I have been taking one of my kids to Shriners for years for treatment of a birth defect. Used to be all charitable, never asked for anything. Now they want insurance info and if you don't have it, they want to know all about your personal business to determine if you can have the charitable path or be set up for payments.

The hospital that treats my kid is the best in the nation for this particular problem, which is why I stayed with them rather than go with the very good Children's Hospital here.

I've been wondering about how the Shriners are connected to the Masons. We get in and out. Surgeries, I stay there with the kid. We don't attend any of their functions or parties for the kids. But if it's coming down to now I have to give the Masons my money, it might be time to move on...