It is with a great deal of thanks that I write this message this month, upon being Elected to the highest office in our Shrine Center here in El Paso, that of Potentate of El Maida Shrine.  I know the up coming year will bring many challenges to myself, and the Elected   Divan,  but if we all will get back together and do what we know our job is, and that is helping the children in our Hospitals, we will all be better off in the end.  Come back this year and see some of your old friends, meet some new Nobles , and let's try to get the FUN back. into the Shrine, like it used to be a few years ago. Many of you may not know, but, I was on the grounds of the Shrine Temple when the first grains of sand were unearthed back in 1967. That's right, I said 1967. We had a LOT MORE members at that time, but if we ALL pull together, and get more members,  we can at least make the effort to put a GAIN in membership, rather than lose even more, and someday possibly even have to close the doors of our beloved Shrine forever.

   On a different note, the Installation of Officers will be on Saturday Jan. 7th, 2012, starting at 7:00 pm. Illustrious Sir John Commander will be the Installing Officer and, if all goes right, and he is back, Imperial Sir John Nobles, will be the Installing Marshal.  Refreshment will be served after theInstallation, and the bar will be open. So please come on out, and support the newly Installed Officers, of YOUR Shrine .

   The Potentates Ball will be on  March 17th, 2012, that's St. Patricks Day. I know, but maybe we can get a few more Nobles and their Ladies out to attend  this function, because it's a little later in the year, and the weather  should hopefully be a little bit warmer. The rest of the information will follow in the coming months, about the Ball.  

    I plan to have a Ceremonial in Odessa in 2012, and according to the newly installed President of  the Odessa ShrineClub, Glenn Bowhay, he says that they may have, Five or Six candidates for the Ceremonial there. (A date will be determined at a later time for this event. )

    Also Nobles, don't forget that TSA is in Tyler, this year; and I  have reserved 25 rooms at the Ramada Inn, at a rate of $70.00 per night, plus tax .

   Imperial will be in Charolette,  NC., in July. Let's try to attend some of these functions, and  show the other Temples in Texas that El Maida does still exist. For all we know the others may  think since we are on the Border,  that we were fired upon by the Cartells across the river.

   We do still exist, so let's show  'em that we do !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve Miller

 Potentate

 El Maida Shrine