The word Afifi is defined as "a characteristic of a woman who is virtuous and refrains from anything crude or vulgar". On July 25, 1888 a petition for the establishment of the Afifi Temple was signed and forwarded to Imperial Sir Sam Briggs, Potentate for the United States and Canada. This petition was signed by the following Nobles: W. Thompson of Islam Temple, San Francisco; S. Milligan of Abdal
lah Temple, Leavenworth, Kansas; and by F. Gault of El Jebel Temple, Denver, Colorado. All of the above were living in Tacoma. The petition was also signed by the following Sir Knights of Tacoma: C. R. Hare and W. G. Rowland. Noble F. Gault was named as Grand Potentate in the petition. On Monday, September 17, 1888, the fraters named in the petition met at the Tacoma Hotel where Noble Frank S. Hastings of Abdallah Temple submitted his credentials as the authorized deputy of the Imperial Potentate to establish Afifi Temple. He delivered to Noble F. Gault the dispensation issued by the Imperial Potentate Sam Briggs, in which Noble Gault was confirmed as Grand Potentate and the other Nobles and Sir Knights names in the petition as Charter Members. Gault was duly installed Grand Potentate and Sir Knights Daniels, Drum, Durgan, Hare and Rowland were obligated as Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. On the following night Afifi Temple met in the Masonic Hall in Tacoma. Illustrious Sir Gault occupied the Chair as Potentate and presided over the election of Nobles to serve on the Divan. Noble William J. Meade was elected Recorder. Nine Novices were present and received the secret work. The initiation fee was set at thirty-five dollars which included a fez. A motion was made and carried that there not be any annual dues. However, it is noted that the initiation fee was raised to fifty dollars in January 1889 and that the membership of the Temple was forty nobles. Algeria Temple, Helena, Montana was the Mother Temple for Afifi in 1888. The Charter for Afifi Temple was received from the Imperial Council as of June 17, 1889. The Imperial Council sent a check in July in the amount of five hundred dollars to help the sufferers of the Seattle fire that year, that destroyed much of the business district. There was a very slow increase in the membership of the Temple for the next ten years with a membership in 1901 of 329 members from all over the western part of the State, many from Seattle. The Minutes during these years were very interesting and complete with much detail. Of interest are the following excerpts. From the Minutes of Sept. 19, 1894 Stated Meeting. It was moved and carried that October 6th be set apart as Shrine Day at the Interstate Fair to be held near Tacoma. It was moved and carried that a procession occur previous to visiting the Fair and that the Officers parade in full regalia. The committee from the Temple reported that the management of the "Streets of Cairo" (at the Fair) would be willing to loan their camels and donkeys for the parade.
