Where did the fraternity’s theme come from?
The fraternity’s distinctive theme comes from founders Billy Florence, an actor, and Walter Fleming, a physician. Fleming and Florence wanted the fledgling fraternity to have a colorful, exciting backdrop and it’s believed that Florence conceived the Arabic theme after a tour of Europe. It’s important to know that, although the original roots of the theme carried an aura of mystery, Shriners International is not a secret society.
