The Midwest Shrine Association was created to engender greater fellowship among the MSA Shrine Chapters and their members and to secure greater recognition of the institution of Shriners International throughout the territory of this association.
Shriners International recognizes about eleven regional Shrine Associations. These Associations allow individual Shrine Chapters to join together for fun, fellowship, and camaraderie. It also allows Shriners an opportunity to share ideas on how to improve Shrinedom in their areas. At many of the Association conventions, Shrine Chapter Units compete against one another for who is the best, Chanters, Bands, Clowns, Motorized Units, Pipes & Drums, Foot Patrols, Horse Units, etc.
Today the Midwest Shrine Association has fifteen member Shrine Chapters from the States of Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan as well as chapters from the Canadian Providence of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. These fifteen chapters have a combined membership of about 14,000 Shriners.
The Midwest Shrine Association holds two major functions each year. The winter session, held each February, is a business meeting (a stag event) for executive officers, committee heads, and association units. The Summer conference is open to all Shriners and their families which includes a variety of social events, all-Shriner parades, and Unit competitions. All MSA Shriners are invited to attend. In recent years attendance has averaged 2000 to 2500, of which two-thirds are Shriners and the balance Shriners Ladies. A different Shrine Center hosts these meetings each year.