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[[continued from previous page]] ARABIC ORDER
[[continued from previous page]] MYSTIC SHRINE
 
The Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of North and South America and its jurisdiction incorporated, Prince Hall Shriners, has had a long and colorful history in the annals of PH masonry ever since the fraternal order was established as an Imperial Council of PH shriners in Chicago, Ill. on June 3, 1893. 

On June 1, 1893, 13 black men, under the leadership of Attorney John George Jones, met in Apollo Hall on State Street in this city and organized the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. On June 3, 1893, Jones and his associates established Palestine Temple with its headquarters in the windy city. 

Present to assist Jones in organizing the temple were James Barber, J.H. Blount, Isaac Tolbert, Dillard W. Dempsey, John W. Dunmore, John B. Foster, Benjamin Kersey, Payton Randolph, Joseph Shieve, Charles F. Thompson, Elijah W. Totten and Joseph Winn.

Jones, a practicing attorney in the city, was also a high ranking officer in the United Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, PH affiliated, who was later elected a member of the Illinois State Legislature.  

On June 10, 1893, Jones and his associates organized the Imperial Grand Council of PH Shriners and he was named its first Imperial Grand Potentate. Following organization of the grand council, PH shrine temples were organized in Indianapolis, Ind.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Alexandria, Va.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Cleveland, Ohip; Baltimore, Md.; New York City, N.Y.; Providence, R.I.; St. Louis, Mo. and Kansas City, Mo.

The first session of the Imperial Grand Council was held in Chicago, Ill. on December 26, 1893 and the second session took place in the city of Kansas City, Mo. on August 17, 1894. One year later, in 1895, discord, disunity and division developed within the ranks of the Imperial Grand Council of PH Shriners which culminated in the expulsion of Imperial Grand Potentate John G. Jones from shrinedom and his later expulsion from symbolic masonry by the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Illinois.  

From the date of his expulsion through August of 1899, the history of PH shrinedom in the USA is vague and uncertain as there are no records available to show what transactions or meetings took place.  

In September of 1899, Isaac L. W. Holland, illustrious potentate of Pyramid Temple in Philadelphia, Pa., sent out a call to members of PH shrine temples with the nation to meet with him in a called meeting for the purpose of reorganizing the Imperial Grand Council. This meeting took place on December 12, 1900 at Philadelphia, Pa. Responding to the call for the meeting were members from PH shrine temples in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pa. and Alexandria, Va.

At this meeting, the Imperial Grand Council was reorganized and the fraternal order adopted a new name, "Imperial Council of the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of North and South America and its jurisdiction, incorporated, Prince Hall Shriners," the name which it bears today.

[[image - black and white photograph of three African American men all wearing hats and standing in front of the American Flag]]

Expected to attend the annual Imperial Council session in Miami, Fla. in August of 1977 are three outstanding Prince Hall Shriners shown in the photo above. From Left to right, they are: Roy M. Moore, Imperial Captain of the Guard; 9th District Councilman Gilbert; and Mayor Tom Bradley, all from Los Angeles, Calif., and members of Egyptian Temple 5, PH Shriners in the Angel City.

[[image - black and white photograph of an African American man wearing a hat and glasses]]

Dr. Laddie L. Melton, a member of Nafud Temple 80 in Beaumont, Texas, one of America's outstanding Prince Hall masons and a man who is deeply concerned about "People and their Progress," has been elected the 23rd imperial potentate of the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine of North and South America and its jurisdiction, incorporated.

His election took place recently at the 83rd annual Imperial Council meeting of Prince Hall shriners, held at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California. 

The newly-elected imperial potentate is now the leader of this world-wide Prince Hall shrine group which has members and representatives in it from more than 350,000 PH masons and its women auxiliaries, world-wide. More than 350 Prince Hall temples, daughters of isis courts, and PH shrine clubs are located all over America and in several foreign countries, to include Bahama Islands, Belgium, England, Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Japan, and Okinawa. This international fraternal organization is predominantly black but has a 10 per cent membership that is white or non-black. 

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