Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels (since 1977) talks with Mike Zitterich about his Sioux Falls Community Chronicles Website about Sioux Falls History. From his website Sioux Falls Community Chronicles (and on Facebook) Who Really Founded, Organized, and Built the City of Sioux Falls, S.D?I have taken tons of heat for referring to the "El Riad Shrine" as a group of men to whom the El Riad Shrine was initiated in 1888, it has been a cornerstone of the Sioux Falls community, dedicated to fostering fellowship and philanthropy.A group of men from Sioux Falls, 13 in all, on December 26, 1887, left Sioux Falls and traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where they were initiated into the Shrine by El Kahir Temple.It was on April 3, 1888, that dispensation was granted to El Riad Temple. On May 25, 1888, the first Ceremonial of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine held in Dakota Territory was called to order in Sioux Falls, and the first Potentate of El Riad Temple. 33 men were taken into El Riad Temple at this ceremony.The Potentate of the El Riad Shrine is like the C.E.O of a Corporate Organization, and W.O Stites was chosen to be this person in 1888. Mr. Stites was local businessman within the drug industry, and had held many influential roles within the community, among them, he was a Municipal Officer of the City of Sioux Falls - an early sign, that the 'Shriners', 33 Degree Masons, held esteemed power within the 'governmental system'.The Imperial Council in the context of the Shrine of the Holy Martyrs, is the legislative body that makes rules and elects national officers, operating under a charter. It becomes the national body of officers, to whom grant permission, initiate new members, and to whom grants charters to new organizations throughout the United States, one being the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine in Sioux Falls (1888).By means of their Divan Executive Council, they skillfully guide the seamless integration of their cherished fraternal customs with vital operational responsibilities, one of many, to whom must follow the 'laws' of the organization as passed down from their Imperial Council.The name Divan is of multicultural origin, with roots in Latin and Sanskrit, meaning 'divine,' 'light,' or 'heavenly'. It is considered a unisex name and is gaining popularity in various cultures. Additionally, some interpretations suggest that Divan means 'Monarchy' or 'Royalty', depending on cultural context. Overall, Divan carries a positive and uplifting connotation, appealing to those seeking a name with spiritual significance.Each Temple operates under a charter granted by the Imperial Council and must conform to the bylaws and rules established by that body. Reasonable autonomy has been given the individual Temples to carry on Temple business and social activities of their own choosing. Each Temple has its own Potentate and Divan. They are responsible for the government and operation of the Temple.Your very own Local Government, a "Chartered-Municipality" of public officials, are also being financed and controlled by members of your Chamber, your Development Foundations, those Secret Society clubs as they become elected into your Mayor's Office, City Council, to whom reward their friends and family to be appointed to all your city boards, committees, and commissions.The current Potentate of the Sioux Falls El Riad Shrine is Scott Denney and was born on September 24, 1961, and currently resides in Sioux Falls. Scott has a background in business administration and has previously worked as a director of operations at Prairie Coach Trailways. He is known for his work ethic and dedication to his community.Other members include Bill Thompson, who is a financial advisor based in Sioux Falls, SD. He works at State Farm Investment Management Corp and has been in practice for over 13 years. Bill is also associated with Bill Thompson Insurance Agency and has a background in investment management and serves as the Assistant Rabban of the El Riad Shrine.The Treasurer of the El Riad Shrine, is Les Kruse to whom is associated with Les Kruse Agency, Inc., a domestic business in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, that has been operating since 2002.Other, past Potentates of the local Sioux Falls El Riad Shrine include the following people:George Burnside, George Pettigrew, George Hahn, Paul Batcheller, Lyle Sturdevant, David Nieman, Maury Richard..The two most notable "members" of the El Riad Shrine were:George Burnside - served 26 years as Mayor of Sioux Falls, supervising over the period of years 1898 to 1926 during a time the city transitioned from village to a city. He helped to guide the following projects, creating the Carnegie Library, the Municipal Water Plant, laying the Foundation to the Great Plains Zoo.Paul Batcheller - was best known as the originator, and founder of the Zip Feed Mills Incorporated, jobbing feed ingredients, seed, fencing, and a number of farm supplies to farmers in the Sioux Falls area. He was the owner and president of the Sioux Falls ZIP Feed Mill until 1978. At the time of its completion, ZIP was called the most modern feed mill in the world. ZIP had the capability to manufacture complete feeds, concentrates, supplements, and premixes for all classes of livestock and poultry. Blocks, liquid feed, pellet minerals and small packages were all part of the total service program.Both these men rose from humble beginnings, and became important, business influencers, within the community, rising from their membership of the El Riad Shrine, to become leading community leaders of the Chamber, Development Foundations, and Municipal Officers.It all relates very well to the Visionary Ideals of the Greater Chamber of Commerce of Sioux Falls, S.D."Helping make our region a prosperous place, as a community benefactor, we want to help the region attract and retain talent, promote pro-business public policies and drive a growing economy."As a collective group of members, these men and women played an active role in our community in creating the Forward Sioux Falls Initiative,"Forward Sioux Falls is the framework behind the success of the Sioux Falls region. Launched by the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, it empowers leaders to set a shared vision, secure resources and execute strategies that deliver measurable results. Over the years, each plan has built on the last—fueling job creation, major capital investment and quality-of-life improvements that continue to shape a thriving, opportunity-rich region."What begins as a 'Freemason, 33 Degree Fraternity of a group of men, blends in nicely with the Greater Chamber of Commerce of Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, Downtown Sioux Falls, these men and women worked together to establish the Forward Sioux Falls Initiative.In the end, this group of people lead an effort to electing and appointing one of their own to places of power, the Mayor's Office, the City Council, to all the Appointed Boards, Commissions, and Committees that meet together to make decisions on behalf of the People of Sioux Falls, S.DThese people have the best, greatest connections, to gain the most influential list of signatures, in a short amount of time, to get their names on public ballots, which in turn, rewards all those people within the group, with places of power within that Bureaucracy.The City of Sioux Falls derived from two groups of people, one group chartered by the State of Iowa known as the Dubuque Land Company, came to the area and formed the Village of Sioux Falls by 1857, while the People of Saint Paul, Minnesota, formed the Dakota Land Company, as a group of businessmen, politicians, capital investors coming to the area to form what was known as Sioux Falls City in 1862.From these two groups, by 1874, they incorporated themselves as the "Western Town Company" to whom rebuilt, and re-organized the two former townsites by rebranding the Village of Sioux Falls, and by 1884, under Dakota Territory, incorporated the name City of Sioux Falls, and began to build the town, which today, has become Downtown Sioux Falls.By 1888, a Group of men and women chartered East Sioux Falls in the far east, to whom profited and raised revenue from Quarries, while by 1889, a group of men and women chartered and formed West Sioux Falls in the far west, to raise revenue to build and manage the University of Sioux Falls, and by 1890, a group of men and women led by Richard Pettigrew formed South Sioux Falls in the far south, to build a bread and circus community, to what today has become the Tut-Hill Region situated along 41st Street between Cliff Avenue and Grange Avenues today.The 33 Degree-Freemason Club of Men, that formed the Mystic Shrine of Sioux Falls, chartered under the El Riad Shrine, organized to play an instrumental role in grooming future leaders to create the vision to what the City of Sioux Falls has come to be today.These men and women established the Greater Chamber of Commerce in the 1980's, the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, they Incorporated Downtown Sioux Falls, and Drafted the Home Rule Charter in 1993, forming the current City Government, we have come to know of today. Today, they have come to be known as "The Clowns that Built Sioux Falls" that meet within their little clubs, form organizations, non-profits, to form alliances, to discuss ways to raise revenues, and invest within our community - today, we have become a Home Rule Community, known as the City of Sioux Falls, that acts more as a "Territorial Government' that supervises over the surface area, that collectively includes the Townships of Sioux Falls (East, West, South), Delapre, Wayne, Split Rock, and parts of Benton, Springdale, and Mapleton today.The "Governmental System" of public departments, offices, agencies, non-profit organizations, and the top ten largest landowners (listed in the Financial Report), all work together to collect a set of T
