The Dare County Shrine Club was chartered in 1948. The meetings were held up on the airport in a building which was left over from the Navy WWII days. The building was only about 20' by 50', with old wood floors. The typical fundraisers in the early years were fish fries and covered dish dinners. Usually, a record player served for dances, but occasionally someone local would be asked to play music.
In March of 1952, and under the direction of Noble President Robert O. Ballance, the Dare County Shrine Club agreed to borrow $15,000.00 from the Bank of Manteo. The money would be used to build a new club on a piece of land donated by Noble Robert B. “Tull” Lennon. The site for the new club was in the Whalebone area of Nags Head.
There were 12 Nobles at that time which are said to have done the majority of the work to build the new club. These Nobles were Robert O. Ballance, George G. Bonner, Jr., Belton B. Burrus, William “Shot” Cox, Gordon Kellogg, Robert “Tull” Lennon, Samuel E. Midgett, Sr., Seldon R. Midgett, Sr., Robert Smith, Harry K. Tugwell, Alvah H. Ward, Sr., and Raymond Wescott, Sr. William “Shot” Cox is the only living member of the group. “Shot” remembers that he and Raymond Wescott did all the electrical work themselves, but that all the men had “Black and blue fingers from beating them repeatedly with their hammers.” Seldon “Ray” Midgett, Jr. was just a young boy at the time, but well remembers climbing the roof to help his dad put on the shingles.
Many of the members in 1952 pledged to buy many bags of cement to pave the parking lot. Noble Belton Bumis, who owned and operated a concrete company, poured the last strip, worth about $50.00 at the time, and accepted his reimbursement as five years worth of dues paid in full. Burrs' widow, Dot Daniels Burrus, has fond memories of her participation with the club.
On May 5, 1952 an invitation was sent to the Potentate J. J. Burney for the opening dance which was to be held May 31, 1952. The Shriners wives were asked to help with the decorations and the food, of course. Although the Shrinettes were not a chartered club until after the club moved to the beach, they were always active in helping their husbands raise money for Burned and Crippled Children. Dot Burrus and Ann Tugwell, widow of Harry Tugwell, remember when the Shriners began inviting members of the Lost Colony to the club on Saturday nights. The cast members put on skits to entertain Shriners and their guests. Often the money taken at the door was divided between cast members and the Cripple Childrens' Fund. Andy Griffith was also one of the early entertainers at the Dare County Shrine Club.
The Shrine Club at the beach was much nicer than what members had been accustomed to in Manteo.
There was a big foyer in front with screened doors, a large dance floor, and a big kitchen. The meeting room, upstairs, was off limits to non-members.
In December, 1954, Noble “Tull” Lennon offered to deed to the Shriner Club two fifty foot lots which adjoined the club to the east. In return, Lennon asked that the Nobles agree to pay either him or his widow $1,000.00 for each lot, after their loan was paid off at the bank of Manteo. The Nobles did agree, and in January of 1958, after having fulfilled their loan, the Nobles paid the Lennons $2,000.00.
It was during those years, although no one living today is quite sure which one, that the Shrinettes became a chartered organization. It was also during those years that Jeanine Daniels Tillett, widow of Willett R. Tillett, became a Dare County Shrinette. She remains an active member of the group to this day. Jeanine and Wanda Cox remember “The Pilgrimages”' to Corolla and Hatteras. The Shriners would invite the Potentate and Members of the Divan down to the Outer Banks for the weekend. Then they would pack up the 4-wheel drives and head up or down the coast. In those days, the road ended at Oregon Inlet and at Duck, so from there on all travel was by sand or water. Most of their visitors had never seen or experienced the likes of the surroundings, let alone the means of travel. But the wives that remain from those days express fond memories of fun and camaraderie.
In the mid sixties, it became apparent that the Shrine Club was in need of some major repairs. After much discussion, it was agreed that the members would sell the club and the land, and purchase a new tract on Roanoke Island. On August 5, 1966, the Shriners voted to purchase from William “Shot” Cox, the present Shrine Club site for $7,000.00 The transaction was completed on November 4, 1966. So under the direction of President Arnold Tolson, the new club was built on Roanoke Island. The present club has seen its share of changes, repairs and remodeling and even survived fire. After over 50 years, the Dare County Shrine Club remains a symbol of good will and help for children in need of medical attention.
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