of course...
Posted on 08/25/2006 3:31:29 PM PDT by churchillbuff
[John] Wayne, arguably the No. 1 all-time cinema hero, bought into the most valuable tenets of the Shriners' fun brand of freemasonry – friendship, morality and brotherly love.
Who wouldn't want to join a fraternity with tenets like those? Apparently, a lot of us these days don't.
In 1975, the same year Universal Pictures released "Rooster Cogburn," the Shriners opened Afifi Shrine Temple next to the Scottish Rite Temple, on nearly 20 acres in Tacoma's West End.
They needed more space to accommodate a growing membership that numbered roughly 8,700 Afifi Shriners plus their circus calliope, old clown jalopies, parade floats and Oriental band equipment.
Today, the two fraternal organizations have put their remaining 10 acres and two temples up for sale. Asking price: $7.6 million.
The state's oldest Shriners organization, founded in 1889, has gotten old and irrelevant to younger generations.
(Excerpt) Read more at thenewstribune.com ...
Scottish Rite runs speech and hearing centers.
Shriners own and operate 22 hospitals in North America that provide free care – primarily orthopedic and burn treatment – for children. They raise money with a circus and an annual college football all-star game. The Afifis feature a traveling troupe of award-winning clowns.
"We don't understand why someone wouldn't want to be part of this philanthropy," Nau said.
In an upper room at the temple, you'll see old black-and-white panoramic photos featuring hundreds of Shriners gathered at woodland picnics in the late 1800s and clad in Oriental-themed uniforms at civic parades in the 1920s and 1930s.
Shriners and Scottish Rites also maintain the rituals, passwords and gradual advancement to higher and higher Masonic degrees.
Perhaps the slow, progressive nature of that advancement turns off younger generations interested in more instant gratification and quick leadership opportunities.
Before Bede could become a Shriner, for example, he first had to join the Scottish Rite and advance to what's called the 32nd degree. That rule changed, however, in 2000 when Shriners started accepted third-degree master masons as a way to make membership easier.
It hasn't attracted enough new recruits in Tacoma to hang onto the 31-year-old temple.
By my generation Shriners (and all those types of organizations) are primarily associated with old guys wearing goofy hats. I know there's a lot more to it than that but honestly I wouldn't even consider joining any of them until after I retire.
Do they accept Catholics?
How the mighty have fallen.
That is hooey! One "Reunion" class lasting a day and you go from third degree to 32nd degree Mason and becoming a Shriner is another day. It is not much trouble at all.
Fraternal organizations in general have diminished over the years and Masonry is also affected. I don't know why that is the case but it definitely is true.
YES
I like the mumbo-jumbo and secret handshake thing, but what I'm really holding out for is an offer of a really keen decoder ring for understanding life, the universe and everthing else.
All sorts of old organizations are struggling to find new members.
After the break-ups of ethnic neighborhoods, th ebuilding of sprawling suburbs, the dying out of the WWII generation which so strongly supported volunteerism and fraternity there just aren't many people interested in joining these fraternal organizations (masonic or otherwise).
If the Shriners and Masons want new younger members, maybe they should talk to younger men about who they are, what they do, etc. I don't think most people have a clue - I don't aside from what I've seen on the History channel.
All the hospital stuff for the kids - free.
Sad to see this happen.
I'm not a member but I don't think they have any restrictions on Catholics as members; I think, however, that the Church used to discourage membership in the Masons or the Shriners, which I believe is an offshoot of same.
As Vladimir998 said (just above) - I don't think people join things much anymore...churches, civic clubs, political parties.
In my neighborhood, we are all very friendly, wave, speak to each other when walking or jogging, but when we come home, we hit the open button on the garage door, drive in and settle in for the night.
Not much joining or mixing...
There's a major turnoff right there.
I have watched this trend for years. The people on the left of the political spectrum are joiners. The people on the right side of political spectrum are not. Maybe it is because of the belief in self-reliance on the right. In any case, it has allowed the left to take over many organizations...and let other wither on the vine. I don't think we, as a society, are better for it.
of course...
then you'll wait a long time, cause nobody, will ever ask you to become a Mason... you have to seek out a Mason and ASK to join. that's just the way it is.
ping the list.
Fraternal organizations in the past were a regular way for guys to get away from the chaos of wife and kids and do a good deed at the same time. There weren't that many options for guys who wanted that experience back in the day. Now there are a million other things to do instead of join a lodge. In addition,televisions and home video players, central heat/air, rear-entry garages, and probably other factors have contributed to an atomized society that doesn't join much anymore. Men in this country suffer for that loss, most without even knowing what they're missing.
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