The Roamin' Nobles

By Cherie Ilg Haas
Production Assistant

For an FMCA chapter that has existed for less than one year, the Roamin' Nobles has already gone above and beyond the call of duty for community work.

The chapter consists of FMCA members who are also Shriners. The Shriners is a fraternal organization that funds the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

At FMCA's 2001 summer convention in Redmond, Oregon, the chapter raised approximately $600 to donate to a local charity. Chapter dues contributed $240, and another $260 came from the "Golden Fez," a Shriners look-alike hat that was passed to collect money. Judging from the fact that this was the chapter's first meeting, it looks as though the Roamin' Nobles are going to help many people through FMCA.

The first group to benefit from this chapter was the Adaptive Riding Institute, of Scotts Mills, Oregon, also known as H.O.R.S.E.S. for the Physically Challenged. The purpose of H.O.R.S.E.S. is to allow disabled people an opportunity to ride horses in an outdoor setting. They provide trained horses and gear such as special saddles so that their patrons can do things they once never thought possible.

Known for their generosity in helping children, the Shriners is a fraternal group that supports the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The first of these hospitals was built in 1922, and today there are three burn centers and 19 orthopedic hospitals for children aged zero to 18, said Wayne Mills, F113170, secretary and treasurer of the Roamin' Nobles. "We just have a lot of fun taking care of kids," he said.

The Shriners "wear funny red hats and everybody knows them. It's a fun group, but it's a serious group," said R.J. Baum, F54118, chapter president. "I've been a Shriner since 1956. My father was a Shriner, and my father-in-law was a Shriner," he said. "It's just something that went along with the territory. It's something I've wanted to do all my life."

One day, three or four FMCA members got together, and they couldn't figure out why the Shriners didn't have a chapter, R.J. said. And so the chapter formed. Chapter members must belong to FMCA and also be Shriners. The chapter, chartered on April 5, 2001, already has 84 members and is open to many more.

The Roamin' Nobles plan to hold two meetings a year, plus an informal, no-host social, just for fellowship, at someone's coach, Wayne said. To determine which charity to assist, chapter members do research and help out "anywhere we can find a child or children in need," he noted. Just from chapter dues alone, they already have raised $420 to be donated when they meet next month in Perry, Georgia, the site of FMCA's next international convention.

Treatment for children who are patients of the Shriners hospitals is free. The money comes from dues, donations, and fund-raising by the Shriners. The Shriners raised $567 million for the hospitals for 2001 alone. Wayne said that this effort is "basically our good work for hospitals." By forming the Roamin' Nobles chapter, the group has expanded their benevolence even further.

Other FMCA members can help the Roamin' Nobles by donating money for charities at FMCA conventions, where the chapter has its semi-yearly meetings.