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Charlotte, New Bern, Raleigh: |
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From North Carolina’s Shrine nobility comes a future Imperial Potentate
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God willin’ and the dam don’t bust, Alan W. Madsen of Oasis Shriners and Excelsior 261, both of Charlotte, may soon become the new Imperial Potentate of The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
This world achievement comes to North Carolina Masonry with the hopes and warm wishes of all its members.
No one questions the fitness of Noble Madsen for this consummate honor. He is a six-term member of the boards of the Shriners of North America and the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Currently he is Imperial Oriental Guide, in line for Imperial Potentate. He is a member of the York Rite and Scottish Rite bodies. He served as Potentate of Oasis Shriners in 1981. He’s a member of the Oasis Patrol, the Royal Order of Jesters and the Order of Quetzalcoatl. He has served as captain of the Patrol Color Guard, chairman of the Paper and Plaque Sales Project, editor of Desert Dust, chairman of the publicity committee for the Oasis Centennial, and chairman of advertising and promotions for the Oasis Shrine Circus. He is currently Director of the Royal Order of Jesters Court 109 in Charlotte.
Oasis is one of three Shrine organizations serving all of North Carolina. The others are Amran Shriners in Raleigh and Sudan Shriners in New Bern.
W. L. Daddy Liddell was raised in Phalanx 31 in 1891 and elected Master the next year. He became a Scottish Rite Mason, later receiving the 33rd degree. In 1904 and 1905 he served as NC Grand Master.
Brother Liddell and eight other Knights Templar applied to Acca Temple in Richmond to organize Oasis Temple in 1894. Its charter was granted October 10 as Liddell was elected first potentate. Brother nobles considered him to be the first Oasis member. Another Oasis founder was William Henry Belk whose first store in Monroe blossomed into America’s largest privately-owned department store chain.
In 1898 membership grew to 169 from all over the Carolinas. Explosive growth in the first decade saw Oasis membership surge to one thousand Shriners by 1904. Today the total Shrine membership exceeds 575,000 in 191 temples throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Panama. They own and operate 22 Shriners hospitals for children—18 orthopedic and three burn hospitals and one dedicated to spinal cord injury care.
R. N. Bass was the first Potentate of Amran Shriners in 1976. They manage 13 Shrine Clubs from Burlington to Zebulon and 17 units from Ceremonial Cast to Wrecking Crew.
Sudan Shrine, based in New Bern, has a powerful and effective array of Shrine Clubs—no fewer than 41 in as many locations. They meet monthly in the evenings. An example of their activities is the Pamlico County Shrine Club speckled trout tournament. Participants can win $15,000 for catching a tagged trout during the October tournament.
The pride of Oasis is the Red Fez Shrine Club on a beautiful spot on Lake Wylie. Organized in 1915, it faced challenging times that included World War I, prohibition, the stock market crash and depression. Originally it included two locations—city and river. Both prospered with essentially the same members—men using the city facility and families enjoying the country club.
But in 1971 reality dictated the closing of the city club and all recreational activities focused on the Lake Wylie club. Facilities were successfully rented out for weddings and company picnics. An RV campground opened for members. Swimming and boating boomed. Construction of two communications towers on the club’s 21 acres assured steady income to support the facility for years to come.
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Produced by the public relations committee of the Grand Lodge AF&AM of Masons in North Carolina,
2921 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27628 MMVIII
Author/editor: Walter J. Klein wklein(at)carolina.rr.com
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