Interested Nobles are encouraged to form a Legion of Honor within your Shrine Center. A Legion of Honor is a unit within the Shrine comprising Nobles from your Shrine who are also veterans/members of the various branches of a county's Armed Forces and its Allies.
A Legion of Honor unit is formed for the purposes of:
1. Promoting a closer fraternal and social relationship among its members.
2. Maintaining a Color Guard and a Uniformed Body for representation in ceremonials, parades and social functions deemed necessary by the Potentate of your Shrine.
3. Fostering a spirit of Patriotism and a Love of Country and Flag.
4. Perpetuating the memory of your Comrades in Arms who died in the service of their country and to unite more closely former Comrades in Arms in the continuing service of God and Country, Masonry and Shrinedom.
5. Devoting your efforts as individuals and Legion of Honor members.
6. Serving your Illustrious Potentate in every way possible and assisting in every way to contribute to the betterment of your Shrine.
Convene a meeting of a group of Nobles of your Shrine who are ex-servicemen or servicemen, each of whom has received an Honorable Discharge or a Satisfactory Certificate of Service for his last service from the Armed Forces of his government, or evidence that he is in the Armed Forces of his government at the time.
Discuss with them the advisability of organizing a Shrine Legion of Honor unit, a service unit for service to the Shrine and the Illustrious Potentate. Do not be concerned about being a uniformed unit of the Shrine at this time, for there are many ways of serving outside the uniformed Units. Be willing to serve your Shrine and your Illustrious Potentate in any way.
If sufficient interest is found, appoint a committee to seek an audience with your Illustrious Potentate in order to obtain authorization for the formation of a Legion of Honor unit within your Shrine. The foregoing six points of purpose would be a good starting place for reasons to organize such a unit.
As soon as authorization for the formation of a Legion of Honor is obtained, the committee should proceed to send out cards or letters and/or contact all known ex-servicemen and servicemen within the Shrine. You should consider inserting an ad in your Shrine magazine relative to the proposed organization of the unit. If the committee finds that they have ten (10) or more interested Nobles, they should call an organizational meeting. The meeting should appoint temporary officers and committees as deemed necessary. This being a military oriented unit, you may want to appoint a Commander, Lieutenant Commander(s), Drill Captain, Finance Officer, Quartermaster and Warrant Officer, as versus President, Vice President, etc. Suggestions for activities should be discussed at this meeting, such as (1) Uniformed Unit, (2) Non-Uniformed Unit, (3) Color Guard, (4) Degree Team, etc. Service to be performed should be something outside the field of the present uniformed units of the Shrine, or perhaps something that the Illustrious Potentate might like or need.
A permanent organization meeting should be called by the temporary officers. At this meeting, all plans should be drafted to be submitted and adopted at the following regular unit meeting. Included should be your regular meeting night, time and location. You will want to secure a night from your Shrine Recorder if your Shrine is to be your meeting location. Permanent officers should be voted on at this meeting, which may or may not be the temporary officers. These officers should be sworn in by your Illustrious Potentate or his designate and should remain in office until your next annual election. Have your plans made and answers ready for any questions that may be brought up; then you will have a smooth running meeting.
The proposed list of members should be promptly notified of the date and place for the permanent unit meetings. Avoid any unnecessary delays between your meetings whereby interest may be lost or other units being formed are recruiting members.
At your initial regular Legion of Honor meeting, the proposed By-Laws should be presented and acted upon (example attached). These By-Laws should be those that satisfy your particular unit and Shrine. Input from your membership should be solicited through a total mailing. Subsequently, adoption of your By-Laws should be voted upon at an early unit meeting. After approval of the membership the officers should sign said By-Laws. Your Illustrious Potentate should be contacted for approval of your By-Laws and for the purpose of chartering the unit. If you plan to join the International Association Legions of Honor, you should contact your Division International Lieutenant Commander for the purpose of joining the International, Chartering your unit and for approval of your By-Laws.
The International Association Legions of Honor unites the 147 Legions of Honor throughout the 192 Shrines in North America. The International Association has a similar purpose as do the various Shrine Legions of Honor, and that is to:
1. Perpetuate the memory of those who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of their country.
2. Foster a spirit of patriotism and love of country and its flag.
3. Instill in each unit an unswerving loyalty to its Illustrious Potentate and Shrine.
4. Cultivate a spirit of comradeship among all Shrine organizations.
5. Assist in upholding the principles of Shriners International.
The goal of the International Association is to become large, strong and permanent in the service of Shrinedom. In the 147 Legions of Honor in the 192 Shrines there are approximately 8400 Legion Nobles. All of these Legion of Honor units are working corps of their respective Shrines under the control and authority of the Illustrious Potentate. The Legion Nobles, the Legion of Honor units and the International Association are as one in purpose, namely to be Nobles of Shriners International, organized as service units for service to their Illustrious Potentates and Shrines and to assist in any way they can our twenty-two (22) Shrine Hospitals.
The International has divided up North America into eight (8) geographic areas, each represented by an International Lieutenant Commander who provides the liaison or tie with the Shrine units. These Lieutenant Commanders continue up the line of command much as your Divan does, eventually being elevated to the office of International Commander.
That pretty well spells out what a Legion of Honor is, what it does, and suggestions for what it can or might do. The Legions of Honor meld together the Armed Forces with the Nobles of Shriners International into a very proud unit of Legion Nobles. You should want to join the finest units in Shrinedom. If you need assistance or additional information, contact the nearest Shrine that has a Legion of Honor.
ITS AN HONOR TO BELONG TO THE LEGION OF HONOR
SHRINERS INTERNATIONAL
LEGION OF HONOR
VETERANS AND/OR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES
FORMING A NEW UNIT