Oct 22, 2025 | Potentate's Message
Welcome to Fall; just like that, the leaves turned and there is a coolness in the air. One of my favorite times of year. Go Bills!!!
We have had some ups and downs in the last month. We lost a great Noble, as Past Potentate Don Butcher has passed away. Our condolences from the Nobles, Ladies, and Divan of Ismailia.
We have been advised that the Town of West Seneca believes we are dumping too much grease into the sanitary sewer. We continue to research costs and whether, truly, we are the culprits. Nobles of the hospitality industry believe it cannot be us. This would be a major cost to absorb, and we will proceed with our due diligence. A much more robust camera system will be installed in the building, and especially externally. The dumpster routinely gets apartment complex (including furniture) dumped into it. Not having a system leaves us vulnerable to lawsuits without the means to counter any claims. We are also working on replacing the 3-door commercial freezer in the kitchen.
On an upbeat note, we held a Ceremonial on Saturday September 6th, making 3 new Nobles. The ceremonial was presented through the efforts of the Divan and the Directors. It was followed by an informative talk from Kerri Tichy, Director of Philanthropy at Shriners Children’s New England who discussed the many ways their facility helps our kids. I had little to do with the event but a small part in the ceremony; our Divan members organized and took active roles in the production. The ceremony was full costume and had music and video projection that conveyed a great message to the candidates. I obligated another candidate at Allegheny Shrine club meeting as he, unfortunately, could not attend the ceremonial. Great job to all that put on a great ceremony.
The Sportsmen’s raffle occurred as always on the second Saturday of September. The Divan and I would like to thank Illustrious Sir Mike Ferraro, Chairman, for another successful event. He put together a great team of Nobles, Ladies and friends to again deliver a great event.
On September 25th, it was my privilege to attend the Allegheny Shrine Club meeting. It was their annual meeting in Port Allegheny at the V.F.W. Post. It is their largest fundraiser of the year and always a good time. Thank you to President Ray Hooker, Nobles and ladies for your hospitality.
I have plans to represent Ismailia Shrine at the NYOSA in Kingston, Ontario. I will have a full report in the November Smile. Scheduled to attend is an old friend, Illustrious Sir and Hospital Trustee Ricky Arrocha and Imperial Sir Marty Bartlett. The Imperial representatives always deliver informative and inspiring messages. Any Noble and Lady can attend any NYOSA, and I recommend it whole-heartedly. In 2027 our own Illustrious Sir Mike Hackford will be NYOSA President, and we should look forward to supporting him.
October will be busy starting with the Nile Supreme Queen visit on October 4th. On October 11th we do something different and will have a Live music event with the Boys of Summer. Tickets are $5.00 and are available from Wende in the office. On October 25th is the Fall Meat Raffle – always a good time.
On October 18th, the Directors will present Comedy Night. Tickets are available in the office as well.
Finally, we are about 7 weeks from the Feztival of Trees, our biggest fundraiser of the year. Our next Feztival meeting is October 9th at Ismailia. We have been soliciting businesses to donate trees, especially those with Facebook or social media presence, to multiply our reach of advertisement. If you know of a business or if you want to personally donate a tree this year, contact our team’s Tree coordinator Assist Rabban Ted Clark.
We are in the heart of the busy season. Reach out to anyone on the Divan if you would like to help at any of these fun events. As always, lets Continue to Thrive in ’25.
Yours in Faith, James Mirusso
May 24, 2025 | Potentate's Message
Welcome to summer in Buffalo, June already and where is the year going. We have been busy at the shrine. Our divan is receiving help from numerous ladies and Nobles, and we thank you all for your support of Ismailia Shriners.
First, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to Mr. Terry Buchwald’s family on the passing of his mother, from our Divan, ladies and the nobles of Ismailia Shriners. Terry was scheduled to perform on Saturday May 17th, when his team notified us, he would have to cancel for a family emergency. We then learned of the passing of his mother, Janice Elaine Korczynski-Dwigun. We Pray for your healing, and peace during this painful time.
Our Sportsmen’s raffle tickets are available in the office or, contact the office and we will mail you some at your request. This is another one of our long-standing fundraisers and a large source of funding so all help selling is always appreciated. Illustrious Sir Mike Ferraro continues to foster good relations with our Amish patients and families by attending functions and offering Sportsmen’s tickets. Thank you, Illustrious sir.
May had me representing Ismailia Shriners at the Cyprus Shriners Potentate reception in Albany and the NYOSA regional event in Toronto. Cyprus is always gracious hosts and is the home of Imperial Sir Kevin Costello. Imperial Sir Kevin was not in attendance as he recently broke his foot. His Lady Jill did attend in his absence. NYOSA was visited by Imperial Potentate Richard Burke and his Lady Judy as well as Dr. Leslie Stewart and his Lady Megan. Imperial Sir Burke delivered a message about the fraternity and ongoing membership efforts and he and his ladies personal Shriner journey. Dr. Stewart delivered an inspirational message of the expanding efforts of patient care and numbers as they continue to expand services and locations to treat patients around the world. Any noble and lady may attend the NYOSA sessions as it always carries a message from Imperial Officers.
On this Memorial Day weekend, we remember those who gave so much and continue to give, to guarantee our freedoms in this country. Our team was very busy. Friday May 23rd , many members of Ismailia and area brother masons planted 7300 flags at the Naval and servicemen’s park to recolonize those who gave and represents the roughly 7300 veterans who took their own lives last year. The Legion was at services on Monday again at the Naval and servicemen’s, The Director’s paraded in Kenmore and I joined the Legion in Williamsville at a wreath laying to honor these ladies and Gentlemen who gave all. We all owe a huge debt; I would encourage all to say a prayer for our vets and those we have lost.
On the near horizon is our Potentate reception. I had made an official request of Imperial Sir Kevin Costello to attend. As with many of us older Divan members, we have had a relationship with Imperial Sir Kevin from his start in Tampa. Imperial Sir Costello, thru his wife lady Jill did inform me that, as of now we are on his schedule to attend the Ismailia Shriners Potentate reception July 18th-20th. This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from the soon to be elected Imperial Potentate.
One of our largest expenses at Ismailia is this publication. We print and mail them, and it is a costly endeavor. Anyone who would like to receive this publication in an email start informing us at the office. We will Make sure we have a good current email for you. This could be a great savings to us if we could print and mail fewer hard copies.
We will be attending Hospital Day on June 1st. Look for information on that in next Smile.
As always have fun, help kids and lets continue to thrive in ’25.
Yours in Faith
James Mirusso
Jan 29, 2025 | Potentate's Message
Hello Nobles, ladies, and families, it’s that time of year again where weather is a concern to all of us here in WNY. This cold and some of these snows have not been seen in a few years. The lake may freeze for the first time in quite a while. That having been said, we have had an occurrence where we closed the office early or didn’t open one day, at all. It is always good to check before heading out to Ismailia as the weather by your house may be completely different than that 3-4 miles away. Be weather safe and use caution everyone. The Installation of Officers was January 11th, and it was a nice afternoon event. Many braved the cold weather and joined us. I’d like to thank Divan members from Damascus in Rochester for making the trip. It was great to see members of the Allegheny Shrine club make the trip as well. A big thank you to Judy Murdoch, Janet Lachut and Jan Freund for their assistance with making the event go off smoothly; their help was gratefully appreciated. Thank you to Noble Dave Cammarano, again, bartender extraordinaire. It was great to hear the wise words of MW RJ Kessler as our guest speaker; thank you for your support Grand Master. And finally, our faithful, diligent director of the event P.P. Dan Walther, as master of ceremonies. January and February are a little quiet this year, but we will be getting very active very soon around Ismailia. We will have a Feztival of Trees recap of 2024 and a strategic planning session of the 2025 Feztival on Feb. 6th at 6pm. The Legion of Honor will have its passing of the Gavel February 8th and P.P. Ill. Sir Bill Adam will be installed as Commander; see their article for details. The Nile has bingo on Saturday the 15th. The Famous Ismailia Meat Raffle is on February 22nd; this is one of the premier events on the calendar and a great deal of fun. The Meat Raffle takes many hands to work. I thank you all for your past support and we’d love to see you come out and if possible, help where needed for this large event. As lent approaches we will be back at the Friday Fish Fry. We will not do Ash Wednesday this year as in the past, just the Friday events. See the Chief Rabban article for details on a Lent Fish Fry organizational meeting coming up. I am proud to inform you that Ill Sir Michael Ferraro is now on the board at Shriners Hospital, Springfield, Ma. He has taken on a post we have been remiss in not filling for years. Thank you Illustrious Sir. That having been said we are in the process of having a representative from Springfield come to the May 14th Stated session to let our Nobility and ladies know about the activities and care options at their hospital. Details will follow – watch next month’s Smile. Finally, this year’s Imperial Convention is in Atlanta, Ga., in July. This event is relatively close and is a drivable destination. It will be in the heart of the city near Peach Street and offers great entertainment and regional attractions. We have entered with Ziyara Shriners and are running a joint Hospitality suite for the event as well. Please express interest with Wende in the office and a full package detail will be out by mid-February. If you have never been to NYOSA (open to all nobles) the Imperial Convention, or one of our wonderful medical facilities, you are missing out on some of the reasons we exist as a fraternity – people, working together to further a cause. That cause is Shriners International and our charity Shriners Hospitals for Children. Let’s continue to Thrive in 2025!
Fraternally, James Mirusso
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Nov 25, 2024 | Potentate's Message
This will be my last Smile article as potentate and I really need to thank everyone who has helped me this year. All your support means the world to Lady Suzanne and me. This year has really flown by and I have enjoyed my time as potentate of Ismailia. My motto this year was “more in 24” and I would like to say that I think we accomplished that.
This year we have had more family involvement, more fun, helped more kids both in our area, as well as other areas of NY, by helping more temples with their transportation funds. Last week we had our fall ceremonial, and we welcomed A.J Bienias, Brad Terwilliger, and John McCauley, so when you see these three and their families around the Shrine,
please make them feel welcome. The Feztival of Trees is about to kick off this weekend and I look forward to a very successful fundraiser. Our family Christmas party is December 14 – please get your kids’ and grandkids’ names and dates of birth into the office soon so we can make sure that Santa has a gift for them.
The Election of officers will be held on December 11 and I would like to wish all those running the best of luck and thank them for stepping up to lead our organization into the future. I believe our future looks bright and is in good and capable hands and I look forward to furthering my Shrine journey as a member of the board of governors @ the Springfield Clinic starting in January.
I really need to thank my Lady Suzanne and my son Joseph for all their love and support this year. Without them it would not have been possible to do any of what we did this year. They are my rocks and their patience, understanding and sacrifice of time was second to none. Lastly, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and a very Happy and safe New Year. Again, thank you all for your time and support this year and good luck to our new Divan.
Fraternally, Mike P. Ferraro
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Nov 6, 2024 | Potentate's Message
I want to start this off on a personal note.
On behalf of Lady Suzanne, Joe, and myself I want to extend our deepest condolences to the family of Ruthie Degener. Ruthie was a great person and friend and her loss will be felt, by all who knew her, for years to come. October 5 was our jewelry raffle and I want to thank all the Nobles, Ladies, and Triangle girls for all their help at the jewelry raffle this year.
We had over100 people in attendance and it was well received. We would also like to congratulate all of our winners, 3 of which were from NYOSA temples and purchased tickets at either a Potentates ball or a NYOSA conference.
On November 15 we will have our fall ceremonial. Please come and sup- port our new Nobles. November 17 begins set up for the Feztival of Trees so if anyone has any time to come up and help, it would be greatly appreciated. Friday November 22 we will have a preview and Hors d’oeuvres for those that donated a tree, volunteers, and our vendors prior to opening the Feztival to the public.
We are still actively looking for vendors and tree donations.
New this year is a “grandma’s attic” section so if you have any gently used holiday decorations you want to donate to benefit the shrine, please reach out to me and let me know.
The Feztival will run for 2 weekends again this year 11/22-11/24 and 11/29-12/1.
If you have some time to volunteer come on out; we could always use the help selling tickets, cooking, or just being there with your fez on.
Our annual holiday party will be on December 14 and it will be an adult and kids party at the same time, so please RSVP and get your kids’ names and ages in to the office asap so we can plan accordingly.
Also on that day will be Cassiopeia Triangles “Paint the Potentate” event where they will be raising money for both Shriners Children’s and Triangle.
We hope to see you all there.
With that said I want to wish all of you a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving.
Fraternally, Mike P. Ferraro
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Oct 1, 2024 | Potentate's Message
Fall is upon us, schools are in full swing as are our fall fundraisers: the sportsman raffle was on September 14 and we had over 100 people in attendance. I would like to thank all of those who helped man the side raffle tables, bartend, cooked and prepped in the kitchen, and helped to setup and clean up the room. Next up is the jewelry raffle which will be on October 5 and then the feztival of trees on November 22-24 and November 29 – December 1. If your club or unit would like to donate a tree, please let the office know. Also we have the $10k raffle – on the tickets this year there is a spot to mark if you plan on attending so we
can have the proper amount of food, although there is also a “maybe” spot – please only check yes or no. Other fundraisers that are happening at Ismailia are: the Directors are raffling off dinner for 2 and a night at Russell’s and the Legion of Honor is doing their Basket of Cheer raffle; please support both groups. October 7 we will host the Daughters of the Nile Supreme Queen; please consider com- ing to the dinner and welcoming her. In December the Triangle will be doing a fundraiser called “Paint the Pote” – the more money they raise the more makeup they put on yours truly. It is sure to be a fun time. The Shrine holiday party will be on December 14 – please get your kids info into the shrine office as soon as possible; there is a lot of legwork and preparation to pull this off. I am writing this from my hotel in Springfield Mass. as tomorrow I am attending the Board of Governors meeting and I am excited to announce that as of January 1, I will be an associate member of the Spring- field Board of Governors. If you’ve never been to the Springfield Clinic it is truly remarkable and they treat just about everything Shriners has to treat, so if you’re ever in the area please stop by – they would be happy to give you a tour. Friday November 15 is our next ceremonial, so if you have someone who wants to be a Shriner, please get their information into the office. The Oasis is also open again on the first and third Fridays of the month – come out for dinner and a drink. That’s all I have for now, I hope you and your families have a very happy and safe Halloween.
Fraternally,
Mike P. Ferraro
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Sep 1, 2024 | Potentate's Message
I really don’t have a lot to say this month. August is over, and fall is upon us – where did the summer go? September brings us lots of joy as our kids return to school. For all of you teachers out there, I hope you enjoyed your break and thank you for all you do to broaden our kids minds.
This month we have a “Help Wanted” article looking for volunteers to assist with upcoming shrine fundraisers. Please consider donating some time to help raise funds for lsmailia. Cassiopeia Triangle will be holding a fundraiser later this year – look for their article titled “Paint the Potentate”.
A big thank you to the Lockport Shrine Club. They held their annual Cigar-B-Cue on August 10, and it was another successful event with roughly 60 people in attendance. Thank you for all you do to help the kids and thank you for being a Shriner – and to all of our Ladies, thank you for putting up with us.
Enjoy your September and remember to watch for stopped school buses and kids crossing the streets on their way to and from school.
Fraternally, Mike P. Ferraro
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Aug 24, 2024 | Potentate's Message
August is upon us, and I must say it has been a fun summer. This past weekend was the Ismailia Potentate’s reception which was attended by a little over 140 people with representatives from every NYOSA temple as well as representatives from Cairo in Rutland VT, Syrian in Cincinnati OH, Zem Zem in Erie PA, and Irem in Dallas PA. Saturday started off with a cornhole tournament at Russell’s which raised $520.00 for both our local triangle chapters’ respective charities: Beloved Queen Zooey Arcand was given $260 for Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Mikaela Brown accepted $260 on behalf of Beloved Queen Minna Cederman Kobayashi for her charity Shriners Childrens. We had roughly 16 kids in attendance as well and the front dining room was turned into a battle zone and game room with a Nintendo switch and about 15 nerf guns and 1000 nerf darts. Protective eye- wear was provided, and I believe all the kids had a blast (pun intended). I’d also like to thank my Divan and whomever else donated to my personalized bottle of Wood- ford Reserve. When I decide to open that, you are all welcome to partake. We have a new fundraiser starting: it’s a daily number drawing but unlike the ones in the past this one is good for a whole year and the cost is $20 a ticket. Thanks to Justin Brown for spearheading this. Sportsman and Jewelry raffle tickets are also available. The sportsman raffle is on 9/14 and we hope you can make it. August 10 is the Cigar B Cue at the shrine. Unlike in years past, walk-ins are welcome. Well that’s all I have for now. I hope you all have a happy and safe rest of your summer; enjoy your time with family.
Fraternally, Mike P. Ferraro
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Jul 18, 2024 | Potentate's Message
I would like to start this off by hoping all of you dads out there had a very Happy Father’s Day. July is upon us and that means BBQs, swimming, camp-ing, fun time around a fire with family and friends; please stay safe with whatever it is you plan on doing. On May 24 and 25 there was a Bluegrass festival to Benefit Shriners Childrens Erie which raised almost $11,000.00. Thank you Nancy Rose for putting this on and a special thank you to the members of the Gowanda Shrine club who showed up in support of the event. June was another eventful month starting off with members of the elected and appointed divan and their families attending the Zem Zem potentates ball and Erie Hospital days where we presented the hospital with a check for $5000.00. On June 9 I attended Kalurahs prohibition-themed potentates ball. We went Miniature golfing on Friday evening and Saturday the ball kicked off with ride on a carousel, and we had an excellent dinner hosted by Illustrious Sir Joe Peters and Lady Kirstin. Also on June 9 was the Ransomville parade. I would like to thank the members of the Allegany Shrine Club “Mini Karts” for traveling over 2 hours to participate. Your dedication to lsmailia is greatly appreciated. On June 14 and 15 was an Amish auction in Little Valley where we sold Sportsman raffle tickets. Thank you Chief Rabban Jim Mirruso, Noble John Markuse, and Karen Kuether for selling tickets. On June 17 lsmailia had its annual golf tournament and steak roast, June 18 was the Grand High Priestess of the Ladies Oriental Shrine visit to lsmailia. On June 22 Shriners from all over NY state gathered at the request of Most Worshipful Steven Adam Rubin and marched in a parade in Utica at the Masonic home. Also on June 22 was the West Seneca Days parade. Thank you to all who partic- ipated. June 29 – July 5 is the Shriners Imperial Session in Reno, NV. Look for an update in the August Smile. July is set to be another eventful month. The weekend of July 12 DeMolay will be hosting a regional conclave and lock in at the shrine. If anyone has kids or grand kids ages 9-21 and would like more information on Demolay please come on out to the event. Also on July 13 is the Passel and Rogues annual pig roast. For more information please reach out to Noble Christian Henderson. July 20th is lsmailia’s Poten- tate’s reception. The hospitality room will be open Friday evening and onSaturday starting at 11 a.m. Around 1 p.m. we will be having a cornhole tournament at Russells with the proceeds being split between 2 charities and a Hawaiian themed luau featuring a pig roast, brisket, and smoked chicken, as well as kids options. The front dining room will be turned into a kids zone with video games and a Nerf battle zone. I hope you and your families can attend. Just a reminder just about every Wednesday the PHDs meet for lunch at the temple. The food is good and it’s a fun time. Jewelry Raffle and Sports-man raffle tickets are available at the shrine office. Please pick some up to sell. With that all being said, thank you for all you do for the kids in our area, thank you for being a Shriner, and have a safe July.
Fraternally, Mike P. Ferraro
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Jun 17, 2024 | Potentate's Message
Happy June everyone! My year is halfway done, and I have had a blast so far. I am really looking forward to the next 6 months. On Friday May 10 we had our spring Ceremonial and welcomed 6 new Nobles into lsmailia. Let’s make them all feel welcomed when they are at the temple. As some of you may have seen the Silent Messenger statue is back and I would like to thank all those involved with raising him: Gary Crewson, Greg Wolf, Richard Mix, Donald Keipper, Mark Herle, George Herle, and our friend Steve. Thank you gentlemen for all your hard work and dedication. On Saturday May 18 our temple was “All Shook Up” by Terry Buchwald, as he performed all the Elvis favorites to almost 150 people. A big thank you goes out to all who helped put this event on: our crack bartenders David Cammarano and Kenny Beckwith, Patty Cammarano, the Directors Staff for doing the food, but most especially the,Caldwell family – Dennis, Bertie, Tammy Caldwell Patterson, and Ashley Kennedy for planning, organizing, and decorating the,temple for Elvis. Everyone had a great time.
There are a few upcoming events I would like to point out. First is Erie Hospital Day on June 2. Ismailia will be well represented by Nobles and their families. Second is St. Johns Day in Utica. Grand Master Rubin has asked the Shriners to participate in the parade the morning of June 22 @ the Masonic Care Community. June 29-July 5th is the Imperial session in Reno, Nevada, and lastly the potentate’s reception will be on July 20 and will be a casual Hawaiian themed party featuring a pig roast, brisket, smoked chicken and all the fixins. You can register by calling the office or going to the website and downloading the forms. This is a casual family-friendly event. Please wear your best Hawaiian clothes (Hawaiian shirts, shorts, Mumu, sandals, etc). In other words, no formal or semi formal attire. Prior to the reception on Saturday @ noon we will be having a corn hole tournament at Russells. All of the proceeds from the tournament will go to 2 different charities and there will be prizes awarded. Well that’s it for now. I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend – see you in July.
Fraternally, Mike P. Ferraro
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