VENICE SHRINE CLUB PO BOX 572 VENICE, FLORIDA 34284

Volume 4 Number 4 April 2021

Hello Nobles: We enjoyed a wonderful and very successful parade in Arcadia, the wives of our Nobles did a wonderful job helping with everything, what would we do without them. The breakfast before and lunch after by Noble Chick was enjoyed by all. The monthly 4th Wednesday Social was a huge success. The first retirement of Unserviceable Flags is something we should do at least twice a year. The outside landscaping, storage building and patio should be completed by the end of April. I would like to thank all of our officers for the help that they have given me so far this year. We all had a real scare when our great friend and Noble Barney had a stroke and was strong enough to make it to the stated meeting, God Bless you and thanks for all you do for us.

Speaking of the stated meeting, we had the Potentate Ill Sir Gary Fields, and Imperial Ceremonial Master Ill Sir Kevin Costello in attendance. Noble Dick Warner’s son Charles Warner spoke on Russia and the Ukraine in which he has been a missionary for over 30 years. Noble President I am looking forward to starting up our events again soon. Once again I would like to thank all of the Nobles and their wives for all of your help. Richard Moyer We always need more help, please do not be shy, step-up and ask at a meeting “how can I help”? www.VeniceShrineClub.org Please stay safe and may God Bless you and your families. Editor- Noble Russ Mattson Richard Moyer Email: [email protected] Cell: (941) 408-4772

HAPPY APRIL BIRTHDAY Jim Beamguard 4/27 Bill Bond 4/7 Bob Collins 4/17 Irv Frazin 4/21 Evan Lebson 4/5 David Mashia 4/5 Bill Moore 4/27 Rich Moyer 4/10 Jack Snyder 4/18 Joe Stella 4/27

______Dates for your calendar

April 1st 11:30am lunch at Sahib Heroes Grill

KOP meeting April 13th 11am

Stated Meeting April 20th 11am

4th Wednesday Social April 28th 4pm

First Thursday lunch at Sahib April 1st wear your VSC Blue Shirt and meet about 11:30 at Sahib Heroes Grill for lunch from the menu. No meeting just Fellowship. Bring a Friend, Brother, Noble and meet us there. Your can car pool from the VSC building.

ARCADIA PARADE

It has been a year since our last parade and that was in Arcadia and thanks to Covid-19, 12 months have passed by before we were able to parade again and this was once again in Arcadia. The KOPS were well represented as we had 14 Nobles and 7 ladies from the Venice Shrine Club participate in the parade.

We started the day off with breakfast in our Club House, prepared by our mess steward, Chick Livinghouse. Normally, we would have pancakes and sausage at the Methodist Church in Arcadia but this was not available to us thanks to the virus. Noble Chick stepped forward and we all enjoyed a hearty breakfast at our home in Venice. It was a beautiful day and the folks in Arcadia enjoyed our club’s showing. After the parade all returned to the Club House for a lunch of Hamburgers and Hot Dogs. Da Chief provided complementary beverages to all the parade participants. All the equipment was safely off loaded and returned to storage until our next parade in the fall.

If life returns to normal, we should look forward to the Sun Festival parade and the Venice holiday parade in the fall. These parades are a major activity of the KOPS and puts the on display to the public. More members should consider being a part of this fun activity.

Bob Parkinson Parade Marshall Venice Shrine Club ------From Noble Dick Warner, some famous Automobile related Brother Masons: Henry Ford Ransom Olds Walter Chryler John Willys Andre Citroen Hart Massey

ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

Plan before the next meeting to visit your club website: www.VeniceShrineClub.org Thanks Bob Venice Lodge #301 April Schedule Stated meetings April 5th and 19th Chicken BBQ April 26th 3 to 5 PM

Website: www.trowel.com/flamason/Venice301/index.html

Venice No. 301 F. & A.M., meets the 1st and 3rd (dinner @6 on the 3rd Monday) Monday at 7:30, visiting Brothers are always welcome. {Dark 1st Monday in June, July, August, September} Do you want to visit 301? The lodge has new visitors at almost every meeting so greeting a Brother is easy- if you have a paid up dues card- Just see the either Walt or Vince and they will explain the process which is easy.

4th Wednesday Social Nobles Ladies and Friends April 28, 2021 4 to 5:30 PM is the monthly gathering at the Venice Shrine Club to meet for an hour or so of friendship without any reservation, cost or agenda

The Flag Retirement ceremony was attended by 30. Visit www.VeniceShrineClub.org for a video Have a musical instrument? Come play it. Patio to be used depending on weather

WAGON OF CHEER $5 each or 3 for $10 Drawing December 12th, 2021 For Tickets or Donation to the Wagon contact: Barney Bonsall or Bill Moore. Bring to a meeting or contact them for a pickup. ______Dear Nobles (and Ladies),

During these difficult times of pandemic, it’s a great pleasure to pass along a positive note.

Just over a week ago my Lady, Donna, received a telephone call from an acquaintance of ours, Alicia Argiz-Lyons. Alicia is the Development Director (head of fundraising) for Shriners Healthcare for Children — Florida. She had been contacted by a business lady in Englewood inquiring about whom she could contact regarding donating aluminum can tabs to benefit our facility in Tampa. Alicia was asking our help in finding a volunteer to take on this project. A couple of phone calls resulted in my talking to Lady Tina Bond. When I explained our mission she immediately responded with a resounding, “Yes. I’ll do it.”

What a wonderful feeling to receive such a positive and immediate response when sending out a request for help. When you see Lady Tina and Noble Bill, give them a pat on the back and thank them for representing the Venice Shrine Club so well.

Lady Donna and I have had the benefit of hearing Alicia speak when I was in The Villages Shrine Club and Lady Donna was President of Al Kora, our Shrine Ladies group. Needless to say, Alicia is a very good speaker with a powerful message. So, while talking with her, I asked if she would be willing to come speak to our membership and our Ladies. She said, “Of course.” Their staff is currently under travel restrictions due to COVID-19. However, she will arrange to visit us when the restrictions are lifted.

When I recounted this conversation with Noble President Rich Moyer, he immediately said he would be pleased to have her speak to us and our Ladies in the Fall.

How proud I am to be a member of the Venice Shrine Club.

Bob Collins **********SAHIB TEMPLE *********

WIDOW'S LUNCHEON We know it is later in 2021 but we wanted to let you know that on Thursday June 17, 2021 we will hold a Widow’s Luncheon for our Nobles who are no longer with us. Lunch will be served by the Cabiri.

Heroes Grill is OPEN for Business!! Please consider stopping in and supporting YOUR Club and Restaurant. We are ready for your TO-GO orders or Delivery through DoorDash. For TO-GO and Pickup Call: 941-365-4412 Queen of Hearts starts again April 15th BINGO Sundays 1:45pm-6PM From Gary Schweinshaupt VSC members please use the Sahib Twitter account. http://trowel.com/flamason/twittertimelinesahib.htm

VSC Secretary Ill Sir George Wolfe “I submitted this message when I was Potentate of Nur Shrine. Since Presidents’ Day was last month, I thought this would be appropriate.” It is important to remember just a little history of masonry. found its way to the U.S. soon after four English Lodges organized the of England in 1717. In the freer air of the New World, the order flourished. George Washington was a lifelong Freemason and served as the master of his lodge in Alexandria, VA. As you may be aware, other notable Americans as Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere and Patrick Henry were masons. Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, many wore the white apron of a Masonic Lodge. Benjamin Franklin and John Hancock included. Freemasonry has appealed to men through the ages; the high, the low, the rich and the poor. Members are treated equally, all being on the level. A general may well sit with a private. President Theodore Roosevelt attended a Long Island lodge where his neighbor’s gardener was master of the lodge!! The white apron, known as a lambskin, is the badge of a Mason. Its whiteness serves to remind him of his innocence and purity of a righteous life. Members of the Shrine can be identified by proudly wearing the red fez at social functions and parades. Freemasonry is a stepping stone to many other organizations and affiliates: Shrine, , , Tall Cedars, etc. Did you know that these men were also Masons? Steve Wozniak, Ed Rendell, Robert Dole, John Elway, John Glenn, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Paul Harvey, Trent Lott, Brad Paisley, Kit Carson, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Ty Cobb, James Doolittle, Henry Ford, Walter Chrysler, Glen Miller, Will Rogers, Mark Twain, Francis Scott Key, Merriweather Lewis, William Clark, Rudyard Kipling, Wolfgang Mozart, Winston Churchill and fourteen Presidents of the United States. Want to know many more? Check out Wikipedia’s list of “Freemasons.” Contrary to what many believe, Freemasonry is not a secret society. It does not hide its existence or its membership. There has been no attempt to conceal the purpose, aims and principles of Freemasonry. It is an organization formed and existing on the broad basics of brotherly love, relief and truth. We should all remember this as we lead our busy daily lives. Let’s make the Venice Shrine Club an anchor in our masonic community. All we do and say should be in accordance with masonic ideals. I know you join me in this goal. I always closed with these words when I was Potentate: MAY THE SAND OF THE DESERT FILL YOUR OASIS WITH HAPPINESS AND FRATERNAL BROTHERHOOD. Yours in the Faith, George Wolfe PP, Secretary VSC

Tabs and empty Cans welcome, leave at the VSC door or bring to a meeting.

Remember any Shriner is welcome at monthly meetings. CONTACT US: [email protected] FROM DA CHIEF!!!!

Man and a Fork

There was a young man who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as he was getting his things 'in order,' he contacted his Pastor and had him come to his house to discuss certain aspects of his final wishes. He told him which songs he wanted sung at the service, what scriptures he would like read, and what outfit he wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young man suddenly remembered something very important to him. 'There's one more thing,' he said excitedly. 'What's that?' came the Pastor’s reply. 'This is very important,' the young man continued. 'I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.' The Pastor stood looking at the young man, not knowing quite what to say. That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young man asked. 'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor The young man explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork’. 'It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming .... like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. ‘Something wonderful, and with substance!' So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?'

Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork ... the best is yet to come.' The Pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young man good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see him before his death. But he also knew that the young man had a better grasp of heaven than he did. He had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice his age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. He KNEW that something better was coming. At the funeral people were walking by the young man's casket and they saw the suit he was wearing, and the fork placed in his right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled. During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young man shortly before he died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to him. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. So, the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share. Being friends with someone is not an opportunity, but a sweet responsibility.

Good luck Bill Moore, Da Chief ______If you know a Man who you think would make a good Mason, maybe a son, father, brother, friend, pass along this info and get him interested. When he signs up, his info is sent to the local Shrine Temple for a personal follow-up.

BeAFreemason.org

Check out this website organized by the Shrine and Scottish Rite. Englewood Masonic Lodge #360 April Schedule Stated Meetings April 6th and 20th 7:30 with supper at 6:30

Chicken BBQ April 11th and 25th-11:30 to 1pm-Open to the Public

Spaghetti Supper- April 17th 5 to 7pm-Open to the Public

Englewood Masonic Lodge No. 360 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. 265 Pine St. Englewood, Florida 34223-3929

Support the business that help in collection of Funds for our children.

Herman’s Meats & Deli 701 Shamrock Blvd. Venice

Soos Jewelry Design 530 41 Bypass S. 23A, Venice

Contemporary Hearing Tamiami Trail on "The Island”, Venice

Sun Country Cleaners 1096 Jacaranda Blvd, Venice. Palms Golf Course 1990 Beneva Rd Sarasota

Marco’s Pizza 735 Shamrock- Venice 229 Tamiami Trail- Nokomis ***NEW*** Sarasota Wine & Spirts 4295 Tamiami Trail S Venice

Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America Venice Shriners Contact: Nobles Irv Hopkins, Bill Bond, Jim Jobe Meets at Punta Gorda Lodge, 2nd Sunday at 2:30 PM

Welcome to the Palms Golf Club at Forest Lakes Contact: Sven Nelson III for a Monday/Thursday Early Shriners Discount 1990 Beneva Rd. Sarasota, FL 941.388.7241 ------Ride to and from any Airport?

Within 100 miles of Venice, FL Noble Richard Moyer (941) 408-4772 Shriners identify yourself