5 of 7

Write now Article Tools

The Shriners are one of the neatest group of men in the world. They are members of the masonic fraternity and they have gone the first three degrees that you have to earn to be a mason or a member of the Blue Lodge as it is called. There are millions of masons around the world but there are only about 750,000 Shriners who have gone trough the other 29 degrees to become a 32nd degree Mason which you have to be to become a Shriner. My family has a probably six or seven generations of Masons. My father had his seventy year pin and my mother had a sixty year pin in Eastern Star. As far as I know I am the only one who has gone on to become a Shriner but it is a really neat group of men and I am very proud to be a member of the El Jebel temple here in Denver. Now that I am sort of semi-retired I hope to have more time to do things with the Shriners and Masons.

The Shriners were started in the late 1800s in New York City. They are members of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, AANOMS. If you rearrange the letters you will find that it spells A MASON. You can be a Mason and not be a Shriner but you have to be a Mason to become a Shriner. You first become a Master Mason and then you choose to go through either the Sottish Rite or the York rite to earn your advanced degrees. I went through York Rite but I hope to take the Scottish rite lessons soon too.

The Shriners do a lot of wonderful things and they try to always put God first and family but they do have a good tome when they get together with their brother and their ladies. Most of the temples have big well equipped kitchens and they do a lot of cooking and having big dinners and get togethers. They participate in parades all over with their go karts, mini model A and Model ts and their antique cars. El Jebel has a band and a choir and an RV club, a computer club, the Keystone Kops, the Shrine Clowns and many other outfits. They sponsor the Shrine Circus and the North-South Shrine Football game every year.

Their biggest Charity is The Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children The first one was built in Shreveport Louisiana in 1922 and now there are 22 throughout the United States of America and one in Canada and one in Mexico City. Eighteen of them are pediatric hospitals and three of them are burns centers. They provide help for children with all kinds of problems at absolutely no expense to the parents up until the age of 18. It is really a neat deal and is all done with money the Shriners raise and from a lot of generous corporate sponsors and from estates left to the Shriner's. The Hospitals are headquartered in Tampa Florida but are located all across this great land of ours

The Shriners are the biggest philanthropic organization in the world and have done a lot of wonderful work for nearly a million kids over the years. It is pretty neat. I was at a truck stop in Cheyenne Wyoming one time and I had my Shriner's Cap and jacket on and all of a sudden this cute young lady came up , threw her arms around me and gave me a kiss. Of course I was shocked and then she told me, "I love the Shriners. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't be walking today. Thanks and I love you guys." Experiences like that make it all worth any sacrifice you might have.

Learn more about this author, Bill Whitney.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Who are the Shriners??
We want to hear your view. Write now!