Royal Order of Jesters

The original meeting resulting in the formation of the Order was held on February 20, 1911, by Shriners in the Captain’s office of the S.S. Wilhelmina to visit Aloha Temple in Hawaii. Noble A.M. Ellison of San Francisco, California was elected the leader (called a "director") and the original group, called "a cast", with thirteen members. It was later formally organized on June 25, 1917, at an informal meeting.{{Citation needed|reason=Contradictory statements, according to this article, the organization is both supposed to have no public presence, but yet has had an official presence? Nothing authentified this website as an official website for the organisation, the same website became a Chinese sex shop website in 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170501044532/http://www.iroj.org/|date=November 2024}} {{cite web|url=http://www.iroj.org/ |title=Allegedly the official website but unconfirmed |access-date=2011-10-18 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016125510/http://www.iroj.org/ |archive-date=October 16, 2011 }} {{Unreliable source?|reason=Contradictory statements, according to this article, the organization is both supposed to have no public presence, but yet has had an official presence? Nothing authentified this website as an official website for the organisation, the same website became a Chinese sex shop website in 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170501044532/http://www.iroj.org|date=December 2024}}

The official website{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=December 2024}} for the Royal Order of Jesters describes itself as the following:

"Whereas most Masonic bodies are dedicated to charity, The Royal Order of Jesters is a fun 'degree,' with absolutely no serious intent. The motto, 'Mirth is King,' is sufficient to give voice to the purpose of the organization. The Royal Order of Jesters believe that there are times, after work and dedication to family and mankind when everyone should remember to laugh and appreciate the good work one has done."{{Unreliable source?|reason=Contradictory statements, according to this article, the organization is both supposed to have no public presence, but yet has had an official presence? Nothing authentified this website as an official website for the organisation, the same website became a Chinese sex shop website in 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170501044532/http://www.iroj.org|date=December 2024}}

The icon of the Order is the Billiken.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=November 2024}}

The order is very secretive and holds an anti-publicity policy.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=November 2024}} For example, a website made by one of its members was removed after the intervention of the national court of the Order.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=March 2025}} The primary reason behind this was the desire of the Board to minimize public exposure or public access to Jester information.Letter from Jester National Officer Dennis R. Schueler, to Jester webmaster Frank Bailie {{cite web |url=http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/_news/2008/12/06/2184088-ex-jesters-confirm-sam-houston-e-mail |title= Ex-Jesters confirm "Sam Houston" E-mail |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090113154757/http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/_news/2008/12/06/2184088-ex-jesters-confirm-sam-houston-e-mail |access-date=2012-06-10 |archive-date= 2009-01-13}}{{Unreliable source?|date=November 2024}}

Local "courts" are limited to thirteen initiates yearly and membership is by invitation only.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=November 2024}}

Prospective members must be a Shriner and also a Master Mason in a masonic lodge.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=December 2024}} Prospective members are usually selected due to their commitment to secrecy and are usually highly active or highly ranked within the Shriners organization and within Freemasonry.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=November 2024}}

Asking to join will almost certainly result in the individual never being accepted.{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=November 2024}}

The Royal Order of Jesters owns a museum in Indiana. On display are items relating to the Order. There are also items that belonged to William Shakespeare and other historical people who focused on humor in their works.{{Cite web|url=https://royalorderofjesters.weebly.com/|title=Royal Order of Jesters|website=Royal Order of Jesters|access-date=2018-11-27}}{{Unreliable source?|reason=Contradictory statements, according to this article, the organization is both supposed to have no public presence, but yet has had an only presence, is this supposed to be the "OFFICIAL" website?|date=December 2024}}

In 2008, four public officials from Western New York, including State Supreme Court Justice Ronald H. Tills, two retired police officers and a law clerk, were convicted of human trafficking for transporting a prostitute for a Royal Order of Jesters event.{{cite news |last1=Herbeck |first1=Dan |title=Lawsuit accuses ex-prosecutor of molesting 16-year-old babysitter |url=https://buffalonews.com/2020/03/06/lawsuit-accuses-ex-prosecutor-of-molesting-16-year-old-girl/ |access-date=21 May 2020 |work=The Buffalo News |date=6 March 2020 |language=en-us}}{{Unreliable source?|date=November 2024}} According to federal prosecutors, the Jesters had employed strippers and prostitutes for one of their parties, with some of the prostitutes being illegally transported over state lines for a Jester event. The FBI has investigated these cases. [https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/buffalo/press-releases/2009/bffo050709.htm Retired Lockport Police Detective Sentenced for Transporting a Woman from Western New York to Kentucky for the Purpose of Engaging in Prostitution] [https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/buffalo/press-releases/2010/bffo111910.htm Former Erie County Sheriff's Deputy Pleads Guilty in Connection with Jester Prostitution Case] [https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/buffalo/press-releases/2011/former-erie-county-sheriffs-deputy-sentenced-for-failing-to-report-jester-prostitution-in-canada Former Erie County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for Failing to Report Jester Prostitution in Canada]Former Erie County Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for Failing to Report Jester Prostitution in Canada

These actions were not sanctioned by the organization as a whole.{{cite web | url=https://buffalonews.com/news/probe-of-jesters-carousing-goes-national-case-against-3-men-from-area-wraps-up/article_f69985f1-85cd-510a-af38-448c45a85755.html | title=Probe of Jesters' carousing goes national Case against 3 men from area wraps up | date=4 May 2009 }}

• Category:Organizations established in 1911

Category:Shriners

Category:Comedy troupes

• {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110726185832/http://www.iroj.org/ Archived copy]}}