May 2023

We are well into the Spring season. We have had several successful special events since our last Wildcat.

First we had a good showing at the Unit Council Meeting and was able to address several issues before presenting to Nobility. We also had 45 Nobles at the Stated Meeting last month. The Cooking Unit paid for and served a good meal (free) before the meeting. It’s really good to see the Nobility coming around again, and we had another new member
come in on top of that. All good news.

The Easter Egg Hunt was a very well attended event. The Clowns did a great job with the children. The Nobility really stepped up and helped move tables/chairs/trash cans. Joey brought his big cooker out and we had the ladies serving. Lots of full baskets leaving with smiles on those kids faces. We did good guys. Thanks a bunch.

Now for upcoming events. The Provost Guard will have a Fun Shoot Saturday 22nd. This is an Open Shoot for Shriners
and non-Shriners. This will be in the book by the time you read this. Planning has been good and have no reason to expect anything but a great event. Update later.

I want to speak of the efforts to raise money to clean the tank at the Hatton Road land. There was a Tex-Mex Dinner at the Provost Guard building last Saturday 15th of April. It could not have been any better. The food was great and was attended by 95 people purchasing tickets. Great time and great food!! ALSO the High Tea is 29th of April. Tickets are $30 each. This is geared toward the ladies and very close to selling out. Proceeds going to clean tank at the land. Again more after event.

Our Unit Council/Divan meeting is scheduled for May 3rd, 6:30 in the Oasis. Please Join us for a small but filling meal provided by our Potentate. The Stated Meeting will be May 9th. I hope we can top the 50 Nobles attendance mark. We have 2 more Stated Meetings before we go dark. Wow, going fast.

We have our largest special event coming May 5th, the Shrine Temple Golf Tournament at River Creek Golf Course. 1 pm shotgun start with the 4-person scramble format. Ed Hall and Gordy Antill have collected a ton of prizes. Grab a non-Shriner and call Cathy to put a team in. This is one of the fun ones so don’t miss it. More later on results.

The last special event in May is our Crawfish Boil on the 20th, 2-5pm at the Temple. $15 per person, all you can eat. This was well attended last year. If you missed it, don’t do that again. There are several people who can show you how to peel and eat if needed. Again, one of my favorites. Greg and Joey will man the cookers with help from several other Nobles. Make plans to attend this one.

TSA is upcoming June 8-10 in Fort Worth. Cathy has all the information and how to sign up. We really would like to see a good attendance. It won’t get any closer until we host it again.

As you see there is a lot going on. Come out to your Temple for fun and fellowship! Thanks.

Fraternally,
Calvin Carlton, PP Recorder

=================

April 2023

It is the season and we have started filling up our Calendar every month. With the Potentate’s Ball and Divan Mid-Winter behind us, we are looking toward several Shrine activities and Fundraisers. I feel we just finished one of the most fun OG Trips that I have ever attended. We secured the bus for the trip and it was good to be together on the trip to Shreveport and back. We had an OG and a half walking, and we kept them busy. Golf was fun and we had one of the most informative Hospital tour in a long time. Of course we gathered for Chicken Wings after the tour that lasted several hours. We had about fifteen nobles attend this lunch. Good times were had by all. We plan on securing the Bus again next year and are hoping to get thirty plus people on the bus. Let’s start planting the seed now!

Note – We have Happy Hour at the Temple every third Thursday, every month. Join us for some snacks and fun
for a while.

The Easter Egg Hunt is April 8th at the Shrine Land on Hatton Road. This is open to all Shriners and guests.
Bring the family out for Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, and chips. Good time to showcase the Shrine at a fun event.

Golf Unit upcoming events – Golf Mid-Winter is April 19-21 in Fredericksburg, Texas, followed by the Shrine Golf
Tournament May 5th at River Creek. We need help selling additional hole sponsors–see Ed Hall or Gordy Antill.

The Cooking Unit will sponsor a Crawfish Boil May 20th, 2-5pm, $15 per person. Good event to bring non-Shriner
out and even dip into several Blue Lodges for people to invite. This is fun and very popular; don’t miss this one.
Call Greg or any Cooking Unit member with questions.

TSA cost has increased, as expressed in Stated Meeting; the cost is now $100 per Noble and $25 for spouse. The Temple will pay $50 (1/2) of Noble fee if attending. It’s in Fort Worth this year – very close to us. Let’s have
a good showing. Call Cathy for details.

Our Potentate has a project that was brought to Unit Council and was passed unanimously. We talked to Nobility
last Stated Meeting as well. This is the expansion of the Oasis. The plan is to expand into the Clown Unit room
and put up the Crap Table and Blackjack tables. We see several advantages including rentals. Any questions,
please ask any Divan member.

That’s about it for this month, OH wait – we had a free chicken-fried steak dinner at Stated Meeting. 43 Nobles
attended! May do that again

Fraternally,
Calvin Carlton, PP Recorder

====================

March 2023

Well we are off and running with our new Divan in place. It has been a much smoother transition than I expected. We seem to be going the same direction. We have just come off of a couple of rather good events. First the Potentate’s Ball, was decorated very nice, thanks Rickie and the girls. Good food, good DJ, casino night was fun as well. Good start to our Potentate and Lady. Next was Divan Mid-Winter in Granbury. Was very informative and returned with lots to think and talk about. Per Capita dues increase surfaced again. It will be voted on at Imperial this summer. There is some Hospital information I will report on at next Stated Meeting on
March 14th.

Lady Rickie has received a lot of support from a lot of the ladies, not just Divan. I want to thank all, but a special shout out to Jody Miller.  I know for a fact she has been in the middle of both special events to make sure they looked good and ran smooth. Thanks Lady Jody! Also during Super Bowl, Dee Ann Reed is the guru of the betting boards. From making boards, organizing betting squares, paying out, and just knowing how many supplies needed to pull it all off. Also the Food Bank donation!
Thanks Lady Dee Ann.

As always we need members desperately. We only have 1 vote at Imperial because we dropped below 300 members. Let’s shake the bushes and get some fresh ideas in our Temple.

Get ready for a good O.G. Trip. We have the bus again, we have golf, Hospital Tour, bowling, gambling, and good fellowship. Wheels up 2-23-23 @ 4pm. Don’t miss it!

Fraternally,
Calvin Carlton, PP Recorder

=============

February 2023

We are in a New Year and it looks to have some promise.  We installed new officers with a new Potentate, Mike Knox.  It was good to see some Nobles at the stated meeting we haven’t seen in quite some time. We all hope this continues thru the rest of the year.  We also have great expectations for Potentate Knox and his lady Rickie.  They have planned a fun and interesting Potentate’s Ball on January 28th.  Hope t see a bunch of Nobles and guests in attendance.

I also want to give a shout out to our outgoing Potentate, Dooby Fox, and Lady JoAnn.  They set the bar pretty high for anyone to follow.  Dooby, I just want to say from the entire Nobility–it has truly been a pleasure. Thank you both for your service and commitment.  Good Luck.

Second big news:  If you haven’t heard, we had a Noble step up and ask us about running for O.G.  Brian Gaylor was nominated and elected into that office last stated meeting.  This is Bill and Kathy Hammack’s son-in-law.  I’m sure most have met him and his wife.  They have been attending for years.  I think Brian and Manya will be a good addition to the Divan.  Glad to have ya’ll.

It looks promising on our O.G. trip, everything on target.  We need about 25+ people going to justify the cost of the bus.  So if you plan to go, please call Cathy at the office and get on the list. I think we will have gun again, and I am looking forward to some fellowship and a Hospital tour.

I want to speak for a minute about membership.  We are currently down to 289 Nobles.  We did have a good year last year as far as new members, but the Black Camel and suspensions really took it’s toll.  Please invite some non Shriners to our events just to expose them to what we do.  We have the best kept secret in Texas but sure need to let people know!!

Fraternally
Calvin Carlton
PP Recorder

=============

January 2023

We had 44 Nobles at the stated meeting last night.  This was our Election night, and we also brought in one new member and one visitor that is moving his membership to Maskat, for a total of two–great news again!! Our total membership is still hovering above 300 even with the Black Camel visiting almost every month.

Our last two special events went very well with good participation by Nobility.  First, the Turkey Cook:  We cooked 200 turkeys over a Saturday and Sunday before Thanksgiving.  They turned out great. I have eaten from 2 different ones and both were fantastic.  Had a lot of other good comments on the quality, and we made $2,281 for the Temple.  The other event was the Foster Kids Christmas Party.  We had lots of help purchasing and wrapping the gifts and the cooking unit cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for all.  The turnout was a little weak from Parents and Kids, but those who came had a good time, presents, food, and a visit from Santa!!

Our Potentate’s Ball is upcoming on the 28th of January.  Also scheduled is the O.G. trip; it’s on the books for February 23-26.

The last item I want to mention is the Elections. I really don’t know what to think or how to address this.  We had NO-ONE run for O.G. This is a first for Maskat.  Excuses are just that.  Excuses.  Our current Potentate drove an hour each day 3-4 times a week for 5 years, and many others worked 60 plus hour-a-week jobs while on the Divan–myself included.

I implore someone to tell me where we are missing the boat.  We must be doing something wrong.

Fraternally
Calvin Carlton
PP Recorder

=================

December 2022

Our Stated Meeting last night had 45 Nobles in attendance.  Not a bad showing, 2 more than last month.  We did give Harry Warren his 40 yar pin and certificate.  Thanks Harry for 40 years of dedication to Maskat Temple and the Provost Guard.

We brought in another new member last night and was able to report we didn’t see the Black Camel last month!!  We have had a pretty good year as far as new members in 2022.  That sure feels good, let’s see if we can keep that trend going thru next year.

I sure want to say something about our Rib Cook.  125 racks of ribs were sold and we made $1693.51 for the Temple.  A big THANK YOU to all the Nobles involved.  Some of the best ribs, if not the best, I have ever had.

Our next fundraiser is coming soon – the Turkey Cook.  We will cook 200 turkeys on the 19th& 20th of November.  I believe sales are going to be good at this point.

We will decorate the Temple for Christmas November 26th, with the Foster Kids Christmas Party on December 5th, 6pm.  We will be purchasing gifts and food December 4th 12 noon at WalMart I-44.  We can always use some help purchasing and wrapping on the 4th, also need cookers on the 5th.  This is not a fundraiser but is one of the most rewarding events of the year.  Come on out and let’s have some fun.

I have to give a shout our to PP and Treasuer Greg Stockton.  He is recovering from major back surgery.  Heal yourself my friend.  Also found out last night Gordy has Gloria in the hospital.  Our prayers and best wishes for speedy recovery for both.

Fraternally,
Calvin Carlton
PP Recorder

==================

November 2022

We had our stated meeting last night with 43 Nobles in attendance.  It was great to see some guys  I haven’t seen in a while.  We gave out some long time Service Awards ranging from 25 years to 55 years.  I want to thank each of the recipients for their dedicated years of service to our fraternity.

We have some upcoming events that need to be attended. First in October 18th Calendar meeting for 2023 in the Oasis.  We do need every unit to attend so we can get their dates down.  Again this will be over by the time the Wildcat comes out.  We also have the Maskat Happy Hour October 20th in the Oasis. See ya there!!

Don’t forget about our Rib Cook.  October 22nd Terry Martin will be cooking his world famous Ribs, $25 per slab, hot and ready to eat that Saturday. Please call Cathy to secure yours now.

The 19th & 20th of November is our Turkey Cook. We will cook 200 and sell each for $35. As you know everything has gone up but we held our price at the same level as last year.  Please participate in this fundraiser and get your turkeys; call Cathy in the office.

I am going to ask this one more time, we need some people to run for O.G. I have heard from no one (0).  Please if you have any question, call me or any Divan member.

Fraternally
Calvin Carlton
Recorder PP

=================

October 2022

Well we have had “several” outings in the last couple of weeks and I have seen a flock of Nobles.  First was the Steak Cook-off, and it was a good one.  34 teams competed, weather was great, and we had plenty of Nobles to handle the needs of the Temple.  Over $1,000 was raised for the Temple with little effort on our part.

And then came the Circus on September 5th & 6th at the Mounted Patrol Arena. Monday the 5th was a very good crowd.  The parking lots were full and organized, thanks to the parking team of Ed, Joes, and yes Charles Dean.  Good job by Mike Knox as chairman and the participation of a lot of Nobles and their ladies.  Thanks brothers for stepping up to make this a success.  We will end up making $7,009+.

We had a rather thin stated meeting because of the Potentate trip but managed 36 Nobles attending.  We have had some progress reports attesting to a great time in Cabo. Ya’ll have fun and wish we could have all been there.

We do have a couple of things upcoming.  October 1st we are calling for a workday to help put up lighting in the cooking area.  This shouldn’t take long with just a little help.  It’s the last (one of) steps to complete that project.  If you haven’t seen it please take time to step out and lot!! October 5th is Unit Council meeting in the Oasis with stated meeting October 11th.  Please attend both if possible.

The Temple is selling racks of ribs (Terry Martin style) on October 22nd pickup. Call Cathy in office to secure yours.  $25/slab.

I pleaded last month for some folks to take a hard look at running for O.G.  I have heard nothing!!  So let me ask again for some Nobles to Step-UP and let us know.  I will promise it is an experience you would not take a million dollars for.

Questions call or stop ay Divan member.  Thank you.

Fraternally,
Calvin Carlton
Recorder PP

==============

September 2002

Well once again this article is going out and we still haven’t been together.  I do miss you slugs!! We will have a very busy start to September with Steak Cook-Off on the 3rd at the Hatton Road Land.  Follow this up with the Circus September 5th and 6th.  All of this is over the Labor Day weekend.

The Unit Council and Divan meeting has been moved from Wednesday, September 7th, to Monday, September 12th, with stated meeting on Tuesday, September 13th.  Dinner will b e at 6:30 and meeting at 7:30.  As I have said before, by the time you read this it’s all over.

I do have one burning issue that surfaces every fall.  We are in need of a couple of qualified Nobles to take a hard look at running for Oriental Guide.  Everyone has a valid excuse not to run now, “but I will later.”  Keep in mind there may not be a Shrine Temple when that time happens.  I’m just asking.  The Temple needs a good qualified O.G.  If there are any questions please ask me or any Divan member.

Go ask the man in the mirror — is now the time for you?

Fraternally,
Calvin Carlton PP, Recorder

 

======================

August 2002

It seems like forever since we have been together. I know it was a fast and busy June but I must say that once again when we had to have people show up and participate, we were there. With TSA and the Oil Bowl behind us, I want to say Great Job Maskat Nobility. As most know, I drove Imperial Sir Bill Bailey to all functions and had Sir Jerry Gantt with us for two days, point being they were happy with all functions and attendance. I heard nothing but
positive comments from them. Hats off to all!

Now the Oil Bowl, I was impressed with the Iowa Park facility. It was smaller and made our crowd look impressive. It was very clean and good looking stadium. Basketball had a good crowd and Volleyball was a respectful crowd as well. Good job Yoshi (forever chair).

Well this is written the last week of July so we are still dark in August. Hope to see some of y’all during this period. Remember we have Units Council September 7th, 6:30pm in the Oasis and our Stated Meeting will be September 13th, dinner at 6:30pm and meeting at 7:30pm. Hope to see you at both.

Fraternally
Calvin

 ======================

June 2002

Wow, who turned on the heater?? Temperatures are heating up and so is our calendar. We just finished our Maskat Shrine Golf Tournament last Friday and it was a successful event. The weather was nice with little wind and we had about 100 players in the tournament. Scott Anderson and River Creek golf course really went the extra mile to help us 1 Gordy did a first class job! Gordy also wanted to be sure and thank all the Nobles and Ladies that were there to support the event. Great Job by all !!!

We are getting geared up for our CRAWFISH BOIL May 21st. We expect a good group to attend. Will give you an update on this next month.

Ok, here comes June. Starting with units council on Wednesday June 1st, then our own TSA the 8th – 11th. Bruce and his team have the ball rolling downhill on this. We can always use the extra help if you don’t have an assigned job, please call Bruce or Cathy. We have got to knock this out of the park. We then roll into Stated Meeting on the 14th –AND – the Oil Bowl events start and run until the 18th. Yoshi has been on this for months. FYI the football game will be held in Iowa Park stadium this year because of some construction at Memorial Stadium. Again help needed if possible. Call Yoshi or Cathy. June 20th we have our largest rental of the year. The Jr Norris Pool Tournament. They rent the entire Temple for a week. It’s a good revenue stream for the Temple.

After all this we are dark for 2 months (July 1 August).

Oh, a little bit more good news, we had over 50 Nobles attend the stated meeting and we brought in a new
member.

A lot going on – please help if at all possible or come out and enjoy what is happening with your Temple.

Thanks and hope to see you soon!!
Calvin

=====================

May 2022

Well it’s already mid-April, grass is growing and bushes are coming back to life. Must be time for the annual Maskat Easter Egg Hunt. This is certainly one of my favorite events. I do like seeing the look on those kids faces with a basket full of eggs. I hope to see a bunch of Nobles with kids and grand kids at this fun event. More on the outcome of this later!!

We had an idea brought to Unit Council of forming a phone committee. I understand this has been done in the past and was rather successful. But..it faded away. We are going to crank it up again. Until we get a committee in place we have asked Unit heads to call the people in their respective unit and inform them of meetings and upcoming events. I covered this last night in our stated meeting. I hope it will yield needed results. We will work on getting a solid committee together. Until then I want to thank the unit heads!!

One of our largest special events is fast approaching. The Maskat Shrine Golf Tournament. The date is May 6th at River Creek. Gordy, Ed Hall, and the rest of the crew have been working hard on this and we are assured it will be full again this year. Call Cathy to enter single or a team – 766-4511 .

TSA is coming here in June. We need lots of help to make this happen in true Maskat style. Call Cathy or Bruce Urban 642-5284 if you can help out.

On our last stated meeting April 12th we had 43 Nobles signed in (not bad but could be better).

Our meeting was short but very informative, and the meal was first class. Hope you can make the May 10th meeting !!

Fraternally,
Calvin

==================