Shriners: Serving others in Cyprus and beyond

Children from Cyprus and neighbouring countries have for many years been amongst the many young people with orthopaedic difficulties that have been helped by the doctors of Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Some of the young patients are taken overseas for treatment following initial consultations on the island while others receive their care from visiting teams or carefully chosen local specialists in Cyprus and other home countries.

Representatives of the organisation that created the Hospitals, Shriners International, recently spoke to goldnews about the historic fraternity and its principals of dedication to helping others which has seen over 1.5 million children around the world with orthopaedic problems being treated over the past 100 years.

During the most recent visit to Cyprus, in January, over 300 children were examined by orthopaedic doctors visiting Cyprus from the Shriners Hospital in the US, completely free of charge at the George and Thelma Paraskevaides Foundation, in Nicosia. Following the evaluations, a number of children were selected to go to the Shriners Hospitals to receive surgeries and after-care completely free of charge.

Kenneth G. Craven, Chairman of the Board of Directors in Shriners Hospitals for Children, John McCabe, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Shriners Hospitals for Children, and Lawrence J. Leib, a Member of the Board of Directors, were visiting Cyprus to accompany the medical team from the Shriners Hospitals for Children on their most recent visit to the island.

They were speaking from the offices of the George and Thelma Paraskevaides Foundation, which helps coordinate consultations between patients from Cyprus and its neighbours and the visiting doctors from the Shriners Hospitals for Children which currently has locations in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

With a chapter in Cyprus they are hoping to further expand, Shriners International has members around the world, all who are Master Masons before joining the fraternity and, by and large, successful professionals who have reached a point in their lives and careers when they want to give back to society.

Two Master Masons, Walter M. Fleming, M.D., and William J. “Billy” Florence, a well-known actor, founded Shriners International in 1872. In 1922, fuelled by their desire to make a difference in the world, Shriners founded their own philanthropy, Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The representatives visiting Cyprus acknowledged that the Shriners International fraternity was no exception to the networking opportunities that naturally arise from any meeting of likeminded professional people, but also made it clear that the main aim was helping others, and children in particular.

While the three men’s paths to joining Shriners International were not identical, they today share a deep commitment to its principals of helping others.

Also holding the prestigious position of Imperial Potentate of Shriners International, Craven’s first contact with the organisation came from growing up seeing the Shriners in local parades. Coincidentally his high school prom took place in a Shriner Temple and ceremonials and conventions were being held at the popular South Carolina vacations destination of Myrtle Beach which he also found himself visiting. Learning more about its principals, Craven, now an adult, realised he wanted to be part of the organisation’s contribution to society.

McCabe also grew up with an awareness of the Shriners and became more curious about their activities. By the time he had grown up, he was eager to join and help with the Shriners’ work to help others around the US and around the world. “It was really compelling to me,” he said, adding, “It is an honour to be part of both institutions (Shriners International and Shriners Hospitals for Children).”

Leib joked that his joining the Shriners was almost an accident. “Both my grandfathers were Shriners but my dad is not. I had already been a lawyer for 10 years and I came back from lunch one day and there was a message from the Shriners that they were looking for a lawyer and my dad asked me to return the call.”

In order to become their lawyer, Leib had to join the Masons, as all Shriners must first become Master Masons. He enjoyed working with them became involved with the Hospitals as a way to “pay it forward.” Leib also noted that masonry in itself provided a protocol for how to live your life as a good person, a good business person, and a good person within the community.

Craven revealed that there were currently some 60 members of Shriners International in Cyprus but that efforts were underway to increase the number to encourage even wider support for the efforts to help children around the world.

While the George and Thelma Paraskevaides Foundation provides highly valuable support to the efforts in Cyprus, increased awareness and every contribution counts towards more children being given access to expert medical care.

As McCabe pointed out, “If you are able to take care of a kid in this clinic today and they are two to three years old and they live to be 82 years old, what you did today pays dividends for 80 years, and not only that child, but for the rest of their family, the family they have now and the family they will have.”

And the Shriners’ contribution does not end when the medical teams return home as Cyprus-based physicians and nurses working with the organisation continue the treatment of the young patients throughout the year.

With the nature of their orthopaedic difficulties meaning treatment is often necessary for a number of years, the young patients are considered part of the Shriners family that Craven, McCabe and Leib will continue to dedicate themselves to.

(Photo by TASPHO)