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Illustrious Sir Bill Newhouse
Potentate 2013
Email:
Many years
ago in the
small town
of Oregon
City on the
banks of the
mighty
Willamette
River the
first boy
child was
born to Bill
and Olive
Newhouse. It
was right
next door to
Brother
Baker's Holy
Roller
Church and
the very
first thing
little Bill
would
remember was
that
beautiful
choir
singing
praises to
the Lord.
That was on
Duane
Street, but
since I was
born there,
and a new
sub-division
was
installed at
the east end
of the
street, just
past the Mt.
View
Cemetery,
the name
Duane was
just not
colorful
enough, so
the name had
to be
transformed
to Barclay
Hills Drive.
The house I
was born in
is still
there, but
it has not
transformed.
Growing up
in a small
town is not
easy, mainly
because
everyone
knows your
Mom and Dad!
This leaves
little room
for
hilarity.
It’’s hard
to believe,
but most of
my grade
school
teachers and
also those
at high
school
actually had
taught my
mother: in
the same
school. In
spite of my
poor grades
in attitude
I managed to
graduate
from Oregon
City High
School. My
greatest
achievement
was the fact
that I
managed to
meet my wife
Shirley
right there:
right next
to my
locker. And
our great
love affair
has lasted
for over 50
years! It
was in High
School that
I found out
about
DeMolay: It
was a rather
prestigious
fraternity
back then
so, I
petitioned
to join, was
accepted and
eventually
became
Master
Councilor of
Multnomah #1
Chapter. My
High School
principal,
Mr. Barnett,
thought that
I could save
my dad a lot
of money and
me a lot of
time, by
just going
to work at
the Crown
Willamette
paper mill,
but my dad,
luckily was
a visionary
and insisted
that I go to
Oregon State
College.
I took the
entrance
exam to Reed
College,
passed it
and was
given a
small
scholarship,
but
unfortunately,
not enough
money to
allow me to
matriculate
there. Upon
taking a
series of
placement
tests,
predecessors
to the SATs,
I was
surprised to
find that I
did rather
well in
English,
Math, and
Science;
consequently
I began my
studies at
Oregon State
as an
Engineering
student. I
Joined Delta
Upsilon
Fraternity.
It was there
that I
learned how
to work in
the kitchen,
to help
defray
expenses. I
also held
several
offices in
the
fraternity,
one of them
being Study
Chairman!
While at DU,
I got a
really good
job as
Campus
Representative
for the
American
Tobacco
Company: a
great job
for a
cigarette
smoker,
which I was.
Having gross
amounts of
sample
cigarettes
to give out,
made one
very popular
on campus.
After my
junior year,
I somehow
became
disenchanted
with
engineering,
and was not
at all
certain that
I wanted to
be an
engineer.
With
ever-increasing
pressure
from the
Draft Board,
I felt
obligated to
do my
military
service. I
was
interested
in flying
and thought
that the Air
Force
Aviation
Cadet
Program
looked
interesting,
but so was
becoming an
officer in
the United
States Navy,
so I wrote
the exams
for both the
Air Force
Cadet
program and
the United
Stated Naval
Academy.
Half way
through the
Cadet
program, the
Naval
Academy sent
me a letter
telling me
to report to
Annapolis.
Too late,
but it was
nice to be
asked.
After
completing
my military
service, I
married
Shirley, and
we went back
to Oregon
State, but
this time
majoring in
Pharmacy.
I'd tell you
why but
that's a
whole other
story. I
completed my
Pharmacy
studies,
with lot of
help from
Shirley, and
began my
career as a
Compounding
Pharmacist
at Sav More
Drug Store
in
Newport,
Oregon.
Over the
ensuing
years, I
worked for
many
independent
Pharmacies,
Chain
Stores, and
even opened
our own
store back
in Oregon
City. It was
when I first
worked on
Main Street,
Oregon City,
across from
Multnomah
Lodge #1,
that I
became aware
of Masonry
and
petitioned
Multnomah
#1. I became
an officer
in Multnomah
#'1, but I
found that
the
Profession
of Pharmacy
was very
demanding,
and the long
and varied
hours played
havoc with
the work at
lodge. Well,
I lasted at
my
profession
for another
50 years.
Over those
years, we
raised three
sons, and
sent them to
college, and
are now
working on
our seven
grandsons
and one
granddaughter.
At times it
seemed as if
I belonged
to
everything
there was:
Free Masons,
Shriners,
Elks,
Kiwanis,
Junior
Chamber of
Commerce,
Clackamas
County
Pharmacists
Association,
Oregon State
Pharmacists
Association,
Portland
Retail
Druggist
Association,
Clackamas
County
Baseball
Association.
Scoutmaster,
American
Pharmacy
Association,
Curriculum
Committee at
Riverside
School,
Clackamas
County Ham
Radio Club,
and Deacon,
Elder, and
President of
the Church
Council of
our Lutheran
Church.
As you can
see, I have
a wide
variety of
leadership
experience
and I trust
that this
has prepared
me to serve
as your
Potentate.
God willing
and with the
help of our
Divan and
you Nobles
and Ladies,
I am
confident
that we will
succeed in
having a
great year
2013 at AI
Kader
Shriners.
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