JimF-LowBari Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 (edited) In case anyone didn't know, the shriners were one of many service groups that have/had Drum Corps. http://www.pennlive.com/patriotnews/storie...coll=1#continue Edit: Think the newspaper had a graphic with more details on nation wide membership numbers. Don't see that here so will have to type it in when I can. Edited May 5, 2008 by JimF-3rdBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorpsBuff Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 (edited) They also drive around in those cool little cars! Shiners are a great group of people, but I think times are changing and membership in a lot of those types of groups (AL, VFW, Lions, Elks, Moose, Rotary etc.) will drastically go down if not go away in the next 30 or so years. Edited May 5, 2008 by CorpsBuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCIHasBeen Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 They also drive around in those cool little cars!Shiners are a great group of people, but I think times are changing and membership in a lot of those types of groups (AL, VFW, Lions, Elks, Moose, Rotary etc.) will drastically go down if not go away in the next 30 or so years. You can't throw the Shriners in with those other groups ... The Shriners are a Masonic organization and a man has to be a Master Mason to become a Shriner (although all Shriner's a Masons, not all Masons are Shriners ... It's an optional thing.) The health of the Shriner's is directly tied to the health of Freemasonry in general. There's actually a resurgence in men joining Masonry, particularly here in California. So I wouldn't count on the Shriners dissappearing altogether, although there is some discussion in the Craft about the Shriners spinning off into their own thing, not connected with Masonry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted May 5, 2008 Author Share Posted May 5, 2008 (edited) You can't throw the Shriners in with those other groups ... The Shriners are a Masonic organization and a man has to be a Master Mason to become a Shriner (although all Shriner's a Masons, not all Masons are Shriners ... It's an optional thing.) The health of the Shriner's is directly tied to the health of Freemasonry in general.There's actually a resurgence in men joining Masonry, particularly here in California. So I wouldn't count on the Shriners dissappearing altogether, although there is some discussion in the Craft about the Shriners spinning off into their own thing, not connected with Masonry. Hopefully what is going right in Cali can be applied out where Andrew and I reside. Knew things where getting rough at Zembo Harrisburg but didn't realize average age is 70s (according to the article). Can't verify that as I'm not a Mason/Shriner but I live a few miles from the Zembo. All I see of the Shriners is whatever groups are in parades but going by that the age and number of members both gone in the bad direction. FWIW (not much ): First Drum Corps I ever saw was probably Zembo at a Harrisburg parade in the early 60s. Too bad I didn't know what a drum corps was until a decade later. Found the numbers I was looking for earlier: Double Edit: Shriners membership nationally Peaked at 943,000 in 1980 Now 395,000 Rotary USA 421,953 in 1993 379,545 in 2007 Edited May 5, 2008 by JimF-3rdBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 PA still has two active Shrine drum corps...........Jaffa Shrine from Altoona, and Syria Shrine from Pittsburgh......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingtbone Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 To quote monte python ... Were not dead..... Texas shriners also has had a recent surge in membership (we are even for the year).. unfortunitly most are not horn players or percussionist and would rather ride the funny cars. It is true the average age is 70. But dont let that scare you some of these 70 year old guys are still getting after it... There is still alot of drum corps around in the shrine. Texas has a state wide competition in june where corps from Austin, Amarillo, sanantonio, dallas , ft worth, and houston will compete in both standstill and MM competition. Texas corps have also performed at the following DCA Shows- Brass on the Bayou and Brass Hysteria. Their is also a national competition every year that includes corps from across the nation and several Canadien corps as well. Craig Zlatnik Arabia shriners Houston Tx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 To quote monte python ... Were not dead.....Texas shriners also has had a recent surge in membership (we are even for the year).. unfortunitly most are not horn players or percussionist and would rather ride the funny cars. It is true the average age is 70. But dont let that scare you some of these 70 year old guys are still getting after it... There is still alot of drum corps around in the shrine. Texas has a state wide competition in june where corps from Austin, Amarillo, sanantonio, dallas , ft worth, and houston will compete in both standstill and MM competition. Texas corps have also performed at the following DCA Shows- Brass on the Bayou and Brass Hysteria. Their is also a national competition every year that includes corps from across the nation and several Canadien corps as well. Craig Zlatnik Arabia shriners Houston Tx Craig, is there a place where we non-Shriners can see a list of the corps that attend? Northernthunder (Brian Tolzman) would be interested for his DC census if he doesn't get this info already. And I'm always interested in finding info on non-DCA/DCI corps. And my current corps has an age range of high school to 70 something. I'm 50 and seeing guys my dads age doing parades gives me hope for my future in corps. Oh yeah, still have those two single valve Baris that came from Arabia. And my ex-clairnet playing wife is teaching herself to play horn using the Tenor Bari. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDale Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 You can't throw the Shriners in with those other groups ... The Shriners are a Masonic organization and a man has to be a Master Mason to become a Shriner and actually even more advanced than just a MM, you have to either be a 32nd degree Scottish Rite or Knight Templar (The York Rite). I did both when I was younger, as well as joining the local Shrine Temple. The grossly advanced age of the membership was a problem two decades ago and is still there. Many young men join only to find that their age is not provided for, some stay because of family and friends, but as in any organization, many leave because they do not feel they are getting what they put into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCIHasBeen Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 (edited) and actually even more advanced than just a MM, you have to either be a 32nd degree Scottish Rite or Knight Templar (The York Rite). I did both when I was younger, as well as joining the local Shrine Temple. The grossly advanced age of the membership was a problem two decades ago and is still there. Many young men join only to find that their age is not provided for, some stay because of family and friends, but as in any organization, many leave because they do not feel they are getting what they put into it. No, that's no longer true. That was changed a few years ago, as the York and Scottish Rite bodies felt that a lot of folks were joining them just to become Shriners, and the Shrine wanted to encourage a broader membership. I don't know about the York Rite (although I'm both a York and Scottish Rite Mason, I'm only active in the Scottish Rite), but the Scottish Rite would rather have active members than just "card holders" who join just to party with the Shriners ... We have a very different focus. In California the median age of Master Masons is dropping fast ... There's a lot of young blood coming into the Fraternity and these bretheren are being actively welcomed and encouraged to participate. Don't know what it's like in other parts of the country, but I hear that there's a renewed interest in Masonry among younger men, and our numbers are growing accordingly. Edited May 10, 2008 by DCIHasBeen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelcityrabbit Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I have a few older uni's from the Shriners I have picked up along the way. I have a red eisenhower jacket with tails and a white long sleeve satin dress shirt from the 40's-50's. Both have really neat embroidary(sp). I hope they are still around when I get older, I would love to join, but I know you have to be a mason and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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