Some serious clowning

Hope A. Smith
Published: August 1, 2008

There is a group of guys who are “dedicated to fun and philanthropy.” You may have seen them in parades, zipping around in silly little cars, or as clowns, running around creating mischief.

    This is a diverse group of gentlemen, ranging from physicians to lawyers, from truck drivers to movie stars. They are better known as Shriners, and the above information is provided, thanks to their Web site, shrinershq.org.

    What does this group do? How did they start? How did I find out about them?

According to the Web site, the Shriners began in 1870 as a jovial group of several thousand men. It was grown to an international group of 400,000. They are responsible for raising money for the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children. These hospitals provide care, free of charge, to children who have suffered from burns, cleft lip and palate, orthopedic conditions and spinal cord injuries. Citing their Web site, they have helped approximately 835,000 children internationally.

When I met my husband, Matthew, in 1993, I didn’t know much about the Shriners. I only knew that they made me laugh when I saw them in parades.

Matthew introduced me to his family, which included his wonderful grandparents. They had pictures in their home of them dressed up in fancy clothes, his grandfather (better known as “Papa”) wearing a fez with a dangling tassle.There were also photos of clowns and all sorts of clown collectibles in their living room.

The name “Uncle Sham” kept popping up, along with paintings and drawings of this clown that looked eerily like Papa. I learned that Papa joined the Shriners in the early 1970s. With his sharp wit and generous heart, he was perfect for the Shriners, particularly the clown unit, assuming the name and identity of “Uncle Sham.”

Papa has been a participant in over a thousand events, such as the Shrine circus for many years, as well as a host of parades, fundraisers, and hospital visits, sometimes even driving children to and from two of the Shriner’s Hospitals.

It was no surprise when Matthew, who was greatly influenced by Papa early on, wanted to become a Shriner. In order to become a Shriner, he had to become a Master Mason in the Freemasonry Fraternity. Unlike the common thought that all Shriners are older men, they are as diverse in age as they are in background.

We became members of the “Shriner family” in January of this year. To honor his grandfather, Matthew assumed Papa’s clown identity of “Uncle Sham,” complete with a few of his original costume pieces. There’s even a photo of Matthew as a baby, and “Uncle Sham,” wearing some of the same pieces!

So, how fitting is it that this week’s column is being written, 500 miles away, on vacation, about to leave for a Shriners parade in New Hampshire?

The parade in New Hampshire is known as the Shrine Maple Sugar Parade, and it precedes a football game between area high school players from Vermont and New Hampshire.

Uncle Sham and the clown honoring him (Papa and his grandson, Matthew) will be participating together. All proceeds from these events are donated to the three closest Shriners Hospitals.

In the 54 years these events have been held, they’ve raised $4.5 million. Sounds like a bundle, huh? Considering it takes more than a million dollars a day to run the 22 hospitals, it’s one of the many fundraisers held annually to keep up with expenses.

I’ll admit it — I was one of those people who stereotyped the Shriners as a crazy bunch of old goats. Boy, was I wrong! Yes, there are some older folks, but an equal amount of “youngsters.”

The people that are part of this incredible group are a generous and very friendly bunch. It’s like being in a new school and having that one kid come up to you at lunchtime and split his or her Ho-Ho’s with you. These people share so much — their time, their money, and their resources. But mostly they share their heart.

I am very proud to be known as a “Shrine lady,” and above all, I am very proud of my husband and his grandfather for the legacies they will leave.

Hope A. Smith is an
independent columnist and
resident of Orange County.Her column appears Fridays. E-mail