Full Text of HR1026 97th General Assembly
HR1026 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are pleased to congratulate the members of the | 4 | | Ainad Shriners on the occasion of the organization's 100th | 5 | | anniversary in 2012; and
| 6 | | WHEREAS, Ainad Shriners was created on May 8, 1912, with an | 7 | | initial membership of 105; however, an initial committee of 35 | 8 | | businessmen discussed the possibility of joining a new | 9 | | organization within the Masonic Fraternity in order to promote | 10 | | fun and fellowship during a meeting on April 19, 1912; by | 11 | | December of 1913, the group's membership had increased to 259; | 12 | | the group was granted a charter into Shriners International on | 13 | | May 13, 1913, becoming temple number 130 in the United States | 14 | | and the 4th of 5 temples in the State of Illinois; the | 15 | | organization was named "Ainad", after the Arabic word for | 16 | | "obstinacy", by the Imperial organization; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Thomas L. Fekete served as the first Ainad | 18 | | potentate (leader) of the Ainad Shriners, serving as temporary | 19 | | leader until the charter was issued on May 13, 1913; he then | 20 | | served as the Illustrious Potentate for the charter year of | 21 | | 1913; the Shriners met regularly at the Scottish Rite Temple at | 22 | | 14th and College in East St. Louis, and at numerous other | 23 | | locations in St. Louis and East St. Louis, from 1912 to 1923; |
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| 1 | | the organization began construction on the Shrine Center in | 2 | | June of 1922 and finished construction by September of 1923; | 3 | | the building still stands at 609 St. Louis Avenue in East St. | 4 | | Louis; the building was dedicated on November 24, 1922 and | 5 | | remains the largest auditorium in the city; throughout the | 6 | | building's 90-year history, countless public and charitable | 7 | | events have been held there; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Ainad Shriners have had numerous committees to | 9 | | provide additional support for the activities of the growing | 10 | | membership, including by-laws, charitable, entertainment, | 11 | | hotel, membership, transportation, and special functions of | 12 | | the membership; the organization utilizes an open forum for the | 13 | | creation of initiatives, with the Potentate appointing special | 14 | | committees to investigate an idea or solution to an issue | 15 | | regarding the membership; the creation of committees to | 16 | | investigate and solve internal issues is still done today; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, On March 18, 1924, Major Frank L. Reardon | 18 | | addressed Ainad Shriners on behalf of the United States | 19 | | Department of War, requesting the permission to use Ainad | 20 | | Temple as a mobilization point for infantry and artillery | 21 | | regiments in times of war; during World War II, the building | 22 | | was used as a mustering, or gathering of units, prior to | 23 | | departure for the European or Asian theaters for battle; | 24 | | incoming units would drill in the building's auditorium and |
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| 1 | | basement; during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the United States | 2 | | Army established a communications unit at the temple; the | 3 | | building was also a regional headquarters for Civil Defense | 4 | | until the mid-1970s; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, Ainad Shriners has supported local charities | 6 | | throughout southern Illinois; the Shriners have provided | 7 | | support to numerous local and national organizations, | 8 | | including the Boy Scouts of America, the Elks Club, Knights of | 9 | | Columbus, the St. Clair County Humane Society, the St. Clair | 10 | | County Tuberculosis Society, the United Jewish Relief Fund, and | 11 | | countless others; the organization's members have helped many | 12 | | people who have been affected by natural disasters; in 1923, | 13 | | the Shriners supported the newly-created Shriners Hospital in | 14 | | Shreveport, Louisiana, which was created in response to the | 15 | | rapid spread of polio and other pediatric and orthopedic | 16 | | medical issues; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, On June 1, 1924, the Ainad Shriners band, drum | 18 | | corps, and patrol units participated in a parade for the sole | 19 | | purpose of dedicating the opening of Shriners Hospital for | 20 | | Crippled Children, formerly located off of Kingshighway in St. | 21 | | Louis; the units provided entertainment following the | 22 | | dedication ceremonies; today, 22 Shriners Hospitals for | 23 | | Children are located throughout North America; the hospital | 24 | | system provides medical care for burn victims, spinal cord |
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| 1 | | injuries, cleft lip and pallet, and numerous other pediatric | 2 | | and orthopedic medical issues; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, Today, Ainad Shriners is the ninth largest temple | 4 | | of 195 Shrine centers throughout the world; with a membership | 5 | | of approximately 4,600, Ainad is the largest of the five Shrine | 6 | | centers in Illinois; during the late 1970s, its membership grew | 7 | | to as many as 10,000 throughout Southern Illinois; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, Over the past 100 years, Shriners have been active | 9 | | throughout Southern Illinois in parades, festivals, paper | 10 | | crusades, and membership ceremonials; Ainad Shriners are all | 11 | | Free Masons who reside in virtually every community of Southern | 12 | | Illinois and are active in most every type of business, | 13 | | profession, and field of endeavor; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, The members of Ainad Shriners exemplify the | 15 | | application of the Masonic teachings of truth, brotherly love, | 16 | | helping others, and affirming that all mankind is created | 17 | | equal; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, The Ainad Shriners will celebrate its 100th | 19 | | anniversary with a year of public events, including parades in | 20 | | Effingham and Belleville, membership drives, and circus shows | 21 | | in Belleville, Waterloo, Jerseyville, Olney, Salem and | 22 | | DuQuoin, and events at numerous festival and homecomings |
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| 1 | | throughout the State; therefore, be it
| 2 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 3 | | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 4 | | we congratulate the members of the Ainad Shriners on the | 5 | | occasion of the organization's 100th anniversary, thank them | 6 | | for their dedicated service to the people of the State of | 7 | | Illinois, and wish them success and happiness in their future | 8 | | endeavors; and be it further
| 9 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 10 | | presented to the Ainad Shriners as a symbol of our esteem and | 11 | | respect.
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