The Shrine of North America is a
fraternity that grew out of
Freemasonry over a century ago.
Because of this, the Shrine is
dedicated to Masonic principles.  The
Shrine fraternity provides to
Masonic brothers a means to widen
the fellowship first enjoyed in the
Masonic Lodge.  The Shrine offers
men, their wives and their families
  an opportunity to meet new friends who have similar interests, tastes
  and feelings.  To be a member of the Shrine, a man must first be a Master
  Mason of a Lodge recognized and in amity with the Conference of Grand Masters
  of North America, you qualify and are invited to join the Shrine.  A man receives
  the three degrees known as the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master
  Mason Degrees in the Masonic Lodge, often known as the Symbolic Lodge, Blue
  Lodge or Craft Lodge.
  In Freemasonry, there is no higher degree than that of Master Mason
  (the Third Degree).
  There are also other groups which interested individuals may join, including
  the Order of DeMolay for young men ages 12 to 21, and several
  organizations which women may belong to.

      Many individual Masonic Lodges, Grand Lodges and other Masonic
  organizations maintain their own sites on the World Wide Web, including
  the Grand Lodge of California and the Masonic-affiliated organization for
  young men, the Order of DeMolay.

Freemasonry

      Freemasonry dates back hundreds of years to when stonemasons and
  other craftsmen 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 their own desire to be fraternal brothers.  The tools of
  the Masons' trade, the square and compass, became the symbols of
  Masonic brotherhood.

      Today, there are millions of Masons throughout the world.  Freemasonry
  strives to make good men better, and seeks to improve the community
  through strengthening the individual's character.

      Worldwide, Masonry has no central governing authority.  Masons are
  members of their local Masonic Lodge, which is subordinate to its Grand
  Lodge.  In the United States and Canada, each state and province is
  governed by its own Grand Lodge.

      Many famous men throughout history have been members of the
  Masonic fraternity.

The Scottish Rite

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      The Scottish Rite is one of the two appendant bodies of Freemasonry in
  which a Master Mason may proceed after he has completed the three
  degrees of Blue Lodge, or Craft Lodge, Masonry.  Any Master Mason in
  good standing may petition for membership.  He must be judged of good
  moral character and be elected by the members.  Neither Scottish in
  origin nor a rite in the religious sense, the Scottish Rite has as its ultimate
  goal mankind's moral and spiritual development.

      The local Scottish Rite organization, called a "Valley," confers the 4th
  through 32nd degrees in degree-conferring meetings.  The Scottish Rite
  is sometimes called the "College of Freemasonry," because it uses
  extensive allegory and drama to emphasize the message of its degrees.
  The degree work may, but not necessarily, be completed at one time.

      The Scottish Rite shares the belief of all Masonic organizations that
  there is no higher degree than that of Master Mason.  The degrees are in
  addition to, and in no way higher than, those of Blue Lodge, or Craft
  Lodge, Masonry.  The degrees simply amplify and elaborate on the
  lessons of the craft, providing further knowledge of Masonry, the
  building of the Temple, and ancient religions, with memorable lessons
  ranging from the days of chivalry to modern times.

      The Scottish Rite is said to have been brought to the New World in
  1761.  In 1801, the first Scottish Rite Supreme Council was established
  in South Carolina, becoming known as the Ancient and Accepted
  Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United
  States of America, the Supreme Council 33rd degree, Mother Council of
  the World.

      Twelve years later, this council authorized the formation of a second
  one in New York City, known as the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of
  Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United
  States of America.  The Supreme Council of the Northern Jurisdiction, with
  headquarters in Lexington, Mass., consists of 15 states north of the
  Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River.  Membership in the Supreme
  Council of the Northern Jurisdiction is limited to 66 active 33rd degree
  Masons, excluding emeritus and past active members.

      The Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction includes the other 35
  states, plus the District of Columbia, Republic of Panama, China, Guam,
  Japan, Okinawa, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Taiwan.  The
  Southern Jurisdiction has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.  In
  addition, Canada's Scottish Rite is governed by the Supreme Council of
  the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of Canada,
  headquartered in Hamilton, Ontario, and Mexico also has its own
  Scottish Rite jurisdiction.

      All Scottish Rite jurisdictions nominate a select few members to receive
  the 33rd Degree, Inspector General Honorary, in recognition of
  outstanding service to the Rite, or in public life, to the principles taught
  in the degrees.  In the Southern Jurisdiction, the Supreme Council
  chooses 33rd degree members from among those who have previously
  received the rank and decoration of Knight Commander Court of Honor.
  The KCCH is bestowed in a Ceremonial of Investiture in recognition of
  outstanding service to the Rite, or in public life, to the principles taught
  in the degrees.

The York Rite

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      The York Rite is one of two appendant bodies of Freemasonry in which
  a Master Mason can proceed in Masonry after he has completed the three
  degrees of Blue (or Craft) Lodge Masonry (the other appendant body
  being the Scottish Rite).  Any Master Mason in good standing may
  petition for membership.  He must be judged of good moral character
  and be elected by the members.

      Ancient York Rite Masonry, which took its name from the old English
  city of York, is considered by many Masonic historians to have been
  "original" Masonry.  It is said that a British king who was converted to
  Christianity in York granted the original charter to the Masonic guilds
  there nearly 1,000 years ago.  This organization apparently functioned
  for about 50 years, then faded, but it left traditions that were revived
  years later.

      When Masons came from the British Isles to the New World, they
  brought with them Masonic degrees conferred in the mother country.
  Fearing that many of the lessons of ancient Freemasonry would be lost
  or altered by Masons scattering through the new land, early Masons
  arranged some of these lessons in a series of rites.  The term York Rite
  has come to be applied to this series of degrees conferred in three
  primary bodies: the Royal Arch Chapter, the Council of Royal and Select
  Masters, and the Commandery of Knights Templar.  These additional
  degrees supplement and amplify the Symbolic Degrees of Freemasonry,
  adding to the moral and spiritual lessons taught in the Lodge. Though
  not a religion in itself, York Rite Masonry develops themes based on
  Christianity.

      In ancient Masonry, the Royal Arch Degree was conferred for a time in
  the Blue Lodge, but eventually evolved into a separate body in the York
  Rite.  The degrees of the Royal Arch bring to completion the symbolism
  of ancient craft Masonry, and each degree has its own story to tell, its
  own lesson to teach, and its own moral truth to illustrate.

      The Royal and Select Masters follows the Royal Arch.  The degrees of
  this body each inculcates its own special historical and moral lesson.  In
  some jurisdictions, membership in the Council of Royal and Select
  Masters is not a prerequisite for membership in the final York Rite body,
  the Knights Templar; the Council, however, is believed essential in
  fulfilling a Masonic education.

      The Order of Knights Templar is considered the Christian branch of
  Freemasonry.  The three orders in this body are the Order of the Red
  Cross, the Order of Malta and the Order of the Temple.  These orders are
  founded upon the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ
  as related in the New Testament.  A candidate for the orders must be of
  the Christian faith, accepting his individual obligations as a man, a
  Mason and a Christian, and in some jurisdictions must be a Companion
  of the Royal Arch in good standing.  A genuine concern for others is one
  of the basic characteristics of Templary.

      Local chapters of each of the three main bodies of the Rite are
  organized into state, provincial or regional organizations.  Chapters of
  Royal Arch Masons are organized into Grand Chapters, which
  themselves form a unified association called the General Grand Chapter.
  Chapters of the Royal and Select Masters form Grand Councils, which
  together form the General Grand Council.  And Commanderies of the
  Knights Templar are organized into Grand Commanderies by states, and
  those bodies form the Grand Encampment, Knights Templar of the
  U.S.A.  In Canada, this body is known as the Sovereign Great Priory of
  Canada.

      As in Craft Lodge Masonry, the governing bodies at the state or
  provincial level are autonomous and sovereign in their own jurisdiction.
  The Grand Chapters and Grand Councils may or may not choose to
  affiliate with the corresponding national or international governing body.
  Grand commanderies are required to belong to the Grand Encampment.

Order of DeMolay

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      Young men in their teens learn to practice the principles of Masonic
  charity in the Order of DeMolay.  An organization for boys aged 12-21
  (12-year-olds must have completed the 7th grade), DeMolay provides
  opportunities for community service, charity, public speaking and
  leadership development.  Its members are young men who are striving
  to grow by taking on the responsibilities of adulthood.

      To raise funds for charity, members participate in various sales, fairs
  and community festivals.  They conduct walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons,
  all-night dances, and other programs to encourage donors to pledge
  charitable gifts.  Some chapters work at telethons, others ring bells for
  the Salvation Army.  Many chapters participate in food bank and clothing
  drives, while others volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

      The amount of money contributed, or the number of hours worked, is of
  little consequence.  What matters most is that DeMolay members learn
  to make the act of service and caring for others a part of their daily
  routine.

      The Order of DeMolay is a charitable extension of Masonic concern for
  the community.  Freemasonry serves future generations of leaders by
  providing a safe, wholesome, fun and educational environment in which
  young people can grow.  Masons have traditionally provided the adult
  leaders needed to conduct a quality program.  Masons have provided
  quality meeting facilities and financial support of DeMolay chapters all
  across the country.  Most importantly, Freemasonry has provided the
  model of a successful fraternity from which DeMolays learn the values of
  brotherly love, relief and truth.

      The basic chapter program allows young men to select their own
  leaders, plan their own programs and conduct their own activities.  The
  members learn and grow by planning, budgeting, and administering
  their own programs; the advisors guide and suggest.  Other programs
  are essential to the complete DeMolay chapter and include visitations to
  other chapters, civic and Masonic service projects and fund-raisers.

      All DeMolay chapters observe an annual Day of Comfort, between
  Thanksgiving and Christmas, to emphasize the needs of others.  Each
  chapter has its own program of service.  Typical projects include
  volunteering at a local nursing home, raising money for local and
  national charities, community clean-ups and renewal work parties.

      The success of DeMolay is demonstrated by its members, both active
  and senior.  Senior members include newscasters Walter Cronkite and
  Dan Rather, the late actor John Wayne, weatherman Willard Scott,
  athletes Bob Mathias and Fran Tarkenton, the late Walt Disney, radio
  personality Paul Harvey, President Bill Clinton and Senator Bill Bradley.

      For further information about the Order of DeMolay, or to find the
  chapter nearest you, contact the Order of DeMolay at
  http://www.demolay.org or (816) 891-8333, 10200 N. Executive Hills
  Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64153-1367.

AffiliatedWomen's Organizations

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      The Daughters of the Nile, the Ladies Oriental Shrine and the Shrine
  Guilds of America are just some of the organizations affiliated with the
  Shrine that generously support Shriners Hospitals for Children.  Others
  include Order of the Eastern Star and Job's Daughters.

Daughters of the Nile

      The Daughters of the Nile, founded in 1913, is a benevolent,
  international, fraternal organization for women who are wives,
  daughters, mothers, widows, sisters or granddaughters of Shriners.
  These women have contributed millions of dollars to Shriners Hospitals
  for Children.

      Each year, through the Supreme Temple Convalescent Endowment
  Fund and Convalescent Relief Fund, Daughters of the Nile contribute to
  the hospitals for prostheses, orthoses, shoes, etc. for outpatients.  In
  addition, many Temples sew garments and quilts, provide toys and hold
  parties for the children in the hospitals.  They also contribute thousands
  of hours yearly in volunteer work at the hospitals.

      The first Temple, or chapter, was organized in 1913 and now boasts
  148 Temples throughout the United States and Canada, with the
  principal officer of each local Temple having the title of Queen.  The top
  official of the Supreme Temple has the title of Supreme Queen.

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  Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America

      The Ladies Oriental Shrine, founded in 1903, is a fun group, with each
  court assuming an obligation to extend financial support and assistance
  to Shriners Hospitals for Children with emphasis on the hospital fund,
  hospital sewing and special projects.  They have 101 courts throughout
  the country.

      The Ladies Oriental Shrine was organized in the jurisdiction of Osiris
  Temple in Wheeling, West Virginia, on Feb. 14, 1903.  The Grand Council
  was organized in 1914 and incorporated in 1954.  The top official of the
  Grand Council has the title of Grand High Priestess and the principal of
  local courts has the title of high priestess.  To become a member of
  Ladies Oriental Shrine, a woman must be the wife, mother, daughter,
  granddaughter, widow, sister, half-sister, step-daughter or niece of a
  Shriner in good standing at the time of death.

  Shrine Guilds of America, Inc.

      The Shrine Guilds of America, founded in 1947, provide independent
  support and aid to Shriners Hospitals for Children and concentrate on
  the education of children during their stay at Shriners Hospitals.  The
  Shrine Guilds of America was organized in 1947 and members must be
  wives or widows of Shriners.

      The leader of the Imperial Council Shrine Guilds of America is called the
  Imperial Maharanee, and the heads of subordinate Shrine Guilds are
  called Maharanee.  They have approximately 14 Guilds, mostly in
  Indiana and Florida.