Who are the Shriners ?

The Shriners. For many Europeans, including Freemasons, the name of this para-Masonic order does not evoke much. The same cannot be said of the Shriners in the United States, where they are well known for their extensive charitable work. But where do Shriners come from and what are their special features ? In which countries are Shriners based, and why do they have so little influence in Europe ? We'll find out in this article.

Origin and development of the Shriners 

Long known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles Mystic Shrine, the Shriners were founded in New York in 1872 by two American Freemasons, the physician Walter Millard Fleming (1838-1913) and the actor and playwright William J. Florence (real name William Jermyn Conlin, 1831-1891). Their aim was to create a new Masonic organisation based on fun and fellowship to accommodate the many New York Freemasons who, since 1870, had developed the habit of meeting outside the lodge and having lunch at Knickerbocker Cottage, the Manhattan restaurant that had been the headquarters of the New York Athletic Club since 1868 and was frequented by many celebrities, especially politicians.

During a tour of Europe, Florence was invited to a party in Marseilles hosted by an Arab diplomat. A kind of musical play was performed, at the end of which the guests were admitted to a secret society. Deeply impressed, Florence took notes and made drawings which Fleming used to create the rituals of what would become the Shriners.

On this basis, the Shriners adopted an Arabic and pseudo-Muslim style in the titles of their officers and the names of their chapters, as well as in their etiquette, costumes and symbols. The first chapter was formed at Knickerbocker Cottage on 26 September 1872 and took the name of Mecca. It then moved to the new Masonic Hall in Manhattan, which was dedicated in 1875. The Imperial Grand Council, the Order's supreme body, was established in 1876, with Fleming as its first Imperial Potentate. The Order's current headquarters are in Tampa, Florida.

The Shriners soon spread throughout the United States and developed very rapidly. From just 43 members in 1876, by 1878 there were thirteen chapters in eight states, with a total of 425 members. Ten years later, there were 48 chapters in the United States and Canada, with a total membership of 7,210. And by 1900, there were no fewer than 55,000 Shriners in 82 chapters.

Originally a purely American phenomenon, the Shriners have become an international order, with branches in Canada (1888), Mexico (1907), Panama (1918), Puerto Rico (2010), the Philippines (2010), Germany (2011), Brazil (2015) and Bolivia (2018). In all, there are approximately 500,000 Shriners worldwide.

It should also be noted that Prince Hall's African-American Freemasons also began practising the Shriner rite within a rival order founded in 1893, the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order of Nobles Mystic Shrine. This led to a legal battle which the African-American branch won in 1929, gaining the right to use the Shriners' rites. Today, the African-American Shriners have approximately 35,000 members, divided into 227 chapters.

Finally, a curious intrusion of historical events is worth mentioning. After the attacks of 11 September 2001, the Shriners were subjected to harassment, threats and even attempted attacks by extremists who mistook them for an Islamic organisation. They decided to tone down the Arabic aspect of the order and changed their name to Shriners International.

What makes the Shriners special

In addition to their oriental atmosphere, the Shriners have two special features. The first fell into disuse in 2000. Until then, the Shriners only recruited freemasons who had reached the 32nd degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite or the final degree of the York Rite, the Knights Templar. For a long time, therefore, the Shriners were a kind of elite grouping of only very high degree Freemasons. But in 2000, no doubt due to a drop in recruitment, this requirement was dropped and ordinary Master Masons can now be admitted to the Shriners.


Knickerbocker Hospital

But the most remarkable thing about the Shriners is their incredible commitment to charity, which enables them to fund orthopaedic hospitals for children, offering free treatment. Work on the first hospital began in 1922, and the order now sponsors 22 hospitals and has expanded its activities to include care for burn victims and medical research. The work of the Shriners is perhaps the most spectacular example of Masonic charity in the world.

Shriners and Women

The Shriners adhered strictly to the principles of regular Freemasonry, admitting only men. These principles were never questioned, but three women's auxiliary orders were created to welcome the wives, daughters and relatives of Shriners.

The Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America was founded in 1903 in Wheeling, West Virginia, and now has about 8,000 members, down from 32,000 in the mid-1990s. Membership is now open to any woman over the age of 18 who is interested in the order's activities and does not have to be related to a Shriner or a Freemason.

The Daughters of the Nile were founded in 1913 in Seattle, Washington. Today they have around 15,000 members, who no longer need to be related to a Shriner or a Freemason, but must have a connection to the activities of the Shriners. For example, a woman who was a patient in a Shriner hospital as a child is eligible.

And on the African-American side, the Daughters of Isis were founded in 1909 along the same lines as the other two women's orders. They had 15,000 members in 2003 and now number almost 10,000.

Why are the Shriners so poorly represented in Europe ?

An integral part of American Freemasonry, the Shriners are established in only nine other countries. Germany is the only European country with a Shriner membership, which can be explained by the strong influence of American Freemasonry following the Allied occupation after the Second World War.


Shriners symbol

The Shriners are typical of the very pronounced taste Americans have for pseudo-initiatic, fanciful or parodic orders that operate on the fringes of or independently of Freemasonry. Sleeping car workers and plumbers have their own initiation orders, complete with rituals and oaths of secrecy !

This form of sociability, which combines a need of a feeling of community, biblical references and simple fun, has little appeal to Europeans, who often find such organisations childish and a little ridiculous. It's unlikely that the Shriners will have much success in Europe, where initiation orders are generally regarded as something very serious. Perhaps too serious sometimes...