by; Gary Bergenske
A new Era begins, the excitement is just starting, and the expectations are running high. A new silent messenger and future celebrity for Bahia Shrine has arrived, and some people just cannot wait to get close to him. All this excitement and he does not even have a name yet, but surely all of you know exactly who I am talking about. Already he has had his picture in the paper more times than the average Shriner and he is only 4 months old. Yes, it is our new baby Camel I'm talking about.
Let me give you a little history on this future super star, he was born in Marion County outside of Ocala on a ranch called "Animals in Motion" His mother is a star at the new Orlando attraction called "The Holy Land", and his Dad, well he is still at the ranch with the job of making sure our new camel has a few brothers and sisters in the future.
After the loss of Bahia's famed Sir Gus the famous kissing Camel, our Camel Herders Unit began the task of finding a replacement for Sir Gus. A visit on January 8th to the ranch in Marion County was headed by Noble Bill Green and an initial down payment was made on the baby Camel pending a check up by a Veterinary. The little guy came out with a clean bill of health, and it was soon determined that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth as he was to become a star with the Bahia Shriners. Can you imagine the thoughts this Camel must have had when he found out the news. For the rest of his life he will be pampered, with his main duties being kissing Ladies and Babies, and enjoying a cold brew whenever possible.
On January 11th, 2003 this Future Star was picked up for his trip to Orlando. The Camel Herders Unit had paid the remainder of the $3,000.00 price, and the excitement was about to begin as history was being made. Our unnamed mascot was picked up by Noble Todd Harris and a group of other Nobles with Todd's horse trailer. Can you imagine the excitement they must have been feeling as they made their way back to Todd's home, where the little camel has set up residency for the current time. Many of the Camel Herders had a building party as they added a lean to onto a current barn on the property. Oh, and this new Camel is not home all alone, he has some friends around. His favorite roommate is the Donkey he shares space with. Living next to him is a bunch of goats, almost looks like it out to be a Nativity scene in the making.
January 19th was the new guys first public appearance, and it was a big one. On this day around 1,000 people showed up at Bahia Shrine Center for the Memorial Service for "Sir Gus" the famous 25 year old Shriners former Camel. It was a day of sadness, a day of celebration for all that "Sir Gus" did, and a day of excitement as a new camel was introduced. But the excitement may have been too much for a 4 month old baby camel. He got a little restless and only stayed around for about 15 minutes. In those first few moments, many smiles appeared, and expectations are high that a new dynasty in the camel world has begun at Bahia Shrine. We all hope the tradition that started 25 years ago with "Sir Gus" and the famed Camel Herders will continue into the next few decades. We all know there are many Ladies and Babies out there just waiting on their next big wet juicy camel kiss, and we now have just the guy for the job.
And his name ???? Well, that is yet to be determined. The rules for the contest to name the camel are in the process of being made. We do know this though, the contest will be open to school children in the six county Bahia area. Suggested names along with a short essay of why you think your choice of a name is the best will be required. Exact details will be following soon. So how many entries will we get, could be hundreds, could be thousands, only time will tell. And when will the new name be announced? Why, at the Shriners Circus in front of hundreds of people, and the local media of course. Got any children or grandchildren in school yet? Better get them ready for the biggest contest in Bahia Shrine history!