Greetings my Brothers!

This is Eric Morabito, “The Walking Man,” checking back in on Fez Friday. Over the past few years, I have started a collection of Shriner fezzes. I currently have fezzes from 43 different Shrine Centers and I am always looking for more. There are over 200 Shrine Centers worldwide and I try to visit as many as I can when I travel. To date, I have been to 65 Shrine Centers, 12 Shriner hospitals, and the Shriners International HQ in Tampa. When I retire, I plan is to donate my collection to the Cyprus Shrine Center.

Demascus Shrine

Dr. Walter M. Fleming, one of the original 13 founding Shriners, brought the idea to Rochester, NY, and helped to set up the Damascus Shrine. Dr. Fleming, together with William Florence, designed the fraternity’s emblem, devised the salutation, and determined that the red fez with the black tassel would be the groups’ official headgear.

On June 6, 1876, the Damascus Shrine received its charter and became the second Shrine. Originally the Damascus Shrine was in Rochester but is currently located in nearby Webster, NY. There are around 650 members of the Damascus Shrine and they support the Shriners Hospitals located in Erie, PA, and Springfield, MA. Whenever I travel, I make it a point to stop and visit Shrine Centers nearby. If open, I will introduce myself and usually receive a tour of the facility. I try to get a few pictures of my visits, especially of the ”Silent Messenger” statue that most Shrines have. I was intrigued by the unique statue that was in front of the Damascus Shrine. They are generally cast from cement or plaster and depict a Noble carrying a young female patient. I have seen them painted white, gold, brown, or realistically. The one that stands in front of Damascus was hand-carved out of a tree trunk and is quite impressive.