Attending Greenwood's Chili Cookoff 2023

 

By Tonya Martin a Participant

Sixteen teams battled it out at the Greenwood Shrine Club for the 15th Annual Chili Cook-off.  

The day was perfect for chili – overcast & 50 degrees and the air was filled with amazing smells all around.  There were quite a few unique chili’s in the crowd with sausages, game and most of all secrets!  

As the GWD team came around and collected the 24 oz containers of test chili to take to the judges, the “Tasters” began making their rounds.  With 16 samples, no one would go home hungry for sure.  By the time I was at #8, I was down to taking 1-2 bites.  

Back in the judging area, the tasting and passing of each chili (with a swig of a cold beverage and a saltine palate cleanser) was in full swing looking at aroma, consistency, color, taste and aftertaste.  About an hour later, a winner would go home with the GOLDEN SPOON and the loser would take home the GOLDEN PLUNGER.  

My chili, sadly, fell somewhere in the middle.  All the prepping, tasting, spicing was not enough to win “the spoon”, BUT I did win the day.  I was enjoying something I love (cooking) with friends by my side.  You can ask for more than that!  

1st and Tasters Choice 

Chris Wade and Jason Crawford

2nd Jeremy Davis, Chris Griffin, Johnny Hanna 

3rd  Travis Costello and Michelle 

4th  Richie Williams 

5th  Denny and Dena Hendrix

6th  Director staff 

7th  3-way TIE Juanita Smart, Double R Cooking Crew- The Rushton’s and Rush’s, Trina Hughes 

8th  Katelyn Smart

9th  Chris Crumpton, J-Bo Jennings 

10th Caroline Nave and Jason Brooks 

11th Kathy Knight 

12th Tonya Martin 

13th Tipsy Jalapeños Angie and Patrick Moore 

14th  Paul Skelton 

15th  Spice Girls Lisa Tharpe, and Stacey Jennings 

16th Parrot Heads Sharon and Rene

Southeastern Shrine Association Midwinter 2023

 

Made a visit to Orlando to attend the SESA Midwinter meeting on Friday Feb 24th.  Hejaz's Jason Turner, PP is on the SESA Board and was part of the planning team for the SESA Annual Meeting in August this year.  Imperial Sir Richard Burke also spoke during the meeting.  

The SESA Board solicited ideas from the attendees and disseminated some information to bring back to Hejaz.

While in Orlando, we also took the time to visit Egypt Temple in Tampa, FL and Bahia Temple in Orlando.  I received a tour of Egypt Temple from Jamie Frye a past Hejaz Noble who as recently relocated to Tampa.  Their new Temple is very nice and has a lot of modern features and also honors their past with a museum of well stocked memorabilia.  Very Impressive!

I also spent time with several Director Staff members of Bahia Temple and enjoyed a nice night out at their club on Friday and treated them to a night out on Saturday.  

Nobles, travel is a cornerstone of being a Shrine - Mason.  If you are not traveling then you are not getting the value in your dues card.  See you on the road!

Bahia Temple - Orlando FL

Egypt Temple - Tampa, FL

Wayne Helms Receives 50 Year Shrine Award

Congratulations to Noble Wayne Helms on his 50 year award tonight. Great turnout for Wayne, Congratulate him When you get a chance.

Installing New Shrine Bowl Officers

 

Installing our new SBOC Nobles from Hejaz!  Congratulations to Jamie Smith, Game Chairman and Franky Suttles, 4th Vice President

Recorder Gene Parker

2023 SBOC Meeting at Jamil is in the books!!! We had a great turnout and Hejaz was well represented!!!

Congratulations

to Franky Suttles, 4th VP, Clautus Champion, Brian Moss, and Don White who were recognized and received their Emeritus status and Jamie Smith again being named Game Chairman at this gathering!!! Great job and

congratulations

to all!!!

Ain’t No Jazz Like Hejaz!!!

Illustrious Sir Byron Sheppard

Reverend Caldwell - The Order of the Palmetto Award

Yesterday a great man, Mason and Shriner was awarded the ORDER OF THE PALMETTO!!! This is the highest honor that can be awarded to a civilian! If anyone would seek out someone to emulate and model themselves after…..here’s your man! Reverend Carrol W. Caldwell congratulations on a job well done sir!!! We are honored to have you and grateful for all that you have done in representing Hejaz!!!

Illustrious Sir Byron Sheppard

Reverend Caudwell received the highest award that any citizen can get in SC , The Order of the Palmetto Award. This was for his service in the church pulpit and the work he’s done in Masonry and in the Shrine.

Recorder Gene Parker

Oriental Guide - Commentator March 2023

 Nobles, 

As the newly elected Oriental Guide for Hejaz Temple, I am writing here today to thank everyone who came out for the election and placed their ballot.  Whether you voted for me or Noble Dennis Broome, you participated and you helped in moving Hejaz Temple forward.

Each year we hold these elections and candidates like Dennis and me put ourselves out there for your consideration.  It takes a great deal of courage, effort and investment to put yourself forward and I want to emphasize to the Nobility how valuable it is to the fraternity to have individuals like Dennis, Charlene, Tammy and myself who are willing to make this effort for the Temple and our future.  We are blessed again this year to have Dale Wilson and Everette Whitmore to once again step forward and put themselves forward for your consideration.  Please give them your attention as they come to visit your clubs and units and recognize and thank them for the courage that it takes to put themselves forward.    

My wife Tammy is not accustomed to being out in front of groups and with both of us being from York County, we are meeting and learning many new faces across Hejaz. We would like to especially thank Lady Michele, Lady Tonya and Lady Rhonda for making both of us feel like family and so welcomed as we traveled together in January.  It is very appreciated!

We have jumped in with both feet and we have already traveled to Jamil and Omar for official functions.  Given the opportunity to meet the new Oriental Guides from both Temples, we are already working on new relationships that will be beneficial to our Temple over the next five years. Inside Hejaz we have traveled to visit a number of clubs and units over the past weeks.  Next week, I will travel to Orlando to represent Hejaz for the Southeastern Shrine Association's Midwinter meeting along with PP Jason Turner and Hospital Board member Everette Whitmore.  And again, next month, I will travel to Tampa for the Oriental Guide Leadership Conference.  

I am just beginning on the Divan, and I am already seeing a great amount of time and effort involved with the job.  Each year will be a little more and the level of commitment by the Divan members and especially by our Potentate, Byron Sheppard is amazing to see.  Each one commits a great deal of time, effort and capital into our philanthropy.  I know they don't do it for the thanks or recognition, but when you see them, please take a minute to thank them for their service.  Until I started this journey, I had no idea how much they give of themselves each and every week.  Even the little things like today, I visited Jackson Shrine Club for their Catfish Stew Fundraiser and tomorrow I will jump in a cold lake for the Polar Bear Jump.  All in a day's work and for a great cause.

I am your Oriental Guide, and I am at the service of all Hejaz Nobles.  Please call anytime I can do anything for you.  My number is 803-517-4215 or you can email me at stephen.schram@hejazshriners.com .  Let me know how I can help!

Fraternally, 

Stephen Schram, Oriental Guide 

Membership Update - March 2023

 

In 2021 I was approached and asked to think about taking over Membership and developing a new innovative strategy for growth.  The current status quo was to accept taking 10% decline in membership year over year.  Per historical data in 2018 the membership was at 3307.  In the beginning of year 2022 there was an overall decline of 635 nobles to 2672.  In a period of 4 years membership decreased by 632 members (average of 158 members a year).  Roughly 10-20% overall. In 2022 we focused hard on a different strategy to decrease the loss and then work on growth.  Overall, in 2022 we decreased by only 64 Nobles.  This is only a 1.98% decrease in membership.  This is a step in the right direction.  

 After studying the current membership system, the membership committee realized that we needed to step back to basic and follow the 5 basic core pillars of membership.   Those 5 pillars of membership are Recruitment, Retention, Restoration, Masonic Relations, and Mentorship. These 5 pillars are simply the basic methods needed to grow a positive membership program.  If you recruit the Nobles, you mentor them, you retain them, you bring back the ones that left, and you work with the Blue Lodge to gain new members you will move to a Temple with positive growth.  

Members of the Membership Team and Divan recently attended a Shriners International Membership and Marketing Conference in Grapevine, TX.  There is a drive International wide to grow membership through the 5 core pillars of membership and how we can drive membership and marketing of the temples.  There is lots of information to unpack and apply to our current strategy.  With the current members of the team and in addition to whoever wants to help Hejaz Shriners succeed we can end the year being a Gold Temple for 2023.  I look forward to working with every Noble and Lady to drive membership to the forefront of every conversation, and event.    

Fraternally,

David Willliams