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Date: 4/6/2023
SOUTHWICK — The Melha Shriners are a fraternity based on fun and fellowship with chapters all over the globe. The local organization’s new leader, however, wants his term in office to focus on family and community.
That would be the sort of community that Randy Wessels, recently installed as the Western Massachusetts Shriners’ potentate, or president, found when he moved to Southwick.
Wessels grew up in Worcester and lived for a time in Ware, where he worked as a firefighter. An Army infantry veteran, he now works as a peer support specialist for the Department of Veterans Affairs, helping treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
He and his wife Carla, a plant and facilities coordinator at Shriners Children’s New England Hospital in Springfield, have now made their home in Southwick.
“We love it here, it’s a quiet town, a small community,” he said.
He said he hopes to bring the attitude of the community from Southwick into the ethos of the Shriners.
Wessels became involved with the Shriners when he was working at a motorcycle ride fundraiser for children with muscular dystrophy, where he explained the Shriners were running a similar booth.
“Next thing I knew, I was becoming a Mason and then a Shriner,” he said.
Wessels served in multiple elected positions, such as oriental guide and high priest and prophet, before becoming the president of the Agawam-based Shriners chapter in January. Even as an elected leader, Wessels still finds joy in taking part in the Shriners’ volunteer activities, such as visiting struggling children at the Shriners hospital.
“On tough days and nights, seeing those kids reminds you why you became a Shriner,” Wessels said. He recalled a special encounter with a young man named Noah: “Seeing the life in him, seeing the smile on his face, it takes away some of the petty stuff in life.”
These experiences and opportunities have shown Wessels the advantages of being a part of the Shriners and shaped who he plans to be as a leader. As the new potentate, Wessels also hopes to bring a renewed sense of family and community to the Melha Shriners.
“I want to see family back. … I want to bring back fun,” he said.
While continuing the Shriners’ 126-year history of philanthropy and community, Wessels will implement a family-oriented leadership style. He hopes to increase the membership of the Shriners, and bring in new demographics, such as veterans like himself.
“It can be an opportunity for vets who are looking for something,” Wessels explained, and the Shriners organization has a wide range of opportunities, including the Riders, a motorcycle enthusiast group, and the famous Melha Shriner clowns.
Even in the early stages of his presidency, Wessels has already overseen the creation of a new brewing club for the Shriners this year, while still maintaining the programs that the Shriners have already built. He has also tried to increase the Shriners’ visibility in Southwick by marching in a local parade and even plans putting together a Shriner softball team for a local league.
Wessels’ wife will also take on a leadership role as “first lady” of the chapter. Each year, the first lady takes on a special project, and Carla Wessels’ effort is a fundraiser for the children’s hospital where she works.
“I’ve been fortunate to see and learn about the excellent care Shriners Children’s New England provides to our patients on a daily basis,” Carla Wessels said in a statement. “Our hospital is undergoing a few changes, but we still continue to provide the best care.”
She is running a raffle, Purses for Pediatrics, and selling limited-edition Shriners Children’s New Engladn glassware to raise money for items that would improve the patient experience but are not normally allocated in the hospital budget.
For more information on the Melha Shriners, visit melhashriners.org.