By Jeremy Hileman
Since the formation of the Bahia Shriners, the Central Florida delegation of Shriners International, thousands of the club’s members have made their mark on the community. Their charitable efforts and fun-loving personas have been part of the Orlando-area landscape since 1955, when the group was officially granted its charter. There is one local Shriner, however, whose legend (and physical body) stands taller than all others – Sir Gus, The Kissing Camel.
Founded in 1872, Shriners International is a Masonic fraternal organization with philanthropic goals. The group is closely associated in the minds of the public with its nonprofit Shriner Children’s hospitals, which treat young patients regardless of their family’s economic situation, eliminating financial burden for those in need. Shriners are commonly identified by their maroon fez hats and utilize Middle-Eastern themes in many of their practices. As such, many chapters use camel imagery as part of their aesthetic and, in some cases, have even adopted the real-life animals.
By the 1970s, the Orlando group decided they needed a camel of their own. As the legend goes, their new four-legged friend was born in 1977 at the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee. Less than a year old when he moved to Florida, the camel was named for Shriner Gus Patterson, who had donated a portion of the money needed for the adoption.
An eight-month-old Sir Gus enjoys a bottle of root beer, one of his favorite beverages. Courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel Archive
Affectionate Ambassador
Although Gus could be called a pet or mascot, it may be more accurate to describe him as an ambassador for the Bahia Shriners. As such, he would make a variety of appearances with the goal of bringing awareness to the organization. He soon became best known for his public displays of affection.
As an especially welcoming animal, Gus would often lean in to rub his cheek against the face of visitors. In order to up the ante, his handlers had a system to facilitate an even more special experience. Interested parties would be given a baby carrot to place in their mouth, with roughly half of the length visibly protruding. Gus, always eager for a snack, would then lean in to retrieve the carrot, with his lips coming in close enough contact to the mouth of his new friend to constitute a “kiss.” While reactions to such a practice were understandably mixed, the novelty always attracted a crowd of adventurous (or at least curious) participants. As such, Gus would forever be known as “The Kissing Camel.”
The Shriners enjoyed many prosperous years with Gus. In addition to bringing smiles to faces of Central Florida residents, he made stops at events all over the Sunshine State and would occasionally travel as far as Atlanta, Georgia, and Birmingham, Alabama. Gus made appearances at birthday parties, civic events, and at the annual Bahia Shriners Circus. The charismatic camel would help to create many happy memories for people of all ages. The good times, sadly, would not last forever.
Gus making friends at the Bahia Shriners Christmas party in 1992. Courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel Archive
Tragedy at the Holiday Parade
Sir Gus made his final appearance on December 30, 2002, as part of downtown Orlando’s “Super Holiday Parade.” Following the festivities, Gus was loaded in his transport vehicle and was making his way home when tragedy struck. His driver was forced to break abruptly for a passing emergency vehicle, which caused Gus to fall over inside the bus, breaking one of his legs. His injuries were deemed severe enough that the Shriners had no choice but euthanize the injured camel. After 25 years together, it was time to say goodbye.
The death of a beloved animal is always difficult, but when Gus died, the sadness was felt not only by the Shriners but by the community at large. A memorial service was planned at the local Shriners headquarters on January 19, 2003, and rather than limiting admission to only members, the general public was also invited to attend. No one was quite sure how many people would come to pay their respects, but as the starting time grew nearer, an unbelievable number of mourners filled the auditorium on Pembrook Drive.
Gary Bergenske, who delivered the eulogy, spoke in 2023 to Orange County Regional History Center staff about that memorable day. “We had to open up extra rooms to seat them…It was like 1,000 people that showed up,” he recalled during an oral history interview. Bergenske, a prominent member of the Bahia Shrine for many years, would go on to serve a term as the Imperial Potentate of Shriners International in 2017-2018, the highest leadership position in the world-wide organization.
A panoramic view of the memorial service for Sir Gus. Accounts vary, but attendance is estimated to have been between 800 and 1,000 guests.
A Farewell to Remember
The tribute to Sir Gus was no simple affair. A video montage with carefully selected music and a bagpipe performance were both part of the proceedings. “Is it not amazing than after nearly 50 years of Shriners being in Central Florida, that the largest attended memorial service is for a camel?” Bergenske asked the crowd.
Some of Bergenske’s comments were serious in tone, as when he described a letter from the mother of a child with leukemia who wrote to say how much Gus meant to her family. Other portions were lighthearted, eliciting laughter over Gus’ kissing exploits. All the stories shared were clearly coming from a place of warm feelings for the fallen companion.
During the memorial, a successor was introduced – Sir Gus Jr. Of course, no other camel could ever quite fill the void left by the original Gus, but at least the Shriners would continue to have a unique representative to continue raising awareness for their efforts.
Bergenske closed his speech with a reminder of the service Gus provided their organization. “When we say we love Sir Gus, we do not only mean that we love that large, friendly, fury, comical, kissing camel. We will also be forever reminded of the love we that we have for everything that Sir Gus was able to do, promoting the Shrine in North America.”