Shriners
fraternal organization
Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society. Founded in 1872 in New York City, it is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and has over 200 chapters across nine countries, with a global membership of approximately 200,000 members in 2026. The organization is known for its colorful Middle Eastern theme, elaborate participation in parades and festivals, and the Shriners Children's network of nonprofit pediatric medical facilities.
Shriners International describes itself as a global fraternity "based on fun, fellowship, and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief, and truth". As an appendant body within Freemasonry, membership is open to men who have been raised to the degree of Master Masons in Masonic rites; various partner organizations accept women and youth. Shriners are obliged to uphold the fraternity's mission and values, which include self-improvement, service and leadership to the community, and active involvement in social and philanthropic causes.
Shriners International is recognizable for its Middle Eastern-inspired iconography, ceremonies, and motif: Shriners wear distinctive red fezzes as their official headgear, while fraternal regalia often features camels, pyramids, the Sphinx and other ancient Egyptian and Arabian symbols. The headquarters of local chapters, formally known as Shrine Centers, are sometimes called "Temples" or even "Mosques"; most have names such as Egypt, Sahara, Morocco, and Oasis, and many are built in the Moorish Revival style. The organization is governed by the "Imperial Divan"—referring to the traditional government councils of the Near East—composed of 12 "Imperial Officers" who serve as a board of directors. However, Shriners International has no connection with the region nor with Islam.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Shriners” as fraternal organization. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the history & society register because the source frames it as fraternal organization. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The record creator and administrative purpose are central evidence, because official documentation reflects both action and institutional priorities. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1934902. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1872 and 2026.
Later summaries often reconcile disputed chronology or motive more neatly than the contemporary record permits. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Compare institutional narratives with records created by participants and affected communities. Dates and formal titles are useful anchors, but not substitutes for context.
- Event chronology
- Institutional context
- Locating named record creators
Contemporary correspondence, government or organizational records, oral histories and cited historical scholarship.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Shriners”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Shriners primary sources, Shriners archive and Shriners research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Shriners”?
- What chronology connects this entry to wider political or social change?
- Who created the surviving record, and for what administrative purpose?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Shriners” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.