LuLu Shrine Yacht Club

Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine

5140 Butler Pike

Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania 19462-1299

“ The Greatest Yacht Club in the World “

A Brief History of LuLu Yacht Club

            The first LuLu Yacht Club location was at Noble Charles Healds place on Missouri Avenue in Atlantic City, N.J. It was little more than a shack. In January 1920 at a meeting of the Mounted Guard in the Temple on Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia it was decided to buy and renovate a building with six hundred foot frontage on the island waterway in the Venice Park section of Atlantic City. The Atlantic City Motor Boat Club was the original occupant. The next tenant was the Women’s Suffrage Party. They occupied the building briefly but left it littered with their literature when they left. The building was dilapidated. The summer was spent cleaning and rehabilitating so that it would be ready by Labor Day. More than one thousand were present for the dedication including Mayor Bader, Congressman, Senators, Commodores of other yacht clubs, Potentates of surrounding Temples and other notables.

            The building cost at that time was around $15,000., furniture and repairs cost of $10,000.. To make the Club self-sustaining a permanent fund of $50,000. was raised by selling Life Memberships with a fee of $250., which could be paid in installments. It was invested at 6%, the income to be used for operating expenses. Associate Memberships were $25.00 yearly. The place was described as “ nicely sufficient “ reception hall, spacious dining room, grill and well-planned kitchen and nine bedrooms on the second floor. By now the Club had accumulated property value of $65,000. and had $5,000. in their Sinking Fund.

            There was a year round steward and members arriving by train were met and transported to the Club.

            They organized the “ longest ocean race ever “. It was 120 miles long from Philadelphia to the Club on August 27, 1921. Twenty-Four boats started the race and Twenty Two finished. There also were local races every Saturday.

            The Commodore at this time was Potentate Bair, he was the spark that organized and directed the early years. He is quoted as saying, “ The food is so good that you will have the appetite of your boyhood for your mother’s meals. “ He also said, “ A membership in LuLu Yacht Club is a paying investment. It will bring you big dividends in health and pleasure.”

            By 1922 they had met their financial goals. They also started a racing Club. By a complicated lottery system they bought and delivered to twenty-five members, twenty-five, twenty foot racing boats with ten horsepower outboards. They cut through the water at a blistering speed of 12 MPH!!

            In 1923 they started invitational races from Essington. No starting time was mentioned, but it was expected that the race would be finished by noon. Potentate Commodore C.S. Bair was then to lead a boat parade in his own fast express cruiser the C.S.B. “ It might be well if the skippers had some nautical knowledge,” he said.” Government cruisers will see to it if trouble occurs.” Stag smoker and entertainment was provided Saturday evening. There was also a vague reference to a Bermuda race for boats over sixty (60) feet.

            By 1923 there were five hundred members! In 1925 they had more than doubled the dining room, extended the dance floor to a glass-enclosed porch and created an assembly hall.

The commodore also said,” The Yacht Club is essentially the home of LuLu Temple but we are determined to make it a national institution with a Shrine flavor – a yacht and country club in a year round seashore resort.”

1925 saw new furniture and draperies installed.

1928 repainted and renovated again with a $20,000 mortgage set to pay for the repairs. They tried to sell 7% bonds to members to pay off the mortgage but by December they had raised only $1,000. They could not pay the mortgage and lost the club. They moved in with another club on Atlantic Avenue but this lasted only one year.

Incidentally, in those days a Fez cost $5.00 and the emblem $3.00.

The club folded and was revived in 1960. The building is now a delightful restaurant called Old Waterway Inn. The owners display many artifacts of Shrinedom in the entrance lobby.

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