“Mirth is king.” This simple phrase is the motto of the Royal Order of Jesters, a fraternal organization of Shriners handpicked to promote laughter and fun in the world. Further revisions of the Book of the Play followed at the Royal Order of Jesters’ 10th and 11th annual meetings. A decision was also reached to include the Creed of the Jester, composed by William S. Led by Jester George Filmer, the committee unanimously accepted the Ritual. This recommendation followed a strategy by the Royal Order of Jesters to submit the Ritual to the Royal Impresario and subordinate courts.Īdoption of the Book of the Play was finally approved at the third annual meeting, which took place in Portland, Oregon, on June 20, 1920. During the second annual meeting in 1919, the Ritual Committee of the Royal Order of Jesters confirmed that progress had been made regarding the Book of the Play’s revision, but recommended a further adjournment until the third annual meeting. A presentation was adjourned until the following year. Initially, the Royal Order of Jesters opened the First Annual Meeting in 1918 for discussion about the Book of the Play among members and representatives. What followed was a series of amendments and adaptations over several years. Wilhelmina as it sailed toward the Hawaiian Islands. Allison composed the Royal Order of Jesters’ original Book of the Play, also known as the Ritual, on board the S.S. Royal Order of Jesters: The Original Book of the PlayĪ. By the time of Filmer’s death in 1957, Jester courts spanned the United States, with more than 1,000 active members. Allison’s idea to create the new order, which was organized in 1917. 260, Filmer enthusiastically took up historian A.M. He subsequently served as a major during the Spanish American War and ultimately achieved inactive duty rank as colonel. At the outbreak of a major labor strike in Sacramento in 1894, he received a commission from the First California Regiment of Infantry of the National Guard as captain of Company B. Former Illustrious Potentate George Filmer was a key figure in the decision to establish the order.Ī native of San Francisco, George Filmer completed his collegiate career at age 14, at a top-ranked military academy in the early 1880s. Wilhelmina in 1911 while on a pilgrimage to the Aloha Temple in Hawaii. With the guiding philosophy-"Mirth is King”-the Royal Order of Jesters was established by Shriners aboard the S.S. George Filmer and the Founding of the Royal Order of Jesters In these ways and others, Florence Pretz’s smiling imp lives on in American culture. At about the same time, Saint Louis University adopted it as their logo and mascot, apparently as a good-natured poke at the school’s football coach, John Bender, who resembled the Billiken. In 1911, the founders of the Royal Order of Jesters declared it their mascot during a trip to the Honolulu, Hawaii. The Billiken craze was short-lived, but the figurine has lived on in a number of ways. More than 200,000 Billiken dolls were created by an American toy company in less than a year. Pretz’s inspiration for the creation is lost to history, but in the early years of the 20th century, the figurine with the pot belly and the goofy smile became wildly popular. In fact, the happy figure was patented in 1908 by creator Florence Pretz. Even so, these organizations still maintain the careful attitude toward the use of this important symbol.įor more than 100 years, a small, pointy-headed figurine known as a Billiken has been used to symbolize good luck on postcards, figurines, and even as the mascot for the Masonic Shriner fraternity known as the Royal Order of Jesters. For example, the Royal Order of Jesters symbolizes its commitment to fun and laughter with a coat of arms that features the comic billiken and the famous comedy/tragedy masks associated with theatre. Today, it is more common to see a coat of arms used by organizations not linked to the military. A coat of arms might be passed from father to son with some slight changes to make clear that the new generation had taken over. The most common use was among knights, who would wear a specially made tunic or emblazon their coat of arms on a shield so they could more easily identify their allies and enemies. Generally, this included a “charge” – an image in the center – and other features such as a wreath and a motto. This practice continues a tradition that was started to identify individuals, usually during battle.Ī coat of arms is a collection of symbols that uniquely identifies the bearer. While a coat of arms often conjures images of Medieval times, many organizations, such as universities and the Masonic organization known as the Royal Order of Jesters, still use them.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |