The Royal Order of Jesters is a male
fraternal organization
A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, "brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity in ...
, allowing only
Shriners
Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Shriners International describes itself ...
in good standing to join. Admission is by invitation only.
Formation
The original meeting resulting in the formation was held on February 20, 1911, by Shriners in the Captain’s office of the S.S. ''Wilhelmina'' on a pilgrimage to
Aloha Temple
''Aloha'' ( , ) is the Hawaiian word for love, affection, peace, compassion and mercy, that is commonly used as a simple greeting but has a deeper cultural and spiritual significance to native Hawaiians, for whom the term is used to define a ...
,
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. Noble A.M. Ellison of San Francisco, California, was responsible and the original cast included a Director and thirteen members. It was organized June 25, 1917, at an informal meeting.
[Royal Order of Jesters ]
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 feel that there are times, after our hard 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 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 Carm ...
.
The order is very anti-publicity. 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 the public exposure or public access to Jester information.
Membership
Local "courts" are limited to thirteen initiates yearly and membership is by invitation only. In fact, asking to join will almost certainly result in the individual never being accepted.
Museum
The Royal Order of Jesters owns a museum in Indiana. On display are items relating to the Order and some items related to
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 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 a State Supreme Court Justice, two retired police officers and a law clerk, were convicted of
human trafficking
Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extrac ...
for transporting a prostitute for the Royal Order of Jesters.
[{{cite news , last1=Herbeck , first1=Dan , title=Lawsuit accuses ex-prosecutor of molesting 16-year-old babysitter , url=https://buffalonews.com/2020/03/06/lawsuit-accuses-ex-prosecutor-of-molesting-16-year-old-girl/ , access-date=21 May 2020 , work=The Buffalo News , date=6 March 2020 , language=en-us] According to federal prosecutors, the Jesters frequently employed strippers and prostitutes at their parties, with some of the prostitutes being illegally transported over state lines for Jesters events. 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 ]
References
External links
*Organizations established in 1911
Shriners
Comedy troupes
Archived copy