Ancient Arabic Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
history of the order
The Imperial Council of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, better known as the Shriners, was founded in 1871 in New York City as a “fun” side degree of the Freemasons. It is open to Master Masons of the 32nd degree, or Knights Templar. There were 720,000 members in 1995. The “Shriners” are the archetypal “fun” auxiliary to a well-established secret society. They are also archetypically American; the Grand Lodge of England has in the past threatened English Masons with expulsion if they join the organization, believing that the Shrine brings Freemasonry into disrepute with childish antics, funny clothes, and ritual some find offensive. On the positive side, however, the Shriners raises a tremendous amount of money for a wide range of worthy causes, especially where children are concerned. The hospitals it funds for crippled and for badly burned children are state-of-the-art facilities and free to those in need.