The Royal Order of Jesters is a

masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

male

fraternal organization A fraternity (; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity in the Western conce ...

, allowing only

Shriners Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic body, Masonic society. Founded in 1872 in New York City, it is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and has over ...

in good standing to join. Admission is by invitation only.

Formation

The original meeting resulting in the formation of the Order was held on February 20, 1911, by Shriners in the Captain’s office of the S.S. ''Wilhelmina'' to visit Aloha Temple in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

Noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

A.M. Ellison of San Francisco, California was elected the leader (called a "director") and the original group, called "a cast", with thirteen members. It was later formally organized on June 25, 1917, at an informal meeting.

About the organization

The official website for the Royal Order of Jesters describes itself as the following: "Whereas most Masonic bodies are dedicated to charity, The Royal Order of Jesters is a fun 'degree,' with absolutely no serious intent. The motto, 'Mirth is King,' is sufficient to give voice to the purpose of the organization. The Royal Order of Jesters believe that there are times, after work and dedication to family and mankind when everyone should remember to laugh and appreciate the good work one has done." The icon of the Order is the

Billiken The Billiken is a doll, charm doll created by an American art teacher and illustrator, Florence Pretz of Kansas City, Missouri, who is said to have seen the mysterious figure in a dream. It is believed that Pretz found the name Billiken in Bliss ...

. The order is very secretive and holds an anti-publicity policy. For example, a website made by one of its members was removed after the intervention of the national court of the Order. The primary reason behind this was the desire of the Board to minimize public exposure or public access to Jester information.

Membership

Local "courts" are limited to thirteen initiates yearly and membership is by invitation only. Prospective members must be a Shriner and also a

Master Mason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

in a masonic lodge. Prospective members are usually selected due to their commitment to secrecy and are usually highly active or highly ranked within the Shriners organization and within Freemasonry. Asking to join will almost certainly result in the individual never being accepted.

Museum

The Royal Order of Jesters owns a museum in

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

. On display are items relating to the Order. There are also items that belonged to

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

and other historical people who focused on humor in their works.

Prostitution scandal

In 2008, four public officials from Western New York, including State Supreme Court Justice Ronald H. Tills, two retired police officers and a law clerk, were convicted of

human trafficking Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...

for transporting a prostitute for a Royal Order of Jesters event. According to federal prosecutors, the Jesters had employed strippers and prostitutes for one of their parties, with some of the prostitutes being illegally transported over state lines for a Jester event. The FBI has investigated these cases. Retired Lockport Police Detective Sentenced for Transporting a Woman from Western New York to Kentucky for the Purpose of Engaging in Prostitution
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/ref> [https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/buffalo/press-releases/2011/former-erie-county-sheriffs-deputy-sentenced-for-failing-to-report-jester-prostitution-in-canada Former Erie County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for Failing to Report Jester Prostitution in Canada]Former Erie County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for Failing to Report Jester Prostitution in Canada These actions were not sanctioned by the organization as a whole.

References

External links

* Organizations established in 1911 Shriners Comedy troupes *{{usurped,
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