Who are the Shriners?

Shriners, or Shrine Masons, belong to the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (A.E.A.O.N.M.S.) of North and South America and its Jurisdictions. The Shrine is an international fraternity of members who belong to Shrine Temples throughout the world. There are 224 Shrine Temples located all around the world.

Founded by John George Jones in Chicago, Illinois in 1893, the organization is composed solely of 32 degree Scottish Rite Masons or Knights Templar York Rite Masons.

Shriners adhere to the principles of Freemasonry--Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. Freemasonry is the oldest, largest, and most widely know fraternal organization in the world. It dates back hundreds of years to when stonemasons and other craftsment on building projects gathered in shelter houses or lodges. Through the years these gatherings changed in many ways until formal Masonic Lodges emerged, with members bound together not by trade, but by thier own wishes to be fraternal brothers.

Shriners are distinguished by an enjoyment of life in the interest of philanthropy. The approximately 600,000 member organization has a buoyant philosophy which has been expressed as "Pleasure without intemperance, hospitality without rudeness and jollity without coarseness." Shriners are men who enjoy life. They enjoy parades, trips, circuses, dances, dinners, sporting events and other social occasions together.

The Shrine appeals to the strong manhood of North America for a variety of reasons. In the first place, the oriental pageantry and the magnificence of costumes and regalia appeal to men who may be old in years but who, are still young in spirts. Little boys play cops and robbers; Shriners play Moslems and infidels.

The Shrine provides opportunity for fun and play and mirth on a truly magnificent scale. Shriners are apostles of good cheer and happiness and as such are performing a very vital function in this tragic modern world of ours. Indeed it may be said be said that they have been "called into the Kingdom for such a time as this."

A further important principal of the Shrine is toleration in the field of religious opinion. One of the most tragic phenomena of our times is the endless warfare among the people of different faiths and beliefs. In other words, we expend most of our energies fighting one another instead of the devil. The Shrine will have none of it and instructs its initiates that they are to recognize the right of every human being to worship God as he sees fit, without interference or even criticism from any man who walks this planet.

If there is one thing our harassed world needs more than another today, it is bortherly love. This can be found nowhere in a finer or truer form than in the Mystic Shrine. This does not mean for a moment that all Shriners are the perfect embodiment of this quality. However, Shriners in general do live by this principle.

Such is the weak and fallible nature of man that he needs all the spiritual strengthening he can get; to worship and to obey Him, to esteem Him as the chief good and to fight with all our power against atheism.

Through fellowship and philanthropy, Shrinedome strengthens the soul and adds inner meaning to daily life. It thus spreads a glow of joy through one's entire family.

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