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Brian Shimmons – 1st Vice President

Brian Shimmons (AL AZHAR) 2023-2024 ASOB 1st Vice-President

Brian Shimmons 1st Vice President ASOBProfessional

Brian Shimmons is 72 years young. He was born and raised in Ontario. He holds a B.E.Sc and M.E.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Western University (London, Ontario). His initial employer was Atomic Energy of Canada where he worked at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories and the Port Hawkesbury N.S. Heavy Water Plant. He moved to Fort McMurray, Alberta in 1978 to work for Syncrude Canada Limited. He held a variety of supervisory/management positions within Syncrude including General Manager of the Upgrader, the sixth largest refinery in the world, and leading the commissioning and start-up of the $7.5B Upgrader Expansion project. He retired from Syncrude in June 2007

Brian is a Professional Engineer (Life Member) registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).
  - served as a member and Chairman of the Joint Registration Board of APEGA from 1987 – 1990.
  - served on the American Petroleum Institute Committee on Safety and Fire Protection from 1985 – 1989.
  - served on the National Centre for Upgrading Technology Technical Advisory Committee from 1995 – 1998.

Community

Brian served as a member of the Fort McMurray Mantas Swim Club Executive.

Brian helped coordinate fund-raising efforts for Fort McMurray’s “Tools for Schools” program from 1999 to 2007. The “Tools for Schools” is a United Way “subprogram” that provides mathematical tools to financially challenged children.

He served on the “Highway 8 Action Committee” for the County of Rocky View from 2007 to 2010.

Other

Brian has served as:
  - Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alberta in 2009/2010
  - Potentate of Al Azhar Shriners in 2014
  - Recorder of Al Azhar Shriners from 2015-2017
  - Commander-in-Chief of the Southalta Consistory AASR
  - President of the Pacific Northwest Shrine Oriental Band Association for the last three years
  - currently serving on the Board of Directors as the Secretary-Treasurer for the Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation Learning Centre for Calgary
  - Honourary Patron of the Masonic Foundation of Alberta
  - current President of the Association of Syncrude Retirees of Southern Alberta
  - will receive his 33rd Degree (AASR) and the Order of the Purple Cross (York Rite College) next summer in Ottawa and Louisville respectively
  - member of the Al Azhar Oriental Band for 10 years.

My Plan as VP

Work with the Executive Team of the ASOB to raise the profile of the ASOB, encourage the revitalization of “dark” Oriental Bands, encourage the formation of additional Oriental Bands in North America and, maybe, South America and the Philippines

 

Thomas (Tom) G. Lanier – 2nd Vice President

Thomas G. Lanier (Tom) (MOSLAH) 2023-2024 ASOB 2nd Vice-President

Tom Lanier 2nd Vice President ASOBMeet Thomas G. Lanier (Tom), a devoted Mason, passionate musician, and dedicated community leader hailing from Irving, Texas. With 13 years of unwavering commitment to Freemasonry, Tom’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable.

Born and raised in the heart of Irving, Texas, Tom began his Masonic journey in 2010 when he was raised in the esteemed Sam P. Cochran Lodge No. #1336 in Dallas, Texas. It was there that he first ventured into the world of Masonry, setting the stage for a lifelong dedication to its principles.

Tom’s journey took a musical turn when his cousin invited him to play with the Hella Drum and Bugle Corps at the Texas State Fair. With just one performance, he was hooked, and he joined the Corps, playing his heart out until they gradually folded. His passion for music and his commitment to the craft shone brightly during these formative years.

As life moved forward, Tom embarked on various academic pursuits, transitioning from high school to the Fort Worth Fire Academy and later delving into the realm of environmental science, with a focus on hazmat studies. In 2012, he found love and joy as he married the love of his life, and his family expanded with the addition of two remarkable daughters, Bailey and Ashlyn.

The journey of Masonry continued as he moved to Fort Worth, where, in 2020, he joined the Moslah Shrine. His commitment and dedication quickly became evident as he helped form the Moslah Shifters and, in 2021, assumed the role of president of the club. But he didn’t stop there; he also joined the Moslah Clown Unit in 2021 (Taco) , serving as the secretary in 2022. In 2021, he took yet another step in his Masonic journey by joining the Moslah Bedouins. His commitment to the Masonic community and his desire to contribute were further underscored when he became the Secretary for T.A.S.O.B. in 2022 and, in 2023, was elected as the 1st Vice President.

What truly sets Tom apart is not only his dedication to Masonry but also his active involvement in Moslah Shrine and its units. The reason he is a Shriner and a Bedouin is clear: the unique sense of family and togetherness. At Moslah, they are not just a group of individuals; they are a family. The level of family participation, extending to members, their children, and even their grandchildren, is a testament to the sense of unity and shared purpose that makes the unit truly special.

Whether it’s brightening the day of children in hospitals, participating in parades, or engaging in various charitable events, Toms and his fellow members are there to bring smiles to children’s faces and make a positive impact in their community. He relishes playing in the O.B. (Oriental Band) and looks forward to meeting more bands and nobles in the near future as he continues his journey of service and fellowship within the Masonic community.

First Vice President 2020-21 – Bill Bailey

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT 2020-21 – BILL BAILEY

I am Bill Bailey your 1st Vice President for this year and proud to be on the line trying to help this organization grow. We have had challenges we could never have guessed at only a short year ago and as most of you know this is not the year we planned for but it is the year we were dealt with. A lot of Temples have been closed since March and it isn’t clear when all will be open again. The Jamboree had to be canceled. We have become accustomed to using Skype and Zoom as the means of meetings. It looks like the end is not in sight so we will need to use some imagination to make things work again. Fundraisers are not impossible but must be done a bit differently.

I usually spend my winters in Costa Rica and in Panama City Panama working with the band down there since retirement and that has proven pretty much impossible this year so I am readying myself to live through my first Winter in 4 years here in Kansas.

CSSA Business meeting was held in Overland Park at the Abdallah Temple and was small but well attended. 1700 dollars was raised for the Ladder of Smiles with 1000 coming from the ASOBCS treasury.

I know it is easy to become negative towards pretty much everything right now but as Shriners, we need to look for the positive things going on right now and see if we can help them along.

What can the ASOB do to make things easier for you? What suggestions or aggravations do you have for the ASOB? Do you know who the last couple of Presidents were? Has your Ambassador called or come by a meeting? These are things we are trying to find out and need your help in learning. Email me at avenger@cox.net and let me know. We can only make it better with your help.

Bill Bailey
1st Vice President ASOB

First Vice President Report – August 2019

Well now that I have stepped up a chair of office in ASOB, I totally look forward to not only fulfilling my role, but hopefully making it a great year of music, brotherhood, and the mindful changes I would like to help make.

I am W. Richard “Bear” Sobek, 1st Vice President for ASOB. I live in the country in Miami County, Kansas. I am semi-retired but manage a Bail Bond Business in 7 counties. My Beautiful Lady Fran keeps me from doing the middle of the night bonds, but if the money is good, I refuse to listen to her. I am still in one piece anyway.

I am proud to be a part of ASOB and look forward to working with our President and the rest of the officers to build more into this grand organization. Many out there have ideas and we need to hear more about them. Now is the time to jump up and help us not only keep ASOB, your regions, and the Oriental Band system in place. We have lost membership and I would like to understand why above and beyond death and age.

I am also proud that Ed Harvey, a great member of the Abdallah Oriental Band, is our Central States Ambassador and have always looked to him for help. He devotes himself to the betterment of “The Band”, as we are known and makes FUN a real word.

From the flatlands of the central state, I remain,

W. Richard “Bear” Sobek