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The Shriners International 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.

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The Scottish Rite

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. he 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.

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The York Rite

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 or 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.

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Order of DeMolay

Young men in their teens learn to practice the principles of Masonic charity in the Order of DeMolay. An organization for boys aged 12-20 (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.

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AffiliatedWomen's Organization

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.

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Al Bahr Shrine - 5440 Kearny Mesa Road - San Diego, California 92111-1303
Phone: (858) 292-0092, Toll Free: 1-888-267-4541, Fax: (858) 292-5618
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This page last updated August, 2011