For those of you that don't know what a Shriner is, it's quite simply a Free Mason in the Shrine. For those of you that don't know what the Shrine is, it's quite simply the group of people that fund raise for Shriners' Children's Hospital. However, if you are aware of what these things are, you're probably related to a shriner patient, a shriner doctor, or a shriner himself. This article is more specifically for people around the actual Shriners, but everyone is welcome to continue reading on; here are some things Shriner family members know for a fact!
1. Always bring cash to any function
The shrine is a charity, and most of your money will be going towards said charity. Sometimes the men will joke about only bringing "small bills" because they know they're getting cleaned out that night; however, they always give with a smile!
2. The temple becomes your second home.
If your Shriner is dedicated to his work, you're more than likely going to be at the temple almost as much as you're at home. I've personally napped in several rooms at Joppa because we're out there at all hours of the night and day.
3. Clowns are thing, and they don't play around.
Men from 25-85 will be running around with white faces and balloons- I'm not kidding. They do everything in their power to make a child smile- and some adults too.
4. You're always explaining what the mysterious "Shrine" is to your friends.
For some reason, a lot of people don't know about Shriners and what they do. So you're constantly telling people about the hospitals, the charity, and the men in the funny hats. You've basically got the speech perfected by now.
5. The Shriners are family.
It may sound cliche, but everyone out there really is a family. Everyone from the secretary to the chief aid becomes a member of your makeshift family. Like every family, it can be a bit dysfunctional, and what's a family dinner without the creepy distant cousins. In spite of that, you love them all. They're such a diverse group with the same motto: "It's for the children."
