Lions Scallop Dinner to open fall season

The Shelter Island Lions Club will host its 67th Annual Scallop Dinner on Sunday, Oct. 15, at Gardiner’s Bay Country Club.

The proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Shelter Island Public Library to help support the library’s planned renovation and expansion. As September and early October bring a sprinkling of summery days amid a gentle transition of seasons, nothing stamps the arrival of fall as clearly as this traditional event. At once a celebration of the Island’s shellfishing and seafaring heritage and a community gathering to benefit a local cause, this year’s dinner brings together three organizations with a shared history.

According to documentation by Alan Krauss, the Lions on the Island can be traced back to Oct. 4, 1950, when “35 Shelter Island men gathered in the old Mechanics Hall on Route 114 and took an oath. The pledge contained two simple words ‘We Serve.’”

The establishment of Gardiner’s Bay Country Club was one of the earliest in a long line of Lions contributions to the Island community. According to history provided by Bob DeStefano, who served as pro there for more than 50 years, the present Gardiner’s Bay Country Club, which borders much of HayBeach’s southwest boundaries, was started by contributions from the Shelter Island Lions Club back in 1950, and opened for play in 1951.

The Lions were responsible for the reopening of the then-Dering Harbor Country Club and helped raise over $11,000 for renovations. According to longtime Lions leader Don D’Amato, $11,000 in 1950 is equivalent in purchasing power to over $136,000 today.

One year later, the club was turned over to a newly formed Board of Directors, which formed Gardiner’s Bay Country Club. At the dinner, a plaque will be given to Gardiner’s Bay Country Club for the Club’s longstanding association with the Shelter Island Lions and various community events. 

The Lions hold a golf tournament at the Club each year, a key fundraising event to support the many Lions activities that benefit the community, from Little League and soccer support to assistance with fuel and food for Island families, to eye exams and glasses and much more.

Shelter Island Lions also led the way for the creation of the Shelter Island Library, which has now outgrown its building and will embark on an expansion soon. Shelter Island voters approved the expenditure for the expansion plans in a vote held in June. At the time, Library Director Terry Lucas explained that the financial commitment from taxpayers could be reduced to the extent that donations and grants could be forthcoming. Proceeds from the dinner and a 50-50 raffle will go to Friends of the Library.

The Oct. 15 dinner will keep alive a tradition begun by Lenny Bliss, who cooked the first scallop dinner 67 years ago. Over the years, Mr. Bliss served as the town supervisor, as well as the manager at the country club, He later bought the department store on Bridge Street, still in his family today, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. His grandson Adam Johnson now works at Gardiner’s Bay as a chef, and will be cooking the scallop dinner alongside his cousin Sebastian Bliss.

The event will open at 5 p.m. with a cash bar, and the menu will feature Long Island Potato Leek Soup, Fall Scallop and Corn Sofrito, Pumpkin Cake Ganache and Caramel Cream.

Tickets for the Scallop Dinner are $60 and may be purchased with cash or check at the Shelter Island Public Library or on the Lions website, shelterislandlions.org. Tickets must be purchased or reservations must be made by Thursday, Oct. 12. For more information or group reservations please text or leave a voice message on 631-209-7452 or send an e-mail to [email protected].