Way Back When.....

The history of the Shriners in Billings stretches back almost 90 years, to 1921, to be exact, when permission was granted to found a Shrine Temple here. A Billings temple was first discussed as a possibility in 1917 as an alternative to the long commute to the Algeria Temple in Helena. Consequently the Billings temple was chartered on June 15, 1922 and was called Al Bedoo, meaning Bedouin, or dwellers of the open spaces or prairies—a fitting name for a Montana chapter nestled in the heart of range country.
 
Since its first ceremonial on September 30, 1921, the Temple has continued to grow and expand its activities. Thanks to the generosity of some of its nobles in acquiring land and overseeing construction of the barn and clubhouse, the horses of the Black Horse Patrol acquired their own stables in the 1940s. In 1950, the Al Bedoo Temple itself was built. Begun simply as a place to meet and to store Al Bedoo's equipment, plans quickly expanded to encompass a vision of a multi-purpose hall. What eventually rose was a building with 13,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 2,400 square foot stage, parking space for 550 plus cars, and room and facilities enough to host sporting events, concerts, and large banquets. The Al Bedoo Shrine Auditorium quickly became a center of Billings' civic life.
 
Today we are proud members of Shriners International and a central pillar of the Billings community. We actively support the Spokane Shriners Children's Hospital and the children of our local community that are in need of our hospitals care.
 
Ours is a long and proud history of achievement, service, and fraternal camaraderie. We welcome new members interested in carrying out this tradition.
 
Read more about the Shrine organization by clicking here.