WHEREAS,  on June 6, 1876, the Imperial Council, the governing body of the Shriners fraternity, was founded and, to celebrate and recognize this important milestone in Shriners history, Shriners International has declared June 6th as Shriners International Awareness Day; and

WHEREAS,  Shriners International is a fraternity based on fun, fellowship and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth with nearly 200 temples, or chapters, in several countries and thousands of clubs around the world; and

WHEREAS,  Shriners International is a brotherhood and an organization focused on bringing families together, and many of its activities are designed to involve family members, promote shared values and help develop the next generation of community and business leaders; and

WHEREAS,  Shriners International is recognized around the world by an ancient symbol, the fez, and the modern man who wears the iconic red fez is a man who values philanthropy, brotherhood, family and, of course, fun; and

WHEREAS,  Shriners are a brotherhood of men committed to family, engaged in ongoing personal growth and dedicated to providing care for children and families in need; and

WHEREAS,  Shriners Hospitals for Children was founded in 1922 with the goal of providing expert medical care for children, with no financial burden to the patients or their families; and

WHEREAS,  today, that philanthropic effort supports 22 facilities across the United States, Canada and Mexico, treating children up to 18 years of age who have orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, cleft lip and palate and other conditions, whose advanced care is provided in a family-centered environment that is focused on maximizing a child's quality of life, regardless of the families' ability to pay; now, therefore, be it