His father was a mason,. Shriners and masons are both part of the larger organization of freemasonry, but shriners focus specifically on philanthropy and. Masons are members of the larger, older fraternity of freemasonry.

Webshriners are a subgroup within freemasonry known for charitable work, especially children's hospitals; Underwood, a native texan and past grand master of texas, has extremely strong ties to masonry, and to the shriners fraternity. Shriners international provides unique opportunities for fun, fellowship, and philanthropy.