The Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan or Dokeys are a side degree of the Knights of Pythias, somewhat analogous to the Shriners in Freemasonry. The Order was founded in 1894.[1]: 181
Organization
editThe Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan has a two tier system of organization, with local "Temples" and a national "Imperial Palace", which meets biennially. The chief national officer is called the "Imperial Prince," while local bodies are ruled by a "Royal Vizier."[1]: 180 Upon completing a term as Royal Vizier, a member is eligible to receive the Degree of Prince from the Imperial Palace, thereby attaining the rank of Royal Prince.[2]
Thomas Henry Hineline was Imperial Prince of the Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan till July 1913. He died from a stroke on January 11, 1914, in Hennepin, Minnesota.[3]
As of 1923, the Imperial Prince was D. W. C. Yarbough of Birmingham, Alabama, a prominent manufacturer, though the Imperial Palace was located in Columbus, Ohio, in the Clinton Building at the corner of High and Chestnut Streets. At the Orders convention in Portland that year, Imperial Secretary A. L. Frey reported a membership of almost 100,000.[4] In 1979, the headquarters of the organization was in Des Moines, Iowa.[1]: 180
Membership
editMembership in the Knights of Pythias is a prerequisite for membership in the DOKK. A member is referred to as a "Votary."[2]
As the Pythian has declined, so has the membership of the Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan. From 100,000 members in the early 1920s, the group fell to 15,000 in 110 Temples by 1979.[1]: 180
Ritual
editThe DOKK has an initiation ritual based on the motto "Lift up the fallen". There are two degrees, the Temple degree given locally, and the Imperial Degree bestowed by the Imperial Palace. After initiation each member receives a fez.[1]: 180
Philanthropy
editBy an "Imperial Law" (national resolution) each temple is required to take up a humanitarian cause, often selecting a disabled child whom it supports. The Imperial Palace has donated equipment to 15 nonsectarian children's hospitals.[1]: 180
Nomads of Avrudaka
editThe Nomads of Avrudaka is a female auxiliary organization to the Knights of Khorassan.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Schmidt, Alvin J. (1980). "Knights of Pythias". Fraternal Organizations. The Greenwood encyclopedia of American institutions. Vol. 3. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 183–89, 281. ISBN 978-0-3132-1436-3. OCLC 567954407. OL 4404074M. Retrieved 2022-06-06 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ a b c "Knights of Pythias". Museum of Fezology. August 2011. Archived from the original on 2022-05-22. Retrieved 2022-06-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Written at Minneapolis. "Thomas H. Hineline Is Dead". The Inter Ocean. Chicago (published 1914-01-12). Associated Press. 1914-01-11. Retrieved 2022-06-06 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Preuss, Arthur, ed. (1966). A Dictionary of Secret and other Societies. Detroit: Gale Reference Company. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-8103-3083-2. LCCN 66021186. OL 5990405M.
