Residents@JV

74th Annual Hadi Shrine Circus

When the 2007 Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend rolled around, everyone knew it was that time of year again. The place to be, since moving from the Downtown Coliseum in 1957, was Roberts Stadium in Evansville, IN. The Hadi Temple Shrine Chapter of Evansville was proudly presenting, what has been billed as the country’s ‘Last Great Shrine Circus’ with 3-Rings, 120 Circus people, 20 acts, the 74th Annual Shrine Circus. The Circus was in town to present nine exciting, fun-filled, and death-defying performances over the holiday weekend of Nov. 22-25. The Jacob’s Village residents: Wanda, Donna Kay, Mike, Michael, Scott, and Home-Coordinators Janice and Barry were blessed for the third year in a row to take part and watch the outstanding and entertaining 3-Ring Circus. Indiana State Police Officer and member of the Posey County Shrine Club, Greg Oeth and his wife Melody, arranged to provide and donate general admission tickets to Jacob’s Village. As in the past, the final matinee performance that was scheduled for 3:00pm Sunday afternoon, Nov. 25, seemed to work out best for the Jacob’s Village bunch to attend over the four Hadi Temple Shrine Circus Days. All of the residents returned home from church that Sunday, except for Debbie, who was still with her family, loaded up in the rain about 1:30pm to see The Greatest Show on Earth. Arriving early, the doors didn’t open until 2:00pm, but were able to get in out of the rain and wait in the breezeway a few minutes along with others. Coloring books were purchased, seats were found, and circus officials were prepping for the show. Shrine Club members were supervising Elephant and miniature Pony rides for an estimated 6,500 kids over the 4 show days. The Circus stars, performers, and the Hadi Funster Clowns, celebrating their 50th year, began parading around the 3-Rings when the Barker, ‘Ring Master’ blew his whistle. Staged out of sight above the tunnel, the Hadi Circus Band and sounds from the Calliope provided music for everyone to enjoy. Animals, acrobatic high-wire acts, gymnastic feats and clowns make up a Circus and 14 Siberian White Tigers were the first act to show off their many tricks. Although the Tiger Tamer didn’t stick his head into one of the Tigers’ mouths, jumping through a flaming fire-laced ring and weaving around each other in a figure eight were among some of their tricks. 9 Elephants + a baby Elephant paraded around performing many amusing stunts. There were 6 large white Horses stepping, prancing and raring back on their hind legs in unison, reminding one of the ‘Rockettes’. Many Acrobatic girls were all decked out with glitz and glamour on the costumes hanging from every pole, beam, and line in the stadium. They were working rings, twirling by their feet, and stretching their bodies out to the max. There was a Dog & Pony show, Camels, and they were making Monkeys out of ‘Da Bears’ or were ‘Da Bears’ acting like Monkeys…either way, they had Monkeys riding Ponies and ‘Da Bears’ riding bicycles. The Kenyon Wizards Acrobatic Team was running, jumping, and sticking to each other like Velcro building human pyramids. They did the Limbo under a blazing bar and one had to wonder, How low could they go? From high above the crowd…even above the Band, to the delight of all the children; Spiderman-the 2007 special guest for the Circus came spinning down a guy line spinning webs. He went over to his designated spot, spun a web and posed for pictures with young & old children alike who lined up around the 3-Rings to see him. Taking up 20 minutes to a half-hour, it served as an intermission for everyone to stretch, grab a snack, and get closer to the clowns. After the Spiderman photo ops were finished, the death-defying acts began and had everyone’s attention. The Flying Michaels, a five-member family of trapeze artists, were flying high above the 3 Rings spinning back and forth from the trapeze bars to the platform, with a safety net below. In reality, it was 1 Michael and 4 Michelle’s + a little Michelle, from South Africa. On one of the sides, a group of 4 men walked up a support guy-wire to a platform that had a high-wire tight-rope stretched 30’ across to another platform. This was 50’ off the floor with no safety net. They walked, climbed, and skipped rope, did stunts on a chair with or without a balancing beam. The Grand Finale had 2 motorcycles racing around inside a 20’ round ‘Globe of Death’. It was hard to imagine why the 2 cycles didn’t run into each other inside the ‘Globe’ because it didn’t look big enough. You knew, if one of them hiccupped, it would become a disaster. Then, another cycle was put in the mix and if adding one more wasn’t enough, they drove another cycle into the ‘Globe’!! , there were 4 motorcycles running in different directions inside. And, if that wasn’t a recipe for disaster, you didn’t know what was. Jacob’s Village is so appreciative and sends a Big Heart Thank You to Greg and Melody Oeth and the Posey County Shrine Club for donating tickets so the residents could see The Greatest Show on Earth.
The Shrine was founded in 1870 by two Scottish Rite Masons who got the idea from an Arabian Diplomat in France. In 1872 11 other Scottish and York Rite Masons were received into the Order of the Mystic Shrine’s first Temple in the U.S., Mecca, in New York City. It has grown to over 900,000 members with 191 Shrine Temples throughout North America. The Evansville Shrine has its beginnings set in 1910. To become a member of the Shine, candidates must be in good standing of the Scottish or York rites Masonic Organizations. The Hadi Temple Shrine lends its support to many worthwhile causes in the community from the money it raises from the annual Circus. With many Shiners Hospitals and their philanthropic efforts toward healing the handicapped, the Hadi Temple Shrine is a good neighbor to have. Thank You

posted by J V Resident Blog @ 10:18 AM