Shriner Magazine Spring 2023

A Legacy of Leadership

Three members of the Buchan family have served as their temple’s Potentate – one for three terms

LAST OCTOBER, IN A CONGRATULATORY NOTE to Illustrious Sir Shane Buchan recognizing his commitment to Philae Shriners, Imperial Potentate Kenneth G. “Kenny” Craven said this:

“I am honored to recognize and thank you for your remarkable and inspiring dedication to your fraternity, and especially to your temple, Philae Shriners. Your incredible work is noticed and greatly appreciated. Serving as an executive and a Divan member of your temple for the past 20 years, and taking on the temple leadership as Potentate for three terms is a remarkable legacy, and one the members of Philae can also be proud of. Your family’s legacy of leadership – your father serving as temple Potentate in 2002, your service in 2010, 2011 and 2020, and your brother, Shawn being the current Potentate*– is truly extraordinary and more than worthy of celebration. Having a father and two sons serve the same temple as Potentates just may be a fraternal first!”

Shane’s brother, Shawn, said that becoming Shriners, followed by taking on leadership positions at their temple, was a way to honor their father. “The fact that my brothers and I followed our father, Gerald W. Buchan, was a tribute to him. He was a great, honest and trustworthy man who urged us to be better men, and was a strong supporter of the Masonic principles as a way to do that,” said Shawn.

Philae’s youngest Potentate, serving at age 42. After also serv- ing in 2011, he wanted to provide leadership a few years later. Legislation was passed at Imperial Session allowing him to run for the Divan again if he was unopposed. He was elected to the Divan again, went through the offices, and was elected Poten- tate for the third time, and served from June 2020 to May 2021. Philae Shriners, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada,

supports and serves Shriners Hospitals for Children – Canada, and IWK Hospital in Hali- fax. Activities to promote the hospitals and the fraternity include participating in 15 to 20 parades throughout the year and putting on a “Christmas Fantasy” children’s event every fall.

“As for the Shriners fraternity and philan- thropy, our father had a love for children. He was always teasing, playing with, helping and going out of his way to be involved in children’s lives, so the Shriners was a natural progression for him as a Mason and a man.” Shawn shared that in 2010, Shane was

*in 2022

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