The Public Relations Voice A FRATERNAL NEWSLETTER March 2014 Greetings Fellow Nobles, After what has been a particularly snowy, stormy winter for many, spring has ﬁnally arrived. The annual seminars for our Oriental Guides, Assistant Rabbans, temple treasurers and recorders and the sports committee have just concluded. Imperial Session is little more than a couple of months from now. It’s a great time of year to roll up your sleeves and re-commit to being an active participant in your fraternity. Imperial Session is the most important annual event for Shriners International. It is the time when the tone and agenda for both the fraternity and Shriners Hospitals for Children are set for the coming year. There are many important meetings for representatives, ofﬁcers and health care system leaders. Many of these meetings are open, and interested Shriners, including those who are not voting representatives, can attend. In addition to being the time when we gather to discuss issues and make decisions for the future, Imperial Session is the time when Shriners from around the world – and their families – gather to share that special brand of fellowship and camaraderie that comes with brotherhood. There are many activities to participate in – unit competitions, performances at the Marketplace, barnstorming around Minneapolis, all of the tours and attractions of the area, and of course, the annual Shriners parade. With so many nobles, ladies and family members in a single place, Imperial Session also provides opportunities to reconnect with old friends, and make lots of new ones. It has come to my attention that there may be some misconceptions or confusion regarding who may attend Imperial Session. As I mentioned, there are business sessions primarily for voting representatives and ofﬁcers, but many of those can be attended by nobles who would like to observe. All of the competitions and social events are open to any Shriner, and their ladies and family members (some may require tickets). Imperial Session is the annual meeting/convention of your fraternity. The members of Kem and Zuhrah Shriners, and the Midwest Shrine Association, have been working hard to make sure Imperial Session is memorable, informative and fun, and look forward to welcoming you to Minneapolis. The new fraternal magazine is also something for you – the members of our fraternity. The second edition will be landing in your mailbox soon. In its pages, you will ﬁnd information on membership initiatives, innovative Burn Awareness Week programs, Shriners International Awareness Week and more. You will also ﬁnd instructions for the ﬁnal steps in the contest to name the publication. We hope you take part and vote – we also hope you take a moment to e-mail appropriate story ideas from your temple to [email protected] for consideration for future issues. One of the purposes of the publication is to share information on successful local programs and events, and share the interesting stories of our Shriners. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in all the recent seminars – the information and experiences provided were excellent and will help strengthen our temple leaders, and in turn, our fraternity. I also want to thank every one of you for all that you do for your fraternity and philanthropy. Dale W. Stauss Public Relations Committee Chairman and Deputy Imperial Potentate THE PUBLIC RELATIONS VOICE March 2014 Annual Leadership Conferences Held S Several annual conferences for temple leaders were held earlier this month in Tampa, Fla. T One hundred seventy four nobles representing 152 temples attended the Oriental O Guide conference, held March 5-9. The conference included several breakout G ssessions on a wide range of topics, including membership, Shrine law and the philanthropy, Shriners Hospitals for Children. There was also a session titled “So p You’re Going to be a Potentate.” The closing session, attended by both the nobles Y aand the 142 ladies present, included a visit from former Tampa hospital patient, Zoe Strong. Everyone in attendance was inspired by her determination and spirit. Z The Assistant Rabban Leadership Conference, held March 9-13, was attended by 152 nobles from 143 temples. Topics at this conference included divan planning, ﬁnancial planning, risk management and fundraising. At the conclusion of the seminar, the nobles, and the 111 ladies who accompanied them, heard former Lexington hospital patient Beth Abernathy share her wonderful story. In addition to these meetings, both seminars included social events, including receptions and a Margaritaville Party, and programs for the ladies. Topics on the ladies’ agenda included protocol, social media and mentoring. Seventy-two temple treasurers, including 18 new ones, attended the Shrine Treasurers Association’s Mid-winter Seminar. During the event, Imperial Sir Jeff Sowder installed the new president, and participants discussed a variety of topics, including membership, fundraising and the potential per-capita increase. The 113 attendees at the annual Recorders Seminar, including 28 newly-elected ones, had a very informative meeting, with topics ranging from membership to insurance. The Sports Committee meeting included many interesting presentations, such as discussions of ways to improve events, sponsorships and leveraging local media and the Internet. There was also a special program by Dan Caro, a motivational speaker, former patient and Shriner. Thank you to everyone who attended, as well as to all the presenters and planners of these informative and important events. Come and Have a Good Laugh There are many reasons to attend Imperial Session (July 6-10 in Minneapolis), including important business meetings, unit and club competitions, the parade and fun and fellowship. Still another reason is the Imperial Representatives Evening. This year, guests will be entertained by comedian Louie Anderson. A native of Minneapolis, Anderson is a well-known stand-up comedian, television personality and author. Like so many other stand-up comedians, Anderson, a former counselor to troubled kids, made his network television debut on The Tonight Show. Anderson was the initial host of the revised version of television’s Family Feud from 1999 to 2002 and the creator and producer of an animated series on Fox television, Life with Louie, which ran for three years, and won two Emmy awards. Today, Anderson is focused on his stand-up comedy, and routinely performs in Las Vegas in packed, sold-out venues. Anderson’s comedy draws heavily from his experiences as one of 11 children growing up in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area with, as described on Wikipedia, “a sweet-hearted mother and a loud, war-crazed father.” The Imperial Representatives’ Evening will be held on Wednesday, July 9. More details will be available soon at imperial2014. com. Be sure to check back often for all the latest information on the upcoming Imperial Session. THE PUBLIC RELATIONS VOICE March 2014 Shriners Support Philanthropy on National Pancake Day On March 4, The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) celebrated National Pancake Day by offering guests a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes. With every short stack of pancakes served, diners were invited to make a donation to designated charities, including Shriners Hospitals for Children®. The IHOP restaurants that chose Shriners Hospitals for Children as the beneﬁciary of the event were primarily in Texas, with additional locations in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wyoming. The event was coordinated by Noble Tom Smith, Imperial Donor Development Representative for Texas and a member of Moslah Shriners. To date, with not all information reported, the event raised $409,369 for Shriners Hospitals for Children. Thank you, Shriners for your hard work and dedication! Recognizing Expertise and Excellence We often say our hospitals are staffed by experts and provide excellent care to the children entrusted to our care. Here are just a few recent examples that back up that statement. Leadership and Expertise t In November 2013, Scott Kozin, M.D., chief of staff at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Philadelphia, was named president of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH). ASSH is the oldest medical specialty society in the United States, devoted entirely to continuing medical education related to hand surgery. t Bruce MacWilliams, Ph.D., director of the movement analysis laboratory at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Salt Lake City. is also president of the Gait and Clinical Movement Analysis Society. The organization is dedicated to advancing scientiﬁc knowledge, technical capabilities, and clinical practice in the ﬁeld of human movement in order to improve functional outcomes and quality of life for individuals with movement disorders. t Heather Russell, Ph.D., clinical psychologist at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Philadelphia, was awarded the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals’ (ASCIP) Psychology and Social Work Section’s 2014 Clinical Performance Award. Accolades for our Hospitals t In 2013, our Boston, Greenville, Houston, Lexington and Cincinnati hospitals received Press-Ganey Guardian of Excellence Awards. Press Ganey is the nation’s leading health advisory and consulting organization. t In January, our Cincinnati hospital was again designated as a Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Considered the "gold standard" for nursing care in hospitals, Magnet® status is held by only 6.9 percent of hospitals nationwide. THE PUBLIC RELATIONS VOICE March 2014 Love to the Rescue Ambassador Former patient and award-winning actor RJ Mitte has been named a national Love to the rescue Ambassador™ for our health care system’s 2014 Love to the rescue® campaign. Mitte will share his personal story of receiving both treatment for cerebral palsy and encouragement to pursue his dreams through a series of public service announcements and other appearances. Mitte is best known for his role as Walter "Flynn" White Jr. on the AMC television series Breaking Bad. At age 3, Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a neurological condition affecting muscle tone, movement and coordination. It sometimes affects other areas, including speech. He was referred to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Shreveport, La., where he received care and treatment throughout much of his childhood, and, as a result, overcame many of the effects of his condition. “I can’t thank Shriners Hospitals for Children enough for what they did to help me overcome the effects of cerebral palsy. Had it not been for my doctors and therapists, I would not be walking and talking as well as I am today, “said Mitte. “I know ﬁrst-hand that Shriners Hospitals for Children is a special place where kids are given a life of possibilities because they send Love to the rescue every day. “ We are pleased to have been able to improve Mitte’s physical abilities, and proud to have him working with us today. “We are honored to help RJ share his story so others living with disabilities see that there really are endless possibilities to what they can achieve,” said John Cinotto, Imperial Potentate. “Every day Shriners Hospitals for Children sends Love to the rescue by encouraging patients to accept no limits throughout their treatment process. Working with RJ will help us highlight the innovative pediatric care available at Shriners Hospitals for Children.” Building Progress On the last day of February, the concrete structure of the replacement hospital in Canada was completed. In recognition of this milestone, the Shriners International ﬂag was hoisted onto the structure. Congratulations on this construction milestone! CONTACT US Shriners International Headquarters Public Relations Department 2900 Rocky Point Dr. Tampa, FL 33607 Phone: 813-281-8162 Email: [email protected]