Grandpa Clark was a Shriner, what the heck is the deal w/that?

I remember things about him and the Shriners, but the only artifact I have now is a broken ashtray.

What should I know about this group in order to better understand my dear grandfather?

There's some weird Shriner's country club nearby. It looks nice, too nice for me to afford.

They have a fancy club? That's odd...
I always thought they were just old poor crazy looking people standing outside of Walrmart asking for money. Maybe that's how they got the club, there are a lot of Walmarts.

reply to post by FlyingFox


the shriners are a side group to the masons.

if forget the right word for it...sister org perhaps?

basically you have masons. 3 degrees. equal to all other masons.
then you have scottish rite. degrees up to 33. 32 you go for. 33 is awarded for merit. it is a side of masonry, but not required. a 32 is not higher than a 3. think group within a group. same with shriners.

shriners are considered the rich masons club and used to have a wild rep. now they are a bit more tame, and their dues are less because there are less masons now. however to be a shriner, you have to be 3rd degree mason. they run the shriners hospitals.

again, a 3rd is equal to a 32nd. a 3rd can hold any office in the lodge. the other orgs are for those that want to go really deep into masonry.

It's a club you can belong to if you're at least 75 years old or look like you're at least 75 years old.

reply to post by FlyingFox


Its just a club for old men to all agree there is a god and to agree that females arent good enough to be in their lodges.

You cant blame them for keeping their fellowship private. Religious idiots have been killing the "unbelievers" or blasphemers for most likely tens of thousands of years. its gonna be fun for a bit when the tables turn.

Originally posted by Wertdagf
reply to post by FlyingFox

 

Its just a club for old men to all agree there is a god and to agree that females arent good enough to be in their lodges.

They actually have a ladies chapter .
The shriners have done alot of good for alot of people. Not only do they foot some extensive medical bills for kids but they also give rides to important appointments. I've known a few that became shriners for social status (that were really poor-ish working stiffs) but some have a genuine concern for helping those in need. They also host an amazing circus to raise money every year.

It means he trolled people on internet forums and told them they were wrong about everything.

I guess that was helpful.

reply to post by FlyingFox


They have a lot of fun and do a LOT of charity work. Their main focus is on Shriners Hospital for kids. Children who are crippled or burned can get expert medical care at no cost at all to the families. Our area has clowns. They dress up like clowns and go to hospitals and cheer up sick kids. ( and even some sick adults)


If you really want to know about him, go to the local chapter and ask around. Even it you don't find people that knew him, you will find people that will tell you what kind of stuff he did. Go to the source for real information.

Originally posted by network dude
reply to post by FlyingFox

 

They have a lot of fun and do a LOT of charity work. Their main focus is on Shriners Hospital for kids. Children who are crippled or burned can get expert medical care at no cost at all to the families. Our area has clowns. They dress up like clowns and go to hospitals and cheer up sick kids. ( and even some sick adults)


If you really want to know about him, go to the local chapter and ask around. Even it you don't find people that knew him, you will find people that will tell you what kind of stuff he did. Go to the source for real information.

I would be so scared if I was a sick kid and freemasons dressed as clowns came to see me.

reply to post by FlyingFox

The Shriners do a lot of good charitable work and are considered the "frat" of Freemasonry. They are supposed to be a fun organization, but I have no wish to join them at this point in my life. Many of my Masonic Brethren are Shriners and they are good men. From time to time I do have lunch at the Shrine as one of the EA's of my Lodge is the cook there.

reply to post by protocolsoflove

We hire doctors to care for the sick.

Originally posted by protocolsoflove

I would be so scared if I was a sick kid and freemasons dressed as clowns came to see me.

That is pretty hilarious....I mean scary.

Go here www.shrinersinternational.org... or here www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org... for a start. There are lots more URLs; but, I'm sure you know how to use a search engine.

They also had a Burn Center in Galveston, Texas which they closed down for lack of funding

Originally posted by protocolsoflove
It means he trolled people on internet forums and told them they were wrong about everything.

As much as it hurts me to do so, I gotta give this one a star.

Funny!