The Trap Door Spiders

You have heard of the bro code. You have heard of male friends showing great camaraderie to protect their own. Such was the spirit behind the founding of The Trap Door Spiders. John D. Clark got married to an opera singer who many of his male friends disliked. Because of this dislike for her, Fletcher Pratt established the all-male Trap Doors Spiders Club so they could hang out with John without Mrs. Clark. They initially had twenty members, and they held a meeting once a month to discuss the matter of the month. Women had also been invited but only by the group leader. This group had members like Martin Gardner and Isaac Asimov. There may have been lawyer or doctor members as well.

People Watching Club – University of Minnesota

Who does not like watching people? Many like this because we love seeing people go about their daily life. Some might consider it weird because it can be seen as a creepy behavior. Upon founding, the club instantly became the most controversial club on the campus. Its founder, David Shaffer said that the club’s purpose was for members to have fun by interacting with many people. The campus is after all the melting pot of future attorneys, doctors, and engineers. He believed that interacting with people would lead to the members becoming better at understanding every class of people. What they do is attend meetings and events, and they observe people. They then meet as a group and discuss what they observed about the people and their behaviors.

Shriners International

Their members are all Freemasons. But, of course, the Freemasons have a very rigid ritual for membership. Shriners International was established in 1870 in Tampa, Florida. The organization was originally called the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine inspired by one of the founders having partied with an Arabian diplomat. They like being the life of the party and well-known for doing charitable works. Shriners Hospitals for Children is their charitable arm, and the network of hospitals had helped many patients since it was established in 1920. Poor people, who usually turn to personal loans to go to a hospital, have found help in these hospitals.

The Seven Society

Seven is thought to be the perfect number as hinted at in many religious texts. This secretive society was founded at the University of Virginia, and the origins of the society are shrouded in mystery. It is so secret that a member’s death is the only time it is exposed – a banner is sent to the deceased’s funeral. The University Chapel bells would also toll in a seven-derived pattern. One time, they even gave away money in a rather unorthodox way. For example, a small explosion took place in 1947, during commencement exercises, and a check worth $177,777.77 floated. The fund was used as a form of student loans where financially-challenged individuals (including staff) could seek help. Surely, they like the number seven.

Wizards & Muggles – College of William and Mary

Muggles and wizards usually are not meant to mix. If wizards are exposed to the muggle community, it can be devastating. But not at the College of William of Mary. Students at the college found it cool to establish a club where muggles and wizards can interact with each other in the safety of the campus. They also compete with other schools; where just like the House Cup they make points, some sort of investments that can win them the competition at the end of the school year. This sounds like a good idea, especially for Harry Potter fans who want to bring to life the concepts in the book and the magic along with it. They would probably ban disapparrating at the campus, though.

Phi Beta Kappa

This organization is the oldest academic organization in the US, and it is also the most prestigious one. If you are invited to this club, it means you are part of the 10% of the top 10% of the most intelligent at school. This means that less than 2% of the class is selected into the organization. Studying for a degree is not enough to become part of the organization. The first meeting was held on December 5, 1776, with John Heath being the first president and founder. When discussing topics of diverse interests, the rules of the club agreed that the debate and engage oratorically. This makes it a bit interesting seeing a bunch of young kids doing orations on diverse topics that are not far removed from the curriculum. The organization now has 290 chapters.

The Gormogons

They were officially known as the Ancient and Noble Order of the Gormogons and claimed to be of Chinese origin, with the sole goal of being an anti-Freemason organization. If any Freemason wanted to join the group, that person would have to renounce the Masonic Code altogether. One theory about this organization is that the founder was Andrew Michael Ramsay. He was a very hardcore Freemason, but perhaps for reasons only known to him, he turned against the group. The groups also did not leave any paperwork, and hence, no reliable history exists today. Anyway, the organization disappeared in 1738 when Pope Clement XII issued his bull against Freemasonry. We can only speculate why the group ceased to exist. Perhaps they still do, just hiding better today, being a degree more careful this time.

Clown Nose Club – North Carolina State University

This might scare some people, given how clowns can be scary, especially for children. But people who had always wanted to join circuses or carnivals can find a haven and a training ground in the North Carolina State University’s Clown Nose Club. The group has a general purpose, and that is to challenge them to take positive social risks that are in line with their own philosophy and that of society. A sociologist would be welcome in the club, and future lawyers, statisticians, or those from other colleges can also apply.  So no, the club is not just for clowns nor do they collect clown noses, but it is a club meant to understand the sociology behind people and have a look at their behaviors.

Belizean Grove

Many organizations were founded by males and tended to be all-male. Women probably got fed up and decided to form their own clubs. Snob invitation clubs triggered the women behind The Belizeans Grove to organize themselves. It is now known as the ultimate Old Girl’s Club where they have powerful members. It was founded in 1999 by Edie Weiner and Susan Stautberg. The club serves as a networking opportunity. An insurance agent would have a field day in one of these meetings, but the membership and their gathering are invitation-only. The group keeps a low profile despite being a mighty organization. The public mainly became aware of the club when Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor resigned from the Grove in 2009.

The Trilateral Commission

You have heard of conspiracy theorists saying that there is a mighty group pulling the string behind world politics and influencing many of the decisions made for the people. They are rumored to do this from behind the scenes. Well, such an organization does exist and is referred to as the Trilateral Commission. This super-secretive club was founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller. The group was designed to be in service for only three years, but it had extended up to this day. Many conspiracy theorists point to this exclusive group as the forces behind economic and financial decisions done towards or for other countries. To a degree, this is true as many people with strong banking or economic influence in a country are said to be members of this group.