𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟮 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗜𝗘𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, & 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Written by Trevor Eliott (Mr. Fancy Fez)

Assistant Rabban, Al Shamal Shriners

The Rosen Center, Orlanda, FL – April 11, 2025

𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 & 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼

Day 2 of the 2025 Shriners International Membership and Marketing Conference (SIEF) delivered a powerful lineup of speakers, strategy sessions, and soul-stirring conversations that reminded us of who we are — and what we’re building for the future. While Day 1 set the tone, Day 2 ignited the engine of transformational energy, calling on Nobles to lead with heart, think differently, and invest in the future of our fraternity.

From laughter and music to marketing and mission, every session wove into a larger story: one of relevance, renewal, and reimagining what it means to be a Shriner in today’s world.

𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗛𝗲𝗻𝗿𝘆: 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆

The morning began with a keynote by Patrick Henry — professional speaker, humorist, and singer-songwriter — who brought the audience to its feet (and in some cases, to tears) with a message grounded in authenticity.

His central idea was simple: people may forget what you say, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

Through stories of parenthood, awkward introductions, and life on the road, Henry reminded us that emotional connection is the secret sauce in both marketing and membership. It's not about slick branding — it's about real relationships.

He introduced the crowd to his “Friendship 21 Project”, a campaign to create intentional interactions with 21 people in your circle each month. He also used his “Cheers Town” metaphor to challenge Nobles to think about how their temples feel to visitors — is your temple more like Cheers or the DMV?

Takeaway: Membership growth starts with emotional hospitality. If your members feel seen, heard, and valued — they’ll stay. And they’ll bring others with them.

𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁: 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗹𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆

Following the keynote, attendees split into breakout rooms for a deep dive into the Growth Mindset — a powerful approach that reframes failure as a learning opportunity, and challenges every leader to ask: Are we growing, or are we just repeating?

The session encouraged Nobles to examine the language used in their temples. “We’ve always done it this way” and “That’s not our tradition” were put under the microscope. Participants shared their experiences confronting resistance to change — and celebrated examples of success when younger members were empowered to innovate.

One particularly moving moment came when a participant shared an elder Noble’s words: “You’re not here to replace me. You’re here because I won’t be here forever.”

Takeaway: Temples must model the same growth mindset they expect from members. Try new events. Try new formats. Fail forward. Repeat.

𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹: 𝗔 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵

In the late morning, the ballroom filled again for a passionate Membership Town Hall — a raw and real conversation among leadership, Nobles, and membership specialists about what the Shrine must become to thrive in the years ahead.

The theme: We are a fraternity with a philanthropy — not a philanthropy that happens to have a fraternity.

This session tackled two key resolutions coming forward:

1. Reaffirming the Shrine’s identity as a fraternal organization first

2. Declaring membership growth as the fraternity’s top priority

   
   

Nobles shared why they joined the Shrine and what keeps them engaged. While some emphasized fun and fellowship, others found deep meaning in the philanthropy and mentorship it provides. But all agreed — we must put the same passion into our people as we do into our projects.

Takeaway: The future of the Shrine depends on redefining our “why” — and making sure our members feel it in every handshake, every meeting, and every moment.

𝗭𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗸: 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

After lunch, Zane Clark electrified the room with “Relevance Through Innovation: The Power of Community-Driven Change.”

Zane emphasized that the key to revitalization isn’t top-down mandates — it’s member-led innovation. His message challenged us to let go of rigid hierarchy and instead create safe environments where Nobles can experiment and co-create.

Some standout concepts included:

• Listening Circles to hear real concerns and ideas

• Micro-initiatives with quick wins and feedback loops

• Strategic inclusion of youth voices in leadership conversations

• Co-designing events with Nobles who represent different generations

  
  

Takeaway: Change is not a threat to tradition. It’s the vehicle through which we honor it.

𝗣𝗡𝗦𝗔 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘂𝘁: 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀

The Pacific Northwest Shrine Association gathered for a special regional breakout led by Kevin Kidder, Past Potentate of Bagdad Shriners and Regional Membership Director.

Kevin zeroed in on the power of storytelling — not just as marketing, but as a cultural tool.

He encouraged each temple to ask:

• What stories are we telling?

• Who is telling them?

• Are we celebrating the members who make a difference?

• Are our digital spaces reflecting our heart?

  
  

The session also offered a chance for temples across the region to share what’s working — from motorized unit demos to family-style social nights and digital member spotlights.

Takeaway: Stories build bridges. They connect members to the mission and outsiders to the magic.

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘀𝗵𝘁𝗮𝗴: 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

The final education session of the day featured Rusty Petty and Dave Kelm of Ansar Shriners, who led “Beyond the Hashtag: Social Marketing to Elevate Your Temple’s Brand.”

More than a crash course in content, this was a reframing of digital presence as sacred space. The digital front door, they said, is just as important as your physical one.

Rusty and Dave shared their strategy of merging membership and marketing into one team, aligning goals and streamlining communication.

Key tactics included:

• Creating evergreen content to reuse across platforms

• Capturing emotion, not just events

• Using short-form video to highlight behind-the-scenes moments

• Leveraging data and analytics to guide content decisions

  
  

Takeaway: If your temple isn’t telling its story online, someone else is — or no one is.

𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗰𝗮𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗹

The learning paused, but the bonding continued into the night at Dezerland Action Park, home to the spectacular Orlando Auto Museum.

From Ferraris to Flintstones cars, the venue set the stage for shared laughs, nostalgic stories, and conversations that felt like a family reunion.

This kind of fellowship — relaxed, joyful, organic — is a powerful reminder that the greatest growth often happens when the fezzes are off, and the friendships are on.

Takeaway: Fun is not a distraction from the mission — it’s what makes the mission sustainable.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

Day 2 of the SIEF 2025 Conference wasn’t just about new tools or clever campaigns — it was about rediscovering what makes our fraternity matter.

From emotional connection to community-driven innovation, from storytelling to strategy, we were reminded that the future of the Shrine will be built by those who care enough to ask tough questions — and brave enough to try something new.

As we head into Day 3, we do so energized by the knowledge that the best traditions are the ones we continue — not because we have to, but because they’re rooted in purpose.

Together, we’re not just marketing a fraternity.

We’re telling a story worth remembering.