Potentate of Ballut Abyad Shrine
Illustrious Sir William "Bill" Broughall & Lady Ginny
Bill is from Lebanon, PA, the Pennsylvania Dutch country where the hills are rolling, everything is green and farms are absolutely beautiful. He relocated to New Mexico in 1989, and within a year he found and married Lady Ginny.
Bill is a Veteran having served in the Army in Germany during the Korean Conflict as a Mechanic in the Divisional Motor Pool. After he was Honorably Discharged from the Army, he attended Penn State University and received Associate Degree in Metallurgy. He then served a five year apprenticeship later earning his Master Plumber's License. He had the opportunity to open his own plumbing, heating and electrical business which he operated for over 40 years in the Reading, Pennsylvania area.
He was a Borough Councilor, as it is called in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, for 25 years in the City of Centerport. You know after serving for 25 years as a City Councilor, it's no wonder he is so well qualified to be our Potentate.
He was raised a Master Mason in Reading, PA in 1975 and became a Noble in Rajah Temple that same year. Bill is now a member of Albuquerque Lodge #60, and he affiliated with Ballut Abyad Temple in 1989.
Riding horses is his hobby, and as such he was a natural to become a member of the Mounted Patrol of both Rajah Temple in Reading, and in Ballut Abyad's Mounted Patrol. He is now a member of The Ballut Abyad Patrol.
Bill has attended about 10 Imperial Sessions as a member of Rajah's Mounted Patrol. He shared this experience of an Imperial Session with me.
"One of our most outstanding experiences was attending an Imperial Session in Denver where we rented "Movie Show Horses". It was just to far to haul our horses from Pennsylvania. When these "Movie Show Horses" came off the trailer they were the worst looking animals we had ever seen. Ever see grown men cry? Our Ladies took over the cleaning, grooming of the horses, and we practiced and practiced with those animals and eventually we won 2nd place in the Imperial Competition. This was a major accomplishment considering the way those horses looked when we started. When the owners came back to pickup their animals they didn't recognize them."
Bill and Ginny have been married for 17 years. After they were married they returned to Pennsylvania for a few years, and that is where Ginny became a Realtor. Until they moved to Pennsylvania Ginny was Vice President of Blue Cross Blue Shield of NM directing Governmental Operations in six states primarily in the Medicare and Medicaid health insurance operations. When they returned to New Mexico, she continued her career as a Realtor and currently operates her business under the name of Westsun Realty LLC at the Keller Williams Realty Westside office.
Ginny has been a very active member of Yucca Temple No. 74, Daughters of the Nile. She served three times as Captain of the Yucca Patrol. She related to me one of her proudest moments in the Nile. She was Captain of the Nile Patrol and directed both the Yucca and Ballut Abyad Patrols for a marching presentation for the Supreme Queen's Visit. The marching was fantastic, and it had to be recorded as an exemplar event of the Nile and the Shrine working hand in hand. Ginny is now serving as Queen on Yucca Temple.
This is the first time in the history of Ballut Abyad Temple that there is a Noble serving as the Potentate at the same time his wife is serving as Queen of Yucca Temple. Bill and Ginny come as a package in their complete support of one another, and we have seen many examples of this partnership. They do things that others don't think possible. Their reorganization of the 2007 Shrine Circus is a striking example of this exercise of excellence in Leadership. The combination of both Patrols to honor the Supreme Queen was another, and both of these accomplishments were tremendously successful to the benefit of both Temples.
They relate their philosophy this way. "Our primary focus is to make things happen in a dignified, but fun way for the overall good of Ballut Abyad Temple and Yucca Temple, whom we serve. God has been good to us and we are trying to pass something on."
Bill Broughall, we welcome you as our Potentate, and thank you for bringing your Lady Ginny along as your partner.