Good evening,

I just wanted to make a separate post, after seeing @Spiffums had petitioned the Scottish Rite.  All the famous appendant bodies of Freemasonry are incredible.  Don't get me wrong.  They all have their good points and bad points, as does everything.

My main focus in my post is regarding the Shriners.  Yes, they are famous.  They do incredible, amazing work, with helping out the Shriners Hospital.  Everyone in the world knows that.  But... let's just say that you have to be very careful once you become a Shriner and not get too involved in "Clubs" or "Units".  I am sorry... But, speaking almost un-Masonic like conduct.... You WON'T have a life!  Those guys will have you doing this, doing that, asking you to do this, do that....

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Brother... I still gotta go to work!!  I can't do that!

Confession - God's honest truth:  I am a multi-instrumentalist in my spare time.  I am a musician. Guitar, keyboards, bass, trumpet, trombone, sax, drums, etc...  I play a little of
everything if you know what I mean.  Been that way all my life.  Well, the Shriners Band immediately heard about me, and the next thing I knew, I was thrown into this, thrown into that, etc...  I was thrust into positions that, well, I'm sorry, but completely took over all my free time from my family home life!  Sadly, it got to a point where even my own wife and kids were starting to speak up!

I had no choice but to take a moment and think.... Really thing it all through...  As much as I loved behing a Shriner and playing (almost 24/7/365 - it seemed) with the Shriners Band, enough was enough, and I had to focus on my job (my #1 priority - duh!) and my family at home, and I had to Demit.

Can't you just "quit" the clubs instead of demitting out?

I was young when Dad joined the Shrine and did my best to get him to join the classic car group...........of course I might have wanted that 70 Chevelle SS with 454 that a co worker was going to sell him for different reasons.

Blue Lodge should be the focus always.  My Shrine Center has to raise oodles of money every year to keep the lights on at a very large building that is only needed to host endless fundraisers to pay the bills (and a little for the travel fund).   If you want to get involved, it becomes a near full-time job if you want to get on the Divan due to the endless fundraising.

Be mindful of the length of your....*rope drag*

The shrine is good.  Other things in the shrine are also good

Yeah, not all is good in the world of Shriners

Unfortunately, it’s my experience that about half that join Shrine don’t come back to Symbolic Lodge.