Rajah Shrine installs new officers at Berks County ceremony
Joseph J. Hagan Sr. of Birdsboro among new officers for 2022
The Rajah Shriners installed new slate officers for 2022, including Joseph J. Hagan Sr. of Birdsboro, in ceremonies held at the local headquarters in Blandon.
Hagan is the 94th member of Rajah Shrine to serve as Potentate of this fraternal organization. Born and raised in Washington, Pa., he moved with his family to Berks County in 1969 and has resided in Birdsboro since 1975.
Hagan was initiated into Freemasonry at Stichter Lodge #254, F. & A. M., Pottstown, in 1981 and transferred to Union Lodge #479, Birdsboro in 2006. He is a member of the Reading Consistory, Valley of Reading, and joined Rajah Shrine in 1982.
He served as a Trustee from 1995 to 97 and is a member of several clubs and units of Rajah Shrine, including the Rajah Shrine Legion of Honor, a Club for Veterans, having served as Commander in 2015. A veteran of the U.S. Navy,
Hagan was an Aerographers Mate, weatherman and achieved the rank of Third Class Petty Officer.
Hagan served as the Recorder of Rajah Shrine beginning in 2008 until his retirement from that position in 2018 and was granted the title of Recorder Emeritus.
As a member of the Rajah Shrine Board of Directors, Hagan serves on several committees and is a representative to the International Imperial Shrine convention and the Middle Atlantic Shrine Association. He is also a member of the Order of Quetzalcoatl, Apato Teocalli #63, Reading.
Hagan and his wife Joyce (Hanna) were married on Nov. 6, 1958. They have two children — daughter Crystal, Shillington and son Joe Jr., Leland, N.C., plus four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
In 1955, Joe was a member of the Washington, PA “All Star Baseball Team” that won the P-O-N-Y League World Series. The team was initiated into the
Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Washington-Greene Chapter in 2006.
Hagan was president of Hagan-Warker Insurance Inc. and retired in 2008. He currently serves as president of the board of directors for the 1st Street Players, a community theatrical group in Birdsboro.
Other elected board of director officers include Duane A. Dellecker, Lehighton, Chief Rabban; Donald G. Heimbecker, Allentown, Assistant Rabban; Ronald L. Szapacs, Slatington; High Priest & Prophet and John K. Grumbein, Allentown, Oriental Guide. Re-elected were Ronald F. Rapp, Past Potentate, Blandon, Treasurer and Les A. Werley, Hamburg, Recorder.
Hagan made two appointments to the progressive line of officers for 2022, First Ceremonial Master Gregory T. Miller, Slatington, and Second Ceremonial Master Scott E. Miller, Blandon.
Also appointed were Carl G. Frey, Mohrsville, Captain of the Guard and Terrance L. Swingholm, Slatington, Outer Guard. The installing officer was Ronald F. Rapp, Past Potentate.
Rajah Shrine’s membership currently stands at just more than 2,200 members from a 10-county jurisdiction including Berks, Schuylkill, Carbon, Lebanon, Lancaster, Lehigh, Northampton, Montgomery, Chester and Bucks.
Milestone Year
This year marks the celebration of several anniversaries; first, the founding of Shriners International 150 years ago in New York City in 1872; the local chapter,
Rajah Shriners, 129th anniversary, having received their Charter in 1893 and the 100th anniversary of the Shriners Hospitals for Children established in 1922.
Several celebrations and programs are scheduled to be held throughout the year; many of these presentations will be open to the public.
Shrine International, now with headquarters in Tampa, Florida, has an international membership of more than 250,000 Shrine/ Masons and has 200 individual chapters in several countries around the world.
Rajah Shrine was founded by a group of Masons in Reading that belonged to Lulu Shrine Temple in Philadelphia, however these members saw a need to bring the camaraderie closer to home and started a local chapter with just 30 members. The headquarters were on North Sixth Street in Reading for more than 100 years, now operating from its facility near Blandon since 2000.
The Shriners Hospitals for Children was established with the first hospital dedicated in 1922 in
Shreveport, Louisiana and has grown to a health care system of 22 facilities dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, innovative research and teaching programs for medical professionals. Children up to age 18 with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care and receive all services in a family-center environment, regardless of the patients’ or their family’s ability to pay.
Shriners Hospitals are located throughout North America, 20 in the United States and one each in Mexico and Canada. The Philadelphia Shriners Hospital is the nearest facility to Reading and has treated hundreds of local patients from our 10-county jurisdiction with free transportation provided to patients and their families that request this service.
Since its inception, the Shriners Hospitals have treated more than 1.5 million children from all over the world.
For more information, visit www.rajahshrine.org.