The Rhode Island Shriners Newsletter May 2016

Scimitar
The
The SCIMITAR
Rhode Island Shriners
One Rhodes Place
Cranston, R I 02905
May 2016
Volume 17 Issue 182
May 2016
The Rhode Island Shriners Newsletter
Hello Nobles and Ladies,
I hope that all of you are doing well and finally enjoying the warm weather. Well, the
parade season has officially started with the Millville Police parade May 1st. I cannot
wait for the rest of our great parades to come; this is a great time for the units to get
together and talk and commiserate with each other. Lots of new and exciting things are
coming down the road for your Shrine Center and I hope and pray that you will try and
make an effort to attend some of these wonderful fun filled events. We as your Divan
always do our best to make every event great, but this cannot be accomplished without
your support. The Imperial session is being held this year in Tampa right next door to
our International Headquarters and Our Tampa Hospital, so if you have never been
to an Imperial session this would be a great first experience for you and your lady to
attend. Our Northeast Shrine Association Fall Field Days will be held in the beautiful
city of Fredericton, New Brunswick this September 22nd thru the 24th. This is foliage
season up that way and should be a fantastic time so don’t be shy, come one come all. Let us not forget the seafood in
New Brunswick is also world class so if you attend wear some stretchy pants for the ride home, you will need them.
At this time I would like to thank our outgoing Grand Master Raymond Hassell for all that he has done for me and the
Rhode Island Shriners and all of Freemasonry in the State of Rhode Island. My Lady Kerrie and I have enjoyed our
travels with you and Lady Lynn, our best wishes to you both and we look forward to a long friendship. Now I would
like to wish Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master Stephen McGuire and Lady Maureen a wonderful upcoming
year and look forward to working with you both for the rest of my term as Potentate. I was just thinking how lucky I
am right now, most Potentates get to have half a term with two different Grand Masters, I am lucky enough to have
worked with three!!!!! I feel blessed to have this opportunity to have my relationships with these great men blossom
from what they were before to even deeper, more meaningful friendships now. I hope to see you all at the Chopstick
auction this May 20th for some great food and fun, this is always a sellout, so buy your tickets early.
As always, any questions or concerns, you can reach out to me or any member of the Divan and we will promptly get
you an answer or address your concern. We are here to serve you and our Shrine center at all times.
Up-Coming Events:
Friday, May 20th
6th ANNUAL CHINESE NIGHT & CHOPSTICK AUCTION
Friday, June 10th
Strawberry Festival
Sunday, June 19th
Father’s Day Breakfast
Saturday, June 25th
Clown Unit: Seekonk Speedway for Shriner’s Night
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 15 -17th
Rhode Island Shrine Visitation
Fraternally yours,
Illustrious Glenn E Medeiros Sr.
Don’t Forget
The Queen of Hearts
Friday Nights
6-8 pm
Chief Rabban's Ramblings
The SCIMITAR
is published monthly
by the Rhode Island Shriners
One Rhodes Place,
Cranston, Rhode Island 02905.
Editor-in-Chief
Robert O’Brien
RHODE ISLAND SHRINERS
One Rhodes Place, Cranston, R I 02905
Toll free 1-888-A CHILD 5
Web Site: www.rishriners.com
Telephone: (401) 467-7100
Office Extensions:
Potentate/CEO, Glenn Medeiros, Sr................#14
Recorder, Paul Healy .....................................#16
Secretary, Pat Deitch ......................................#10
Treasurer, Bryan Martin..................................#15
Bookkeeper, Elaine Williams..........................#18
Sales, Hillary Williamson................................#13
Bar..................................................................#11
Kitchen............................................................#12
Patrick Gordon................................................#17
Chef Chris.......................................................#19
Charities (Leon)..............................................#25
ELECTED OFFICERS 2016
Potentate...........................Glenn E. Medeiros Sr.
Chief Rabban........................Domenic DiStefano
Assistant Rabban..........................Louis Sherman
High Priest & Prophet...........Donald Williamson
Oriental Guide..............................Robert St. Jean
Treasurer.........................................Bryan Martin
Recorder..............................................Paul Healy
APPOINTED OFFICERS 2016
First Ceremonial Master........Christopher Dilorio
Second Ceremonial Master.......Timothy Culhane
Marshall.................................Norman Messinger
Captain of the Guard......................David Bradley
Chief Director..................................Robert Chase
Personal Aide..............................Frank DiMascio
Chief Aide.................................Michael Barboza
Public Relations Chairman..................Clark Cate
Mega-Raffle Winners:
Richard Slater
(February)
Sandra Barboza
(March)
May 2016
Hello,
The warm weather and parade season are here. Are you ready? Most
of our Blue Lodges are going dark. Now is the time for the Shrine to Shine and
continue the camaraderie we share in our blue lodges. Please encourage Masons
who are not Shriners to join us over the summer and share in the fun.
As a Shriner we have opportunities to appear before the public and promote
our cause and organization. I write not to brag, but show the opportunity to
all Shriners. Please take advantage of this. I had the unique opportunity to join
fellow clowns from all over the East to march in the National Cherry Blossom
Parade in Washington DC. Enzo, Lucky, Little Sham and Pockets joined me
from our Shrine Center. This has become quite the getaway weekend. Mark
your calendars for April 8, 2017 and join us.
Karie Lyn, Peter and I attended the Aleppo Shrine Circus and will
attend Melha Shrine’s event. We are blessed to have these two Shrine circuses
so close, yet Rhode Island’s support of these events continues to dwindle. It
would be nice to have a circus of our own, but there is not enough support to
make this happen. Please consider joining us April vacation week and the last
week in April next year. Shrine Circus translates to support of our Hospitals.
The Northeast Field Days will be here before you know it. They will take place
Thursday, September 21 - Sunday, September 25 in Fredericton, NB, Canada.
Are you interested in joining us? We are trying to organize a bus trip. Please
contact me ASAP if you would like to come.
The Oriental Band invites any Shriner and their lady to join us Sunday,
May 29 for the Charlestown Memorial Day Parade. Our Motor Corp will also be
in attendance. We will depart Cranston at 10:45 am. We continue our tradition
of corned beef sandwiches (with 3 oz. of meat) and kosher pickles before the
parade. I’ve seen Arnie Pepper’s scale to prove it. Parade is scheduled for 1pm.
The Clown Unit will be heading to Exeter on Sunday, May 29. Your attendance
is always welcome.
Springfield Hospital News
Temple Guard
EarWells Used to Correct Developmental Abnormality
By Philip Stoddard, M.D.,
director of cleft lip and palate clinic
at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Springfield
Illustrious Glenn E. Medeiros Sr. recently swore in the
new officers of the Temple Guard Unit. They are:
CAPTAIN: Tom Piscopio.
TREASURER: Francis Kay
SECRETARY: Joe “Smokey” Bennett
The members of the unit are especially proud of the
above individuals for stepping forward to take on these important
positions within the unit, and wish them well for the upcoming
year 2016. A special note and thank you to retired Captain Francis
Kay for the outstanding job he did as Captain of the unit in CY’S
2014 & 2015. Nice Job!
KUDOS to retired Captain Don Thornton who has
personally taken on the responsibility of making sure the unit room
is in “Tip Top” condition and shape. He has brought in pictures of
prior Temple Guard unit members who had “paved the way” for
the current members and placed them on the unit walls. In addition,
those “Shriner- of- the-Year” Temple Guard members who served
in the military during WWII & Korean Wars have their special
ribbons placed within their photo and frame that hang on the TG
unit wall…Thank you Captain!
We have recently received word that 1st Lt. John
Chaharyn of the TG unit has had a heart pacemaker placed in
his chest and has completed his required therapy. We are sure he
would welcome some get well cards from the Nobles of the RI
Shriners, he can be reached at:
Pocasset Bay Manor
12 Old Pocasset Lane (Room 205)
Johnston, R. I. 02919
As an aside, he spoke with retired Captain Art Fletcher
about his situation and said that the Doctor’s told him “that the
pacemaker is guaranteed for at least fifteen (15) years. He said
with that assurance, I’ll be around until at least 2031 at which time
I’ll be 108 years old.” He hasn’t lost his sense of humor!
A note to our 1st Lt. Dick Urquhart who has not been seen since
last December’s meeting of the TG unit, even though he’s been
called and offered rides. Captain retired Art Fletcher has a friend
who is 88 years old named Yvonne. Her philosophy is: “As you
grow older, if you don’t move…YOU WON”T MOVE”! So Dick,
get moving. Artie.
Finally, OTTIE’S Philosophy:
*FAMILY: We were so poor we couldn’t afford a watchdog. When
we heard a noise at night we’d bark ourselves.
*PROFESSIONS: The barber told me to use hair tonic and my
hair would come in heavy. Only one hair grew, but it weighed
twelve pounds.
*ETIQUETTE: Never throw cigar butts in urinals. They get soggy
and are hard to light.
THAT’S ALL FOLK’S.
OTTIE.
About 30 percent of newborn babies may have a developmental
abnormality of the shaping of their ears. Fortunately, in many cases
this can be corrected if treatment is started within the first month
of life. This is because a newborn continues to carry its mother’s
estrogen for about three months. After this time, the estrogen is
gone and cartilage becomes stiff and not amenable to change.
At Shriners Hospitals for Children — Springfield, our nonsurgical
approach to correct this condition is to mold the patient’s ear
with an EarWell. The EarWell is worn for five to six weeks and
gradually changes the shape of the ear. The process is tolerated
well by young patients and has a good success rate.
The types of abnormalities treated in this way include:
•
Protruding ear (more than 10 mm from scalp)
•
Lack of an antihelix rim
•
Folding of the helix rim (lidding or cup ear)
•
Conchal crus
Here is the current list of confirmed parades:
May 1: Millville, MA Police 100th Anniversary Parade. Depart Cranston at 11am.
May 30: Lincoln/Saylesville Memorial Day Parade. 10:30 am
May 30: North Providence Memorial Day Parade 1 pm
October 9: Federal Hill, Columbus Day Parade.
Upcoming Events:
Saturday May 7, Prince Hall Steak & Lobster 883 Eddy St Providence. $35
per person.
Sunday May 15, Director’s Staff Bingo $10 per person
Friday May 20, Chopstick Auction and Chinese Night $30 for food and Auction.
Monday May 23, Grand Lodge Annual Communication 9 am. 222 Taunton
Ave East Providence. Banquet 6pm. Rhodes on the Pawtuxet. $40 per person.
Saturday June 4, Hope Lodge Cigar Dinner 6pm. 64 Columbia St Wakefield.
$35 per person includes cigars and meals.
Friday, June 10, Strawberry Festival (See ad)
Sunday, June 19, Father’s Day Breakfast Buffet ((See ad))
Saturday August 6, Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl. Castleton State College
Castleton, VT. The hotel is in Rutland, VT
Thursday-Saturday, Sept 22- 24, NESA Fall Field Days Fredericton, NB
Please take advantage of the membership opportunities our grand organization
presents us.
Regards,
Domenic J DiStefano
Chief Rabban
Rhode Island Shriners
2
RI Shriners
May 2016
7
RI Shriners
A message from H. Lee Kirk, Jr.,
FACHE Administrator (Springfield)
Early Intervention Services
An Important Support for Children with Special Needs
Lawrence Kaplan, M.D., ScM, FAAP
Among the services that are available to children with
delayed development, early intervention (EI) remains among the
most important and the most accessible to families.
Early intervention is an integrated developmental resource for
children up to three years of age which serves children who have
either identified departures from normal development or whose
development is considered to be at risk due to certain birth or
environmental influences. This is often the simplest and most
efficient way to enter a world of support services that can help a
child for the first three years of his or her life.
Because these services can be accessed for a child as
young as one day of age, families are assured that not only will their
own medical home/primary care provider monitor their progress,
but direct services-including speech, physical and occupational
therapy, as well as nursing, social work, and developmental
psychology- can follow the child until he or she transitions to
prekindergarten. It is also a program which has repeatedly been
shown to improve outcomes in measurable ways for a variety of
conditions.
Key to the program’s design is the provision that children
are seen regularly in their own “natural settings”- i.e., at home, in
child-care centers and community play groups. The EI workers
are partners in a child’s care and may often accompany them to
various medical clinic visits. Most important, the EI team will
take the lead in every case to help the child and family make an
informed transition to school, participating in the development of
the child’s individual educational plan (IEP).
assessments in the child’s home, including basic developmental
screening with testing tools that are validated and state approved,
along with clinical evaluation to determine if and how services can
be arranged.
Additional information can be obtained via the phone
number above, or by visiting: ectacenter.org/contact/ptccoord.asp
About Dr. Kaplan:
Lawrence C. Kaplan, M.D., ScM, FAAP, neurodevelopmental
pediatrician at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Springfield, is
leading a new program that provides evaluation and ongoing care
of children with a range of disabilities served by the hospital. In
his new role as director of special health care needs consultation,
Dr. Kaplan’s major focus is caring for children with complex
multisystem disorders, in particular those conditions that have
an impact on overall development and result in difficulties with
movement, balance, coordination, muscle tone/weakness or
delayed developmental milestones. Among other responsibilities,
he helps children and families navigate an array of medical and
community services – including the Early Intervention program
discussed above and helps medical home/primary care providers
follow these patients and stay informed of their progress.
As I enthusiastically begin my second year
as Administrator of Shriners Hospitals for
Children-Springfield, I wanted to touch
base with you, our valued community
partners in the care of children and families.
As health care continues to evolve, the
mission of Shriners Hospital remains
steadfast and true in its commitment to
providing highest quality and safe care to
children, training future clinicians, improving and discovering
new clinical techniques, and transforming the lives of children
regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
In 2009, the SHC organization made an important and strategic
decision to begin submitting claims to health insurance companies.
While this means there are contractual and regulatory requirements,
this organization does not create financial barriers or hardships
for families, or send families to collection agencies or damage
financial ratings. In fact, 70% of the care provided last year in
Springfield was provided through proceeds of the endowment
fund, direct donations and gifts. There is no other health care
system in the United States that provides this level of charity care.
Last year was a truly remarkable year for the Springfield Shriners
Hospital. In 2015, our hospital cared for 8,138 children from
throughout New England, upstate New York, the United States
and 25 countries around the world. New patient referrals for 2015
increased by 11%, and we are excited to inform you today about
our 2016 -2020 Strategic Vision for the next “90 plus” years, which
was approved by the SHC Joint Boards on January 18, 2016.
We at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Springfield greatly value
and appreciate your support, through which we are able to provide
access to care for thousands of children each year, provide training
to future clinicians and discover new ways to enhance the lives of
children. Please contact me personally if I can be of assistance
at 413-787-2010 or lkirk@shrinenet.org. On behalf of the SHC
Springfield “kids”, families and our incredible team.
THANK YOU!
The Strategic Vision is to “reinvest” in our current core services of
pediatric orthopedics, spine, neuromuscular, chest wall deformity,
rheumatology and cleft lip and palate throughout the SHC
Springfield service area of Western Massachusetts, greater New
England, Upstate and Eastern New York and internationally. Our
Strategic Vision also plans for addressing more regional care needs
of children in fracture care, sports medicine and inpatient acute
rehabilitation.
Referrals to the EI program can be made by anyone-a
parent, doctor, care giver, teacher, or friend- by calling a central
referral line at 1-800-905-8437. From there follows a set of
From the Recorder's Desk
Parades
The 142nd Imperial Session of
Shriners International Will Be
Here Soon
From the Editor
The 2016 Imperial Session
of Shriners International is
scheduled for Sunday, July
3 through Thursday, July 7,
2016, in Tampa, Fla.
Nobles,
I hope you are enjoying the new Scimitar. We’re just starting to
get a rhythm going but I still need your help. If you would get
me your submissions by the 10th of the month, it will give me
a week to put it all together, proof-read and off to the printers
in time to get it to your house by the 1st of the next month.
Even if you don’t want to write a whole column, just send me
dates of importance, upcoming events or anything you would
like included. The newsletter is only as good as the information
I receive. Don’t forget you can still download a PDF of the
Scimitar most times on or before the 1st of any month. Go to
http://rishriners.com and then click on “Read RI Shriners
newspaper”.
In addition to the tours and important business
portions of the 142nd Imperial Session, there will be a
classic Shriner-style parade, Walk for LOVE, ballyhoo
through the streets, Representatives Ladies Luncheon,
Representatives Evening, competitions, marketplace, kids
camp, church service and more.
Spring is in the air, somewhere between the snowflakes. As the
warm weather approaches we should be thinking of Parade Season.
This is also the time of year when we clean and get our special
parade vehicles ready to show their best. While we are cleaning and
polishing, I would request that all units check their vehicles and in
particular their trailers to ensure that they are properly registered.
I have several registration forms in the office that I have not been
able to associate with a vehicle. I have been to the garage 3 times
in an effort to address this situation. I would request that any unit
that has a vehicle or trailer that does not have current tags on their
plates (the tiny stickers that have a date on them) contact this office
with all information concerning that vehicle. I do have several
forms that simply say HMT, with no numbers or model names. No
unit should be operating a vehicle that is not properly registered
as this may nullify the insurance coverage. Your assistance in this
matter is greatly appreciated.
As always the door here is always open and feel free to call with
any questions or issues.
Sunday, May 1 ~ Millville, MA Police 100th Anniversary Parade.
Depart Temple at 11am.
Monday, May 30 ~ Monday, May 30 ~ North Providence
Memorial Day Parade 1pm
Saturday, June 11 ~ Gaspee Day Parade
Sunday, October 9 ~ Federal Hill, Columbus Day Parade.
While in Tampa, plan to
include a tour of Shriners
International Headquarters
and check out our
memorabilia room and
vintage mechanical Shriners
parade. Also allow time for a visit to the Tampa Shriners
Hospital. Staff members at the hospital are eager to
welcome you during your visit to Tampa.
YITC,
Bob O’Brien
Past Potentate
May 2016
We have begun first steps toward realizing our new strategic
vision through recruitment of additional fellowship-trained
pediatric orthopaedic surgeons, including Dr. Prerana Patel, who
has a focus in complex spine and pediatric orthopaedics with an
interest/expertise in pediatric trauma and scoliosis. Dr. Rubini
Pathy will finish her second pediatric orthopaedic fellowship this
summer and join the SHC – Springfield team. Dr. Larry Kaplan,
Developmental Pediatrician also joined our team in October, 2015.
Enhanced collaboration and affiliations with our other northeast
sister hospitals in Boston, Erie and Philadelphia, and other regional
hospitals and healthcare systems is also a key component of our
Strategic Vision.
Queen of Heart Winners:
1/30/16 – Walter Neri – $821.25
4/15/16 – Gilbert Gallager – $1245.00
Fraternally Yours:
Paul M. Healy / Recorder
For more information about the upcoming Imperial
Session, please visit tampa-2016.com, facebook.com/2
016ShrinersImperialSession, or download the free app
by searching “2016 Shriners Imperial Session” on your
smartphone or tablet.
6
RI Shriners
May 2016
3
RI Shriners
Grand Lodge Annual Banquet
News from the Grand Lodge of RI
Monday, May 23, 2016
Rhodes on the Pawtuxet
Cocktails 5:30 pm
Dinner 6:30 pm
ENTERTAINMENT
Important Dates:
Thursday, May 12, 2016, 7:30 PM
Grand Master’s Visitation
to St. Andrews Lodge #39 (Mother Lodge)
Divan
6:30 pm
Tickets available ONLY AT:
Monday, May 23, 2016, 9:00 AM
225th Annual Communication
of the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island
and Providence Plantations
Grand Lodge of Rhode Island
222 Taunton, East Providence
$40.00 pp & $75.00 Per Couple
If purchased by May 2, 2016
Just a Heads-Up from the Deputy Grand Master
R∴W∴Stephen T. McGuire, DGM
Mother’s Day
Brunch
After May 2, 2016 ticket price will increase
Deadline for tickets is May 8, 2016
Dinner Choices:
Pan Seared Filet Mignon
Sword Fish Provencal
Vegetable Risotto with Fried Eggplant
Hello Brethren!
This is just a quick note to make sure everyone is aware
of a couple of events we’ll be having this summer. By the time the
RI Freemason comes out in June it doesn’t leave a lot of time to
plan for the summer. Also, many of our June meetings take place
so early there isn’t time to plan and make announcements relative
to June and July happenings. So I wanted to write this to give
everyone the opportunity to plan on attending what I consider to
be two very important events.
Legion of
Honor
7:30 pm
Karnak
Visitation
Cairo & Mt. Sinai
Visitation
Clown
Unit
9:30 am
Submission for
the June
Scimitar Due
Director’s
Staff
7:00 pm
225th Annual
Communication
of the Grand Lodge
of Rhode Island
and Providence
Plantations
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Grand Master’s Karnak
Visitation
Visitation
St. Andrews #39
Queen of
7:30 pm
Hearts-6:00 pm
ChopStick
Auction set-up
Artisan’s/
Motor Corps
7:30 pm
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Legion of
Honor
7:30 pm
RI Shriners
May 2016
NO Queen of
Hearts
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Divan
6:30 pm
4
Chinese
Temple
Night &
Guard
ChopStick
11:00 am
Auction 6-10pm
Cairo & Mt. Sinai
Queen of
Visitation
Memorial
Day
Ladies
Luncheon
11:30 am
Father’s Day
Breakfast
Karnak
Visitation
Hearts-6:00 pm
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Clown
Unit
9:30 am
May 2016
Ladies
Luncheon
11:30 am
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Please save the dates of Sunday, June 26th and Saturday, July 30th.
On the first of these dates Sunday, June 26th. The very
first meeting of the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island was held on
Monday, June 27th 1791. It so happens the June days in 2016 are
the same as they were in 1791. June 27th is a Monday! As part of
our celebration of 225 years of the RI Grand Lodge, we will attend
a church service on June 26th. This will be one day short of 225
years after our first Grand Lodge meeting. The details are not yet
finalized but please save June 26th as a day to attend church with
our Masonic family. I’m sure we’ll have a great morning thanking
the Supreme Architect of the Universe for over two centuries of
Rhode Island Freemasonry.
The second date is Saturday, July 30th. The last weekend
in July (and the days preceding and following it) will see the
Supreme Assembly of the International Order of Rainbow for
Girls in New England for the first time. Rainbow Girls from
around the globe will be in our state and we want to be sure they
remember us fondly. On that Saturday we will have a picnic for
them at our Masonic Youth Center. We will also hold our Grand
Lodge Picnic on the same day. Since the Supreme Assembly will
be here for the first time, and it is the 225th anniversary of the
Grand Lodge of Rhode Island, we are going to try to make this the
best picnic this state has ever seen. You won’t want to miss it.
Please save these dates and I hope to see all of you there!
Queen of
Hearts-6:00 pm
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Queen of
Hearts-6:00 pm
Submission for
the July
Scimitar Due
Tomorrow
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Queen of
Hearts-6:00 pm
Temple
Guard
11:00 am
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Director’s
Staff
7:00 pm
Strawberry
Gaspee Day
Festival-6:00 pm Parade
Queen of
Hearts-6:00 pm
Artisan’s/
Motor Corps
7:30 pm
Queen of
Hearts-6:00 pm
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
5
RI Shriners
Grand Lodge Annual Banquet
News from the Grand Lodge of RI
Monday, May 23, 2016
Rhodes on the Pawtuxet
Cocktails 5:30 pm
Dinner 6:30 pm
ENTERTAINMENT
Important Dates:
Thursday, May 12, 2016, 7:30 PM
Grand Master’s Visitation
to St. Andrews Lodge #39 (Mother Lodge)
Divan
6:30 pm
Tickets available ONLY AT:
Monday, May 23, 2016, 9:00 AM
225th Annual Communication
of the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island
and Providence Plantations
Grand Lodge of Rhode Island
222 Taunton, East Providence
$40.00 pp & $75.00 Per Couple
If purchased by May 2, 2016
Just a Heads-Up from the Deputy Grand Master
R∴W∴Stephen T. McGuire, DGM
Mother’s Day
Brunch
After May 2, 2016 ticket price will increase
Deadline for tickets is May 8, 2016
Dinner Choices:
Pan Seared Filet Mignon
Sword Fish Provencal
Vegetable Risotto with Fried Eggplant
Hello Brethren!
This is just a quick note to make sure everyone is aware
of a couple of events we’ll be having this summer. By the time the
RI Freemason comes out in June it doesn’t leave a lot of time to
plan for the summer. Also, many of our June meetings take place
so early there isn’t time to plan and make announcements relative
to June and July happenings. So I wanted to write this to give
everyone the opportunity to plan on attending what I consider to
be two very important events.
Legion of
Honor
7:30 pm
Karnak
Visitation
Cairo & Mt. Sinai
Visitation
Clown
Unit
9:30 am
Submission for
the June
Scimitar Due
Director’s
Staff
7:00 pm
225th Annual
Communication
of the Grand Lodge
of Rhode Island
and Providence
Plantations
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Grand Master’s Karnak
Visitation
Visitation
St. Andrews #39
Queen of
7:30 pm
Hearts-6:00 pm
ChopStick
Auction set-up
Artisan’s/
Motor Corps
7:30 pm
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Legion of
Honor
7:30 pm
RI Shriners
May 2016
NO Queen of
Hearts
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Divan
6:30 pm
4
Chinese
Temple
Night &
Guard
ChopStick
11:00 am
Auction 6-10pm
Cairo & Mt. Sinai
Queen of
Visitation
Memorial
Day
Ladies
Luncheon
11:30 am
Father’s Day
Breakfast
Karnak
Visitation
Hearts-6:00 pm
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Clown
Unit
9:30 am
May 2016
Ladies
Luncheon
11:30 am
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Please save the dates of Sunday, June 26th and Saturday, July 30th.
On the first of these dates Sunday, June 26th. The very
first meeting of the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island was held on
Monday, June 27th 1791. It so happens the June days in 2016 are
the same as they were in 1791. June 27th is a Monday! As part of
our celebration of 225 years of the RI Grand Lodge, we will attend
a church service on June 26th. This will be one day short of 225
years after our first Grand Lodge meeting. The details are not yet
finalized but please save June 26th as a day to attend church with
our Masonic family. I’m sure we’ll have a great morning thanking
the Supreme Architect of the Universe for over two centuries of
Rhode Island Freemasonry.
The second date is Saturday, July 30th. The last weekend
in July (and the days preceding and following it) will see the
Supreme Assembly of the International Order of Rainbow for
Girls in New England for the first time. Rainbow Girls from
around the globe will be in our state and we want to be sure they
remember us fondly. On that Saturday we will have a picnic for
them at our Masonic Youth Center. We will also hold our Grand
Lodge Picnic on the same day. Since the Supreme Assembly will
be here for the first time, and it is the 225th anniversary of the
Grand Lodge of Rhode Island, we are going to try to make this the
best picnic this state has ever seen. You won’t want to miss it.
Please save these dates and I hope to see all of you there!
Queen of
Hearts-6:00 pm
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Queen of
Hearts-6:00 pm
Submission for
the July
Scimitar Due
Tomorrow
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Queen of
Hearts-6:00 pm
Temple
Guard
11:00 am
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
Director’s
Staff
7:00 pm
Strawberry
Gaspee Day
Festival-6:00 pm Parade
Queen of
Hearts-6:00 pm
Artisan’s/
Motor Corps
7:30 pm
Queen of
Hearts-6:00 pm
Oriental Band
7:30 pm
5
RI Shriners
A message from H. Lee Kirk, Jr.,
FACHE Administrator (Springfield)
Early Intervention Services
An Important Support for Children with Special Needs
Lawrence Kaplan, M.D., ScM, FAAP
Among the services that are available to children with
delayed development, early intervention (EI) remains among the
most important and the most accessible to families.
Early intervention is an integrated developmental resource for
children up to three years of age which serves children who have
either identified departures from normal development or whose
development is considered to be at risk due to certain birth or
environmental influences. This is often the simplest and most
efficient way to enter a world of support services that can help a
child for the first three years of his or her life.
Because these services can be accessed for a child as
young as one day of age, families are assured that not only will their
own medical home/primary care provider monitor their progress,
but direct services-including speech, physical and occupational
therapy, as well as nursing, social work, and developmental
psychology- can follow the child until he or she transitions to
prekindergarten. It is also a program which has repeatedly been
shown to improve outcomes in measurable ways for a variety of
conditions.
Key to the program’s design is the provision that children
are seen regularly in their own “natural settings”- i.e., at home, in
child-care centers and community play groups. The EI workers
are partners in a child’s care and may often accompany them to
various medical clinic visits. Most important, the EI team will
take the lead in every case to help the child and family make an
informed transition to school, participating in the development of
the child’s individual educational plan (IEP).
assessments in the child’s home, including basic developmental
screening with testing tools that are validated and state approved,
along with clinical evaluation to determine if and how services can
be arranged.
Additional information can be obtained via the phone
number above, or by visiting: ectacenter.org/contact/ptccoord.asp
About Dr. Kaplan:
Lawrence C. Kaplan, M.D., ScM, FAAP, neurodevelopmental
pediatrician at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Springfield, is
leading a new program that provides evaluation and ongoing care
of children with a range of disabilities served by the hospital. In
his new role as director of special health care needs consultation,
Dr. Kaplan’s major focus is caring for children with complex
multisystem disorders, in particular those conditions that have
an impact on overall development and result in difficulties with
movement, balance, coordination, muscle tone/weakness or
delayed developmental milestones. Among other responsibilities,
he helps children and families navigate an array of medical and
community services – including the Early Intervention program
discussed above and helps medical home/primary care providers
follow these patients and stay informed of their progress.
As I enthusiastically begin my second year
as Administrator of Shriners Hospitals for
Children-Springfield, I wanted to touch
base with you, our valued community
partners in the care of children and families.
As health care continues to evolve, the
mission of Shriners Hospital remains
steadfast and true in its commitment to
providing highest quality and safe care to
children, training future clinicians, improving and discovering
new clinical techniques, and transforming the lives of children
regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
In 2009, the SHC organization made an important and strategic
decision to begin submitting claims to health insurance companies.
While this means there are contractual and regulatory requirements,
this organization does not create financial barriers or hardships
for families, or send families to collection agencies or damage
financial ratings. In fact, 70% of the care provided last year in
Springfield was provided through proceeds of the endowment
fund, direct donations and gifts. There is no other health care
system in the United States that provides this level of charity care.
Last year was a truly remarkable year for the Springfield Shriners
Hospital. In 2015, our hospital cared for 8,138 children from
throughout New England, upstate New York, the United States
and 25 countries around the world. New patient referrals for 2015
increased by 11%, and we are excited to inform you today about
our 2016 -2020 Strategic Vision for the next “90 plus” years, which
was approved by the SHC Joint Boards on January 18, 2016.
We at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Springfield greatly value
and appreciate your support, through which we are able to provide
access to care for thousands of children each year, provide training
to future clinicians and discover new ways to enhance the lives of
children. Please contact me personally if I can be of assistance
at 413-787-2010 or lkirk@shrinenet.org. On behalf of the SHC
Springfield “kids”, families and our incredible team.
THANK YOU!
The Strategic Vision is to “reinvest” in our current core services of
pediatric orthopedics, spine, neuromuscular, chest wall deformity,
rheumatology and cleft lip and palate throughout the SHC
Springfield service area of Western Massachusetts, greater New
England, Upstate and Eastern New York and internationally. Our
Strategic Vision also plans for addressing more regional care needs
of children in fracture care, sports medicine and inpatient acute
rehabilitation.
Referrals to the EI program can be made by anyone-a
parent, doctor, care giver, teacher, or friend- by calling a central
referral line at 1-800-905-8437. From there follows a set of
From the Recorder's Desk
Parades
The 142nd Imperial Session of
Shriners International Will Be
Here Soon
From the Editor
The 2016 Imperial Session
of Shriners International is
scheduled for Sunday, July
3 through Thursday, July 7,
2016, in Tampa, Fla.
Nobles,
I hope you are enjoying the new Scimitar. We’re just starting to
get a rhythm going but I still need your help. If you would get
me your submissions by the 10th of the month, it will give me
a week to put it all together, proof-read and off to the printers
in time to get it to your house by the 1st of the next month.
Even if you don’t want to write a whole column, just send me
dates of importance, upcoming events or anything you would
like included. The newsletter is only as good as the information
I receive. Don’t forget you can still download a PDF of the
Scimitar most times on or before the 1st of any month. Go to
http://rishriners.com and then click on “Read RI Shriners
newspaper”.
In addition to the tours and important business
portions of the 142nd Imperial Session, there will be a
classic Shriner-style parade, Walk for LOVE, ballyhoo
through the streets, Representatives Ladies Luncheon,
Representatives Evening, competitions, marketplace, kids
camp, church service and more.
Spring is in the air, somewhere between the snowflakes. As the
warm weather approaches we should be thinking of Parade Season.
This is also the time of year when we clean and get our special
parade vehicles ready to show their best. While we are cleaning and
polishing, I would request that all units check their vehicles and in
particular their trailers to ensure that they are properly registered.
I have several registration forms in the office that I have not been
able to associate with a vehicle. I have been to the garage 3 times
in an effort to address this situation. I would request that any unit
that has a vehicle or trailer that does not have current tags on their
plates (the tiny stickers that have a date on them) contact this office
with all information concerning that vehicle. I do have several
forms that simply say HMT, with no numbers or model names. No
unit should be operating a vehicle that is not properly registered
as this may nullify the insurance coverage. Your assistance in this
matter is greatly appreciated.
As always the door here is always open and feel free to call with
any questions or issues.
Sunday, May 1 ~ Millville, MA Police 100th Anniversary Parade.
Depart Temple at 11am.
Monday, May 30 ~ Monday, May 30 ~ North Providence
Memorial Day Parade 1pm
Saturday, June 11 ~ Gaspee Day Parade
Sunday, October 9 ~ Federal Hill, Columbus Day Parade.
While in Tampa, plan to
include a tour of Shriners
International Headquarters
and check out our
memorabilia room and
vintage mechanical Shriners
parade. Also allow time for a visit to the Tampa Shriners
Hospital. Staff members at the hospital are eager to
welcome you during your visit to Tampa.
YITC,
Bob O’Brien
Past Potentate
May 2016
We have begun first steps toward realizing our new strategic
vision through recruitment of additional fellowship-trained
pediatric orthopaedic surgeons, including Dr. Prerana Patel, who
has a focus in complex spine and pediatric orthopaedics with an
interest/expertise in pediatric trauma and scoliosis. Dr. Rubini
Pathy will finish her second pediatric orthopaedic fellowship this
summer and join the SHC – Springfield team. Dr. Larry Kaplan,
Developmental Pediatrician also joined our team in October, 2015.
Enhanced collaboration and affiliations with our other northeast
sister hospitals in Boston, Erie and Philadelphia, and other regional
hospitals and healthcare systems is also a key component of our
Strategic Vision.
Queen of Heart Winners:
1/30/16 – Walter Neri – $821.25
4/15/16 – Gilbert Gallager – $1245.00
Fraternally Yours:
Paul M. Healy / Recorder
For more information about the upcoming Imperial
Session, please visit tampa-2016.com, facebook.com/2
016ShrinersImperialSession, or download the free app
by searching “2016 Shriners Imperial Session” on your
smartphone or tablet.
6
RI Shriners
May 2016
3
RI Shriners
Chief Rabban's Ramblings
The SCIMITAR
is published monthly
by the Rhode Island Shriners
One Rhodes Place,
Cranston, Rhode Island 02905.
Editor-in-Chief
Robert O’Brien
RHODE ISLAND SHRINERS
One Rhodes Place, Cranston, R I 02905
Toll free 1-888-A CHILD 5
Web Site: www.rishriners.com
Telephone: (401) 467-7100
Office Extensions:
Potentate/CEO, Glenn Medeiros, Sr................#14
Recorder, Paul Healy .....................................#16
Secretary, Pat Deitch ......................................#10
Treasurer, Bryan Martin..................................#15
Bookkeeper, Elaine Williams..........................#18
Sales, Hillary Williamson................................#13
Bar..................................................................#11
Kitchen............................................................#12
Patrick Gordon................................................#17
Chef Chris.......................................................#19
Charities (Leon)..............................................#25
ELECTED OFFICERS 2016
Potentate...........................Glenn E. Medeiros Sr.
Chief Rabban........................Domenic DiStefano
Assistant Rabban..........................Louis Sherman
High Priest & Prophet...........Donald Williamson
Oriental Guide..............................Robert St. Jean
Treasurer.........................................Bryan Martin
Recorder..............................................Paul Healy
APPOINTED OFFICERS 2016
First Ceremonial Master........Christopher Dilorio
Second Ceremonial Master.......Timothy Culhane
Marshall.................................Norman Messinger
Captain of the Guard......................David Bradley
Chief Director..................................Robert Chase
Personal Aide..............................Frank DiMascio
Chief Aide.................................Michael Barboza
Public Relations Chairman..................Clark Cate
Mega-Raffle Winners:
Richard Slater
(February)
Sandra Barboza
(March)
May 2016
Hello,
The warm weather and parade season are here. Are you ready? Most
of our Blue Lodges are going dark. Now is the time for the Shrine to Shine and
continue the camaraderie we share in our blue lodges. Please encourage Masons
who are not Shriners to join us over the summer and share in the fun.
As a Shriner we have opportunities to appear before the public and promote
our cause and organization. I write not to brag, but show the opportunity to
all Shriners. Please take advantage of this. I had the unique opportunity to join
fellow clowns from all over the East to march in the National Cherry Blossom
Parade in Washington DC. Enzo, Lucky, Little Sham and Pockets joined me
from our Shrine Center. This has become quite the getaway weekend. Mark
your calendars for April 8, 2017 and join us.
Karie Lyn, Peter and I attended the Aleppo Shrine Circus and will
attend Melha Shrine’s event. We are blessed to have these two Shrine circuses
so close, yet Rhode Island’s support of these events continues to dwindle. It
would be nice to have a circus of our own, but there is not enough support to
make this happen. Please consider joining us April vacation week and the last
week in April next year. Shrine Circus translates to support of our Hospitals.
The Northeast Field Days will be here before you know it. They will take place
Thursday, September 21 - Sunday, September 25 in Fredericton, NB, Canada.
Are you interested in joining us? We are trying to organize a bus trip. Please
contact me ASAP if you would like to come.
The Oriental Band invites any Shriner and their lady to join us Sunday,
May 29 for the Charlestown Memorial Day Parade. Our Motor Corp will also be
in attendance. We will depart Cranston at 10:45 am. We continue our tradition
of corned beef sandwiches (with 3 oz. of meat) and kosher pickles before the
parade. I’ve seen Arnie Pepper’s scale to prove it. Parade is scheduled for 1pm.
The Clown Unit will be heading to Exeter on Sunday, May 29. Your attendance
is always welcome.
Springfield Hospital News
Temple Guard
EarWells Used to Correct Developmental Abnormality
By Philip Stoddard, M.D.,
director of cleft lip and palate clinic
at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Springfield
Illustrious Glenn E. Medeiros Sr. recently swore in the
new officers of the Temple Guard Unit. They are:
CAPTAIN: Tom Piscopio.
TREASURER: Francis Kay
SECRETARY: Joe “Smokey” Bennett
The members of the unit are especially proud of the
above individuals for stepping forward to take on these important
positions within the unit, and wish them well for the upcoming
year 2016. A special note and thank you to retired Captain Francis
Kay for the outstanding job he did as Captain of the unit in CY’S
2014 & 2015. Nice Job!
KUDOS to retired Captain Don Thornton who has
personally taken on the responsibility of making sure the unit room
is in “Tip Top” condition and shape. He has brought in pictures of
prior Temple Guard unit members who had “paved the way” for
the current members and placed them on the unit walls. In addition,
those “Shriner- of- the-Year” Temple Guard members who served
in the military during WWII & Korean Wars have their special
ribbons placed within their photo and frame that hang on the TG
unit wall…Thank you Captain!
We have recently received word that 1st Lt. John
Chaharyn of the TG unit has had a heart pacemaker placed in
his chest and has completed his required therapy. We are sure he
would welcome some get well cards from the Nobles of the RI
Shriners, he can be reached at:
Pocasset Bay Manor
12 Old Pocasset Lane (Room 205)
Johnston, R. I. 02919
As an aside, he spoke with retired Captain Art Fletcher
about his situation and said that the Doctor’s told him “that the
pacemaker is guaranteed for at least fifteen (15) years. He said
with that assurance, I’ll be around until at least 2031 at which time
I’ll be 108 years old.” He hasn’t lost his sense of humor!
A note to our 1st Lt. Dick Urquhart who has not been seen since
last December’s meeting of the TG unit, even though he’s been
called and offered rides. Captain retired Art Fletcher has a friend
who is 88 years old named Yvonne. Her philosophy is: “As you
grow older, if you don’t move…YOU WON”T MOVE”! So Dick,
get moving. Artie.
Finally, OTTIE’S Philosophy:
*FAMILY: We were so poor we couldn’t afford a watchdog. When
we heard a noise at night we’d bark ourselves.
*PROFESSIONS: The barber told me to use hair tonic and my
hair would come in heavy. Only one hair grew, but it weighed
twelve pounds.
*ETIQUETTE: Never throw cigar butts in urinals. They get soggy
and are hard to light.
THAT’S ALL FOLK’S.
OTTIE.
About 30 percent of newborn babies may have a developmental
abnormality of the shaping of their ears. Fortunately, in many cases
this can be corrected if treatment is started within the first month
of life. This is because a newborn continues to carry its mother’s
estrogen for about three months. After this time, the estrogen is
gone and cartilage becomes stiff and not amenable to change.
At Shriners Hospitals for Children — Springfield, our nonsurgical
approach to correct this condition is to mold the patient’s ear
with an EarWell. The EarWell is worn for five to six weeks and
gradually changes the shape of the ear. The process is tolerated
well by young patients and has a good success rate.
The types of abnormalities treated in this way include:
•
Protruding ear (more than 10 mm from scalp)
•
Lack of an antihelix rim
•
Folding of the helix rim (lidding or cup ear)
•
Conchal crus
Here is the current list of confirmed parades:
May 1: Millville, MA Police 100th Anniversary Parade. Depart Cranston at 11am.
May 30: Lincoln/Saylesville Memorial Day Parade. 10:30 am
May 30: North Providence Memorial Day Parade 1 pm
October 9: Federal Hill, Columbus Day Parade.
Upcoming Events:
Saturday May 7, Prince Hall Steak & Lobster 883 Eddy St Providence. $35
per person.
Sunday May 15, Director’s Staff Bingo $10 per person
Friday May 20, Chopstick Auction and Chinese Night $30 for food and Auction.
Monday May 23, Grand Lodge Annual Communication 9 am. 222 Taunton
Ave East Providence. Banquet 6pm. Rhodes on the Pawtuxet. $40 per person.
Saturday June 4, Hope Lodge Cigar Dinner 6pm. 64 Columbia St Wakefield.
$35 per person includes cigars and meals.
Friday, June 10, Strawberry Festival (See ad)
Sunday, June 19, Father’s Day Breakfast Buffet ((See ad))
Saturday August 6, Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl. Castleton State College
Castleton, VT. The hotel is in Rutland, VT
Thursday-Saturday, Sept 22- 24, NESA Fall Field Days Fredericton, NB
Please take advantage of the membership opportunities our grand organization
presents us.
Regards,
Domenic J DiStefano
Chief Rabban
Rhode Island Shriners
2
RI Shriners
May 2016
7
RI Shriners
Scimitar
The
The SCIMITAR
Rhode Island Shriners
One Rhodes Place
Cranston, R I 02905
May 2016
Volume 17 Issue 182
May 2016
The Rhode Island Shriners Newsletter
Hello Nobles and Ladies,
I hope that all of you are doing well and finally enjoying the warm weather. Well, the
parade season has officially started with the Millville Police parade May 1st. I cannot
wait for the rest of our great parades to come; this is a great time for the units to get
together and talk and commiserate with each other. Lots of new and exciting things are
coming down the road for your Shrine Center and I hope and pray that you will try and
make an effort to attend some of these wonderful fun filled events. We as your Divan
always do our best to make every event great, but this cannot be accomplished without
your support. The Imperial session is being held this year in Tampa right next door to
our International Headquarters and Our Tampa Hospital, so if you have never been
to an Imperial session this would be a great first experience for you and your lady to
attend. Our Northeast Shrine Association Fall Field Days will be held in the beautiful
city of Fredericton, New Brunswick this September 22nd thru the 24th. This is foliage
season up that way and should be a fantastic time so don’t be shy, come one come all. Let us not forget the seafood in
New Brunswick is also world class so if you attend wear some stretchy pants for the ride home, you will need them.
At this time I would like to thank our outgoing Grand Master Raymond Hassell for all that he has done for me and the
Rhode Island Shriners and all of Freemasonry in the State of Rhode Island. My Lady Kerrie and I have enjoyed our
travels with you and Lady Lynn, our best wishes to you both and we look forward to a long friendship. Now I would
like to wish Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master Stephen McGuire and Lady Maureen a wonderful upcoming
year and look forward to working with you both for the rest of my term as Potentate. I was just thinking how lucky I
am right now, most Potentates get to have half a term with two different Grand Masters, I am lucky enough to have
worked with three!!!!! I feel blessed to have this opportunity to have my relationships with these great men blossom
from what they were before to even deeper, more meaningful friendships now. I hope to see you all at the Chopstick
auction this May 20th for some great food and fun, this is always a sellout, so buy your tickets early.
As always, any questions or concerns, you can reach out to me or any member of the Divan and we will promptly get
you an answer or address your concern. We are here to serve you and our Shrine center at all times.
Up-Coming Events:
Friday, May 20th
6th ANNUAL CHINESE NIGHT & CHOPSTICK AUCTION
Friday, June 10th
Strawberry Festival
Sunday, June 19th
Father’s Day Breakfast
Saturday, June 25th
Clown Unit: Seekonk Speedway for Shriner’s Night
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, July 15 -17th
Rhode Island Shrine Visitation
Fraternally yours,
Illustrious Glenn E Medeiros Sr.
Don’t Forget
The Queen of Hearts
Friday Nights
6-8 pm