Why the Shriner Circus is Important
The Shrine Circus was founded in 1906 by the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, commonly known as Shriners. The United States Shrine Circus travels to about 120 cities each year and the Canadian unit travels to about 40 cities annually. The Shrine Circus is an important fund-raising activity for Shrine Centers, and 2013 will mark the 70th anniversary of the Shrine Circus. The Shriners Children Hospitals is the best-known charity supported by the Shriners.
History
The Moslem Shrine Center in Detroit, Michigan held the first Shrine Circus. A historical
marker at the site describes the importance of this event in circus history. The first Shrine Circuses only had one ring, although they grew to three rings by 1925. Shrine Centers were holding circuses throughout the United States by the 1920s, and they introduce new circuses to their communities each year.
Membership in Shriners International increased at a steady pace during the first half of the 20th century. Approximately 150,000 nobles belonged to Shriners International by 1946, and that number increased to 400,000 by 1958. These years following World War II marked the period of greatest growth for Shriners International. The primary reason for this increase in growth was the desire of returning veterans to find ways of experiencing the camaraderie they had known during the war.
Benefits
The Shriners currently have almost 200 centers throughout the world, and Shriner nobles have proved to be excellent fundraisers. Shriner fund-raising events typically include concerts, car shows, fish fries and fishing tournaments. The Shrine Circus has also become a significant fundraiser for the local Shrine Centers. The endowment of the Shriners Children Hospitals has increased along with the growth of the Shriners, and was worth $125 million by 1958.
In addition to raising money for the Shrine Centers, the Shrine Circus educates guests on the history of the circus and prompts discussions on methods of bringing culture into their daily lives. It provides circus fans with an opportunity to meet the performers in the circus. Adults who recall the happiness that a circus brought them as children will want to share the experience of a circus with their children and grandchildren. The Shrine Circus has also forged partnerships with many patrons over the years, allowing them to bring their community together.
Schedule
The first Shrine Circus of the year typically takes place in Flint, Michigan during January. The circus generally performs in at least one city each week until November. The last performances usually occur during the week of Thanksgiving, usually in New Orleans, Louisiana or Evansville Indiana. Hurricane Katrina prompted the last Shriner Circus in 2005 to be held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana rather than New Orleans.
REach Shriner Circus is designated by its geographical area, such as a city or state. The performances in Detroit are still the largest and longest-running of the Shriner Circuses. For example, the Detroit Shriner Circus ran for 17 days and included 40 performances in 1996. The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California is the site of the Shriner Circus for Southern California, which is the best-known venue to host a Shriner Circus. Many famous circus performers have appeared in Shriner Circuses such as Clyde Beatty, Emmett Kelly, the Flying Concellos, the Flying Wallendas, the Hannefords and the Zacchinis.
Show Times
The Shriner Circus in Lansing, Michigan will run from Jan. 9, 2013 to Jan. 13, 2013. The shows on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10 will start at 6:30 p.m. The shows on Jan. 11 will begin at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. The shows on Jan. 12 and Jan. 13 will start at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The next Shriner Circus in Flint, Michigan will run from Jan. 16, 2013 to Jan. 21, 2013. The shows on Jan. 16 and Jan. 17 will start at 6:30 p.m. The shows on Jan. 18 will begin at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. The shows on Jan. 19 and Jan. 20 will start at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The shows on Jan. 21 will begin at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The next Shriner Circus in Saginaw, Michigan will run from Jan. 23, 2013 to Jan. 27, 2013. The shows on Jan. 23 and Jan. 24 will start at 6:30 p.m. The shows on Jan. 25 will begin at noon and 7 p.m. The shows on Jan. 26 will start at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The shows on Jan. 27 will begin at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Shriners
The AAONMS was founded as part of the Freemasons in 1870, but changed its name to Shriners International in 2010. Shriners International is a fraternity that is based the Masonic principles of love, truth and relief. The organization's headquarters are in Tampa, Florida. The Imperial Council Session meets once a year in a major North American city, which significantly benefits the local economy.
Shriners International has about 340,000 members and 195 temples as of 2012. These temples are located in the Australia, Canada, Europe, Mexico, the Republic of Panama, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and the United States. The first Shriner's Temple was founded at the New York City Masonic Hall on September 26, 1872. The most recent Shriner's temple to be chartered was in Mindanao, Philippines on July 3, 2012.
Hospitals
The Shriners Hospitals for Children is the charitable arm of Shriner's International. It is a network of 22 hospitals located in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The Imperial Council Session initially voted to establish a Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children in 1920, which was to treat birth defects, diseases and orthopedic injuries in children. The Imperial Council Session formed a committee to select the location of this hospital, which decided to create a network of hospitals rather than just one hospital. The first of these hospitals opened in Shreveport during 1922 and 14 Shriners hospitals were operating by 1930.
The Shriners Hospitals for Children currently specialize in treating birth defects, burns and orthopedic problems. These hospitals will admit any child under the age of 18 that can be treated by the hospital. Admission does not require the patient to have any particular race, religion or relationship to a Shriner.
Shriner's hospitals provided treatment to all patients at no charge until June 2012. They began billing their patients' insurance companies after that date due to the endowment's losses in the stock market. However, Shriner's hospitals still provide free care for patients without insurance. Shriner's hospitals approved 39,454 applications for new patients and treated 125,125 patients in 2007. The total budget for these hospitals was $826 million in 2008.
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