Secret Societies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry

Mysterious Medieval Organization mentioned in all the best conspiracy theories. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar... [show more]

Mysterious Medieval Organization mentioned in all the best conspiracy theories.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar [show less]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati The Illuminati is the name of many groups, modern and historical, real and fictitious, ve... [show more]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminati
The Illuminati is the name of many groups, modern and historical, real and fictitious, verified and alleged. Most commonly The Illuminati refers specifically to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment secret society, described below. However, it often refers to an alleged shadowy conspiratorial organization that controls world affairs behind the scenes, usually a modern incarnation or continuation of the Bavarian Illuminati. Illuminati is sometimes used synonymously with New World Order. [show less]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_and_Bones

Shh!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucians The Rosicrucian Order is a legendary and secretive Order publicly documented in the ear... [show more]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosicrucians
The Rosicrucian Order is a legendary and secretive Order publicly documented in the early 17th century. The Rosicrucian Order is viewed among earlier and many modern Rosicrucianists as an inner worlds Order, composed of great "Adepts." When compared to human beings, the consciousness of these Adepts is said to be like that of demi-gods. This "College of Invisibles" is regarded as the source permanently behind the development of the Rosicrucian movement. [show less]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakuza

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashshashin The Hashshashin (also Hashishin, Hashashiyyin or Assassins) had a militant basis as a re... [show more]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashshashin
The Hashshashin (also Hashishin, Hashashiyyin or Assassins) had a militant basis as a religious sect (often referred to as a cult) of Ismaili Muslims from the Nizari sub-sect. They were thought to be active in the 8th to 14th centuries. This mystic secret society specialized in terrorising the Abbasid elite with fearlessly executed, politically motivated assassinations. The word "assassin" is derived from their name. [show less]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Club The Bohemian Club (founded in 1872) is a private men's art club based in San Francis... [show more]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Club

The Bohemian Club (founded in 1872) is a private men's art club based in San Francisco, California, with a membership of many prominent local and global leaders. The club was originally formed exclusively by journalists, who lamented the lack of art and culture in the post-gold rush San Francisco, and wanted to capture something of 'la vie boheme' which had become popularized among the avant garde of the US at the time. It was quickly apparent that the group needed to relax its rules for membership, and start permiting some people with no artistic talent but with money to join. The membership lists are private and only a few people outside of the club have ever seen them. Members include some U.S. presidents (usually before they are elected to office), many cabinet officials, and CEOs of large corporations, including major financial institutions. Major military contractors, oil companies, banks (including the Federal Reserve), utilities, and national media have high-ranking officials as club members or guests. Many members are, or have been, on the board of directors of several of these corporations. However, artists and lovers of art are still among the most active members of the club and the Club's bylaws still require that there be a certain number of artists, writers, and other academics.

Members

As noted, membership lists are private, and only a few people outside of the Club have ever had access to some of them. Therefore, most ideas about membership are entirely speculative. Many people are also invited to the two week camp-out as guests, but are not members.

* George W. Bush, President of the United States
* William Jefferson Clinton, Former President
* Henry Kissinger, Former Secretary of State
* Horace M. Albright, author
* George H.W. Bush, Former President
* Clint Eastwood, actor
* Charles Elachi, Director of JPL
* Arnold Genthe, photographer
* Mickey Hart, musician
* S. I. Hayakawa, Senator
* William D. Houser
* Jack R. Howard
* Barbour Lathrop, journalist and world traveler
* Jack London
* Xavier Martinez
* Frank J. McCourt, Senator
* Michael Mondavi, former Vice-President of Robert Mondavi Corp.
* Robert Mondavi
* Steve Miller, musician
* Patrick Oliphant, artist
* Sean O'Keefe, NASA's 10th Administrator
* Paul Pelosi
* James D. Phelan, First National Bank, the Mutual Savings Bank, Bank of Santa Cruz County, Mayor of San Francisco for three two-year terms beginning in 1897, Senator
* David Charles Jones, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
* Glenn Seaborg, scientist
* Alexander Shulgin, psychedelic researcher and developer
* George Shultz
* Mark Twain, journalist and author
* Carleton E. Watkins, photographer
* Bob Weir, musician
* Herman Wouk, writer
* Jimmy Buffett, musician
* Walter E. Hussman, Jr., Publisher, Arkansas Democrat Gazette
* David Gergen, former Presidential advisor
* Dick Celeste, former Govenor Ohio, President Colorado College [show less]

The philosopical basis of Hitler's Nazi Party. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_Society... [show more]

The philosopical basis of Hitler's Nazi Party.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_Society [show less]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilateral_Commission The Trilateral Commission is a private organization, founded in 1973 at the in... [show more]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilateral_Commission
The Trilateral Commission is a private organization, founded in 1973 at the initiative of the heads of the Council of Foreign Relations and of the Bilderberg Group, among them David Rockefeller, Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski. It consists of approximatively 300-350 private citizens from Europe, Pacific Asia (Asia & Oceania), and North America, and exists to promote closer cooperation between these areas.

Membership is divided into amounts apportioned to each of its three areas. Members who gain a position in their respective country's government leave the commission.

The organization has come under much scrutiny and criticism by political activists and academics working in the social and political sciences. The Trilateral Commission has found its way into a number of conspiracy theories, especially relating to the Round table groups.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_table_groups [show less]

http://en.wikipedia...._Eastern_Star The Order of the Eastern Star is the largest fraternal organization in the... [show more]

http://en.wikipedia...._Eastern_Star
The Order of the Eastern Star is the largest fraternal organization in the world that both men and women can join. It was established in 1850 by Robert Morris, a lawyer and educator from Boston, Massachusetts who had been an official with the Freemasons. It is based on teachings from the Bible, but is open to people of all monotheistic faiths. It has approximately 10,000 chapters in twenty countries and approximately one million members under its General Grand Chapter. Members of the Order are aged 18 and older; men must be Master Masons and women must have specific relationships with Masons. Originally, a woman would have to be the daughter, widow, wife, sister, niece, sister-in-law or mother of a master Mason, but the Order now allows Rainbows to become members when they come of age. [show less]

http://en.wikipedia....ign_Relations Formally established in 1921, it is one of the most powerful private or... [show more]

http://en.wikipedia....ign_Relations
Formally established in 1921, it is one of the most powerful private organizations with influence on U.S. foreign policy. It has about 4,000 members, including former national security officers, professors, former CIA members, elected politicians, and media figures. The council is not a formal institution within U.S. policy making. [show less]

No one knows what the hell is going on in there.

TheThuggee religion was allegedly a cult with Hindu, Muslim and some Sikh members who practiced large-scale robbery and murder of ... [show more]

TheThuggee religion was allegedly a cult with Hindu, Muslim and some Sikh members who practiced large-scale robbery and murder of travellers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuggee [show less]

Well, your description of secret societies, word for word from Wiki, seems broad to me. It seems to me to that traditionally, sec... [show more]

Well, your description of secret societies, word for word from Wiki, seems broad to me. It seems to me to that traditionally, secret societies masked their membership, if not their very existence. THe Ku Kluxers still do this to a greater extent than any other that I know.

Of course, I wouldn't know if some other society did it better.

Yeah, they're despicable, hateful, destructive. But it is interesting that they've kept, to a great extent, secret through the years. [show less]

Perhaps not as widespread or widely suspected as other societies, but it's almost the Skull and Bones of the deep South. Strange r... [show more]

Perhaps not as widespread or widely suspected as other societies, but it's almost the Skull and Bones of the deep South. Strange rituals surround initiation. A good friend was a member and was mum about the inner workings.

http://www.clemsonwiki.com/wiki/Tiger_Brotherhood [show less]

http://www.hells-angels.com/ in the past, there was even more mystery to this rowdy biker club.

http://www.ioof.org/rebekahs.htm

H. P. Lovecraft - The master of weird and cosmic tales created this group.
http://en.wikipedia....rder_of_Dagon

(No description provided)

For over 450 years Jesuit priests and brothers have lived an amazing story of serving the Church in new and unexpected ways. We ar... [show more]

For over 450 years Jesuit priests and brothers have lived an amazing story of serving the Church in new and unexpected ways. We are still men on the move, ready to change place, occupation, method--whatever will advance our mission in the Church. We are expected to do anything or go anywhere to teach Jesus Christ and preach his Good News.

Today that "we" has expanded to include men and women who share this vision of service to faith and to the justice that faith demands. Together Jesuits and lay partners place ourselves in the presence of the God who created all people and ask ourselves the questions that St. Ignatius suggested to his first companions during the period of prayer that led to their permanent companionship: [show less]