Greetings my Brothers!

This is Eric Morabito, “The Walking Man,” checking back in on Fez Friday.

Isis Shrine

On March 15, 1887, Edward C. Culp, the first Isis Shrine Potentate (1887-1890 & 1898-1902), traveled to Cleveland, OH, was initiated in the Shrine, and received authority from the Imperial Potentate to travel back to Kansas and organize a temple. On March 19, 1887, 14 elected officers sent a petition to the Imperial Counsel for a dispensation for a Temple to be known as Isis Shrine , and it was granted on March 29, 1887. June 17, 1887, the membership of the Isis Shrine Temple was 73 members, 52 having been initiated, and 21 were listed as charter members.

In June 1887, Illustrious Sir Culp and ten members of the Isis Shrine Temple attended the Imperial Counsel in Indianapolis, IN, to present the claims of Isis Temple for a charter. It was granted on June 20, 1887, and was to have jurisdiction over 67 counties in Kansas. This made Isis Shrine Temple the third temple, Abdallah Temple (Shawnee Mission, KS) and Islam Temple (San Francisco, CA), west of St. Louis. To help other Temples become part of this beautiful fraternity throughout the central United States, the Isis Shrine Temple Divan and Nobility were asked to help with this undertaking. Under a special dispensation from Imperial, the Isis Shrine Temple made a pilgrimage to Denver, CO, on September 23, 1887. At this time, they created 40 Nobles who became the founders of El Jebel Temple. On January 24, 1888, Isis Temple assisted Abdallah Temple in forming Ararat Temple, Kansas City, MO. On December 15, 1908, 75 Nobles presented a petition for a new Temple in Wichita during an annual meeting. After a supportive recommendation to the Imperial Council, a dispensation was granted on June 9, 1909, and Midian Temple was opened on October 15, 1909. This same day, Mirza Temple was also instituted. The creations of these temples reduced the Isis Shrine jurisdiction from 67 counties to 43 counties. The state of Kansas now has five active Shrine Temples, Abdallah (located in Shawnee Mission, chartered 1887), Isis (located in Salina, chartered 1887), Midian (located in Wichita, chartered 1909), Mirza (located in Pittsburg, chartered 1909), and Arab (located in Topeka chartered 1932).

Today, the jurisdiction for the Isis Shrine Temple encompasses 43 counties. Throughout these counties are Shriners who belong to different Units and/or Clubs. The Uniformed Units and local Shrine Clubs help keep our temple running as well as it does. Over time, there have been many different units within the Uniformed Units and many different clubs throughout our jurisdiction. Today we have 9 Units in the Uniformed Units and 19 Shrine Clubs throughout our jurisdiction. -History submitted by Casey Flinn, Isis Recorder