MINOT - Hiding in the basement on this town's Main Street is a unique social center for adults with developmental disabilities.

The 2nd Story Social Club provides its members with a free club to call home.

"The difference between the others and here is the others have dues and they charge for their activities," said Assistant Director Dot Theobald. "2nd Story is one of the few in the whole country where all the activities are free, no charge to the members.

"Even a dollar a month would be hard for some of our members," Theobald said.

The 2nd Story has about 260 members, she said. It started in 1975 with about 35.

The club funding comes entirely from contributions and charitable grants, without state or federal money, director Alayne Okland said. "I do some grant writing. We are very grateful to the local foundations that support organizations such as ours," she said.

The name 2nd Story comes from the originally planned location for the club.

"Originally, we were supposed to be a block east of here on a second-story level," said Okland. The founders got membership cards printed up with the club name, but when they got to the actual site, they found problems with the furnace and the building and they had to look for a new place quickly.

Former city mayor Hank Kiehn and his wife, Marian, owned a site that turned out to be larger and less expensive.

"Hank and Marian were really good to us. Occasionally, they put on turkey dinners for the members here," said Okland. "We rent from ArtMain now. They have been good landlords."

Switching the club from the second floor to the basement has led to many questions about the club's name over the years.

People tend to remember that the 2nd Story Club is the only place where you go down to get to the second story, Okland said.

Dedicated volunteers are one reason the club has been so successful.

Lori and Jimmie Jones have been volunteering for more than 20 years. Lori Jones heads up the biggest club fund-raiser of the year. She is Chairman of the Snowball, an annual fund-raising party scheduled in February.

"Lori shops all year for the Snowball," Theobald said.

Greg Gordon, who started out working with computers, has become "a volunteer part-time employee," Okland said.

She credits the community spirit for the club's success.

"I think we are really fortunate to be located in Minot. We get so much support from the community. They have really embraced us," she said. "North Dakota is pretty advanced on the way they treat people with developmental disabilities.