Royal Order of Jesters

An organization first formed more than 100 years ago, the Royal Order of Jesters maintains affiliations with the Freemasons and selects new initiates from among members of the Shriners in good standing. Comprising many local courts throughout the nation and one National Court, the entity selects a maximum of 13 new members annually through each local court.

The Order operates with the objective of remembering to laugh and celebrate accomplishments. Incited with the singular purpose of facilitating happiness and good humor through theatrical performance, the organization maintains the motto of "Mirth is King." The International Royal Order of Jesters presently owns a museum in Indiana that displays items and lore relevant to its formation and development, along with some items that reference historical figures known for their use of humor, including William Shakespeare.

In 1911, the year of its formation in Aloha Temple, Hawaii, the Royal Order of Jesters incited 13 local courts in San Francisco and Oakland, California; Butte and Helena, Montana; Seattle, Washington; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and other locations. In 1917, the entity formed a National Court to synchronize its affairs across all court locations and held its first national meeting in 1918.

The following year, the organization began acquiring charters for its courts and grew to include 51 courts and 1,329 Jesters nationwide by 1925. In 1933, the organization instated an Emeriti Membership policy for National Court membership and Life Membership after 25 years of participation in a subordinate court. The 50th "Golden Anniversary" annual meeting of the National Court took place in 1967 in Washington, D.C., in the Washington Hilton Hotel.