SHRINERS INTERNATIONAL
Special Order No.4
2900 Rocky Point Drive
Tampa, FL33607-1435...
Series2015-2016
To the Potentates, Officers and Members of Shriners International, fraternal greetings:
Attention has been drawn to the political debate over the Confederate Battle Flag in the wake of the recent incident in Charleston, SC. As a result, in my opinion, as Imperial Potentate, I believe it is in the best interest of the Order and the Nobility that no temple, unit, club or member of Shriners International shall display in any form the Confederate Battle Flag or any image that reasonably can be construed as a reference to the Confederate Battle Flag.
Under the circumstances,********** it is my opinion, as the Imperial Potentate of Shriners International, that the following order with respect to the Potentates, Officers and Members of Shriners International should be, and hereby is issued.
ORDER
***********Now, therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me by § 206.5(a) (1) and (5) of the bylaws of Shriners International, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:
CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG PROHIBITION************
1. No Noble (in his capacity as a member of Shriners International) or club, unit, organization of Nobles or affiliated or appendant organizations of Shriners International, shall display any Confederate Battle Flag or any image that reasonably can be construed as a reference to the Confederate Battle Flag in Shrine or Civic Parades, Temple activities or in Shrine or non-Shrine public appearances.
##**2. No Noble (in his capacity as a member of Shriners International) or club, unit, organization of Nobles or affiliated or appendant organizations of Shriners International, shall participate in non-Shrine public appearances in which a Confederate Battle Flag or any image that reasonably can be construed as a reference to the Confederate Battle Flag is expected to be displayed by the organizer, promoter or by those in control of the premises or facility of the non-Shrine event.
Dated this 10th day of August, 2015
Jerry G. Gantt, Imperial Potentate
ATTEST:
Copies to: John C. Piland, Executive Vice President/COO, Shriners International
Robert 0. Kuehn, General Counsel, Shriners International
Jon A. Hanson, Chairman, Jurisprudence and Laws Committee
Yours in the faith,
John H. Ambrose, Sr.
Potentate 2015
RECEIVED FROM ONE OF THE READERS OF MY EDITORIAL TO SBC
First off I would like to Thank You For the defense of our Ancestors. I would like to tell you Who Mine were.
My 4th Great Grandfather Ryan Frier Started the First Black Church in Jacksonville Florida. He was a missionary pastor and is Remembered on www.floridabaptisthistory.org and www.blackpast.org .
His sons were conscripted. My Uncle says in his journals that many of the poor of the area were against going to war. My Family had a Very hard complicated association with the war. Poor White people were treated badly by Slave owners and Slaves. People do not know the realities of what happened unless they read Journals of the Real people who fought this war. One of the largest Plantations in Jacksonville was Owned By a free African Woman and her family. They owned over 200 Slaves. Her descendants call her a hero.
My family gave much to the beginnings of the Southern Baptist and they have now offended me and my Family by Their False knowledge of their own history.
My Grandfather's family should be honored not defiled by their own. I need to find a way to make the leaders of the Southern Baptist to realize their accusations of our Baptist leaders of the time are false. As you can see I am very upset that they have disgraced my Grandfather in such a horrific way. I need them to see they do not know of what they speak.
Yesterday, the University of Texas announced that it will remove a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from a prominent outdoor mall on its Austin campus to an indoor historical exhibit, the latest sign of a rapid national shift in attitudes about the public display of imagery related to the Southern Confederacy.
The Davis statue has been on display since 1933.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
YES, we are still giving a FREE eBook (PDF) copy of the book The Truth About the Confederate Flag to everyone who visits the website - so tell your friends - and your enemies!
www.dixieheritage.weebly.com
Until next week,
Deo Vindice!
Chaplain Ed