John S. Bonner *
Illustrious Sir John S. Bonner
Potentate-Elect and Organizer of Arabia Temple – 1915
Arabia Temple is born – 1914 - 15
In 1914, most Shriners in the Houston area were members of El Mina Temple, chartered in 1902, in Galveston, Texas. However, a group of the Houston Shriners were dedicated to the proposition that the ever-growing city of Houston should have a Shrine Temple. Accordingly, a mass meeting of Houston Shriners was held late in December, 1914, and they decided to prepare a petition for dispensation for a Shrine Temple in Houston at the next Imperial Council Session in Seattle, Washington. A committee was appointed to draw up the petition, arrange for the presentation at the Seattle session, and raise funds for the trip to Seattle. From the very beginning, this committee was determined that Houston would have a Shrine Temple. They got an endorsement for the new temple from El Mina Temple and instructed their representatives to the Imperial Session to use all their efforts to secure the new temple for Houston. It was decided that the new temple would be named “Arabia Temple.” Noble John S. Bonner was selected to perform the duties of Potentate and handle any necessary business. To finance the trip, they issued Life Memberships to nobles who subscribed prior to July 14, 1915, and paid not less than $50 into the treasury.
A special train carried the Nobles and their ladies from Houston and Galveston to Seattle. Also aboard, and adding to the excitement of the trip, were the El Mina Band from Galveston and the El Mina Patrol from Houston. Nobles Frank C. Jones and D. W. Michaux appeared before the Imperial Committee on Charters and Dispensations and presented the petition for dispensation to have “Arabia Temple” in Houston, Texas. This Committee reported to the Imperial Council and recommended that the charter be granted. Arabia Temple’s Charter, containing 538 names, was granted on July 14, 1915. With their dream fulfilled, a happy group of Shriners returned to Houston.
The first meeting of Arabia Temple was called to order by Potentate-elect John S. Bonner on November 12, 1915 at 11 a.m. in the Municipal Auditorium. Approximately 800 Nobles were in attendance, including the Imperial Officers and visiting Nobles from Ben Hur Temple in Austin and El Mina Temple in Galveston. The Imperial Officers assumed the chairs of the Temple and read the Charter, officially instituting Arabia Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S. This was followed by the election and installation of Potentate John S. Bonner and his corps of officers. There was a parade at 2 p.m. that concluded at the Municipal Auditorium for a ceremonial in which 61 Novices were led across the hot sands. This memorable day in the history of Arabia Temple ended with a banquet attended by 750 guests at the Rice Hotel. It was recorded that, “due to the lack of space and the large number of out-of-town visitors, the committee was compelled to permit only the out-of-town ladies to attend the banquet.”
The first annual meeting of Arabia Temple was held on Monday, December 20, 1915 at the Masonic Temple. Illustrious Frank C. Jones, Past Potentate of El Mina Temple in Galveston, was elected Illustrious Potentate for the ensuing year.
