🚀 go-pugleaf

I am interested in items from several different fraternal orders--generally
fez-wearing ones.  Please respond via email to barth@lucent.com if you have
any such items for sale.

Below is a list of the orders I am interested in.  I quite often find
that people have items from these orders but don't know it.  Therefore,
I've included some information on each order to make it easier to
identify their paraphernalia.

I am interested in all types of items from the following orders:

 - The Shriners, aka the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic
   Shrine (A.A.O.N.M.S.) - The Shrine is a fun club for thirty-second
   degree Scottish Rite Masons or Knights Templar York Rite Masons.
   Their emblem is a scimitar, below which is a crescent with the horns
   pointing down.  At the top of the crescent is a sphinx.  Inside the
   crescent is a five-point star.  Sometimes the emblem is modified so
   that the scimitar runs through or behind the crescent.  In these
   instances, the star or the sphinx or both are sometimes omitted.
   Members wear red or maroon fezzes with black tassels.

 - The Shriners (African-American), aka the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order
   of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (A.E.A.O.N.M.S.) - The Shriners are
   still segregated (believe it or not), as, for the most part, are the
   Masons.  African-American Shrine Temples and their members tend to use
   the A.E.A.O.N.M.S. acronym frequently, to distinguish themselves from
   the white Shriners.  They also use the acronym PHA for "Prince Hall
   Affiliated."  (The network of African-American Masonic lodges refer
   to themselves as Prince Hall lodges and their members as Prince Hall
   Masons in tribute to their founder.)  The African-American Shriners'
   emblem and accoutrements are basically the same as those of the white
   Shriners.

 - The Daughters of The Nile (white Shriner women's auxiliary) - Their
   emblem is a scimitar above a crescent, with a rose inside the crescent.

 - The Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America (L.O.S. of N.A.) (white
   Shriner women's auxiliary) - Their emblem is a scimitar above a
   crescent with a half-opened daisy inside the crescent.  Members wear
   white fezzes with red tassels.

 - The Daughters of Isis (African-American Shriner women's auxiliary) - I
   don't know what their emblem is, nor what their regalia may be.

 - The Grotto, aka the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted
   Realm (M.O.V.P.E.R.) - This is another fez-wearing fun club for Masons.
   However, it is less exclusive than the Shrine, being open to third
   degree Masons.  It is also less popular and less well-known.  Their
   emblem is the Head of Mokanna, The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan.  It's
   a bearded man's head, wearing a helmet or turban (I've seen both), with
   a veil pulled back to either side of his face.  The veil actually looks
   like huge white horns projecting out from the side of his head, giving
   Mokanna a kind of Viking look.  Members wear black fezzes with red or
   rose-colored tassels.

 - The Daughters of Mokanna (Grotto women's auxiliary) - They use the
   same emblem as the Grotto.  Members wear white fezzes with red tassels.

 - The Samaritans, aka the Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans
   (A.M.O.S.) - This is a Shriner-like fun club for Odd Fellows.  Their
   emblem has an owl perched atop a scimitar.  Below the scimitar is a
   crescent, with the horns pointing up and to the right.  Inside the
   crescent is a pyramid and palm trees.  It usually says "We Never
   Sleep" across the scimitar's blade.  Members wear red fezzes with
   tassels that vary in color depending on the member's position and
   degree.  Certain officers wear blue fezzes.

 - The Ladies of the Orient (L.O.T.O.) - This is a fun club open to
   Rebekahs (the female lodge of the Odd Fellows).  The members wear
   white fezzes with tassels that vary in color depending on the member's
   position and degree.  Certain officers wear purple fezzes.

 - The Dramatic Order Knights of Khorassan (D.O.K.K.) - This is a
   Shriner-like fun club for Knights of Pythias.  D.O.K.K. members are
   sometimes referred to as "Dokeys."  Their emblem is a tiger's head
   inside a double crescent (one shadowing the other) with the horns
   pointing to the right.  There are three stars on each crescent.
   Members wear black or maroon fezzes with black tassels.

 - The Nomads of Avrudaka (N.O.A.) (D.O.K.K. women's auxiliary) - Their
   emblem is a sword, running horizontally with the hilt at left,
   superimposed over a flower and two buds.  Superimposed over this is an
   "NOA" monogram.  Members wear white fezzes with the NOA emblem.

 - The Alhambra, aka the International Order of the Alhambra - This is
   a Shriner-like fun club for Catholic men.  Their emblem is a castle
   tower inside a crescent.  Members wear white fezzes with red tassels.


I've also found items from two other fez-wearing orders that are otherwise
a complete mystery to me.  I'd be interested in any information about or
items from either of these orders or any other fez-wearing orders that I
haven't mentioned.

The two items in question are as follows:

 - The first item is a white fez with a yellow tassel.  On the front is
   an emblem of a crowned two-headed eagle grasping a sword in its talons.
   On its breast is a round device with the letters "DOM."  There are
   olive branches to either side of the eagle.  The emblem is surrounded
   by a ring of rhinestones.  Above the emblem, "Minerva" is spelled out
   in rhinestones.  "No." and "1" appear to the left and right of the
   emblem, also spelled out in rhinestones.  (This might have something
   to do with Masons, as one of the 33rd degree emblems is very similar:
   two-headed eagle, sword, crown.)
 
 - The second item is a small pin about the size of a tie tack.  It is
   in the shape of a blue fez with a white tassel.  On the front of the
   fez is an emblem consisting of a woman's face with a ruffled collar,
   wimple, and a white witch's hat.

Members of the Elks, Moose, Order of the Eastern Star, Masons, Odd Fellows,
Knights of Pythias and other fraternal orders are not normally fez-wearers,
but have been known to indulge in this, the most wacky of headgear, from
time to time.  I am interested in such fezzes.

I am also interested in fraternal order books from just about any order,
and I am interested in any pictures, photographs, trade cards, or postcards
depicting fezzes of any type or fraternal order regalia of any type.



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88  Barth Richards (DNRC)             Language is a virus from outer space.  88
88  barth@lucent.com                           - William S. Burroughs        88
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