Board of Governors
Shriners Hospital for Children
We are taught that these admonish us to have Faith in God, Hope in Immortality and Charity to all mankind. The greatest of these is Charity; for Faith may be lost in sight; Hope ends in fruition; but Charity extends beyond the grave to the boundless realms of eternity.
In 1870 a group of Masons gathered frequently for lunch at the Knickerbocker Cottage on Sixth Avenue in New York City. At a special table on the second floor a particularly fun-loving group of men met regularly. The group frequently talked about starting a new fraternity for Masons – one centered on fun and fellowship, more than ritual.
The first meeting of Mecca Shriners, the first temple (chapter) established in the United States, was held September 26, 1872. As word got out about the fledgling organization, membership grew rapidly, spreading across the U.S. In the early 1900s, membership spread into Canada, Mexico and Panama. Today, Shriners International is a fraternity with nearly 200 temples in several countries, thousands of clubs around the world and hundreds of thousands of members dedicated to the principles of brotherly love, relief and truth.
From its earliest days the Shriners were known for their philanthropic efforts across the country. By the early 1900s the fraternity was growing quickly. And as the fraternity was growing, so was the support for establishing an official charity. Most temples had local philanthropies and sometimes the Shriners’ organization offered aid.
The idea to establish hospitals for children was brought to the membership in 1919 by Freeland Kendrick (P.I.P., Lu Lu Shriners, Philadelphia) after he visited a Scottish Rite Hospital for Crippled Children in Atlanta. This visit made Kendrick aware of the overwhelming need to care for children with orthopedic disorders.
During his tenure as Imperial Potentate in 1919 and 1920, Kendrick traveled more than 150,000 miles, visiting a majority of the 146 Shrine temples and campaigning for an official philanthropy to be established.
By June 1922 the cornerstone had been laid for the first Shriners Hospitals for Children® in Shreveport, La. The first patient to be admitted in 1922 was a little girl with a clubfoot, who had learned to walk on the top of her foot rather than the sole.
Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. These hospitals provide advanced care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.
If you know a child under the age of 18 with any of these conditions, please have the parent or guardian call Shriners Hospital for Children-Shreveport at 800-830-0606. If you would like to know how to be a Shriner and help us help children in need, just talk with a Shriner or visit https://www.beashrinernow.com/
Grover W. Vining
Member, Board of Governors
Shriners Hospital for Children-Shreveport
