Hello Everyone, With this topic i started you can clearly see that I'm newbie when it comes to secret societies. I'm sorry if i have annoyed anyone but all i want to know is a brief discription of the secret societies and what purpose they serve. I have heard of secret societies like in films like "skulls", "swordfish" , "national treasure" . In the films these societies were used protect the american public. I would just like to know a bit about the few larger secret societies illuminati, masons etc.. cause its fascintaing to hear about this. Pls if someone could be kind enough to explain or just point me out in the right direction would be of great help.

sorry just wanted to add what the benefits of being in a secret society are? cause if a lot of people are allowed to join what purpose do they serve? are they there just to do the bidding of those higher then them?

Also Masonry does not consider itself a Secret Society, merely private.
As a Mason, I can tell you the only secrets are our rituals (which I'm sure you can find online), our grips (which you can find online), and our passwords, (which you can find online). These are our only secrets. Masons will pretty much tell you what you want to know. The reason why the above mentioned are "secret" is so not to ruin the experiece of new initiates, and tradition. There was a time when Masonry needed to be secret, but that time is past.

Please feel free to ask me or any Masons here as much as you want. Or just look the volumes of posts here on the subject. I'm sure any question you have will have been asked and answered already.

Originally posted by SaranGani
Hello Everyone, With this topic i started you can clearly see that I'm newbie when it comes to secret societies. I'm sorry if i have annoyed anyone but all i want to know is a brief discription of the secret societies and what purpose they serve. I have heard of secret societies like in films like "skulls", "swordfish" , "national treasure" . In the films these societies were used protect the american public. I would just like to know a bit about the few larger secret societies illuminati, masons etc.. cause its fascintaing to hear about this. Pls if someone could be kind enough to explain or just point me out in the right direction would be of great help.

While I can not speak from personal experience on the Skull and Bones et all (and there are a few other senior societies, Dragon, Scroll and Key etc...) They appear to be nothing more than a senior fraternity with a more "elite" flavor for whom they pick. While most fraternities are openly pledged and the selection is made of people who wish to join, the Skull and Bones et all select, "tap", people whom they think should join. IE, President of the school newspaper, Crew Captain, Valedictorian, sons of members *cough* Bush *cough*. Since these senior societies create a very powerful network that could be of great use in your future no one really declines, would you?

Even in XYZ normal fraternity, members will on occasion hire someone simply because the applicant was a member of their same fraternity. In these senior societies the same process probably occurs. And since those selected are the cream of the crop they likely end up in high positions of government, business, military etc... resulting in a very power and influential group that can help its members out and get them into seats of power/prestige/money.

Old Boys network? Hell yes.
Secret New World Order? Not in my opinion.

note: I don't think the Skulls in the movie The Skulls were doing much to protect America. More like they were trying to help out their bottom lines

[edit on 20-1-2005 by Helios Barca]

A few basic secret societies:

The Masons
The Elks
The Order of the Skull and Bones
The Illuminati
The Rosicrucians
The Freemasons
The CFR (Council on Foriegn Relations)
The Bilderbergers

Those are mostly what I can think of off the top of my head, though there's tons of books and websites concerning the subject.

heres a few more

ancient order of the hibernians
order of the oddfellows
knights of st columbus
knights of degama
knights of the southern cross
order of the jesuit
the shriners
opus dei
the orangemen
the forresters

Originally posted by southern_cross3
A few basic secret societies:

The Masons
The Elks
The Order of the Skull and Bones
The Illuminati
The Rosicrucians
The Freemasons
The CFR (Council on Foriegn Relations)
The Bilderbergers

Does anyone really consider Elks, Odd Fellows, Lions, Eagles or Rotary Club as being secret societies?!? I think not...

Originally posted by southern_cross3
A few basic secret societies:

The Masons
The Elks
The Order of the Skull and Bones
The Illuminati
The Rosicrucians
The Freemasons
The CFR (Council on Foriegn Relations)
The Bilderbergers

Those are mostly what I can think of off the top of my head, though there's tons of books and websites concerning the subject.

You're kidding, right?

Especially with the ELKS for goodness sakes. A SECRET SOCIETY??? Wow, I'd love to hear what you think about the Moose Lodge or the Eagles. What about the Boy Scouts "Order of the Arrow"?

...by the way, you have Masons mentioned twice (Masons = Freemasons) I guess they're doubly-secret.

[edit on 20-1-2005 by senrak]

Originally posted by quinny
heres a few more

ancient order of the hibernians
order of the oddfellows
knights of st columbus
knights of degama
knights of the southern cross
order of the jesuit
the shriners
opus dei
the orangemen
the forresters

More kidding, right????

...and Shriners are Masons, too. One MUST be a Master Mason to be a Shriner. They're surely not a secret society, my Shrine Temple in St Louis performs the "secret" initiation ritual with wives and friends present.

Really doesn't sound too secret does it?

Don't forget the Ya-Ya Sisterhood -- my sources say their Divine Secrets are being revealed on TBS.

Thanks a lot you guys, those websites were very informative. Hmm was just wondering whether there has ever been any clashes between secret societies? i.e both groups vying for the same position/s of power?

Hey now, we can't forget the Augusta Country Club. Invite only, closed doors, keep the non-members out of the important stuff, definitely a secret society. Hmmm need to keep an eye on them. Watch out for the 8th green, its really just the cover of a nuclear missile silo

Originally posted by SaranGani
Thanks a lot you guys, those websites were very informative. Hmm was just wondering whether there has ever been any clashes between secret societies? i.e both groups vying for the same position/s of power?

Well, there was the situation where one of the two founders (brothers) of the Modern Woodmen of American, got ticked off and left the group, only to found the Woodmen of the World...but Nygdan touched on that with the Woodmen link.

I would think that a secret organization would not necessarily take volunteers, but rather, the organization would recruit those who can help to accomplish the mission. An overzealious volunteer may not have anything to offer the organization.