Aloha Shriners had only been chartered for a few months back in 1901 when Potentate Brown announced the formation of an Arab Patrol consisting of 13 Nobles, and all were drawn from the ranks of Nobles created in Aloha Shriners first ceremonial. The Patrol has a rich and storied history.
Known for their flashy and colorful uniforms & regalia, the original mission of the Patrol was to be a superb marching unit, but over time has adapted to be more of a social & fundraising focused Unit.
In 1913, Noble Lester Petrie assumed command of the Patrol and in 1915 he took the Unit to Seattle for the 41st Imperial Session (Shriners National Convention). In 1920 Noble Petrie (now a Past Potentate) reorganized the Patrol to be ready to perform at the 1922 installation of Imperial Session for Imperial Sir James “Sunny Jim” McCandless in Los Angeles. 36 uniforms at $70 each (over $900 each in today’s dollars!) were authorized and $2000 was voted for the Drum Corps, so when they left for San Francisco to salute “Sunny” Jim, they were a proud crew.
By 1929, the Patrol had grown to a very large unit, and that summer (just months before the stock market crash and beginning of the Great Depression) traveled to the 55th Imperial Session in Los Angeles. The Patrol has also had the honor of performing at various East West Shrine Game half times shows.
In modern times, the Patrol has become one of the most successful fundraising units in the Temple. At the February 11, 2013 meeting of the Patrol Unit, the concept of allowing Punahou Carnival attendees to use the hospital parking lot was initially broached. Yet, it took until the subsequent year for concrete plans to be formulated and put into action. The inaugural Punahou Carnival parking fundraiser by the Patrol occurred in 2015 and has since evolved into an annual Temple (Chapter) event, consistently generating a significant sum for Shriners Children's—Hawaii.
Prominent members of the Patrol have included Duke Kahanamoku, Governor Wallace Farrington and Honolulu Mayor Lester Petrie.
