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President Steve Norris (Sudan) called the meeting to order at 3:00 pm establishing protocol in due form. Ill Sir John Stanley (Oasis) opened the meeting with an invocation.
President Norris then introduced Ill Sir Johnny Burgess, Potentate of Oasis, for his remarks. Ill Sir Burgess welcomed us back to Greensboro and to Oasis for our fall meeting. He asked us to remember our brothers in both Carolinas and Virginia who are suffering from Hurricane Florence.
President Norris then recognized our Secretary/Treasurer, Ill Sir Donnie Ratliff (Kazim) for roll call.
ACCA 7
Alhambra 0
Alee 1
Amran 3
Beni Kedem 1
El Hasa 0
Hejaz 0
Jamil 1
Jericho 7
Kazim 2
Kerbela 1
Khedive 2
Kosair 2
Nemesis 1
Oasis 5
Oleika 2
Omar 2
Rizpah 1
Sudan 4
Yaarab 0
This provided us with a quorum to proceed with business. We had three letters sent to SASA with the proper notice for Nobles to serve as proxies. From Oasis, Chief Rabban Kenneth Jarrett named Ill Sir John Stanley to serve as his proxy. Oasis Assistant Rabban Bill Carter named Noble Lee Abernethy, III as his proxy. Oleika notified us that they had named Noble David Mosley as an alternate representative at their December meeting.
Ill Sir Ratliff then introduced the Past Presidents who were present.
Ill Sir Frank McAllister, (ACCA) 88-89
Ill Sir Jack Richardson, (Beni Kedem) 89-90
Ill Sir Paul Gregg, (Jamil) 02-03
Ill Sir Bob Gray, (Omar) 06-07
Ill Sir David Monell, (Khedive) 08-09
Ill Sir Donald Ratliff (Kazim) 13-14
And Noble Calvin Gaddy, (Oasis) Secretary Treasure Emeritus 99-17
He also recognized Ethel Dawson, the widow of Ill Sir Marion Dawson (ACCA) 04-05. We lost Ill Sir Dawson to the Black Camel, just after our spring meeting last year.
President Norris then introduced the SASA officers who were present.
Ill Sir Donald Ratliff, (Kazim) Secretary Treasure and Past President
Ill Sir Jim Wilson, (Amran) 5th Vice President
Ill Sir David Juergens, (Kosair) 3rd Vice President
Ill Sir Douglas Stalnaker, (Nemesis) 2nd Vice President
Ill Sir Greg Diffenderfer (Jericho) 1st Vice President
It was noted that Ill Sir Ralph Calhoun III, (Omar) 4th Vice President was excused as he had events at his temple that required his presence.
And Ill Sir Steve Norris, (Sudan) President.
President Norris then introduced our Imperial Officer who was present and had just flown in from Michigan to be with us, Imperial Captain of the Guard, Imperial Sir Larry Leib (Moslem) and it was noted that we would afford him the opportunity to make remarks later in the program.
President Norris then called on our distinguished Chaplin, Ill Sir John Stanley (Oasis) for the Necrology Program. Ill Sir Stanley offered a prayer and special touching memorial service for those who had gone by the Black Camel, calling each temple by name with the number of nobles we lost.
ACCA 32
Alhambra 59
Alee 36
Amran 22
Beni Kedem 51
El Hasa 0
Hejaz 145
Jamil 18
Jericho 27
Kazim 26
Kerbela 58
Khedive 1
Kosair 51
Nemesis 24
Oasis 51
Oleika 57
Omar 55
Rizpah 17
Sudan 161
Yaarab 52
President Norris then called on the SASA Secretary/Treasurer, Ill Sir Donnie Ratliff to read the minutes of the previous meeting. A motion was made and properly seconded to dispense with the reading of the minutes and the vote was unanimous.
President Norris then called on the Ill Sir Ratliff to present the financial committee report for the past year, which runs from October 1 through September 30. He reported the data for both the checking and savings account and a motion was made and properly seconded to approve the financial report as presented. The vote was unanimous.
He then offered the budget for the Secretary/Treasurer for 2018-19. The budget was explained in detail and a motion was made and properly seconded to approve the budget as presented and the vote was unanimous. He noted that he was underbudget for both 2016-17 and 2017-18.
President Norris then called on 1st Vice President Greg Diffenderfer for presentation of his budget for both the Spring meeting and the Fall Meeting. Ill Sir Diffenderfer offered, with the explanations of the major line items in both budgets and a motion was made and properly seconded to approve both budgets as presented. The vote was unanimous.
President Norris then called on 3rd Vice President, Ill Sir Dave Juergens to present the Finance and Audit Report. He reported the financial records were in order, they reviewed the checks written, deposits, statements and receipts. They reviewed the Excel spreadsheets and the categories matched up with the documentation and matched the ending months balances. The spreadsheet contained receipts categorized, expenses categorized and the ending bank accounts on both accounts with the bank. Review of the bank statements matched up with documentation provided. A motion was made and properly seconded to approve the audit report as presented, and the vote was unanimous.
Ill Sir Juergens then made a motion to allow the updating of the signature cards at Wells Fargo such that the Secretary/Treasurer, the President and the 1st Vice Presidents may sign checks, if necessary. The motion offered was properly seconded to approve those listed above to sign the bank cards to allow access for both the checking and saving accounts, and the vote was unanimous.
President Norris then called on the SASA Secretary/Treasurer to present the membership report. Ill Sir Ratliff reported the twenty temples that make up SASA in 2017 reported a membership of 39,548 at the beginning of the year and 38,192 at year’s end, reflecting a loss of 1,356 members. The two bright spots on the report were Jericho and Omar who both reported a gain in membership.
President Norris then called on the 5th Vice President, Ill Sir Jim Wilson to present the Credential Committee report. Ill Sir Wilson reported we had 6 SASA officers present. We have 6 Past Presidents, 1 Emeritus Secretary/Treasurer, and 28 representatives. A motion was made and properly seconded to approve the Credential Committee report as presented, and the vote was unanimous.
President Norris then called on the 1st Vice President, Ill Sir Greg Diffenderfer for the Time and Place Committee Report. Ill Sir Diffenderfer reported
2019 Spring March 28-30 Kingsport, TN
Fall Sept. 18-21 Myrtle Beach, SC
2020 Spring March 27-29 Parkersburg, WVA
Fall Sept. 17-20 Myrtle Beach, SC
2021 Spring March 25-27 Claremont, KY
Ill Sir Diffenderfer offered this as his report and made the motion for adoption. A second was made to the motion to approve the Time and Place report as presented, and the vote was unanimous.
President Norris is chairman of the Nominating Committee and he announced the nominating committee placed the name of each position by presenting the name and title for the ensuing year for all the officers beginning with the Secretary/Treasurer, Ill Sir Donald Ratliff from Kazim; 4th VP, Ill Sir Jim Wilson from Amran; 3rd VP Ill Sir Ralph Calhoun II from Omar: 2nd VP Ill Sir Dave Juergens form Kosair; 1st VP Ill Sir Doug Stalnaker from Nemesis and President, Ill Sir Greg Diffenderfer from Jericho. Then asking for any other nominations, a motion was made by Ill Sir John Stanley to close the nominations. It received a proper second and the vote was unanimous. President Norris then made the motion that the rules be suspended, and these officers be elected by acclamation. Then asking for discussion and hearing none, he asked for a vote. The vote was unanimous in the affirmative.
President Norris then asked each officer if they would accept the office to which they had just been elected and all officers agreed to serve.
President Norris reported we have a resolution from ACCA that was read at the Spring meeting and was now being considered as their nominee for 5th Vice President for Ill Sir Thornton Holt, Past Potentate of ACCA. He then placed Ill Sir Holt’s name for nomination for 5th Vice President. He then asked if there were any other nominations and heard none. President Norris then asked the rules to be suspended, and he be elected by acclamation. The vote was unanimous in the affirmative. President Norris then asked Ill Sir Holt if he accepted and he answered in the affirmative. Ill Sir Holt was then asked to join his fellow officers at the head table.
President Norris invited the Chief Rabban of Sudan, Noble Carl Wayne Smith to come forward for a presentation. The Jericho Chief Rabban—Charles Albert “Chuck” Blair presented a check from Jericho Temple on behalf of the Jericho Ill Sir Mike Ponder, to help Sudan Shrine Center with flood relief assistance.
President Elect Ill Sir Greg Diffenderfer made a motion that the South Atlantic Shrine Association donate to the Sudan Shrine Center $1,000 for flood relief assistance, a second was made and the motion carried with a unanimous vote.
President Norris then called on the Secretary/Treasurer to come forward with new business. Ill Sir Ratliff reported before we got to new business, he wanted the members to know we had received two letters to acknowledge our donations; one from Al Ral’e Saleh #192, a shrine temple in San Juan, PR who we sent $1,000 to help them with hurricane relief and another letter to acknowledge our donation to ACCA Transportation Fund in memory of Ill Sir Marion Dawson.
The new business that needed to be discussed involved getting a larger rental storage unit to store our parade equipment and trophies. The one we have will not hold all our inventory and we need permission to enter into a contract to get a larger, climate-controlled unit. Ill Sir Greg Diffenderfer asked for a motion from the floor and after receiving a motion with a second, he asked for discussion. Hearing none, the vote was unanimous for the approval.
President Norris announced after the Imperial Officer speaks, we will adjourn until 4:30pm in order for the officers to change clothes for the installation.
President Norris then called on Imperial Sir Larry Leib to speak. Imperial Sir Leib thanked the President and the SASA officers for their hospitality. He said he was delighted to be here on behalf of Imperial Sir Jim Cain. He offered to answer any questions we might have on the hospitals and the fraternity.
After Ill Sir John Stanley closed the meeting with prayer, we adjourned at 3:50pm
Respectfully submitted
Donald L Ratliff
SASA Secretary/Treasurer | 
