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I need help for my child! How do I get the Shriners to help us?
Can't you just give me the money for my child's medical bills?
Who can apply to go to the Shriners Hospital?
What is a typical trip to the hospital like?
I need help for my child! How do I get the Shriners to help us?
You may contact any Shriner that you know personally, call Akdar Shrine Center locally, or call the nationwide toll-free number.
Akdar Shrine Temple
2808 South Sheridan
Tulsa, OK, 74129
Telephone: 918-836-2500
Fax: 918-836-2522
Hospital Transportation Department: 918-836-2528
Nationwide toll-free number:
In the U.S.: 1-800-237-5055 In Canada: 1-800-361-7256
Can't you just give me the money for my child's medical bills?
The short answer is no. The Shriners Hospital System has been designed to care for children in an efficient and effective manner. Because Akdar supplies transportation and lodging for the trip, your only "out of pocket" expense will be your meals, and any snack/treats you may with to purchase your child. If you are unable to take time from work to accompany your child, it may be possible for another adult that you appoint to take the child to the hospital. Please contact our Transportation Department for more information.
Who can apply to go to Shriners Hospital?
For more information regarding eligibility, and the admission process, pleae visit the Shriners Headquarters website. Applications are available in English, Spanish and French.
For information about a completed application or for other questions, please e-mail patientreferrals@shrinenet.org, or call (800) 237-5055 or (800) 361-7256 in Canada. Both lines are staffed weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST.
What is a typical trip to the hospital like?
You will ride a 15-passenger van supplied by Akdar, and driven by Akdar Shriners. You will leave in the morning on Day 1 of your trip. Shreveport trips will last two days. The van drivers will stop the van anytime your child needs. Typically the van will stp for lunch at a family-oriented restaurant. You will have your own motel room, and will be expected to get up, and be ready to go to the hospital on time on Day 2. After all of the patients on your van have seen the doctors, and any special departments (i.e.; Orthopedics/Prosethetics, X-Ray, Physical Therapy, or Child Life) then your van will begin the return trip to Tulsa.
Some important things to remember:
-On your first trip, you will actually be going to the CLINIC, which is located within the hospital building. (Unless your child is an emergency case.) You will not spend the night at the hospital, but at a local motel.
-Shreveport trips are always TWO days.
Check in at Akdar - 8:15 a.m.Depart Akdar - 9:00 a.m.Day 1 - Drive to ShreveportDay 2 - Clinic, Drive to Tulsa-The van ALWAYS leaves ON TIME. If you have any questions about the departure time for your trip, please confirm with the Hospital Transportation Office in advance.
-One patient/one parent. Due to space limitations on the vans, we ask that each paitent bring only one parent or guardian, and no siblings. If for some reason care cannot be arranged for siblings, please contact the Hopsital Transportation Office AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
-All passengers MUST wear seat belts! NO EXCEPTIONS!
-Parents MUST bring car seats/booster seats for children and infants that are legally required to ride in them.
-There is NO SMOKING allowed on Akdar vans. You may smoke during regularly scheduled stops, outside and away from the van.
-Food and drinks are NOT allowed on Akdar vans. Please help us keep our vans clean!
-Parents/Guardians must remember to bring along any prescription medications and/or medical supplies, alone with any orthotics and/or prosthetics. You will only need to bring clothing for one night (two night for Galveston trips) if you are going to Clinic. If your child needs surgery, or further treatment at the hospital, the staff will be able to tell you what to bring with you for an extended hospital stay.
-If your child becomes cranky or bored on long car trips, yo may want to bring along some favorite books and/or toys. For comfort, you may also wish to bring along a pillow and/or blanket if they might want to nap in the van. Since the van is a "shared space", please be thoughtful about the noise level of any toys or games that your child may play with.
-Please respect your Van Drivers. They are VOLUNTEERS who leave their families at home to drive you and yours to and from the hospitals. They are also concerned about the safety of you and your child. Your Van Drivers will do everything they can to insure your trip is as pleasant as it can be, however, they need your help and cooperation to make that happen.
What are Shriners Hospitals for Children?
What types of conditions are treated?
Do you help children with vision problems?
What are Shriners Hospitals for Children?
Shriners Hospitals for Children is a network of 22 hospitals offering specialized medical care to children. Shriners Hospitals are located throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighteen of the 22 Shriners Hospitals provide comprehensive pediatric orthopaedic care to children, including outpatient and inpatient care, diagnostic services, surgery, medical care, casts, braces, prosthetics, X-rays, rehabilitation services, recreation and continuation of thier education.
Children from infancy to thier 18th birthday may be eligible for treatment if in the opinion of the chief of staff there is a reasonable possibility that treatment will benefit the child. Shriners Hospitals for Children are open to children regardless of thier race, religion, or relationship to a Shriner. There is never a charge to the patient or parent for any service or medical treatment recieved at Shriners Hospitals.
What types of conditions are treated?
In addition to offering a complete range of specialized medical and rehabilitation services, Shriners Hospitals use a unique family centered treatment approach which involves the patient's family in the recovery process.
This philosophy stresses that while medicine might heal the child's body, tending to the child's sense of well-being is equally important to his recovery.
With the help of outstanding hospital personnel, exceptional medical facilities, comfortable environments and the close companionship of other patients, children are provided with the support and encouragement they need to meet the many challenges they face.
Shriners Hospitals are equipped and staffed to care for children with congenital orthopaedic injuries and diseases of the bones, joints and muscles. Some of the common orthopaedic problems treated at Shriners Hospitals include:
* Scoliosis (curvature of the spine)
* Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease)
* Orthopaedic problems of cerbral palsy
* Hand problems
* Back problems
* Limb deficiencies and growth problems
* Orthopaedic problems of spina bifida with myelodysplasia (paralysis of limbs due to faulty congenital development of the spine and spinal nerves)
* Club foot and dislocated hip
* Leg length discrepancies
* Orthopaedic problems resulting from neuromuscular disorders
* Legg-Perthes disease (development problems of the hip)
* Rickets
The hospitals also treat patients with healed burns who, as a result of those burns, may have developed orthopaedic complications, scarring and deformity of the limbs.
Each year, Shriners Hospitals spend millions of dollars on specialized research and the development of new treatments for crippling diseases which afflict children.
Do you help children with vision problems?
The Shriners do not have a program that helps children with vision problems, but the Lions Club of America does. Please contact your local Lions Club for more information.
What is the phone number in Tuslsa to inquire about Circus tickets?
Where is the Akdar Shrine Center located in Tulsa?
Why should I visit the Akdar Shrine Center?
What is the phone number in Tulsa to inquire about Circus tickets?
Great Question! Our next Akdar Shrine Circus is going to be BIGGER and BETTER than ever! You can contact our Circus Office by telephone at (918) 836-2524.
Where is the Akdar Shrine Center located in Tulsa?
2808 South Sheridan
Tulsa, OK, 74129
Telephone: 918-836-2500
Fax: 918-836-2522
Why should I visit the Akdar Shrine Center?
There are many things you can do at the Akdar Shrine Center in Tulsa!
You can visit our Penguin friend, "Illustrious Sir" and have your picture taken with him!
Parents & patients are always welcome to visit!
Visit the Circus Office in January and February to buy tickets to the next Akdar Shrine Circus!
May is usually a good time to buy a bag of our famous onions!
And anytime is a great time for men to come and find out why you should become a Shriner!
What is Freemasonry?
Who can become a Mason?
How do I become a Master Mason?
The following is a brief response to questions often asked about Freemasonry: what is Freemasonry, what is its origin, when and where did it start, who started it, and what is its purpose.
Freemasonry is the oldest and the largest fraternal order in the world. It is a universal brotherhood of men dedicated to serving God, family, fellowman and country.
The heritage of modern Freemasonry is derived from the organized guilds or unions of stone masons who constructed the beautiful cathedrals and other stately structures throughout Europe during the middle ages. The skills and architectural genius of these craftsmen and their commitment to the highest standards of moral and ethical values were universally applauded, and unlike other classes of people, they were allowed to travel freely from country to country. Thus, during this period, the word "Free" was prefixed to the word mason, and these craftsmen, and the generations of masons who followed, were referred to as Freemasons.
Until about the sixteenth century, masons were strictly an operative craft-stone masons and architects building those magnificent cathedrals and palaces, many of which still adorn the landscape of the European country side. Early in the seventeenth century, membership in these unions or operating lodges of stone masons began to decline, and probably to compensate for their loss in members, they began to admit certain men of prominence in society who were not craftsmen or stone masons. This class of members were initially considered patrons of the Fraternity, and over the years became known as "accepted masons". At the conclusion of the seventeenth century, a radical transformation had evolved; these accepted masons had become predominant, and the older lodges of Freemasons began to emphasize and teach moral philosophy rather than the technical and operative art of earlier centuries. Tools of the stone masons are still used in the Fraternity today, but only to symbolize moral virtue, not to build cathedrals.
Although the moral philosophy of Freemasonry is founded upon religious principles, it is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. Candidates for membership (adult males) are however, expected to profess a belief in God, and be of good moral character.
Courtesy of Alexandria-Washington Masonic Lodge,
(original version 1988, Revised 1995)
In order to be considered for membership in the Masonic Fraternity you must:
* Be a male
* Be at least 19 years old (Oklahoma) *21 years old in most other states
* Believe in the existence of one true and living God and the immortality of the soul
* Support local and national government and abide by the laws and Constitution of the United States (in the U.S.)
* Not be engaged in illegal activities
* Have a good reputation in the community
* Have no mental, legal, or moral impairment which would prevent you from being a good Mason and associating with men to whom ethics and honor are important.
Courtesty of the Oklahoma Grand Lodge of Masons of the State of Oklahoma, "Path to Brotherhood" package.
How do I become a Master Mason?
It's not hard to become a Master Mason. The process is by petition and then by taking a series of three Degrees. They are ancient in form, and contain no "horse-play."
Step 1. Make sure you meet the qualifications (listed in prior FAQ).
Step 2. Ask a Master Mason for a petition.
Step 3. Fill out the petition and return it to the Mason who gave it to you. He will take it to the Lodge where it will be read in a meeting.
Step 4. Meet with a committee appointed by the Master of the Lodge. The committee will meet with you at your convenience. Their task is to amplify the information on the petition and to answer your questions about Masonry.
Step 5. The Lodge will contact you to tell you when to come for the Entered Apprentice Degree. After you take the Degree, a Brother will help you learn some material. After that, you take the Fellowcraft Degree and the Master Mason Degree.
That's all it takes.
Courtesy of the Grand Lodge of Masons of the State of Oklahoma, "Path to Brotherhood" package.
What is a Shriner? What kind of organization attracts truck drivers, dentists, contractors, heads of state, movie stars, generals, clergymen, and accountants? What is the Shrine?
Someone might answer: "Oh yeah, Shriners are those guys who always have those parades with the wild costumes and funny little cars." Another might think of the Shrine circuses and Shrine clowns. The fellow next to him might interject, "No Shriners are the guys who wear those funny hats -- like flower pots -- and have those big conventions."
"I don't know about that," a passerby might add. "But I do know my little girl was born with club feet and now they are straight, and she can walk like anyone else, thanks to the Shrine Hospitals for Children."
"She can walk?" questions still another. "I thought the Shriners ran those fantastic burn hospitals. I've read stories about them saving kids with burns on 90 percent of thier bodies."
All those people are right. Each has experienced an aspect of Shrinedom. What they cannot experience, unless they are Shriners, is the camaraderie, deep friendships, good fellowship and great times shared by all Shriners. What they may not know is that all Shriners share a Masonic heritage: Each is a Master Mason in the Freemasonry Fraternity.
Historically, Masons had to become members of the York or Scottish Rite Bodies before becoming a Noble of the Shrine. However, at the Imperial Council Session in July 2000, an amendment to Shrine law changed that requirement, allowing Master Masons to become Shriners directly.
There are approximately 515,000 Shriners now. They gather in Temples, or chapters, throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Republic of Panama. There are 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children -- 18 orthopedic hospitals, three burn hospitals, and one hospital that provides orthopedic, burn and spinal cord injury care. These hospitals have cured or substantially helped more than 650,000 children -- at no cost to parent or child -- since the first Shriners Hospital opened in 1922.
Who is in charge of our website?
Our Webmaster is a volunteer who works on behalf of the entire Akdar Shrine Temple to keep the website up-to-date and relevant for our members, our patients, and our visitors. Our Potentate is "in charge" of our website, however our Webmaster handles the day-to-day operations of the site.
Akdarshrine.org has been open since 05/02/02.