Shriners Hospitals for Children

Register to hide this ad
A local real estate guy has a yearly benefit auction for them. Last weekend, this raised over $40k. I try to attend each year and kick in a few bucks. There is a vast assortment of items donated and sold, from guns and knives to homemade fried pies, peanut brittle, and furniture. most of the toys sold are donated back to take to children at the hospital. It is a good thing, and fun to attend.
 
As a Freemason for 15 years, I am looking forward to retirement in 3-4 months, so I can complete Scottish Rite and become a Shriner (Lack time right now!).

Tuesday night, we were having dinner with a couple of friends-I knew the husband casually (Ex Green Beret=sold him a couple of guns). Halfway through our meal, he grabbed my hand and tapped my ring (of a Master Mason). I asked if he was a "Brother" and he shook my hand, using the grip of a Master Mason.
 
BearBio,
I may be reading your statement wrong, but just so you know, it is no longer necessary to pass through either the Scottish or York Rites to become a Shriner. That was true up to about 2000, but since then things have relaxed a bit, and now it is only necessary to either wait for six months after being Raised a Master Mason, or your return of the MM Catechism. If you've been a Blue Lodge Mason for 15 years, you should be good to go!

I've been a Mason since '82,and a Shriner since 2006. Now I'm the Junior Past Potentate of my Shrine Center.

All of the recent Shriners Hospitals for Children ads have been awesome, but NOTHING beats a trip to your (possibly local) Shriners Hospital. All you have to do is contact your nearest Shrine Center, and they will probably be happy to arrange such a tour for you...and you will NOT be solicited for a donation. In May I'll be heading down to our hospital in Mexico City (which I have visited before), and even though I've been pretty immersed in this for years, I have no doubt that at some point during my visit there I will be having some VERY watery eyes!

I'd like to extend a digital hand to all of my Blue Lodge Brothers here on the site (and there seems to be a LOT of us!) and invite all of the membership here to consider joining our ranks. All it takes is a call to the Secretary of your local Masonic Lodge, and it'll all be taken care of after that!

2BE1ASK1!

Tom
 
I've been a Master Mason since 2000. I'm happy and lazy. Don't want to do the work to be a Shriner but I support our Tri County Shrine Club diners and fundraisers as Master Masons are welcomed at most events.

Did I understand you right that I could be a Shriner without doing the memory work?
 
Doublesharp,
Yes, you can become a Shriner without the 'memory work', but I'd still recommend that if you ever decide to get 'active' in your Blue Lodge, you can make yourself really really useful if you do learn the ritual work involved with putting on the Degrees.

Also, I belive that out of the various state- based Masonic jurisdictions, in Arkansas (if any of y'all happen to live there) you may become a Shriner without having to be a Mason first, due to a ruling a number of years ago by a past Arkansas Masonic Grand Master, who desired, for whatever reason, to divest the Arkansas Blue Lodge from the Shrine. Perhaps one of our Arkansas Brothers may be able to tell us if this unfortunate policy has been repealed.

Tom
 
I misspoke in my earlier post. The local auction benefits St. Jude and not Shriner's. I get the two confused easily. They both do amazing work.
 
Many are likely not aware that of every dollar raised / contributed by Shriners for the hospitals, 100% goes to the Shriners Hospital. No funds are kept out for "expenses" or other reasons.
 
Who pays foirtrhe TV commercials??

AKtinman said:
Many are likely not aware that of every dollar raised / contributed by Shriners for the hospitals, 100% goes to the Shriners Hospital. No funds are kept out for "expenses" or other reasons.
Click to expand...

I regularly see a very well produced and quite moving fund raising commercial asking for "Only $19 per month".

Who pays for the TV commercials??
Maybe part of the $19 goes to buy more commercials.

Bekeart
 
I was aware of the change but my "area of study" has always been Blue Lodge. I am a traditionalist (unlike some, I have attended initiations and passings with Brothers of different faiths) and would just feel better going through the "ranks".


Interesting story: When I "passed", it was in a nearby town (40 miles away) and during a bad snowstorm. One of our Shriners was driving me and my mentor to the Lodge. He was an Air Force base commander and Korean War ace. We were running very late. Likely the hairiest ride of my life!
 
Bekeart said:
I regularly see a very well produced and quite moving fund raising commercial asking for "Only $19 per month".

Who pays for the TV commercials??
Maybe part of the $19 goes to buy more commercials.

Bekeart
Click to expand...


A good and fair question. I don’t have an answer for you. Perhaps someone else can shed some light on that.

Back when I was active on a local level, every cent of all monies we collected went to the Shriners Hospital, with nothing retained for other expenses.
 
Charity Navigator shows approx 16% goes to administering the hospital.
Compare that to any other medical facility you want. Shriners hospital system ranks higher than any.
Ask a parent who knows. Ask a kid who knows. Ask12B1

And: St. Judes is a wonderful organization, I support it as well.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

lihpster
Ever wanted to drive a Roomba?
Replies
5
Views
424
Imissedagain
Imissedagain
Ματθιας
RF-4EJ “ Goodbye Woodpecker Phantoms "
Replies
12
Views
666
JRB416
JRB416
Kasian
Restoring and Blueing 1938 Revolver
Replies
10
Views
864
Taj
Taj
VictorLouis
The hand-built illegal gun trade in Philippines
Replies
8
Views
782
THE PILGRIM
THE PILGRIM
lihpster
Mach Loop footage F-35 C-130 etc.
Replies
6
Views
284
LVSteve
LVSteve

Latest posts

Back
Top