Reported By: Ill. SIr Roger Fuller, P.P.

The 136th Imperial Council Session was held in Toronto, Canada July 3-8, 2010. Representatives to the 2010 Annual Session voted to grant Charters to two new Shrine Centers - Mabuhay Shrine in the Philippines and Al Rai'e Saleh Shrine in Puerto Rico. In addition, Emirat Shrine was granted dispensation to begin work on a forming a new Shrine Center in Heidelberg, Germany . There are now Shrine Clubs in 33 countries with requests from additional countries for permission to start the process. The Shrine is growing both in the United States and abroad!

Hella Shrine Might Want To Get Flags for Phillipines, Puerto Rice and Germany

In recognition of our growth, Representatives voted to change our name. The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine for North America is now Shriners International. The Shrine now has Temples in six countries. So what about displaying the flags? The flags of all six countries will be displayed at Imperial Sessions. Associations and Parades may display all six flags, or only the flags of the members present and the State flag. Shrine Centers may display all six flags, or the State Flag and the National flag of the location. If a foreign visitor is expected, the Shrine Center can display the visitor's flag.

In other news, Shriners Hospitals for Children started the process of billing insurance companies for services provided., with $500,000 billed on July 1st. Insurance money, donations and returns on our investments pay for the Hospital operations. Wild swings in the markets make it difficult to predict our overall return on investments but we are better off than last year. We will have to wait to see if we have solved the financial problems facing the Hospitals or just postponed a crisis.

On the topic of donations the Representatives at the 136th Imperial Shrine Session received a report on funds raising through Shrine sponsored sporting events. In 2009 Shriners raised $2,350.000 by sponsoring various sporting events on both the local and Imperial level. For 85 years the Shrine has sponsored the East-West Shrine Game. The game is an all-star football game featuring college seniors. It is a great showcase for the Shriners' Hospitals for Children and the fraternity. The next game, scheduled for January 22, 2011, offers an outstanding opportunity to see Orlando Florida and support the Shrine at the same time.

Besides football, Shriners hosted 87 golf tournaments in 2009 raising a total of $1.1 million. Included in this total is the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open Golf Tournament held annually in Las Vegas. Compare the $1.1 million raised nationally to the $275,000 raised in 2009 at the Hella Shrine Annual Golf Tournament. For those of you that are mathematically challenged our one tournament raised almost 25% of the total raised nationally. Congratulations! keep up the hard work.

Fraternal business included a vote to hold the 2015 Imperial Session in Houston, Texas, and the election of Wayne Lachut, Ismalia Temple, as Imperial Outer Guard. Wayne should rise to Imperial Potentate in 2020. Two other items of interest were the rejection of proposals to give the Temple Recorder the duties of a Chief Financial Officer and to repeal the prohibition on electioneering by candidates for Temple Office. It is my opinion that future changes will be made to the rules prohibiting all written reference to a candidate's intent to run for office but, the current proposal was too broad. The Session concluded with the installation of Imperial Sir George Mitchell, Rameses Shrine, as Imperial Potentate for 2010-2011.

I appreciate the honor of representing the Nobility of Hella at the 136th Imperial Session. If you would like more detailed information let me know.

Yours in the Faith

Roger Fuller P.P.