2025 Potentate

illustrious Sir

Steve ALLGOOD

Honored is an understatement to say the least, to be elected Potentate of Abou Ben Adhem and its more than 2000 members. As I sit and think about how I got to this point , I would say this journey started as a child for me, going to the parades around Joplin area and always seeing those crazy hillbillies and their funny cars and of course that Ol Black Train from Carthage rollin smoke and the guys hanging on to the caboose laughing and joking and always having fun and then of course the Oriental Band with those big bare bellied guys playing that one song but not matter how hot or cold it was they were always having such a great time. I knew someday I wanted to be a part of this. So, in 1997 I asked One to Be One and that is when my real journey started, As I sat in the auditorium upstairs on that cold December Day, along with about 120 newest friends just waiting to see what adventures awaited us. And boy was it an adventure, and on that day is when I learned that everything we do in this fraternity makes a di erence in a child’s life and I was sold and was all in.

I would like to take a minute and thank Bruce and Tonya for a great year in 2024, you both had a great year, and I hope you can take a little time to relax and enjoy life.

Sandy and I hope to have a fun year planned from our Hillbilly Ball to our Potes trip to Gatlinburg Tennessee. We want this year to be about fun, family and the Hospital, Fun in everything we do, family that brings us together and always remembering what we are doing this for, those children in our hospital system. In closing I would like for each of you to take a few minutes to remember our past, but more importantly let’s all look to the future, our past has been great but with each one of you we can make the future of Abou Ben Adhem amazing.

Thanks for your faith and trust.

Steve Allgood

2025 Potentate