Steak Cookoff on Saturday, September 2nd at the Hatton Road land and the Maskat Circus on Monday, September 4th at the Wichita County Mounted Patrol Arena. You will be receiving your Circus letter in a few days. Please purchase your Noble tickets as this is a major fund raiser for the Temple. Hope to see you at all of the upcoming events.
Mike Knox
Potentate
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June 2023
Hello Nobles,
I want to thank all of the Maskat Nobles for your support. We have had a lot of participation for all of the events this year and I hope this continues. This is a busy time of the year and we need help from all that are able.
The Golf Tournament was a great success. We had 22 teams this year and all had a really good time. Thanks to Ed Hall and Gordy Antill and all of the other Nobles responsible for making this one of our best fund raisers each year. Also, a big thank you to Noble Scott Anderson at River Creek Golf Course for putting the tournament together.
We have TSA in June from the 7th through the 10th, hosted by Moslah Shrine in Fort Worth. The Provost Guard and Golf Units will be competing and the Smoking Gun will be in the parade. Of course, the Divan will attend the business meetings.
The week following TSA is the Oil Bowl week. The football players arrive on Wednesday to start practices. The Basketball Game will be at Rider High School on Friday, June 16 beginning at 6:30 for the girls’ game and 7:30 for the boys’ game. The Volleyball Games will be Saturday, June 17 at 4:00 at Rider also. The Oil Bowl Football Game will be at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, June 17. Kickoff will be at 7:30. The Oil Bowl is a big event for us and a lot of help is needed to put it on. If you are able to volunteer, please do!
We have had some interest in the purchase of Maskat’s land south of the building. We are hopeful that this works out for us and for the prospective buyers.
Hope to see all of you at the upcoming events and meetings.
Mike Knox, Potentate
Maskat Shrine
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May 2023
Hello Nobles,
I want to thank all the Nobles that were at the Stated Meeting in April. We had more attendance and we gained a new Noble, Paul Arbogast. Also, I would like to thank all of the Nobles and Ladies who helped with the Easter Egg Hunt this year. The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast. The hot dogs and hamburgers were good too!
The Tex-Mex dinner benefitting the Hatton Road Land was a big success. Keno and Eva Lopez donated the food and it was delicious. Thank you to them and their family for a great event. The Provost Guard had a Fun Shoot on April 22 at the land. We will report on that next time along with the High Tea that Jerry and Beverly Sloan sponsored to benefit the Hatton Road land on April 29.
The calendar is pretty full for May and June. The Maskat Golf Tournament is May 5 at River Creek Golf Course. Grab your clubs and be a part of it! On May 20 the Cooking Unit is having a Crawfish Boil. Get your tickets at the Temple.
June is always a busy month for Maskat. TSA is in Fort Worth followed by the Oil Bowl the next week. I hope that everyone will come out and take advantage of all of the events coming up.
We have been doing some improvements and renovations to the Oasis. It has been enlarged and the new carpet will be in soon. Go by the Temple and take a look.
Fraternally,
Mike Knox, Potentate
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April 2023
Hello Nobles,
Well, another month has come and gone. Everyone that attended the OG trip had a great time and having the bus again only added to the fun. I want to thank the Cooking Unit for providing a great meal at the Stated Meeting in March. We had better attendance at the meeting which was good to see.
There are several things coming up in April along with Unit Council and Stated Meeting. The Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday, April 8 at noon. There will be hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone so bring all of your friends and their kids. Check the Wildcat Calendar for other events in April – Happy Hour, Tex-Mex Dinner at the Hatton Road land, Fun Shoot at the land and the High Tea at the Temple. Call the Temple office for the details.
The Provost Guard mid-winter is at the end of March and we should have the results next month.
The Golf Unit will have their mid-winter competition in Fredricksburg in April. Go out and make us proud golfers.
Have a great month!
Mike Knox
Potentate
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March 2023
Hello Nobles
January and February went by so quickly, probably because we had so much going on! Everyone seemed to have a great time at the Potentate's Ball in January .. I want to thank all of the volunteers that decorated, worked at the
Casino Tables and helped clean up. It takes many volunteers to have a big party and a lot of people stepped up.
Your Divan members and their Ladies attended Divan Mid-Winter in Granbury in February. It was a great event hosted by Moslah. It is always beneficial to meet with your counterparts to get new ideas for the Temple and discuss policies that affect all of us. It is also important for the new Divan members to attend and get acclimated to the procedures that occur each year. Our new Oriental Guide, Brian Gaylor, and his Lady Manya did a great job hosting Maskat's hospitality room. We had lots of visitors there every day.
The Super Bowl Party was a lot of fun! We had tons of food that everyone enjoyed. We had some lucky winners on the boards, 50/50, and door prizes. Thank you to all of the volunteers that helped with the food, working the boards and selling tickets. Once again, Dee Ann Reed organized the canned food drive and helped with the organization of the betting boards. A big thank you goes out to her.
The OG Trip to Shreveport is February 23rd through 26th. The Nobles will tour the Shreveport Hospital on Friday. Some will play golf, and there is also bowling along with gambling, eating, and so on. This is always a fun trip. I will report back about the OG Trip in the next Wildcat.
The attendance at the Stated Meeting in February was low. We need to work on getting back in the habit of coming to the meetings. Not only is it a social meeting, but also, all of the decisions that are made regarding our Temple are discussed each month. Come be a part of the success of Maskat, visit with your friends, and have a good meal. I hope to see you all!!
Until next month,
Your Potentate
Mike Knox
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February 2023
Hello Nobles,
Well, here we go and I hope it's a grand year for Maskat. I want everyone to know that I am grateful and honored to be your Potentate for 2023. Rickie and I are looking forward to making this coming year a great one and hope that we all have fun in the process.
I would like to thank Past Potentate Dooby Fox and Lady JoAnn for doing such a great job guiding us in 2022. I want to thank everyone that came to the Installation of Officers in January at Stated Meeting. Dooby and JoAnn made a mean cake!
By the time you read this, we will have had the Potentates Ball. I know everyone will enjoy the casino night, food and dancing. We wanted to kick off the year with a great party.
We have two upcoming events in February. First off, the Super Bowl Party is February 12. Please come out and bring a snack to share and canned food for the drive. There will be betting boards, door prizes, and a 50/50 raffle. On February 23, we will leave for the OG trip to Shreveport. This tradition is long standing at Maskat and I hope that you can attend. Call Maskat Office to make your reservation for the OG trip by February 9th. We will be leaving on the bus at 4:00 pm on Thursday and return on Sunday, hopefully with some money left in our pockets.
I hope to see you all at Stated Meeting on February 14.
Your Potentate of 2023
Mike Knox
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January 2023
Greetings Nobles,
I'll have to first say it's been an eventful experience serving on the Maskat Divan. From the very first day being elected as OG to being your outgoing Potentate.
I will never forget the first year, especially: Going to my first Divan Mid-Winter where I got introduced to the Judge; Going on the OG trip to Shreveport, visiting the hospital and playing hide and seek and keep away with an apron; Going to the OG school in Orlando and being the first couple ever to get married at OG school. JoAnn was given away by the Imperial Potentate. Who could ever forget a year like that?
That's not to say the rest of the time hasn't been memorable. Because it has. The rest of the time up util now has been one of the greatest times Jo and I have had. We've gone places that we probably would have never gone. We've met a lot of people and made friends, and I believe we have made some life long friends here at Maskat Shriners.
As this year comes to a close and I get ready to hand over the gavel, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you for allowing me to serve as your Potentate. It ahs been a pleasure and an honor.
Fraternally Yours,
Dooby Fox
Potentate 2022