Evening star., 1922-10-28
OUTLINES HISTORY
OF MYSTIC SHRINE
Summary to Be Used by
Speakers in Campaign
for 1923 Fund.

The Shrines claim to be wholly
American institution. despite it's on
entail setting. is set forth in a state
ment from the Almas 1923 Shrine
Committee, in a brief summary of its
history. This summary will be used
by the speakers who will address the
various fraternal. business and civic
organizations for acquainting the
membership thereof as to what the
Shrine really stands for A second
meeting of the publicity committee
headed by its chairman, W. w. Jer-
name. which committee Is furthering
these interests, will be held Monday
night in the Homer building.
Text of Statement.
The statement follows:
Briefly. the Mystic Shrine was or
ganized by Billy Florence, the actor,
in New York in 1876. The immediate
purpose was to build an organization
for social purposes. Florence. Lew
Wallace and their associates decided
to make prerequisite for member shi 2
that Of thirty-second degree Scot
tish Rite Mason or a knight Tenn
plar in the York Rite. The public may
is a Mason who has attained the de-
gree in one or the other cf these
rites. The first temple. Mecca, estab-
! lfshed in New York. was a success
and gradually other temples were
organized in other cities. The I'm
perial Council is the central or su-
preme controlling body.
AT this date there are 15S temples
1854 of them working and two, au.
tnorized at the San Francisco ses-
sion. now being organized. Popular
ly the Shrine is known as the play
temples everywhere are occasions OF
socfability. innocent merriment and
fun such as might be expected among
gentlemen and business men who
seek surcease from toll. But fun
! making is only one feature of Shrine
when you dig under the surface OF
merriment you find heart
Million = Year In Charities.
dollars a year for the construction
and maintenance Of hospitals for
crippled children. These hospitals
are organized on the broad basis OF
non-sectarianism. and the only con-
sideration in any case is the question
a useful and self-supporting indi-
yidual under treatment"
Application of the l03d temple to
participate in the Imperial Council
session of the Shrine here next June
was received today by the Almas
1923 Shrine Committee. This last one
to be heard from was the Anah
Temple of Bangor. Me.
According to the notification sen,
by James A. Dunning. potentate OF
Anah Temple. the official party will
consist of 900 mobiles. including a
band, patrol and drum corps The
application exceeds the mark set by
the San Francisco session by nine.
1t was stated today that the two
drives now on In Masonic circles
namely. the Shrine and the Temple
Heights fund. in no way conflict with
each other. The Temple Heights
drive is now being intensively waged
ternity. and will end Thanksgiving
day At present the Shrine drive is
before other fraternal organizations 3
business concerns and civic associa-
tions After Thanksgiving. when the
Intensive Temple Heights drive ends,
members Of the Shrine and Masonic
fraternity.
william B. Severe. secretary Of the
advisory board Of the Masonic clubs
of the District. has written to the
Almas Temple 1928 Shrine Committee
a letter to the effect that the ad-
visory board has recommended that
the clubs contribute the sum OF $500
to the Shrine fund. The action was
voluntary and was taken by the
Shrine committee to indicate the deep
interest Masonic organizations Of the
District are showing in the forth
coming event of next June.
Several hundred letters were sent
out yesterday to civic organizations
Of Washington requesting that a date
be set when a speaker representing
the publicity committee may appear
before them and tell the essential
facts respecting the Imperial Council
session, SO that these organizations
may be in a position to give intelli-
gent and effective cooperation.