KB'in'igfwawi^i—ejv'm iiji •
Across every newspapejman’s
clesk comes a profusion of printed
and inimeographed matter. Be-
cSuse ciu-iosity and a quest for
knowledge in all fields is part of
his stock in trade, he generally
reads it for better or for worse.
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Much of the stuff is disappoint
ing. Quite often someone with an
axe to grind sends out “slanted”
material that is so awkwardly bias
ed and distorted, and so poorly
phrased, that no editor with a sem
blance of ethics will publish it in
his paper.
Brightening the scene occasion
ally, however, is something really
worth while. In this category is an
attractive and comprehensive book
let that reached us this week, en
titled “A Brief History of Method
ism in Jones County.”
Authored by the Rev. Walton N.
Bass, who was pastor of the Beech
Grove charge in Craven county be
fore assuming the Trenton charge
in Jones, the publication makes for
pleasant and informative reading.
Because it ties in with the Method
ist story in New Bern and Crav
en county, we feel confident that
any and all “sprinklers” in this
area will find it enlightening.
Born in Wayne county 40 years
ago. Rev. Bass was educated at
Louisburg college, Wofford college
■ and the Buke Divinity school. He
was ordained and accepted into
the North Carolina Conference in
1951, and prior to taking over the
Beech Grove flock in 1956, was the
pastor of the Rougemont charge in
jQueham county jimi«thA.. W«odingr
ton-Webb Charge near Kinston in
Lenoir county.
Everywhere" he has served he
quickly gained the confidence of
young people. Instinctively, they
-recognize that his interest in thfeir
problems, their hopes and their
dreams is rooted deep in his dedi
cation to God. Bass is no pious act
ing or pompous individual. Self-ef
facing, he doesn’t impress one at
first glance, but he is so genuine
that the man’s inner personality
inevitably breaks through.
His strong faith in today’s youth
is a refreshing thing. “I find the
young people of this generation
kind and responsive,” he told us
when interviewed the other day.
“They are no worse, and probably
not as bad, as the youngsters of
earlier generations, and a great
deal of the criticism hurled at
them results from their tendency
to not hide and cover up. What
ever their faults and failings may
be, most of them are too frank and
honest to be hypocrites.”
Rev. Bass is a true historian at
heart, and this is adequately re
flected in the great pains he took
to make “A Brief History of Meth
odism in Jones County” an accu
rate piece of work. He searched
records exhaustively and talked at
length with many oldsters before
he got around to the actual busi
ness of writing what turned out to
be a very readable booklet.
For his references, he delved in
to “The Joimnals and Letters of
Francis Asbury” and “The Journals
of the North Carolina Conference.”
In his acknowledgements at the
front of the publication, he ex
presses his thanks to those with
whom he conversed on past hap
penings, including Miss Tiny Ham
mond, Mrs. Pearl Hammond, Miss
Bessie Whitaker, Murray Whitaker,
Mrs. Blake Daniel, Mrs. Paul Huff
man, Mrs. Jennie Ipock, Mrs. Mam
ie Dixon, Mrs. Mabel Dixon, John
Yates, John Hargett, Mrs. Rosa
Booth, Lee Foy, Leon Simmons,
Mrs. Nannie Scott, Claude Banks,
Mrs. Rachel Banks, Mrs. Edgar
Philyaw, Joe Becton, Burke Mat
tocks,. Ossie Meadows and Mrs.
Clellie D. Simmons.
There are five chapters in the
book. The first chapter is devoted
to Francis Asbury’s work, they sec
ond chapter to the period from
(Continued en Back Paga)
The NEW BERN
“i^LY
i,:
5^ Per
VOLUME 3
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1960
NUMBER 31
A JOB WELL'^ONE-^Plcturea h^e
ings is the New Bern Shrine Club Built^ing. Because local
members of the Shrine tackled its erection on a do-it-your-
self Vikis, thS'dJll*^#*ireJd Wa' jxdntmum.—Photo by Bil
ly Benners.
New Bern Can Be Grateful
For Its Shrine Club Building
A lot of faith, long hours of
hard work, and a liberal sprinkling
of unselfishness—that’s what was
mixed in'to the concrete, tile and
mortar of the virtually completed
New Bern Shrine club building.
If ever a local undertaking de
served the thanks of a grateful
community, this one does; Erected
primarily to render a service to
others, rather than to fill the needs
of the Shrine itself, the handsome
structure will be used many times
by non-Masonic organizations and
groups for banquets, meetings and
recreational activities.
A far-fetched dream that has be
come a remarkable reality, the
project got its initial impetus
while New Bern Shriners were at
tending the Southeastern Shrine
convention in Memphis, Tenn., a
couple of years ago.
Wearers of the fez from here
were greatly impressed with the
manner, in which any and all clubs
and fraternal bodies in the Ten
nessee city extended their facili
ties to visiting Shriners. It proved
to be an eye opener, and then and
there New Bernians attending the
convention got a vision of what
could be done back home.
Returning to the shores of the
Neuse and Trent, the local Shrine
club went into action. With bare
ly enough money on hand to pur
chase land for the venture, mem
bers went searching for a suitable
site. They found it on the Race
Track road, linking old Highway
17 and new Highway 17 one mile
west of the city limits.
Fortunately, included in the
Shrine club are three men who
owned grading concerns — Bob
Johnson and Don Clement of Cle
ment and Johnson, and James
Chance. Taking caf'e not to disturb
the stately trees, they got the prop
erty in good shape for a building
that was still only a dream..
Undaunted by the utter empti
ness of their depleted treasury,
club members met and talked the
situatio» over. Someone suggested
that those interested could donate
one hundred concrete blocks each
to get things under way. Donors
weren’t lacking, and a rather
gloomy picture became brighter by
the minute.
It was going to take labor as
well as concrete blocks, but the
Shriners had an answer for that
too. Short on money, they rolled up
their sleeves and started digging
ditches and pouring foundations.
Again fortune smiled on the proj
ect. Among the New Bern Shrine
stub’s 120 members there were
bricklayers, and they were willing
to give their services. Additional
workmen had to be hired, but
those members who couldn’t quali
fy for a skilled trade dug into their
pockets and came up with money
to pay for this outside help.
Among the unskilled Shrine la
borers who mixed mortar and
hauled blocks were some of New
Bern’s top professional men. Lit
tle did they ever visualize a time
when they would be performing
t^sks of this sort, but they went at
it with vim and vigor.
A familiar adage tells us that
“too many cooks spoil the broth.”
And to infer that all was peace
and harmony as the construction
progressed would be a gross mis
interpretation. Along with the
sweat there were the usual squab
bles, but those who grumbled and
complained now and then worked
as ardously as anyone else.
As a matter of fact, so many
played an important part in the
erection of the structure that it
would be impossible to list them
by name. In large measure, the
completed building is a monument
to many individuals, and they are
being adequately compensated by
the satisfaction of belonging to a
“do-it-yourself” clan that refused
to be intimidated despite what ap
peared to be insurmountable ob
stacles.
Today they can point with pride
to a Shrine building that has been
conservatively valued in excess of
$70,000. Only $20,000 of the cos(
remains unpaid, and approximately
half of this amount has been sub
scribed in bonds by individual
members of the New Bern Shrine
club.
New Bernians in general have
played a part in the accomplished
dream. In order to finance their
efforts, the Shriners have staged
huge fish fries and barbecues, and
local citizens have been ready cus
tomers. One of these barbecues is
scheduled for today, between the
hours of 11 a.m. and 9 p.m., and
yours will be delivered to your
door if you can’t go to the Shrine
club building yourself.
Take our suggestion, and pay a
personal visit. You’ll be impressed,
as we were by the spaciousness of
a banquet hall and ffallroom that
is 50 feet wide and 96 feet long.
Its 4,300 square feet of floor space
can accommodate between 450 and
500 dinner guests.
Thinking of everything, the far
sighted Shriners saw to it that the
big and modern kitchen, with its
stainless steel equipment, was con
structed at just the right spot to
simplify service to a large group
of diners. Countless steps and
needless delays will be eliminated
as a result.
Overall, the structure is 50 feet
wide and 132feet long. It has
an attractive main lobby, with an
adjacent cloak room. Immediately
adjoining is a lounge that is ideal
for meetings attended by smaller,
groups.
If anything, the surrounding
grounds are even more attractive
than the Shrine building. We’ve
never seen greener grass than the
verdant blades that make up the
front lawn, and even the trees
seem to extend their branches with
a special sense of pride.
That local Shriners should put
forth such effort to give the com
munity a fine meeting place
should surprise no one. Only the
woefully uninformed among non-
Shriners are unaware of the great
zest for worthy causes that keeps
wearers of the fez on the move.
If Shrinedom never did anything
else of a commendable nature
(and of course it does) the magni
ficent role it plays in providing
hospitals for crippled children
would be a star in its crown.
Countless millions of dollars
have been raised among the mem
bership to give handicapped young
sters the chance they deserve for a
healthy and normal life. And by
sponsoring afinual Shrine football
games, with vast proceeds turned
into the cause, the good accom
plished defies the imagination.
Time is the only thing we pos
sess. Our success depends upon the
use of our time, and its by-prod
uct, the odd. moment.—^Arthur
Brisbane.
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