# What's the connection between masonry and shriners? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 19, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380 "2013-03-19T18:24:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380/1 "2013-03-19T18:24:14Z")
Are they the same organization? is one a sub-set of the other? do you have to be a mason to be a shriner? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380/2 "2013-03-19T18:56:59Z")
Shriners are a sub-set of Masons. > **[Shriners](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shriners)** > > Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. > Shriners International describes itself as a fraternity based on fun, fellowship, and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief, and truth. There are about 200 temples across North America, South America, Europe and Southeast Asia. The organization founded the Shriners Hospitals for Childr... ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380/3 "2013-03-19T19:08:02Z")
\*\*What’s the connection between masonry and shriners? \*\* Usually a hotel balcony and a water ballon. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380/4 "2013-03-20T01:10:08Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > \*\*What’s the connection between masonry and shriners? \*\* > > Usually a hotel balcony and a water ballon. +1 Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380/5 "2013-03-20T01:49:10Z")
They are both foot soldiers of the Illuminati, ;)😉 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380/6 "2013-03-20T01:54:34Z")
As always when the Shriners are mentioned, I’ll take the opportunity to say “Thank you.” Your generous donations paid for my son’s spinal fusion surgery when he was 11. He’s 20 now, and healthy and strong, if a little shorter than he might otherwise have been. 🙂 Without your hospital, I’d never have been able to have it done, and he’d have had a lifetime of pain and very visible deformity. Thank you. [Shriners Hospitals for Children](http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/) ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380/7 "2013-03-20T07:10:20Z")
All Shriners are Masons; not all Masons are Shriners. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380/8 "2013-03-20T07:37:50Z")
You don’t often know if someone is a Mason, but Shriners are very open about being Shriners, especially when it is circus or fruitcake season. And as stated, you have to be a Mason to be a Shriner, but there are very many members who barely ever darken the door of Lodge (Masons) pay their yearly fee, but are very active in the Shrine. Mona Lisa Simpson, daughter of a Mason, a Shriner, a Royal Arch Mason, a Sottish Rite Mason, and a couple of other minor degrees /lodges/subets I can’t remeber. Yes, I have only one dad. Yes I was the only 28 year old I knew who went to circuses without having kids. Yes, I have had a bunch of drunken Shriners break out into a barber shop quartet singing and harmonizing a song with my (real) first name in it when I was introduced to them. Good times. And yes, Shriners hospitals do amazing work. Dad was on the hospital transportation committe sending kids from Thunder Bay to Montreal or Winnipeg and once even to Boston for treatments. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2013, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380/9 "2013-03-20T22:35:38Z")
Have Shriners gone out of their way to change their public image in the past 10 years or so? They make themselves prominent at public parades very visibly, in two distinct ways. Or they used to, anyway. First, they always had a contingent of marching “soldiers”, dressed up in very ceremonial and oriental (meaning near-eastern) looking mostly-red uniforms, including fez and Arabic inscriptions. They came across as a bunch of grown-up kiddies pretend-playing at being elite Islamic warriors in the days of Scheherazade. Then, scattered through the rest of the parade, they had the groups of clowns with their little toy cars, pogo sticks, and such. Lately, though, since 9/11/2001, it seems they’ve discontinued the Islamic just-pretend play. I wonder why. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380/10 "2013-03-21T05:07:49Z")
You have to first be a Mason in order to become a Shriner, but Masons aren’t necessarily Shriners and they don’t have to become one. Shriners have two claims to fame. One is acting silly and having parades with outrageous costumes and vehicles. The other is raising lots and lots of money to provide free medical care for children. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-connection-between-masonry-and-shriners/653380/11 "2013-03-21T08:18:48Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Have Shriners gone out of their way to change their public image in the past 10 years or so? > > They make themselves prominent at public parades very visibly, in two distinct ways. Or they used to, anyway. First, they always had a contingent of marching “soldiers”, dressed up in very ceremonial and oriental (meaning near-eastern) looking mostly-red uniforms, including fez and Arabic inscriptions. They came across as a bunch of grown-up kiddies pretend-playing at being elite Islamic warriors in the days of Scheherazade. > > Then, scattered through the rest of the parade, they had the groups of clowns with their little toy cars, pogo sticks, and such. > > Lately, though, since 9/11/2001, it seems they’ve discontinued the Islamic just-pretend play. I wonder why. My understanding (and I have no connection with Masons or Shriners or Elks or Lions) is that one Shriner leader about 10-15 years ago successfully urged his fellow members to become more known for helping crippled children instead of dressing funny and riding around in little cars. Don’t think 9/11 had anything to do with it, just coincidence.