Freemasonry and its ties to the Shrine

In order to become a Shriner, a man must first be a Freemason, or Mason as it is most commonly referred as. The fraternity of Freemasonry is the oldest, largest and most widely known Fraternity in the world. It dates back hundreds of years to when stonemasons and other craftsmen on building projects gathered in shelter houses, or lodges. Over the years, formal Masonic lodges emerged, with members bound together not by trade, but by their own desire to be Fraternal Brothers.

The basic unit of Masonry is the Blue Lodge, where members earn the first three Masonic Degrees. There is no higher degree than that of Master Mason (the Third Degree), but if a man wishes to further explore the allegory and symbolism learned in the Blue Lodge, he can join the Scottish Rite and/or the York Rite, both of which elaborate on the basic tenets of Freemasonry.

steps to becoming a Shrine Mason

Every Shriner is first a Mason: however, in many parts of North America, Masonry does not solicit members. In these areas, no one is asked to join. A man must seek admission of his own free will. A man is a fully accepted "Blue Lodge" Mason after he has received and proved proficiency in the first three degrees, known as Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason.

After that, he can belong to many other organizations which have their roots in Masonry and which have Blue Lodge Masonry as a prerequisite. Only when a Master Mason has proven proficiency in the Third Degree can he petition to become a Noble of the Mystic Shrine.

Membership A top priority for the Shrine

The membership of the Shrine of North America continues to decline at an alarming rate. In fact, every 24 hours, the Shrine loses 46 Nobles.

While this statistic is shocking, with a cooperative effort throughout Shrinedom, it is not irreversible.

The slogan — Membership... TOGETHER WE CAN — signifies the joint effort that must take place in order to reach that goal.

Imperial Potentates since Imperial Sir Robert N. Turnipseed and the entire Imperial Divan are determined to make membership a priority.

"In order for our great fraternity to succeed, we must make sure every Noble understands the significance of membership," said Imperial Sir Turnipseed. "This is not an issue to be take lightly."

Imperial Membership Chairman Gary W. Dunwoody stated at that time that he was dedicated to making a difference in the membership challenge of the Shrine. "At our annual Membership Seminar and in our efforts throughout the year, the Nobles who serve on the Imperial Membership Committee, as well as the Temple Membership Chairmen, work toward increasing the Shrine's membership. However, in order to make an impact, each individual Shriner must make this same commitment and work together to bring in new Nobles," said Imperial Sir Dunwoody.

If the Shriners don't pull together and start making strides toward increasing our membership, the Shrine will cease to exist as we know it.

Remember: The key to our future is Membership... TOGETHER WE CAN.

Where to get a Petition for Membership

As stated above, in order to become a Shriner, a man must first be a Master Mason. Men who wish to become Shriners must first achieve Master Mason status – that means all Shriners are Masons, but not all Masons are Shriners.

Find our more about the steps to becoming a Master Mason or Shriner at www.beashrinernow.com/Roadmap/.

Once you have completed your three degrees in Freemasonry, only then can you petition Rizpah Shriners for membership. Click on the link button below to view and print out a petition for membership (In .PDF Format and opens in a new tab or window).