What is a Shriner?
What is a Shriner? Outside of it's many parade units, the general public seems to have little knowledge of the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine or Shriners as they are often called.
What kind of organization attracts truck drivers, dentists, contractors, heads of state, movie stars, generals, clergymen, and accountants?
Someone might answer the question: "Oh yeah, Shriners are those guys who always have those parades with the wild costumes and the funny little cars". Another might think of Shrine circuses and Shrine clowns. The fellow next to him might interject, "No, Shriners are the guys who wear those funny hats -- like flowerpots -- and have big conventions".
"I do not know about that," a passerby might add. "But I do know my little girl was born with club feet and now they are straight, and she can walk like anyone else thanks to the Shriners Hospitals for Children".
"She can walk?" questions another still. "I thought the Shriners ran those fantastic burns institutes. I have read stories about them saving kids with burns on 90 percent of their bodies".
All those people are right. Each has experienced an aspect of Shrinedom. What they cannot experience, unless they are Shriners, is the camaraderie, deep friendships, good fellowship and great times shared by all Shriners. What they may not know is that all Shriners share a Masonic heritage: Each is a 32 degree Master Mason and may or may not be in the Scottish Rite or a Knights Templar Mason in the York Rite.
There are approximately 600,000 Shriners now. They gather in Temples, or Chapters, throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Republic of Panama. There are 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children -- 18 orthopedic hospitals, three Shriners Burns Institutes, and one hospital that provides orthopedic, burn and spinal cord injury care. These hospitals have cured or substantially helped more than 550,000 children -- at no cost to the parent or child -- since the first Shriners Hospital opened in 1922.
The Shriners CreedShriners believe in a supreme being or diety, your own version, and that He created man to serve His purposes, among which is service to others in His name. We believe that care for the less fortunate, especially children who suffer from burns and crippling diseases, is our institutional calling. We are patriots, each willing to serve his country with fidelity and courage. We cherish independence under law and freedom with responsibility. We honor family. We respect our parents, wives and children. We should instill in our children the tenets of this creed, and the heritage from which it emanates. As individuals we pledge ourselves to integrity, virtue and nobility of character. Our intentions will be honorable, our relations will be trustworthy and our spirits forgiving of each other. As brothers we offer each other fraternal affection and respect. Together we will support each other in adherence to this creed, so that we and our communities will be the better because of our fraternity and its principles. As Shriners we look beyond ourselves to serve the needs of others, especially children who cannot help themselves. We believe Shriners Hospitals to be the world's greatest philanthropy, and we covenant with each other to support its "temples of mercy" with spirit, time, talent and means. |
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