Ocala Shrine Club
Public Relations
By John Douthirt, 3^rd, Chairman

“FREE CARE AVAILABLE AT SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN.” This is the message from Shriners everywhere across North America, a message of hope for physically challenged children who may have disabling birth defects or who may have experienced disabling bodily injuries. The message also includes hope for the families of children who have suffered the terrible ordeal of being burned. The message tells about the 22 Shriners orthopaedic hospitals and state-of-the-art burn treatment centers across North America where the FREE care is provided for patients up to 18 years of age. No Government or Insurance funds are accepted or sought. The money to operate these hospitals comes from gifts, bequests, income from the endowment fund, hospital fund raising events like our own annual Labor Day weekend Rodeo, and the yearly assessment paid by every Shriner with their membership dues.

As the bond between the Ocala Shrine Club and the citizens of Ocala and surrounding Counties has grown, our Public Relation efforts have increased to a year long project spreading the word about Shriners Hospitals For Children. The Public has seen us in the presence of our Officers receiving proclamations from all local governing bodies, promoting our major events, such as Burn Awareness Week and of course the Ocala Shrine Rodeo. They have seen our parade units performing a very special, important Public Relations function by entertaining the Public whenever they have the opportunity to participate. In past years we have attended school functions, always distributing literature and talking with anyone who needs to know about our Hospitals FREE care. We have been present at various other organizations, such as the physical therapy students about to graduate from Central Florida Community College, and Church Groups that have requested our presentation of the Hospitals video with a talk about Shriners Hospitals and the care received there.

Whether it is appearing before government bodies or school children, families, doing interviews with newspapers, television or radio stations, it is always done with one primary objective, informing the Public about the FREE hospital care available at SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN.

PAST PRESIDENTS

t Charles Bangart ................1947
t Clyde A. Gleason ..............1948
t Charles Glover ..................1949
t William Tomlinson .............1950
t Charles Thomas ................1951
t W.A. Boyer .......................1952
t George B. Apple ................1953
t Arthur L. Burgess ..............1954
t Robert L. West .................1955
t Frank F. Ehlers ..................1956
t Mercer F. Ubele .................1957
t Clair Shepard ....................1958
t William C. Hill ..................1959
t Floyd Goble ......................1960
t Peter T. Blair ....................1961
t Elmer L. Tubbs .................1962
t Horace W. Badger .............1963
t Arthur L. Kellam ................1964
t William F. Blowers .............1965
t Jack O. Pinch ....................1966
t Phil W. Hammaker .............1967
Dr. Harry M. Edwards ........1968
t Chandler C. Reese .............1969
t Charles W. Bays ................1970
t Walter W. Rilea, Jr. ...........1971
Joseph D. Hill, Jr. ............1972
t James E. Durst .................1973
Terry S. Roberts ..............1974
Angus S. Hastings ...........1975
Hal W. Lively, Jr. .............1976
W. Wayne Withrow ..........1977
 Brent Malever .................1978
Jerry Roberts ...................1979
Lee Mercer ......................1980
Dan Hicks ........................1981
William S. Fish .................1982
t Jim Lowry ..........................1983
t Bill Morgan ........................1984
Ruben Lamb ....................1985
Chuck Ray .......................1986
Rick Racine .....................1987
Keith Seyler ....................1988
t Charles Priore ....................1989
Lew Bryan .......................1990
John Hodges ....................1991
Larry Koblentz ..................1992
Oscar Chaires ...................1993
Mark Shaffer .....................1994
Fred Chaires .....................1995
John Douthirt, III ..............1996
Doug Jennings ..................1997
Wayne Gillis .....................1998
t Rick Potter ..........................1999
Larry Marcum .....................2000
Jeff Miller ..........................2001
Jack Hennessy ...................2002
J. Mike Stone .....................2003
Jerry Headlee......................2004
Pete Peterson.....................2005
Matt Cummings...................2006
Gary Walston......................2007

t Deceased