The Potentate’s Message

Karvel Rose

Potentate

As the initial article for the first issue of this year’s Wa’ha I wish to thank those who have made considerable efforts on behalf of Aloha Shrine this year. They know who they are. This includes the Ladies of Nile, LOSNA and our Nobles. It has been a joy working with you.  A very special thank you to Jim Davis, Vice President of Sales of King Food Service, Chris Lopes, General Manager of Fresh Start Bakeries, and Doug Sears, General Manager of the Grand Hyatt Kauai for the generous contributions to the activities of Aloha Shrine.

We have been very busy so far this year. And the rest of the year doesn’t appear to be less busy. We have received contributions from Noble Carl Aaron of $1000,  Maui Shrine Club of $27000, and Kauai Shrine Club of $3000. Additionally a $1000 check was received from Alicia Greenwald during a hospital tour.

Every one of the Nobles and Ladies of Aloha Shrine is important in our effort to support the greatest philanthropy of Shriners Hospitals for Children and enjoy the fellowship and camaraderie of one another. We are at a major crossroads for Aloha Shrine. There was a major suspension of members last year, and if the trend continues a drastic cut in expenses is going to be required. We cannot afford to increase dues as it is probably one of the factors in our high rate of suspensions. I urge you to submit your dues if you have not done so and let us know how we can involve you more actively. If you are having difficulty financially, let us know your situation. A solution may be available.

Visit our website at www.alohashiriners.com and click on Calendar to see upcoming events. I thank all of those who have contributed to the website. Keep the information coming and let’s all work together. Yours in the Fair, Karvel

Pete Larson

Chief Rabban

Aloha, thanks to the Nobles of Aloha Temple for giving me the opportunity to serve as Chief Rabban this year. I am looking forward to an exciting year and the opportunity to travel with and for you.

I have been appointed the point of contact for the “new” and updated Aloha Shriners web site. I would like to hear from you as to what you would like to see on the site. We would like to put pictures from you Club and Unit events, links to your web sites and up-to-date events, not only in Hawaii, but everywhere there is an Aloha Fez. Can you picture a web page that tells the point of contact, time and place for every club meeting in Aloha Temple? Please e-mail me at palarson@hawaii.rr.com with your ideas, comments, pictures, web links and questions. I will make it a point to answer every e-mail.

We are traveling to the Western Shrine Association Convention in San Diego in April.  The event is\ April 16^th thru the 19^th at the Mission Valley Marriott. So far it looks like Aloha Temple will be well represented.  More information on WSA can be found at http://www.albahrshrine.org/WSA2008 index.htm.

The 134^th Imperial Council Session is coming up quickly. It will be in Saint Louis from June 29^th thru July 3^rd. The incoming Imperial Potentate, Doug Maxwell, has strong ties to our Honolulu Shriners Hospital. He has made countless trips to Hawaii to meet with design teams, contractors, the Board of Governors and fundraising groups. More information on the Imperial Council Session can be found at http://www.imperial2008.com/. Join us in Saint Louis. For those of you that have never been to an Imperial Session, picture 20,000 Shriners and their families in a one square mile radius and think about the fun and fellowship.

Please let me hear from you.

Ronald Hawrelak

Assistant Rabban

Aloha & na zdorovlya!

Breakthrough thinking from inside a new box! How often do you hear fellow Shrine Masons offer rationalization for a lack of participation in a scheduled Shrine function, be it a parade, hospital visit, meeting or an event with a redundant response, an apology. Just think how much better our fraternity would be if we simply allowed ourselves to think outside the box by pushing of the challenge of sorting the real ideas or issues later as opposed to do it right then and there. 

I believe that one of our greatest reasons for decline in membership or participation throughout our fraternity today is the fear to call for change and reluctance to outside the box. When you are given an opportunity to invent a new idea no one knows better what you have in mind than you do. Therefore, in our quest for such breakthrough ideas we will give your suggestions extraordinary focus of our collective minds on valuable overlooked corners of possible improvements with the ultimate view of sharing them in the best interest of all Nobility.

Slicing and dicing of old boxes serves little purpose. It’s time for us to get into a new box and harvest the possibilities that differ markedly from those explored before. It is an honor for me to be one of your Aloha Shriners Board Members and I can assure you as one being bound by the inertia of tradition, I will reach out to the others to give deserving support. Please take a moment to send me your email at hawrelak@onemain.com or simply call 808-922-4004 with any suggestions to strengthen our fraternal prosperity and growth. Success stories are priceless and you need not apologize for success. Let me brag about it for you! 

As always, an opinion is not an opinion until it is expressed. God Bless!

Ronald (Ron) Hawrelak

Assistant Rabban

Richard Cho

High Priest and  Prophet

Aloha everyone, well here we are into the New Year with some new faces in our elected and appointed Divan. We also have a full schedule of events and activities throughout the year.

Our Past Potentate Ill. Terry Derby and PP Ill. Bill Biala have been busy traveling to the Philippines. Hopefully they will be able to sign up some new nobles. In April, Ill Terry Derby will be attending the Grand Communication in Bacolod City in the Philippines to meet with the new incoming Grand Master to explain what Shrinedom is all about. If he is successful, we should gain about 200 new nobles for Aloha in July’s Hot Sands in Manila.  Keep in mind; the Grand Communication in the Philippines will be attended by over 5000 Masons.

Speaking of Hot Sands, we will be having a Cold Sands in May. Let’s hope for a good turnout.

On July 25^th, we will be having our annual golf tournament at Pearl Country Club. Our hosts this year will be noble Zeke Schmus and noble Dough Fortner. 

On April 5^th, Maui Shrine Club will be having their golf tournament in Maui. Ill. Terry, nobles Zeke Schmus, Doug Fortner and I will be flying up to support their tournament. Maui Shrine Club has donated over $27,000 to the patient transportation fund this year.

This years Captain of the Patrol is Marine Lt. Col. Mike Mollohan. The Patrol is one of the few active units in the shrine. We host the golf tournament each year, attend parades, and participate in a lot of events.

The Legion of Honor is looking for nobles that would like to join. Contact noble Rudy McIntyre or Bob Schultz. Noble Rudy is designing uniforms for the Legion to wear. 

Aloha and keep the faith, Richard HP&P

Donald Perkins

Oriental Guide

Aloha. Nobles of Aloha Temple, first and foremost I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to serve you as your Oriental Guide for the year. I have already been having a great time traveling with other Aloha nobles to the outer islands for installations, and I am looking forward to an exciting year.

Recently I attended the Oriental Guide Seminar in Tampa, Florida. I feel that this was really a most informative and helpful seminar. At present I am the editor for the Wa’Ha. I hope to be able to provide you with a magazine that you will enjoy reading and sharing. If you have an article that you would like to have published, please email a copy to the recorder at alohatem@hawaiiantel.net and also a copy to me at calstful@msn.com. I will try and include it in the next issue. Just put it in “word document format” with your name and email address.

If you have a photo, please make it a digital photo, and send it along with your document or as an attachment. I do hope to hear from you.

Robert Longstreth

Recorder

Aloha all. Thank you, Nobles, for your support and confidence in electing me to be your Recorder in our Temple. It is a pleasure and an honor to serve you. We are now getting well underway into 2008, and Aloha Temple is active and bustling with the many events calendared by our Potentate. We have a good Divan and all are working to our common goal of helping support our Shriners Hospital in Honolulu and the children being treated there.

Another goal of great importance is membership retention. Some of us have failed to pay 2008 dues and I urge all to make certain you have a 2008 dues card and if you do not, then please bring your account current so you can obtain a valid 2008 dues card. All active members need to be proactive in member recruitment as well as retention.

Our Spring Cold Sands Ceremonial is set for May 17, 2008, at 9:00 o’clock a.m. at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. BE THERE!!! Participate! And between now and then, help our Membership Committee by signing up a Mason to become a Shriner. They need us and we need them. If you need application forms, they are available on the internet on our web site (see our web address below) … Or if that does not work for you, come to the office and I will provide application forms … FREE.

This is March and some of our Clubs and Units have yet to file their 2007 Year End Reports. If you are late and having difficulty wit the numbers, ask Treasurer Gary Liggitt for help because we must have a report from every Club and unit. Well, that’s 30 for tonight, Brethren. Keep the Faith.

Garry Liggitt

Treasure

Fund raising is one of those terms that will always get a reaction from nobles. It’s one of those phrases that really can get ones emotions all agitated. However, you’ll agree most entities won’t work without proper funding. 

For those who receive and read General order #1, the annual Imperial Shrine operating procedures manual there is a long section on the topic of fundraising “do’s and don’ts.” 

There are two and only two types of fund raising.  One is FRATERNAL and the other is CHARITABLE.  The two cannot be combined with an event having some funds for one and some for the other. It’s all or nothing. All fundraisers are to be authorized in advanced by the Potentate. A written request outlining the scope of the project is to be submitted long before the event to allow time for review. Fraternal fundraising can be done by most any legal enterprise you can imagine. However, the fraternal fundraising event advertising cannot contain any representation, express or implied that the proceeds will benefit shrines hospital for children To be sure this segment is followed, after the Potentate approves the event, all the documentation is sent to the Shrine Executive vice President in Tampa for final review. Not only does this show compliance but allows the kind of program held data to be accumulated for sharing with the other shrine temples. Those who have attended imperial sponsored seminars usually find a list of fundraising activities and the financial results.  Charitable fundraising is expressly limited contributions to Shrines hospitals for Children. However Shiners may participate with another  501(c)(23) organization for joint fundraisers. Consequently, chartable fundraisers are 100% for hospital use. The exception is for a portion of the funds retained for patient transportation. Limits are set on how much may be retained for transportation of each event. In the case of Aloha Temple, we have been blessed in retaining most of the funds for Honolulu because of our unique transportation needs. Every fundraising activity must contain factual information on its solicitation material, ticket, programs and documents, including all electronically transmitted material, regarding the use of the proceeds. Fundraising activity which is not entirely for the benefit of Shiners Hospital for Children shall prominently state on the solicitation material, tickers and documents that "payments are not deductible as charitable contributions.” 

Finally, the temple will require and maintain detailed financial records pertaining to all fundraising activities involving nobles, clubs, units, organizations of nobles or affiliated or append ant corporations. The details of all revenues and expenditures shall be maintained in those financial records. The records will be maintained for a period of seven years.  Fundraising is fun when done in the spirit of good fellowship. Just keep in mind there are some simple yet detailed rules to follow.

 YITF

Gary Liggitt, Treasurer