Becoming a Shriner
If you hold the title of Master Mason in Freemasonry, you qualify and are invited to join the Shriners.
In order to become a Shriner you must ask a current Shriner to support and sponsor your application. This site makes that process easier by pairing you with a virtual mentor who can answer all of your questions, guide you through the petition process and help you get to know members of your local temple.
If you are not a Freemason, you must pursue that first. Ask for a virtual mentor on this site who will assist you on that journey. Also see the Roadmap section and click on Freemason for details on that process. Once you are a Master Mason you will then be eligible to petition to become a Shriner. See Roadmap section and click on Shriner for details. Your virtual mentor will assist you with every step along the way.
There are many benefits to becoming a Shriner.
~ Membership in a well-known fraternal organization recognized for its social and philanthropic activities.
~Opportunity to develop lasting relationships with like minded men from all over the world
~Engage in social activities and events that are available for the entire family. Participate in many special interest groups with Shriners that allow like minded men to enjoy a little high-spirited fun. Motorcycles, trap shooting, parades, golf, flying and sports cars are all examples of these types of groups
~The privilege of supporting the "world’s greatest philanthropy,” Shriners Hospitals for Children®, offers Shriners many opportunities to find personal fulfillment and satisfaction
Shriners and Masons
All Shriners are Masons, but not all Masons are Shriners.
Shriners International is a spin-off from Freemasonry, the oldest, largest and most widely known fraternity in the world. Freemasonry dates back hundreds of years to when stonemasons and other craftsmen gathered after work in shelter houses, or lodges.
Over time, the members organized into Masonic guilds and the tools of their trade – the square and compass – became the symbol of their brotherhood. Over time, Masonry evolved into an organization that began to accept members who were not craftsmen.
Today, Masonry is built upon a foundation of improving character and strengthening communities, though the square and compass are still the symbols of the fraternal brotherhood.
Freemasonry is inextricably interwoven with the history of British Columbia. Many of the first fur traders and explorers, including Captain James Cook were Freemasons. The first Masonic Lodge in British Columbia, (Victoria-Columbia) was established in Victoria in 1860 in what was then known as the Colony of Vancouver Island. The second, but first on the mainland, Union Lodge, was established in 1861 at New Westminster in the new Colony of British Columbia.
Freemasonry is the oldest, largest and most widely known fraternity in the world, but is also one of the most misunderstood. It is anything but sinister or secret, and there are many publications on the subject. The only mystery is its origin. Some believe Freemasonry began as far back as the Crusades, since there are certainly Eastern influences. However, it is more generally accepted that its origins date back to the stonemasons who built the cathedrals and other great buildings in the Middle Ages. The actual practices and procedures, observed worldwide, were formalized with the establishment of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717.
When Shriners International was first founded in 1872, the organization built on the principles that guided Freemasonry, while adding an element of fun and, ultimately, philanthropy, that set Shriners International apart.