A Brief History

During October, 1886, several Knights Templar of the Leavenworth Kansas Commandery No. 1 held a series of informal meetings to devise the ways and the means to organize a Temple of The ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.  A decision was reached to communicate with Illustrious Noble William S. Patterson, Imperial Recorder of the Imperial Grand Council for the United States.  On November 11th 1886, a petition was sent to Noble Patterson.  The petition requested that the Order of the Mystic Shrine be conferred upon a suitable number of Knights Templar, and that they receive a dispensation to form and open Abdallah Temple, of the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, with Richard A. Ketner as Illustrious Grand Potentate.

After considerable correspondence, it was arranged that Illustrious Noble James H. Thompson of Chicago, Chief Rabban of the Imperial Grand Council, would travel to Leavenworth and confer the Order on the petitioning Sir Knights.

On March 28, 1887, twentyfour Sir Knights met with Noble Thompson in the Leavenworth Masonic Temple.  He read his commission as Special Deputy of the Imperial Council, authorizing him to confer the Order; after which he did to confer the Order of the Mystic Shrine on these Sir Knights for the purpose of enabling them to organize a Temple of the Order.

On the evening of April 29, 1887, the Nobles created by Noble Thompson met once again in the Leavenworth Masonic Temple.  Noble Richard A. Ketner called the meeting to order and appointed Noble LaMartine Cretors as Secretary.  The first officers of Abdallah Temple were: Richard A. Ketner, Grand Potentate; Dwight Byington, Chief Rabban; Carle A. Woodruff, Assistant Rabban; Tulius C. Tupper, High Priest and Prophet; Edward W. Osgood, Oriental Guide; John M. Laing, Treasurer; LaMartine Cretors, Recorder; William B. Fletcher, First Ceremonial master; Edward Jacobson, Second Ceremonial Master; Frank S. Hastings, Marshall; Thomas E. Conklin, Captain of the Guard; Rudolph Jost, Outer Guard.

Abdallah is the 30th Shrine Temple to be charted, and was the first of the five Shrine Temples to be chartered in Kansas.

The first regular meeting of Abdallah Shrine was on May 13, 1887.  Arthur McArthur, (the father of Gen. Douglas McArthur) was among several Nobles created at this meeting.  The Abdallah minutes show thirtytwo members designated as charter members.

Initially, Abdallah Shrine had jurisdiction over the entire state of Kansas.  Meetings were held on the first and third Fridays of each month with special meetings being called to initiate new candidates.  Abdallah initiated over 8,600 during the first fifty years of its existence.

Isis Temple in Salina was established soon after Abdallah, then came Midian in Wichita, Mirza in Pittsburg, and Arab in Topeka.  These newer temples assumed responsibility for their portion of Kansas.

Today, Abdallah Shrine serves ten counties in Northeast Kansas.  In 1954 the Abdallah membership voted to transfer headquarters to Kansas City, Kansas.   A later vote in 1977 transferred the location of Abdallah to Overland Park, Kansas.   Abdallah met in rented facilities while searching for a permanent site to build a new Mosque.

The site of our present location at 5300 Metcalf, Overland Park, Kansas, was purchased, and ground was broken on September 14, 1980.  The first meeting lasted only 5 minutes and was held outside on December 9, 1980.  The Temple was completed and dedicated on June 28, 1981.

The first Abdallah unit was the Foot Patrol formed in 1909.  The unit represented Abdallah that year at the Imperial Council meeting in New Orleans.  Today, there are 25 units and 18 clubs that represent Abdallah Shrine in a wide variety of civic parades throughout our tencounty area.

Our major fund raising program is the Abdallah Shrine Rodeo.  Several hundred Nobles work countless hours before, during, and after the rodeo to make it more successful each year.

In conjunction with all other Kansas Shrine Temples, Abdallah is a cosponsor of the EastWest All Star High School football game that benefits the Shriners Hospitals for Children, and the Abdallah Shrine Children's Hospital Transportation Fund.

For Several years, Abdallah Shrine has maintained a membership of between 2,200 and 2,300 members.  We continue to mix a wide variety of fun and social activities with the alwayspresent desire to support our Children’s Hospital charitable activities.