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President Report – August 2019

What a whirlwind of a summer it has been. I hope all is well with each one of you and you are out enjoying the weather, vacations and parade season.

This edition of the Na Khabar was not planned on my agenda, but when I started to think about the info that we always write about in our September/October issue of our magazine, it always covers Imperial or the Jamboree. That is a long time to wait before our members get to hear about what transpired at our annual gathering. Now that we don’t have the constraints of layout, publishing and then mailing why wait so long? So this “Special Jamboree Edition” was born. I hope it meets with everyone’s approval.

As I have said, this has been a busy summer for me. My trip to Nashville for Imperial and the ASOB Jamboree, managing updates on the website, laying out this edition of the Na Kahbar, shoring up arrangements for our executive planning session in September and the list goes on. Oh, yes I even managed to sneak in a parade with my band!

If all that was not enough, my wife, Timmie-Lynn and I decided to adopt two wonderful but feisty children of the four-legged variety. Both are rescues that are estimated at approximately a year old. The brindle little girl is Mia and the darker one is little boy Gilley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of children, as Shriners and especially of bandsmen, we have adopted many children that need the specialty care that our Shriners Hospitals for Children provide. That is a very expensive endeavor and we have dedicated ourselves as ASOB bandsmen to collect money each year to help offset those cost so our hospitals may continue their commitment to helping our children. Please continue to fundraise with enthusiasm, for truely we do support the “World’s Greatest Philanthropy”.  As promised, to help you with some fundraising ideas, you will find the first suggestion in the “Ladder of Smiles” section below. Let’s commit to meeting that goal of 100% participation from each band this year. This can happen if we choose to work together.

I would like to leave you with a challenge and a reminder. Several disagreements that I have either heard of or witnessed as of late has given me a reason for concern. It is not the disagreements themselves that give me pause but the way they have been addressed. The majority of them had nothing to do with Oriental Band except that we are all brothers and Master Masons. As such, we are taught that we all meet on the level. I think we all tend to forget that lesson at times in our passion to do what we believe is right. In a world that is so very polarized at times, we need our masonic brotherhood to be as strong as it has ever been. As bandsmen, we need to set the standard and be the light, show by our example, how to treat our brothers especially in times of disagreement. So the challenge is to give all of your brothers the benefit and courtesy that you would expect for yourself. The reminder… is to remember from whence we came.

Until next time,

Es Salam Alaikum, my brothers!

Darren DeHass P.P.
darren@blujazz.net

Jamboree 2019 – A talk with Megan

We had a visit from Megan Johnson, an amazing young woman, and former Shriners Hospital Patient and Ambassador. She continues to be an advocate for our hospitals and Shrine Oriental Bands. Megan has some amazing accomplishments from writing books to fundraising. I will let her talk for herself through the video, so click on play and watch for yourself. I did reach out to her to make sure she didn’t mind us posting this video and she told me she would be honored to have her impromptu talk posted to our website. Thank you again, Megan!

JAMBOREE 2019 COMPETITION – Akdar

Our last band of the competition was up. Talking about showing some heart and bravery! Competing with only two bandsmen was Akdar Oriental Band hailing from Tulsa Oklahoma. They may have been the smallest band in the land, but they rated very highly with the audience in attendance. It really goes to show, that if you want to perform, then there is nothing that should prevent you from doing just that.

Jamboree 2019 Competition – Melha

Our four-person band, Melha from Springfield Massachusetts gave it a go. Unfortunately, we had some technical difficulties and the first part of their performance was unusable. I did manage to salvage the end as they played the competition song. What you won’t see is they had some technical difficulties with one of their horns but never stopped. Perseverance and no quit attitude, way to go gentlemen!

JAMBOREE 2019 COMPETITION – Al Kader

Next up was Al Kader (these are being posted in the order of their performance) out of Wilsonville, Oregon (Portland). This band stepped up to the Unlimited category so they would be able to compete head to head with Khiva. They are a pretty large band as well. Way to go guys! The competition was on.

Jamboree 2019 Competition – Khiva

I have split up each band into a separate post this year. What a competition, all of the bands did a wonderful job. If you missed Nashville, well all I can say is “you missed out”! We will start out the videos with the Khiva Oriental Band – the powerhouse from Amarillo Texas. Are there any Oriental Bands in Shrinedom that have more members?

ASOB Jamboree 2018 – Fantasy Competition

As I had said before, Jamboree 2018 was great and everyone that attended had a great time. At some point though the fun had to turn toward the serious business of the ASOB. First thing Saturday morning, the bands had to put their game faces on.  Each bandsman donned the costumes of their respective troops and got into character for what proved to be a great championship race.

This video is the entire 2018 Fantasy Competition. Four bands competed on stage in the following order:

  1. Al Azhar – Calgary|Alberta Canada
  2. Midian – Wichita|Kansas USA
  3. Abdullah – Overland Park|Kansas USA
  4. Khiva – Amarillo|Texas USA

Each band put forth a wonderful effort and really showed how much talent our Oriental Bands have. You all sounded great gentlemen. I will reserve telling you the outcome for another post. You can decide which band was your favorite!  I am sure you will get your feet a tapping and your body swaying. If you are moved to get up and actually start dancing, don’t worry, I won’t tell!

Signing off, until next time!

-Darren

ASOB Jamboree 2018 – Flash Mob

What a great weekend we had in Kansas City at the ASOB Jamboree 2018! Over the next few post I am going to share some videos taken of the event. This was a flash mob planned by our president Chris Tsaros. This started with a quick meeting at the hotel on Friday at 4PM to determine what we would play. We then found ourselves jumping into hotel vans and being dropped of just up the hill from our performance area on a side street. The performance was right at the Kansas City, Country Club Plaza where we surrounded the fountain with the statue of Neptune.

One lone musette player, Art Laing (from Al Azhar Temple, Alberta Canada), walked down the hill and started playing. He was then followed shortly by Chris Tsaros with his djembe drum, who also began to play. More and more bandsmen came down the hill each joining in on the music as they arrived until we had a total of 37 bandsmen from five different bands and one feather dancer that joined in. Stayed tuned as we get the rest of these posted.

-Darren

Second Vice President Update

Darren DeHass, ASOB 2nd Vice President

Es salaam Alaikum, again my Brothers!

The Second Annual Kansa City Jamboree is building on the excitements of the first version in 2017. We had great feedback on the good time had by everyone attending and to that excitement we have added two new events for the very first time in the history of the ASOB annual competitions.

First is live entertainment to the choreography and sounds of A’isha. This talented lady from Kansa City is a well-known entertainer about who you can discover on her website at http://www.aishadancer.com/. A’isha wil be featured at our awards evening on Saturday May 5th.

Another exciting addition to our schedule of events is a public performance by the combined group of bandsmen in downtown Kansas City. You will be briefed on the format of this event on Friday afternoon. We intent to Raise the Roof in Kansas City with this event by raising awareness about Shriners Hospital and maybe collect some money for the Ladder of Smiles along the way. We expect and will arrange for full press coverage for this performance format we know you will find exciting. Hold on to you headgear sign up for the Jamboree in Kansas City and come on down and be ready to raise the roof with our heavenly sounds this side of paradise.