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The Statue: The Message: As When He Stoops To Help A Child" 
On October 22, 2007, Shriners Hospitals for Children unveiled its new logo, as part of a system-wide branding effort. The new logos forward-facing, refreshed look represents Shriner's Hospitals as a progressive organization, whilst celebrating the legacy of a spontaneous, innocuous and yet deeply symbolic event.  I was taking shots of the midway and was using my telephoto lens, Mr. Dieter explained. I saw a local Shriner walking by, carrying a little girl in one hand and her crutches in the other. My camera wouldnt fire. Then they were too close for my lens. I ran past them, but the camera jammed. I had to take my last shot as they walked by. It was the end of the roll. If I had to think about it, I wouldnt have come up with something like that. Fate guides you. Today, the famous photo has been reproduced on stained-glass windows, mosaics, tie tacks, pins, and in a larger-than-life statue entitled Silent Messenger. The Silent Messenger, often dressed in a bolero jacket and necktie like those worn by many Shrine marching units, stands outside of the International Shrine Headquarters building in Tampa, at Shriner's Hospitals across the country and many Shrine Centers. 
The statue outside of a given Shrine Center is customized such that the fez bears that particular temples name. Because each hospital is a regional facility, sponsored by several Shrine Temples, selecting one name would be inappropriate, yet the statue would look immediately wrong to the viewers eye were the upper portion of the fez to be smooth. 
As shown in the close-up of the statue at the Chicago Shriner's Hospital, in place of actual letters, there are simply line fragments that spell nothing. Similarly, in place of a title, unit, or committee name in small letters, the bottom of the fez has line fragments that spell nothing. 
Although, as stated above, the statue is very often crafted in a Shrine marching uniform, it is not surprising that the bronze statue in front of Hadi Shrine Centre is portrayed in casual-wear modeled after that worn by their Noble Hortman when the original photograph was taken.  Noble Al Hortman 2005 Noble Al Hortman now lives in Warner Robbins, Georgia where he is active with the Al Sihah Shriners in nearby Macon. He is retired and in his mid-seventies.  Bobbi Jo Wright 2005 (formerly the little girl whom Albert Hortman carried in Dieters famous photo) It still seems unreal, said Ms. Wright. I have many wonderful memories of the years I was a patient at the Saint Louis Shriners Hospital and remember all the fun activities. I was born with cerebral palsy, which resulted in many orthopaedic problems that made walking difficult. I had many surgeries at the Saint Louis Hospital. They greatly improved my ability to walk. Still living in Evansville in her forties, Ms. Wright received her baccalaureate degree in English from Anderson University. She is active in her church and works for the Deaconess Hospital in the Grace O. Hahn Health Sciences Library. Although she uses crutches on grass and uneven surfaces, she otherwise walks quite well with only a cane.  Photographer Randy Dieter 2005 Photographer Randy Dieter, now in his sixties, works as a designer for a sign company in Cleveland, Ohio. The photo is of Mr. Dieter, with a miniature Silent Messenger, appeared in the June/July 2005 edition of Medinah Review, marking the first time Mr. Dieter has appeared with a story about his famous photo. As When He Stoops to Help a Child. | |
Helping Kids!"