Four Generations Share Familial, Fraternal Bonds

Service in the Fraternity Benefits Oneself Too, They Say

Meet the Goughs, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. This vibrant family of Shriners spans generations, from the wise and spirited 91-year-old great-uncle Norman to the adventurous 27-year-old grandson Robert.

Despite their varied journeys to joining the fraternity, one message rings true: The bonds formed in Shrinedom empower them all. Whether it's Norman reminiscing about his family's legacy of service or Robert sharing his fresh perspective, they all agree – being a Shriner isn't just about giving back; it's about personal growth and connection.

United as a family, the Goughs’ paths to membership varied, with two of them joining later in life. Yet, they all share the same message about being a Shriner: Men make themselves better – emotionally, spiritually, socially – when they connect with a larger community of positive individuals. That’s true for Norman, as well as for Robert and his generation, they say.

“I tell people the Shrine is great for everybody,” said Norman, whose four brothers and father were all Shriners. “It doesn’t just help the children, though that is very important. When you become a part of it, you really are helping yourself.”

Meet the Goughs, From Youngest to Oldest

Norman Gough, 91, became a Shriner at 56, following his four brothers and father into the fraternity. His brothers badgered him for years to join, he said, but work and family commitments held him back. When he retired, he moved to Arizona, where one of his brothers had the Potentate of El Zaribah Shriners pester him. It worked, and he jumped in “with both feet.” He joined the patrol unit and even learned how to play the glockenspiel, well enough that he was able to play solos when called upon.

If you ask Norman what the best part about being in the fraternity has been, he avoids bragging about the glockenspiel and takes the camaraderie and personal growth for granted. Instead, he points to the children he was able to help get care from Shriners Children’s. “That’s so rewarding,” he said.

Bob Gough, 83, likes to joke that retiring has been so hard it’s taken him three attempts to get it right. He has a doctorate in engineering from Stanford University. His first job was in the U.S. Air Force, where, among other things, he helped test electronic equipment and taught at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado.

Then, after his first retirement, he worked at Sandia National Laboratories, in Albuquerque, where he developed systems for verifying other countries’ adherence to nuclear and other arms-control treaties. After he retired from Sandia, he was selected as the senior American in the onsite inspection division of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization. He moved to Vienna, Austria, the headquarters of the organization, and helped train inspectors from the other signatory states.

Bob became a Shriner in 2021. Why? Because his son, Steven, was Potentate of the Ballut Abyad Shriners of Albuquerque. He says he had never joined because he was busy with his career and relocations. But once his son became Potentate, he was proud and needed to support him.

Steve Gough, 58, joined the fraternity when he was 30, nine years after becoming a Mason. Before the age of 30, medical school and his medical residency as an OB-GYN kept him so busy that he had little time for anything else. Following his residency, Steve did a stint in the U.S. Air Force, following in the footsteps of his father. He spent much of his time in the Air Force in Nebraska, where he was somewhat active in Masonry.

But then, in 1996, his brother-in-law, Thomas Dinsmore, joined the Ballut Abyad Shriners. Steve, who had left the Air Force and returned to Albuquerque to start his civilian medical practice, figured he might as well, too. Steve has been very active in the fraternity since, serving as Ballut Abyad Potentate in 2021. Currently, he serves as the regional membership director.

Steve thinks little has changed since his great-uncle joined. “I think we’re still helping kids, and we’re still having a good time,” he said. “And that’s what really matters.”

Robert Gough, 27, became a Shriner when he was 19 because his friends from DeMolay were joining, and he had had a good time in DeMolay. That’s when, despite all his familial familiarity with the fraternity, he discovered what the Shriners were all about. He moved away from Albuquerque to attend West Texas A&M University, and though he didn’t know anyone in Khiva Shriners in Amarillo, they reached out and supported him in a variety of ways, he said. They even helped him with the field studies he needed to complete in order to get his degree.

As the youngest member in the family and a member of the Ballut Abyad Shriners Divan, Robert thinks the Shriners fraternity is more essential than ever. “The world is always changing, whether we like it or not,” he said. “We have to adapt, because especially in a changing world, men need connections to something, and to others, more than ever.”