"To preserve the reputation of the Fraternity unsullied must be your constant care."

BE A FREEMASON

Sunday, March 30, 2008

The Trouble With Jesters

There has been much "who-shot-john" going on over at The Burning Taper for the last few weeks over the reporting of scandals involving the Shrine's Royal Order of Jesters. The Jesters are an invitation-only group within Shrinedom whose motto is "mirth is king," and is considered by some to be an inner circle within the organization. I'll leave you to discover the BTs blog entries on your own for the details, but there are at least two major investigations going on concerning the group involving prostitution and violation of the federal Mann Act.

On the one hand, for anyone to say they are shocked - shocked! - to discover Shriners having anything to do with prostitutes is intellectually disingenuous. Shriners, strippers and hookers have been keeping each other company for over a century. And while some of us can sit in the parlor and tsk over it being antithetical to the tenets of Freemasonry (which it is), the Babbitry of the past, combined with the Shrine's post-WWII excesses, has been institutionalized by both the Shrine and the public's perception. Lest anyone forget George Carlin's punctuating 1976 punch line, "Drink up, Shriners." Or 1960's "Bye Bye Birdie's" musical number in which a group of Shriners think a young lady straying into their dinner is the stripper for the evening. There is no wonder that a certain percentage of men who join the Shrine have specifically come looking for the Shrine they've heard about. They are looking for the secret society that has the strippers and the hookers and the county sheriff guarding the door who sees they get home okay. Not all men join the Shrine out of the altruism of helping crippled kids. I actually had a man try to sell me on Shrine membership by saying, "You can drink all night for five bucks, and besides, we un-f***-up the crippled kids!"

Something slightly less than the Masonic ideal.

After the Shrine parade in Salt Lake City on St. Patrick's day, about a dozen of us fez-wearing loud-mouths (all perfectly sober, I might add) drove to the suburbs to get their 1939 Yellowstone tour bus weighed at the local truck stop. Some Shrines get drunk and bring in the strippers. Salt Lake City guys get their bus weighed. It was bitter cold, and we drove through town acting like, well, Shriners, with the top down, yelling what we thought were zingers to pedestrians, and generally lowering the property values. You know, the stuff guys generally do as teenagers, and living up to the mission of putting some of the boy back into the man. At the truck stop, I had one of those defining moments, curiously. A man perhaps in his twenties came out and said he wanted to shake the hand of every Shriner in that bus. He had received free care from the Salt Lake Shrine Hospital as a child that had allowed him to walk.

So the Shrine is a conundrum to me. The hospitals are among the finest philanthropic missions in this country. And if they get paid for by grownups who sometimes act like high school imbeciles, well, maybe society needs to loosen its corset a bit.

On the other hand, I don't disagree with the sentiment of those who say that some of the Shrine's institutionalized excesses are at odds with Freemasonry's tenets of morality. I suspect that argument has gone on since the 1870s when the teetotalers found out the Knickerbocker boys were sopping it up in town because the Methodists threw the booze out of the lodge.

But on a larger level, these guys are living in the past. The stock 1920-50s characters of sad-faced George Babbitts, Willy Lomans and Crazy Guggenheims lined up at the bar, comparing lodge pins, pinching waitresses and sneaking out on the wife have largely passed on to the choir invisible. Such outlets of middle-class frustrations may have been a staple of the pre- and post-WWII culture, but it has not been embraced by the children of the Baby Boomers. It is arguable that men don't step out on their wives as much anymore, they just get divorced - or don't get married to begin with. Online porn and the Playboy Channel have brought voyeurism and private personal prurient gratification into the home. And STDs have helped to make the regular practice of playing rumpy-pumpy with professional girlz a less than harmless indiscretion. That hasn't stopped the business entirely, as Elliot Spitzer proved in New York by dropping 80-large to have his clock cleaned. But it's just not a wink-wink-nudge-nudge kind of activity in US society anymore. Which makes the activities of the Jesters not just un-masonic and illegal, but a sort of creepy anachronism for a group to be engaging in.

I don't have a problem with Brother Widow's Son posting the lurid details of the Jesters on his blog site. Thomas Hardy said, "If a way to the better there be, it exacts a full look at the worst." And if a clot of idiots want to drag Freemasonry into the whorehouse by association and besmirch the fraternity by whoring it up with underage girls, they need to be exposed loudly, and their local Grand Master needs to give them the Order of the Boot. I'm not a Jester, and couldn't tell you what goes on at their gatherings with any degree of certainty. But I find it especially moronic and irresponsible for the Jesters to have an online shop selling tee-shirts featuring a cartoon Jester climbing a well endowed woman and burying his face in her ample balcony, in light of the current state and federal investigations into their behavior. If nothing else, it's a little like Bruno Hauptmann leaving the ladder outside of the Lindbergh house.

I keep coming back to the same conclusion over and over. The Shrine needs to split from Freemasonry. The two groups need to go their own way. I know there has been shrieking on both sides that such a split will kill membership on both sides, but I don't agree with that anymore. Men who believe in the aims of both organizations will continue to belong to both. The Shrine will be able to draw from a larger pool of potential recruits. And if Freemasonry returns to its pre-1843 roots, the way the rest of the Masonic universe has remained, combining its tavern-hall, social origins with its Enlightenment-era philosophy of tolerance and brotherhood, the two groups will get along just fine. The rest of the Masonic world never barred alcohol from the post-lodge experience, so they never had any need to create Shrines and Grottos to begin with. Outside of the US, it's common and perfectly respectable for the Master to announce, "the lodge is closed and the bar is open." There's no need to act like idiot children because they treat Masons like adults.

On another mailing list a Mason made the remark that those who were criticizing the Jesters had
"determined the length of another Brothers Cable Tow. I didn't realize that becoming a Mason meant that Christian Morality governed the fraternity. I believe that the then King David had many Concubines and for that matter plural wives. . . Did the brothers do something that in the 20th and 21st century is considered in inappropriate? Well according to the laws of the United States yes. When I used to hire a lot of Mexican workers many of these workers claimed that they were married. These workers were usually found out to be minors and yet they had children of their own with a young woman who was underage and they claimed to be husband and wife. Some of these young people were under the age of 16, now who's morality are you going to condemn these people with..."

If ever there was an argument for the Shrine to clean up its act, or to move away from Freemasonry, it's right there, in a sociopath's relativistic defense of hiring 13 year old prostitutes to live by the motto "mirth is king."

27 comments:

  1. I'm not a Shriner for a reason, and you've pretty much detailed what that reason is.

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  2. I was a Shriner, now I'm not, and you hit upon at least part of the reasoning.

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  3. Dear Chris,

    As a Mason for twenty years I must say that I have never had much interest in the Shriners. I do know a Turkish Brother who told me that he found evidence of Sufi ideas in the ritual. I must admit that I was intrigued for a moment, as I have spent much time reading about Sufism and I've always been sympathetic to their philosophy.

    The response from the Brother justifying the behavior of the Shriners & Jesters is scary. Is this the type of man that we are permitting to join our ranks? An individual can have as much ribald fun as he can handle, but he need not do under the banner of Freemasonry whereby our reputation is besmirched by his behavior.

    If there are indeed principles of Sufism in the Shrine perhaps they can be emphasized and brought to the fore. If so, this Order could be developed into an Order with something to transmit to the candidate. It could be a true mystical intiatic Order and not just another sand box.

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    1. Sufism is very dependent on having a Sheikh who has traveled far along the path, understands the journey, and see what is the next step for each student. Although certainly freemasonry has Sufi roots All groups go through a kind of decay once the source of inspiration has passed. If you were interested, in this journey, you might look into the various Sufi groups around you and read the writings of current and historical proponents.

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  4. Unfortunately, the Shrine doesn't seem much interested in the metaphysical or philosophical, except perhaps as experienced through the bottom of a glass.

    I just don't see such a renaissance as you hope for occuring in Shrinerdom, but maybe I'm wrong.

    It boggles the mind that an organization that can do such good through its charitable works can nevertheless be so base in its "playground" aspect.

    I'm with Chris; I'm ready for the Shrine to go its own way, and I believe that's inevitable no matter what the result of this current contretemps with the Jesters.

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  5. I drank all the beer they brewed in 1982 - that ship has sailed - but if I decided to have a night on the town, I certainly don't need a brimless hat to do it in.

    I'm hopeful that we'll see The Split soon, although I'm not holding my breath.

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  6. Past Master of my Blue Lodge, Shriner, and Jester here. Don’t believe everything you read. You may not like what you see when the Shriners leave Freemasonry.

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    1. You do know about convictions that happened in the wake of this story, right? And you do realize this was a dozen years ago, right?

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    2. Jester, Shriner, and Past Master here. Lighten up and don’t believe everything you read. I mean The local strip club or hooters during grand lodge communications would never have masons in them huh.

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    3. 22 years Mason, 15 years a Shriner, recently became a Jester. Agree with you this is mostly tale stories.

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    4. I eye-witnessed a Jester party with hookers in Tampa.

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    5. Mason, past Master, held several Grand Lodge positions, 32nd Scottish, Red Cross of Constantine at York, Shriner and Jester. I can only laugh of the imagination of people that write all these fantasies.

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    6. My friends wife has receipts and is actually considering going to an investigative journalist regarding the Jesters. She has lots and lots of documented photos, etc regarding deviant illegal activities that are going on at the branch in St. Louis. It sounds pretty disgusting what goes on during the 5 day parties.

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    7. I know someone who has evidence of this happening at a lodge in the Midwest. The deviant, illegal behavior. I'm personally appalled @ the fact of at least this lodge doing this. Another thing is that the FBI investigated lodges for this behavior and other illegal activities. So guessing that there's some truth to the accusations.

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  7. OK, HOW CAN ANYONE COMMENT IF THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN A SHRINNER OR JESTER?
    PLEASE.
    I AM BOTH, AND I'M NOT A PUPPET, I HAVE THE MIND AND FORTITUDE TO SEPERATE THE TWO. NUF SAID.

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  8. Mostly bullshit and sensational embellishments! Things happen in a groups and disgruntled people talk shit!
    Mirth is King

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  9. Agreed. Masons all over laugh, joke, and get frustrated about non masons talking about what they think they know about the masonic fraternity. Then those same Masons want to talk crap about the Jester's. Every group has screw ups. Even in the Blue Lodge, SR, YR, and so on. If you're not a Jester you have no idea what we do or do or don't do. You already didn't like the shrine in the 1st place and jumped on the bandwagon once something bad popped up. Stay in your lane. MIK

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  10. Tailhook happened in Las Vegas. Still have a lot of good Navy Pilots.

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  11. What a joke. My father, 93 yo, 32degree, jester and Shriner and most upstanding person never in ever would of stood by or let anything tarnish the name of either the Freemasons or the Shriners. There is always a bad apple in every bunch, get rid of it. Does not make the rest rotten. Shame on you.

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  12. I was a mason, shriner, and a jester. As a jester we didn't do much like the shriners did for the community and disabled childern. My group including others in near by states, did like getting together for the Book and party. Not all were mischievous, we just liked getting together, watch a good Skit, drink a few beers, and enjoy the good old fashion friendship of our other brothers.




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    1. MIRTH is KING…!!! Having said that I’m obviously a Jester. I’ve been a MM for 36 years and have enjoyed the work that’s been done through the Masonic Organization. What I’ve found throughout various articles is most are of what one thinks and not of what is real. The question, ‘I heard this about Masons, or Shriners, or Jesters’ is just that, speculation. The ROJ (Royal Order of Jesters) are not a charitable organization and have never proclaimed to be. But to become a Jester isn’t easy. All Jesters are Freemasons but not all Freemasons can even come close to being invited into the realm of Jesters. One thing I’ve never heard on any social media in what other appeallet degrees are above Jesters ?? Them what know, know’s..them what don’t know, don’t. As far as behavior goes, if your a preacher, cop, business man, a congressmen, or president, etc., who acts is bad behavior is it different if a Shriner does ?? People crave so bad to know what goes of inside….become one and see, then you can speak with intelligence. This has been one Jesters two cents worth, most of you will never know simply because you don’t have it in you to see for yourself.

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  13. Hookers n Blow. Really??? There are bad actors in every group including Masons or other fraternal groups, religious organizations, civic organizations, non profits you name it. Sometimes ignorant people speculate or disgruntled past members talk crap. Jesters are a select group within Shrinedom and a member doesn’t even know hes been considered until a vote is taken and he has been invited. Jesters get together just to socialize and have fun without all the business meeting ho him and pressure to fund raise or do ritual/memory work. It is just FUN and camaraderie.
    Anybody gossiping about a group which the have never been a member of is full of crap. Anybody claiming to be a past member bad mouthing a group was probably dropped from the group for good reason. Most people that do not want to belong to a group because it lacks what the are needing simply go about their business. I always laugh off so called past members derogatory comments. I love being a 32° MM, SR, YR, Shriner and Jester. I would not tarnish any of the groups nor would the guys I associate with. RoJ MiK

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  14. I became ROJ in 2023. It's got the kind of events I thought I would find in the blue lodge-- exclusive venues, great food, top-shelf liquor, knowledgeable and successful men from diverse fields sharing their perspective with one another while reveling in an escape from their day-to-day life.

    There is no "hookers and blow" in my years of experience with the group. I'm not saying that the incidents that generated this article never happened. But trying to say that all Jesters are immoral and antithetical to Freemasonry is like saying that every Catholic priest is a pedophile. It's just not true.

    The cheapening of Blue Lodge Masonry makes the men who want a top-dollar experience and are willing to pay for it re-invent the fraternity with yet another corralary group.

    It's unfortunate that they had to invent a separate identity with a sophomoric initiation to create the kind of membership gatherings most of us came to the lodge looking for.

    If I could have the kind of gatherings I have with ROJ through my Blue lodge, there would be no need for ROJ.

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  15. In my ROJ experience, hookers are a normal practice at MASA/SASA luncheons, and Books of the Play. In fact, prostitutes are supplied by ROJ members.

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    Replies
    1. Sort of a ‘BYOH’ policy, eh? Given that this original post happened more than 16 years ago, they are apparently sticking with their longstanding traditions.

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