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ALPHABETICAL LIST OF COURTS CourtNo. CourtNo. Aberdeen....................................... 165 Dimaryp (Bridgeport).................... 66 Akron.............................................. 80 Duluth............................................. 55 Albany, NY..................................... 77 East St. Louis.................................. 86 Albany, GA................................... 159 Edmonton...................................... 190 Albuquerque.................................... 24 El Paso............................................ 34 Alexandria..................................... 162 Erie.................................................. 58 Allentown...................................... 128 Evansville...................................... 102 Aloha (Honolulu)............................. 1 Fargo............................................... 67 Altoona............................................ 70 Fort Myers..................................... 170 Amarillo........................................ 140 Fort Wayne...................................... 27 Anchorage (Polar)........................ 182 Fort Worth....................................... 32 Ashland, OR.................................. 108 Fresno............................................ 157 Ashland, KY  (Big Sandy)............ 172 Galveston........................................ 97 Atlanta............................................. 91 Grand Forks.................................... 51 Austin.............................................. 35 Grand Rapids.................................. 11 Baltimore......................................... 82 Green Bay..................................... 197 Bangor........................................... 150 Greenville...................................... 158 Baton Rouge................................. 193 Gulfport......................................... 184 Big Sandy  (Ashland).................... 172 Harrisburg..................................... 116 Billings............................................ 87 Hartford......................................... 141 Binghampton................................... 61 Hastings........................................ 152 Birmingham.................................. 127 Helena............................................... 5 Boise............................................... 31 Honolulu (Aloha)............................. 1 Boston........................................... 103 Hopkinsville (Pennyrile).............. 171 Bridgeport (Dimaryp).................... 66 Houston......................................... 136 Buffalo............................................ 22 Huntsville...................................... 175 Butte................................................ 23 Indianapolis..................................... 15 Calgary............................................ 42 Jackson.......................................... 143 Capital  (Washinton, DC)................ 50 Jacksonville..................................... 90 Cedar Rapids................................. 139 Kansas City, MO............................. 54 Charleston, SC.............................. 113 Kinsport........................................ 183 Charleston, WV............................. 111 Knoxville.. ....................................... 57 Charlotte........................................ 109 Lake Charles................................. 178 Chattanooga.................................... 39 Las Vegas...................................... 181 Chicago........................................... 48 Lewiston, ID................................... 62 Cincinnati.......................................... 7 Lewiston, ME  (Put Stevens)........ 107 Cleveland........................................ 14 Lexington...................................... 121 Columbia....................................... 177 Lincoln.......................................... 118 Columbus.......................................... 8 Little Rock...................................... 12 Corpus Christi............................... 176 London............................................ 56 Crescent (Trenton)......................... 64 Long Beach................................... 161 Cumberland................................... 117 Long Island................................... 174 Dallas.............................................. 25 Los Angeles..................................... 84 Davenport...................................... 129 Louisville...................................... 131 Dayton............................................. 10 Macon........................................... 146 Deadwood..................................... 153 Madison........................................ 126 Delaware (Wilmington)............... 164 Melbourne..................................... 188 Denver........................................... 138 Memphis....................................... 130 Des Moines..................................... 46 Meridian........................................ 147 Detroit............................................. 28 Mexico City.................................. 112

CourtNo. CourtNo. Miami.............................................. 88 St. John.......................................... 149 Michigan City................................. 43 St. Johns........................................ 196 Milwaukee..................................... 101 St. Joseph........................................ 98 Minneapolis..................................... 53 St. Louis.......................................... 81 Mobile........................................... 120 St. Paul.............................................. 9 Montgomery.................................... 96 Salina............................................... 94 Monroe.......................................... 187 Salt Lake......................................... 49 Montpelier..................................... 151 San Angelo.................................... 160 Montreal.......................................... 63 San Antonio..................................... 60 Muskogee........................................ 99 San Diego...................................... 133 Nashville......................................... 92 San Francisco.................................... 4 Newark............................................ 37 Sarasota......................................... 189 New Bern...................................... 145 Savannah....................................... 134 New Hampshire............................ 137 Seattle.............................................. 52 New Orleans................................... 36 Sheridan........................................ 135 New York........................................ 30 Shreveport....................................... 26 Newfoundland............................... 196 Sioux City..................................... 124 Norfolk............................................ 75 Sioux Falls.................................... 114 Nova Scotia................................... 155 Southern Illinois.............................. 86 Oakland............................................. 6 Springfield, IL................................. 20 Oklahoma City................................ 78 Springfield, MA............................ 144 Omaha............................................. 19 Springfield, MO.............................. 73 Orlando......................................... 166 Spokane........................................... 65 Ottawa........................................... 185 Sydney, Nova Scotia..................... 155 Overland Park................................. 93 Syracuse.......................................... 79 Palm Beaches................................ 179 Tacoma.......................................... 104 Panama Canal................................. 18 Tallahasse...................................... 194 Panama City.................................. 192 Tampa.............................................. 89 Parkersburg................................... 156 Terre Haute..................................... 45 Pennyrile (Hopkinsville).............. 171 Toledo............................................. 21 Pensacola....................................... 173 Topeka........................................... 125 Peoria.............................................. 40 Toronto............................................ 83 Philadelphia..................................... 72 Trenton (Crescent)......................... 64 Phoenix........................................... 17 Troy............................................... 122 Pine Bluff........................................ 38 Tucson........................................... 169 Pittsburg, KS................................... 95 Tulsa................................................ 47 Pittsburgh, PA................................... 2 Tyler.............................................. 168 Polar (Anchorage)........................ 182 Upper Peninsula............................ 180 Portland........................................... 29 Utica.............................................. 163 Providence....................................... 71 Victoria.......................................... 100 Pueblo........................................... 110 Waco............................................. 115 Put Stevens  (Lewiston, ME)........ 107 Washington, DC  (Capital).............. 50 Raleigh.......................................... 186 Watertown..................................... 142 Rawlins......................................... 148 Wheeling......................................... 13 Regina........................................... 167 Wichita............................................ 76 Reno................................................ 33 Wichita Falls................................... 85 Richmond........................................ 16 Wilkes-Barre................................. 154 Roanoke.......................................... 59 Wilmington................................... 164 Rochester........................................... 3 Winnipeg....................................... 106 Rockford......................................... 69 Yakima.......................................... 195 Rutland.......................................... 105 Sacramento.................................... 119 Saginaw........................................... 74

THE JESTERS TOAST Here’s to all good fellows in this world and the next— I drink to you a toast tonight—Good Fellowship’s my text— Not the chap who takes your hand in an idling hour, you know, Not the chap who slaps your back as long as the highballs flow; But the chap who speaks a kindly word when all the world seems wrong. The chap who grips your hand like a vice and tells you life’s only a song— What if the fellow lies—what if he knows it too, There are times in life when the chap that lies, is the only friend that’s true, So cavil and rant ye prudes who will, of the evil of wine and gin, But somehow the real true things we feel leak out when the wine flows in. A fool is a fool—a cad is a cad, whichever God meant him to be; But a man that’s a man won’t forget he’s a man even if out on a spree. So I drink this toast to you, my friends, From a heart to a heart let it run, Here’s to Good Fellows, all over the world, And God bless them, every one.

THE FOOL’S PRAYER The Royal feast was done; the King    Saught some new sport to banish care, And to his jester cried, “Sir Fool,”    Kneel now, and make for us a prayer.” The jester doffed his cap and bells    And stood the mocking court before; They could not see the bitter smile    Behind the painted grin he wore. He bowed his head, and bent his knee    Upon the monarch’s silken stool; His pleading voice arose, “O Lord,    Be merciful to me, a fool. “No pity, Lord, could change the heart    From red with wrong to white as wool. The rod must heal the sin, but Lord,    Be merciful to me, a fool. “Tis not by guilt the onward sweep    Of truth and right, O Lord, we stay; ’Tis by follies that so long    We hold the earth from heaven away. “These clumsy feet, still in the mire,    Go crushing blossoms without end; These hard, well-meaning hands we thrust    Among the heartstrings of a friend. “The ill-timed truth we might have kept—    Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung? The word we had not the sense to say—    Who knows how grandly it had rung? “Our faults no tenderness should ask,    The chastening stripes must cleanse them all; But for our blunders-Oh, in shame    Before the eyes of heaven we fall “Earth bears no balsam for mistakes;    Men crown the knave and scourge the fool That did his will; but Thou, O Lord,    Be merciful to me, a fool.” The room was hushed, in silence rose    The King, and sought his gardens cool And waIked apart, and murmured low,    “Be merciful to me, a fool.”

JESTER’S PRAYER Let me live O Mighty Master, Such a life as man should know. Tasting triumph and disaster Joy, but not too much of woe. Let me run the gamut over Let me fight and love and laugh, And when I’m beneath the clover Let this be my epitaph; Here lies one who took his chances In a world of busy men. Battled luck and circumstances Fought and fell, but fought again. Won sometimes but did no crowing Lost sometimes but did not wail. Took his beating, kept on going Never let his courage fail. He was fallible and human Therefore loved and understood. Both his fellow men and women Whether good or not so good. Kept his spirits undiminished Never false to any friend. Play the game until it finished Was a sportsman to the end.

CREED OF A JESTER Laugh and the glad World laughs with you Weep and the sad world will sigh! Mirth is our life’s true Elixir; It shows “You’re a regular Guy.” There’s nothing that so banishes worry, nor puts such a big crimp in sin; Nor smoothes out the wrinkles of trouble, like a jolly old Jester-man’s grin! It rolls of the years from your shoulders; You'll forget that you’ve grown to be men! Your youth turns once more to embrace you For you’ve grown to be school-boys again! So, if you’ve got grouches, don’t bring ’em; It’s your laugh and your joke that we need; For Mirth is the doctor of Trouble, And Laughter, the Jester-man’s Creed!

CONSTITIUTION AND BY-LAWS AKRON COURT #80, ROYAL ORDER OF JESTERS AS AMENDED 11-03-09 ARTICLE I – Name This Court shall be known as Akron Court No. 80, Royal Order of Jesters and exists by virtue of a Charter granted under date of December 1924, by the National Court of Royal Order of Jesters from which body is derived all its powers and privileges and to whose Constitution, By-Laws and Edicts implicit respect and obedience shall ever be paid by its members. ARTICLE II – Meetings Section 1: Meetings shall be held as may be called by the Director, at least six (6) days notice of the same to be given to each member of the Court by the Impresario. An annual meeting is to be held in the month of January of each year. Section 2: Seven Jesters shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. ARTICLE III – OFFICERS Section 1: The officers of this Court, their rank and style, shall be as f­ ollows: 1. Director 5. Treasurer 10. Soubrette 2. Leading Man 6. Stage Manager 11. Serio Comic 3. Tragedian 7. Leading lady 12. Character Man 4. Impresario 8. Heavy Man 13. Property Man 9. Light Comedian Representatives to the National Court. Section 2: The first five Officers and the representatives to the National Court shall be elected by a Majority vote of the Court at the annual meeting each year. The remaining officers together with the dramatis personae for such cast as may be desired shall be appointed by the Director. Section 3: all vacancies of elective officers and representatives shall be filled by the Court nomination committee which consists of the five (5) past living Directors of which the immediate Past Director is Chairman. Other vacancies shall be filled by appointment of the Director. Section 4: The Impresario shall be reimbursed for his services at the end of each year, an amount equal to Two Dollars and Fifty Cents per capita, based on the total membership at the time of the annual meeting. Section 5: The Treasurer shall be reimbursed for his services at the end of each year, an amount equal to One Dollar and Fifty Cents per capita, based on the total membership at the time of the annual meeting.

ARTICLE IV – Fees and Dues Section 1: The fee for initiation in the Royal Order of Jesters, Akron Court #80, shall be $425.13 beginning with the class approved and initiated in the year 2006 and thereafter. Said fee shall include a membership certificate, jewel, headpiece, name plate, tie and cummerbund. Section 2: All members shall pay as dues the sum of $100.00, including National Court assessment and insurance assessment per annum, payable in advance beginning January 2007. However, in the event that current year revenue is insufficient to meet current expenses, all members shall be assessed an additional amount not to exceed $13.00 per year to meet said expenses Section 3: Any member whose current year dues have not been paid by the annual meeting in January shall be considered delinquent and a “member not in good standing.” At the end of a period of ninety (90) days, any member who has not become current on his dues, unless approved by the Director and Impresario will be automatically suspended from membership. Section 4: A member who has been suspended for failure to comply with Section 3 or Article IV may be re-affiliated provided he pays all arrearages, including the current year’s dues and any assessments for the period in which he was suspended or withdrawn from and is approved by a 2/3 vote of the members present at a regular meeting. Section 5: The fee for affiliation after demit from any court shall be One Hundred Dollars and Thirteen Cents. The Court will provide the following items: topper, name badge, tie, cummerbund and current year’s dues card. ARTICLE V – Jurisdiction and Membership Revised 11-3-09 Section 1. The jurisdiction of this Court is as prescribed by the National Court and corresponds to that of TADMOR SHRINE. Section 2. The membership of this Court as prescribe by the National Court Bylaws shall be confined to the initiating and making of not more than thirteen Jesters a year. Section 3. The method of choosing the candidates each calendar year shall be as follows: A. (i) Impresario shall request names of proposed candidates for election to Court 80 Each member in good standing may nominate no more than one Candidate each election, by completing the nomination form provided and delivering it to the Impresario. (ii) The Candidate “Member Nomination Form”, completely filled out, with the signatures of the proposer and two Akron Court #80 Jesters “in good standing” must be returned to the Impresario.

(iii) There will be an Investigating Committee for review of candidates proposed, comprised of the Director, Impresario and three (3) members appointed by the Director. The purpose of The Investigating Committee is to determine the accuracy of the information on the application. If the information is questionable, the committee is to request that the proposer remove his candidate from the nominations. (iv) The Director shall call a regular or special meeting of the membership with proper notice for the purpose of electing candidates. (v) The voting shall be done in person by the members present. The members present shall constitute a Quorum for the purpose of electing new candidates. The election procedure shall be as follows: (a) The Impresario shall prepare a list of the candidates, their Shrine affiliation. This list shall be available to members attending the Election Meeting. (b) Ballot. The Impresario shall prepare a ballot listing all the candidates by name in the order their nomination application form was received. The ballot shall contain three voting columns. YES - DON’T KNOW - Candidates name - NO (c) One ballot shall be distributed to each member attending the regular or special election meeting. (d) Voting Voting shall be by this ballot as follows: 1. A member is encouraged to vote YES for any number of candidates that he feels meet Jester qualifications and will become a productive member of this Court. 2. A member is encouraged to vote DON’T KNOW for any candidate to whom the Voting member is not familiar. (This is not a No vote.) 3. A member may vote NO for any candidate which he believes is not qualified to become a member of the Court. 4. A member may vote on all candidates. 5. Counting of ballots shall be done by a committee appointed by the Director. The committee shall consist of the Impresario, other officers, and as many other members as the Director may designate. Any candidate receiving four (4) or more disagree votes shall be elimin­ ated. The ballots shall be counted at the meeting and the thirteen candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. Should the thirteenth (13) candidate be a tie, the elected candidate will be decided by the candidate receiving the lesser no votes or don’t know votes, in that order. The Impresario shall promptly advise each proposer whose candidate has been elected and it shall then be the duty of the proposer to advise the

candidate of his election and ascertain his desire to become a member. In the event that fewer than thirteen (13) members ARE ELECTED, then the Court may by majority vote at any regular meeting authorize the Impresario to repeat the foregoing nominating and election procedures so that a total of not more than thirteen (13) candidates shall be elected during any one year, providing however, no one who was rejected as a result of the receipt of four or more no votes shall be re-nominated until after the lapse of eleven months from the date of his original proposal. Section 4: All nominations for proposed Jesters must be made from members of the order of Mystic Shrine “in good standing”. Section 5: A membership roster shall be revised and printed every year. ARTICLE VI – Amendments Section 1: Proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws my be submitted in writing at any regular meeting of the Court and may be adopted by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present. ARTICLE VII- Discipline Section 1: Proceedings to discipline or expel any member shall be in the manner and form provided in ARTICLE VII, Section 15, of the Constitution and By-Laws of the NATIONAL COURT OF THE ROYAL ORDER OF JESTERS, as revised and adopted July 9, 1956, as follows: Every Subordinate Court shall have the power and authority to discipline or expel any member of such Court for conduct unbecoming a Jester, or which brings the Royal Order of Jesters into disrepute. The accused shall be served in person or by registered mail with the formal written charges. He shall have the right of Counsel, such to be a member of the Royal Order of Jesters “in good standing”. It shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Jesters present at such meeting on the question of guilt and the question of discipline or expulsion. Either the Court or the accused shall have the right within thirty (30) days to appeal from the National Court for any judgment rendered and a Jester indefinitely suspended or expelled may be reinstated after the expiration of one year from the date or judgment by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Jesters present at a meeting duly called for the purpose of a vote on such reinstatement. If a request for a reinstatement is denied by the vote of the Court he shall not be permitted to petition for a period of one year thereafter. Section 2: The Director may at his discretion fine or otherwise discipline any member for conduct which in his judgment hampers or handicaps the Court in spreading sunshine, mirth and good fellowship. The failure of any such member to promptly pay the fine or subject himself to the discipline ordered by the Director may result in proceeding provided for in Section 1.

HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ORDER OF JESTERS NATIONAL COURT Formed JUNE 25, 1917 Incorporated APRIL 17, 1919 FOREWARD To Noble A.M. (Bill) Allison of San Francisco Court No. 4 must be given the credit of conceiving and bringing into being this Royal Order of Jesters and also for the original Book of the Play, copies of which are preserved in the archives in the Royal Impresario’s office. The Book of the Play or Ritual, has been revised several times. The present ritual was rewritten and carried with it a new lineup of officers and cast more in conformity with the theatrical profession whose titles we assumed. The Billiken was adopted as Mascot. HISTORY In August, 1910, Noble James S. McCandless, with Past Illustrious Potentate George Filmer of Islam Temple, San Francisco, Calif., met with Imperial Potentate Fred A. Hines at the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, and decided on the period of February 15th to March 7th, 1911, as the time of the Imperial Visitation to Aloha Temple and the Hawaiian Islands. Noble George Filmer agreed to act for Imperial Potentate Fred A. Hines, and was designated by Aloha Temple to act for them in all the matters pertaining to this pilgrimage. At the personal solicitation of Noble James S. McCandless, the new and palatial steamer “Wilhelmina,” of the Matson Navigation Company, was chartered for the trip with Noble Peter Johnson, of Aloha Temple, as her commander. Noble A. M. Allison, of Islam

Temple, was appointed Historian of the Pilgrimage. On the Voyage over, Manager and Director George Filmer, and a number of Nobles, together with Captain Peter Johnson, arranged many games and sports to while away the hours. An idea occurred to Noble Allison to start a new order to be known as the “Royal Order of Jesters,” and this was suggested to Noble George Filmer, who enthusiastically approved of the idea. Noble A. M. Allison personally prepared the Ritual or Book of the Play, and arranged all of the details of the first initiations. Upon the evening of February 20th, 1911, Noble Allison called a number of Nobles together in the Captain’s office, aboard the S.S. Wilhelmina, and went over the tentative program of founding and arranging for the “Royal Order of Jesters,” establishing its name and birthplace as within the jurisdiction of Aloha Court, Honolulu, the Mother Court of the Realm, and those present at this preliminary meeting, and the parts which later were allocated to them in the Original Royal Cast, were: George Filmer, Royal Director; James S. McCandless, Royal Heavy Man; William M. Beamish, Royal Serio Comic; J. Benton Leggat, Royal Tragedian; A. M. Allison, Royal Impresario; D. E. Perkins, Royal Light Comedian; Frederick R. Smith, Royal Leading Lady; William S. Brown, Royal Soubrette; A. C. Brode, Royal Property Man; George H. Green, Royal Constable; Peter Johnson, Royal Master Transportation; Fred A. Hines, Royal Censor; and Lou B. Winsor, Royal Censor. There was no real initiation, except the reading of excerpts of the Ritual which afterwards were embodied in the Book of the Play, and the banding together of the above named Nobles as the nucleus of the Royal Order of Jesters. On the return trip, Thursday, March 2nd, 1911, the first interpretation of the “Book of the Play” of the Royal Order of Jesters was given on board the S.S. Wilhelmina, in mid-Pacific in the Captain’s office, by the original Royal Cast, under the name and style of “Aloha Court, the Mother Court of the Realm,” with a completed ritual or Book of the Play, containing the obligation, and six acts fully worked out with their lines and histrionic business, lessons, axioms and symbols.

Everything being now complete and the stage set, the Acts were played out before two Nobles, Nelson Lewis, of Nile Temple, Seattle, Wash., and James A. Sorenson, of Islam Temple, San Francisco, Cal., who fully appreciated the performance, criticised at will, caught their cues, sang the roles in fairly good style, and learned the lines well. The fun was genteel, excruciating and enjoyed by the candidates as much as by the Court itself. As the play of the Royal Order of Jesters had taken so well and interest in the secret performance aboard ship was becoming so general, another performance was called for midnight of the same day, Thursday, March 2nd, 1911, in the Social Hall of the Wilhelmina, in mid-Pacific. Promptly at 12 o’clock, midnight, the following nine Nobles were inducted into the mysteries, and each severally learned his lines and cues and played well their parts: August F. Schleicher, Islam; Esten A. Fletcher, Damascus; H. S. Patterson, Islam; R. O. Kimbrough, Islam; William E. Bush, Al Malaikah; Anton F. Korbel, Islam; Samuel W. Burtschaell, Aahmes; Eugene Korn, Islam; and John Boyle, Ziyara Temple. The fun was immense, the comedy good, and the laughter awakened sleepers in nearby staterooms, and aroused the interest of many of the nobility aboard. Promptly at midnight on March 3rd, 1911, another class of nine amateurs who thought they could act, presented themselves at the Stage Door and applied for admission to the Royal Order of Jesters. They were: Alexander Gilliland, Syria; Walter G. McCarty, Al Malaiah; Frank W. Bilger, Aahmes; George L. Wells, El Katif; Edward V. Pasquale, Islam; Richard D. Bronson, Al Malaikah; Walter R. Coombs, Aloha; S. H. Susskind, Islam; Philip D. Gordon, Karnak. At this performance, the two original Honorary Members, Imperial Potentate Fred A. Hines, and Past Imperial Potentate Lou B. Winsor, were present and enjoyed the Play to their full satisfaction. The performance ran smoothly, harmoniously and was very entertaining. It is not being considered fair to the many who had not yet witnessed the Play, for so few to have been honored by participation in the performance of the Royal Order of Jesters, it was decided on the last night of the Pilgrimage at Sea, March 6th, 1911, to admit one last

class of amateurs, so at midnight the stage was set and the Play produced, and the following twenty Nobles were rehearsed in the Book of the Play: Clarence W. Purrington, Islam; Herman S. McKeen, Aahmes; George E. Bennett, Islam; Karl Kurtz, M. D., Al Malaikah, Louis Blaylock, Hella; William Crocker, Islam; Azro N. Lewis, Islam; Adolph Meyer, Islam; George A. Montell, Islam; George McDonald, Islam; Otto Grundel, Islam; Sherman Holladay, Aahmes; Chris Schmid, Islam; Philip Zimmerman, Islam; A. J. Zobel, M. D., Islam; George F. Trott, El Jebel; G. A. Arnold, Islam; G. P. Akerley, Islam; A. W. Thornton, Afiffi; and Charles G. Gebhardt, Islam; This last performance was as successful and smooth as the ones previous, and the Pilgrimage ending the next day, and the party disbanding in San Francisco, on March 7th, 1911, the Mother Court adjourned to meet in Rochester, N. Y., the following July 14th, at midnight. Under the Ritual or Book of the Play, any two original members of the Mother Court, being present could form a subsidiary Court in any city where a Temple of the A. A. O. N. M. S. existed, and under this authority, Royal Director George Filmer and Royal Impresario A. M. Allison, of Islam, San Francisco, convened a meeting of the Originals holding membership in Islam Temple, at the Union League Club, in that city, on the 4th day of May, 1911, and after a banquet gave a performance of the Book of the Play, and instituted San Francisco Court Royal Order of Jesters, at which 18 Nobles participated in the First Performance as follows: Francis V. Keesling, Harry Maundrell, W. H. Hendricks, C.J. Wood, John A. Ulrich, James R. Davidson, M. D., James A. Hawkins, Frank J. Klimm, Jessee B. Cook, Adolph Huber, George A. Zimmerman, T.W.B. Leland, M. D., Theodore Wolters, Gus A. Lenoir, William P. Filmer, Joseph A. Bush, L. B. McMurtry, Frank P. Sherman. This Class with the Original Jester members of Islam, gave to San Francisco Court a membership of 41 Royal Jesters.

THE ORIGIN OF THE BILLIKEN The Billiken has been a symbol of the Royal Order of Jesters almost since it was organized, yet the origin of the Billiken is known to few Jesters. In 1965, after considerable research, Jester Carnie Generaux, Court No. 84, Los Angeles, California, solved the mystery of the Billiken. He presented his findings to the director of Aloha Court No. 1 in 1966. The most frequently quoted of the many theories or inter- esting versions was that the Billiken originated in Egypt. It has been said that the Egyptians considered the Billiken to be a symbol of good luck, and the God of Laughter, Happiness, Merrym­ aking and Good Health. He was a patron of beauty and guardian angel of children. They believed that the presence in their homes of the little figure with his point- ed head, potbelly, bat-like ears and whimsical smile would protect and insure a happy, harmonious atmosphere. When worn, it would dispel clouds of trouble and bring joy into life! This theory was proven to have no basis in fact. A noted archeologist of the Cairo Museum, who was supplied with a copy of the statue by Jester Generaux, indicated that the figure was not of Egyptian antiquity. The second most frequent theory was that the Billiken originated with the Alaskan Eskimos. The Eskimos began carving Billikens in ivory sometime between the turn of the century and the year 1913, either at Nome, Alaska, or Diomede Island. A squat oriental figure was commercially produced by the ivory carvers which might have served as the Billiken original model. It was supposed that early-day whaling vessels plying the Alaskan-Siberian coast may have carried from the Orient a small Buddah-like image which the Eskimo carvers copied and sold to souvenir enthusiastic sailors. However, the arrival of Billiken in Alaska must have been comparatively recent since no evidence to the contrary has been found in excavations of ancient Eskimo village sites.

A magazine article by Dorothy Jean Ray published in September, 1960, in The Alaska Sportsman, unraveled the mystery of the Billiken. She related how she discovered by accident who “invented” the original Billiken. On a visit to Seattle’s YE OLDE CURIOSITY SHOP she discovered a Billiken – not a carved ivory figurine – but a big gray, cast-iron coin bank. Almost illegible writing on the back turned out to read: “Patent No. D39603.” An inquiry to the U.S. Patent Office disclosed that in 1908 a young woman, Florence Pretz, of Kansas City, Missouri, was awarded a patent for a “new design” for an image called “A Billiken.” In 1909, the Billiken was manufactured as a coin bank and as a statuette, and the following year as a doll. The American Doll and Toy Company made more than 200,000 dolls which were the rage for 6 months and then disappeared. The slogan which Miss Pretz placed on the base of the plaster-of paris statuette read, “THE GOD OF THINGS AS THEY OUGHT TO BE,” a paraphrase of Kipling’s famous words from “L’Envoi”: “Shall draw the thing as he sees it for the God of Things as They Are!” The Billiken was introduced into Alaska by a store- keeper on Diomede Island. He gave the statuette to an Eskimo Angokwaghuk, nicknamed “Happy Jack,” who was probably one of the most famous ivory carvers of all time. “Happy Jack” made one exactly like it with toes, belly, head and smile, then made more, and they sold fast. The Eskimos have continued to carve the Billiken to the present time. An interesting fact about today’s Alaskan Billiken is its remarkable similarity to the original Pretz design. The carvers have continued to copy faithfully “Happy Jack’s” copy. The Billiken is regarded by the Eskimos as a good luck symbol. Luck is sup- posed to generate from ownership of a Billiken in any form. To bring greatness of health, happiness, and good fortune, one must rub his belly twice a day, always thinking of others, and for them “good things!”

The Royal Order of Jesters came into being in 1911, just two years after Miss Pretz “invented” her Billiken. Although there is no history as how and when the founding fathers of Jesterdom adopted the Billiken as the symbol of the order, it was an obvious choice because of the extreme popularity of the Billiken figurine at that time as a symbol of joy, happiness and good luck. The official Jester Billiken, with his crown of Mirth, should be portrayed as its originator meant it to be - a highly romanticized caricature of a Buddah. Alaskan carvers have attempted, unsuccessfully, to portray the Billiken in action: bowing in a subservi- ent position, fishing through ice, dancing, etc. Some Jesters’ Courts have shown the Billiken frowning, with the corners of his mouth down, put- ting his fingers in his ears, etc., etc. With these changes the Billiken assumes human characteris- tics which, even from the first, it was never meant to have. After all was it not “The God of Things as They Ought to Be?” Miss Pretz’s inspiration, trav- esty though it is of a Buddah, should remain in the spiritual and not the human realm. James F. Unicume, P.D. 1996 Aloha Court No. 1 (Stolen from Denver Court 138 Roster)



I Am A Jester What I See Here What I Hear Here Shall Stay Here When I Leave Here