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Secret society

A secret society is a social organization that requires its members to conceal certain activities—such as rites of initiation or club ceremonies—from outsiders. Members may be required to conceal or deny their membership, and are often sworn to hold the society's secrets by an oath. This term is often used to describe fraternal organizations (i.e. Freemasonry) that may have secret ceremonies.

Secret societies are often the subject of suspicion and speculation from non-members, and as such have aroused nervousness from outsiders since at least the time of the ancient Greeks. Often, secret societies are featured in Conspiracy theories that ascribe to them immense power and ill-intentions and accuse them of harboring secret (and often satanic) beliefs and either self-serving financial or political agendas. While some conspiracy theorist claim secret societies desire to institute a "New World Order," others claim that these organizations are harmless or overestimated, dismissing them as over-glorified fraternities.

Contents

Secret Societies in History

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Organized Crime

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Some—though certainly not all—secret societies may strive for secrecy for reasons of illegal activity. This is an unfortunate label, however, since numerous societies exist and are struggling due to their "bad name" which is not deserved.

Student Societies

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Many student societies established on university campuses[1] http://mill-valley.freemasonry.biz/marin_greek_letters.htm have been considered secret societies, including, most notably, Skull and Bones (1832) at Yale University, the Order of the Bull's Blood (1834) at Rutgers University and the Bishop James Madison Society (1812) at The College of William & Mary. The first collegiate secret society was the FHC Club (1750), followed by Phi Beta Kappa (1776), both founded at William & Mary.

Political and Cultural Backlash

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Secret societies are illegal in several countries. In the European Union, Poland has made the ban a part of its constitution. Article 13 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland states:

"Political parties and other organizations whose programmes are based upon totalitarian methods and the modes of activity of nazism, fascism and communism, as well as those whose programmes or activities sanction racial or national hatred, the application of violence for the purpose of obtaining power or to influence the State policy, or provide for the secrecy of their own structure or membership, shall be prohibited."

List of Secret Societies

Business, International or Non-Governmental Organizations

While these following groups do not style themselves as secret societies, they qualify through a quantative denotative interpretation.

Student Societies

Fraternal Organizations

Criminal Organizations

Historical Secret Societies

Revolutionary or Underground Organizations

Alleged secret societies

In Works of Fiction and Popular Culture

External links

  • A Survey of Secret Societies http://mill-valley.freemasonry.biz/marin-fraternities.htm



Last updated: 02-07-2005 17:01:39
Last updated: 02-27-2005 05:09:20