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A Message from the Imperial Potentate
August 2009
Dear Nobles,Thank you for this tremendous opportunity to serve as your Imperial Potentate this year. I have devoted much of my life to this organization, and I am truly honored to be elected for this role. As Imperial Potentate, I will be sharing my theme, “Unity Wins,” with as many people as possible during the next year. I chose this theme because it represents the ideology behind Shriners International. Our forefathers created our fraternity in 1872 to bring Masonic brothers together for fun and fellowship. In 1922, we made a commitment to help kids and that tradition is alive and thriving today. Truly, we are united by the commonalities we share. The definition of unity in the dictionary is the “state of being one.” Although we are obviously a diverse group of people, we share a vision that has joined us as brothers. If we focus on our purpose and work together instead of against each other, the ability to achieve our goals becomes easier. Success becomes more obtainable and our organization becomes stronger. To put it simply, unity wins. As Shriners, it is important to embrace the fun and fellowship that our fraternity provides. It is also vital that we embrace our Masonic roots, and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth that prevail over all Masonic organizations. These principles are the underlying tenants that we should practice not only in our temples, but in our daily lives. By applying these principles, we become better human beings and attract others to us and as a consequence, to the Shriners fraternity. We become better friends, better husbands, better fathers, better employees and better people. Though I know we are all familiar with these principles, I think it is wise to remind ourselves every so often of their true meanings. For example, Masonry emphasizes that truth is a divine attribute and the foundation of every virtue. It is a vital requirement if a brotherhood is to endure and we, therefore, must make this principle paramount as we tackle some of the biggest challenges we’ve ever faced as a fraternity. To overcome these challenges, a successful organization needs good leaders to guide us. We need leaders who exemplify our Masonic principles, and strive for unity with other leaders of Masonic-affiliated bodies. I believe that we have these types of leaders in our organization, and I ask you to trust in them. Change can be frightening, but it is also necessary to ensure the survival of Shriners International and Shriners Hospitals for Children. From my experience serving on the Joint Boards, I can assure you that the best interest of the fraternity and health care system is always paramount in the decision-making process. As many of you know, my office has been located at Shriners International Headquarters in Tampa, Fla., for the past 30 years. In this time, I have found that the men and women who work here are individuals who believe in our mission. Their ultimate goal is to help and support the fraternity and our hospitals, and I have watched them work long hours to amplify our efforts as Shriners. In particular, I would like to emphasize what a great asset the membership and public relations departments can be to your temple when properly utilized. In addition to their day-to-day activities, they provide tremendous opportunities for learning and growth by communicating valuable information and organizing seminars for Shriners throughout the year. I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities by sending the most appropriate people for the respective jobs within your temple to give them the opportunity to become better leaders. They have also developed useful tools, including videos and materials of all kinds to aid our temples. In closing, I ask you to have faith in the Shriners organization, its leaders and in one another. Though we may have different ideas about which direction to go or how to solve our problems, we must remain brothers and keep our ultimate goals in mind. We may face trials and tribulations, but if we work through them as a team, we will prevail. Alternatively, if we split into factions, as history has revealed, we will surely fail. I hope you will carry my “Unity Wins,” theme with you wherever you go. If you are thinking positively about what lies ahead, you will set the tone for the future of our fraternity and health care system. I truly believe that embracing unity will help us work together in the most effective and successful way to achieve the best possible outcomes for our fraternity and our philanthropy, Shriners Hospitals for Children. Unity wins – together we will reach our goals. Fraternally yours, Jack H. Jones Imperial Potentate Shriners International |
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Shriners International Headquarters
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