The International Society of Shifters

I'm currently writing a piece on the Shifters for the Wittenberg Torch. The members of the organization claim that it is purely an innocent social group. I have evidence that it is much more than that but I was hoping someone on this website might know more about it. Please post any information you have, or if you feel more comfortable, just send me an e-mail>SNIP MOD EDIT<
Currently I have evidence that the organization, at least in schools on the east coast, is more reprehensible than was supposed. "The society badge serves as an invitation to flirtation and to intimacies that self-respecting girls would resent." It's an old quote but I doubt the tradition has died.

[ Mod Edit to remove personal email address]

[edit on 8/27/2008 by yeahright]

never heard of this society before, can you give us some info or backround??

If you are going to make accusations you need to share whatever evidence you have.

The quote you used is from 1922 and somewhat vague. It could mean anything from prostitution to girls who wore their hemlines to high IE flappers.

Here is the entire quote BTW...you should use the entire quote whenever possible.

NEW-YORK — Gertrude Robinson Smith, president of the Vacation Association, said that her investigations of "the ways and wiles of the Society of Shifters" showed the organization to be more reprehensible than was supposed. "The prospective member of the Shifters is made to believe that she is asked to join a universal secret society to promote cordiality, particularly between sexes," she said. "The society badge serves as an invitation to flirtation and to intimacies that self-respecting girls would resent."

www.iht.com...

[edit on 22-4-2007 by RWPBR]

MOD EDIT to add external quote BB code

[edit on 1/4/2008 by benevolent tyrant]

I did a little more digging

Gertrude Robinson Smith was a middle aged New England High society type when the article was written and wrote advice columns for the more genteel upper crust. I dont see any conspiracy here. She is probably mad at them because they used the wrong fork at dinner.

I don't know much about the international side of it. The shifters were brought to Wittenberg in 1932 by Dr. John W. Barker from Kansas State. Active members wear paperclips, pledges wear safety pins. They parade around the football field at homecoming during half time and perform a similar drill in the cafeteria. According to one member of this website they can be seen in Ferncliff Cemetery in the middle of the night, but I haven't heard that anywhere else. The society doesn't have any actual officers other than Chief Worthy Shifter (originally Barker), the Postern Gate (not sure what that is), and the Worthy recorder. Apparently the archaic designation of officers is based upon the crusades. They hold three major social functions in the year: a steak fry in the fall, spagetti dinner in the winter, and a ham and egg breakfast in the spring. They used to wear their coats backwards in the 40s. Some of the guys wore mismatched socks and shoes with rolled up pants legs and the girls wore 1 high heel with 1 low heel with one silkhose and one ankelt. Most of this info is from the Witt Torch. Members meet at "the right time and the right place" but only they what that means, along with the only requirement for membership, "the right attitude." They also give the thumbs up to plotted trees in the CDR. Some speculate they use tunnels to move around the campus.

wow, this seems very exciting and intriguing!!!

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removed quote of post above

[edit on 4/1/08 by masqua]

RWPBR,
I find it interesting that your replies are so defensive and hot headed. I basically included the only part of the quote that was necessary and that basically summed up the point, and I said that the quote was old, although I did not give the date. My bad. I made the post while I was at work and in a bit of a hurry. But that is no excuse, and I am deeply sorry.
Tell me, are you angry because you are an offended member of the Shifters?
BTW, your accusation that all people born to the upper class are automatically pampered snobs is a stereotype, to say the least. Gertrude Robinson Smith worked with various charitable organizations, including the War Relief Committee during WWI, which she was the Chairwoman of. She lived her life as a working, unmarried woman; a feminist.


[edit on 22-4-2007 by trashflavored]

I am not a Shifter. I have never heard of the Shifters prior to your mention of it. I was not being defensive. I was just putting your limited info into a frame of reference.

Many times I have seen people on this website use partial quotes taken out of context to make things seem more sinister then they are. You yourself stated you had additional information but did not post it. I was just trying to point that out.

You seem to be saying that these people appear to be "Sinister" because they wear their socks oddly, wear paperclips and safety pins and SUPPOSEDLY uses SECRET tunnels to travel around campus...pretty thin gravy.

I am not saying that because they wear funny socks and paperclips that they are sinister. I am saying that there might be a possibility that the Shifters are more scandalous than appearances may suggest, based on the quote by Gertrude Robinson Smith and quotes by people from Wittenberg who claim to have seen them in Ferncliff Cemetery (but couldn't see what they were doing and therefore I didn’t think it was worth posting), and a hunch that maybe this story could have an interesting twist. It's not much, but that's why I posted what little I do know on this website. You make a valid point that I don’t have a lot of proof, and I totally acknowledge that. I was hoping other people who have the Shifters at their colleges might know about them, and possibly help with my research in order to prove or disprove my theory. Honestly, any story written on a secret society, unless one is a member of the society, is going to be based on assumptions and hearsay, because that is all one has to go on. I know members of the Shifters but, unfortunately, they refuse to answer my questions. This is kind of a last attempt at finding proof for my theory.

[edit on 23-4-2007 by trashflavored]

I wish you luck in your search. Just keep in mind people tend to get a little aggressive when you invade their privacy, even if you intentions are good.

Google does not have very much on the Shifters... Veeeery suspicious. Maybe they control google.

I have new information on the Shifters. It doesn't really have anything to do with the Smith quote, but it's interesting none the less. After corresponding with a Shifter, he reported this: “I suppose there is a hierarchy (within the Shifters) that would evolve as each Shifter moved closer to attainment of ___________!!!”
“The "right attitude" (the one requirement for membership) is certainly a state of mind, a philosophy, and __________________!!!”
To me, it sounds like the Shifters might be basing their group on a particular philosophy. Does this sound like anything familar to anyone? I haven't taken any philosophy classes so I don't really know what to make of it.

Someone has to have at least heard of the Shifters! Doesn't anyone know anything?

I've heard of the Shifters but not much. Just the stuff about the paper clips but I heard that they walk around whistling "You Are My Sunshine". My thoughts on the Shifters is simply this why why is there so much secrecy if you aren't doing something that you don't want people to find out. Also my friends who claim to know many Shifters say that the Shifters they know claim that if you read the "Winnie the Pooh" book you will figure it all out and as crazy as this sounds I'd say try it. I don't have the book or i would. But that's all I got sorry if it doesn't help much!

I have no idea if anyone is still interested in this issue, but I attend Wittenberg University and could maybe shed some light on the matter. Let me know if anyone cares...

If you have any info then by all means share it.

I had never heard of the shifters also, and I must admit when I read the description it brought a broad smile to my face, frankly they sound a hoot.

The comparative that comes to mind is a person who cups his hands together and peers intently through a gap with one eye the other tightly shut and refusing to let anyone else see what they have got.

A kind of secret society for the sake of a secret society, I could be entirely wrong of course but I am glad this was posted and I feel moved to star you trashflavored.

shifters

sounds like shapshifters

reptilian shapshifters


[edit on 6-1-2008 by Dark_Ace]

I've never heard of them either.
But I sometimes wear mis-matched socks.
I dated a girl who wore two different color Converse All-Stars.
That reminds me of Punky Brewster.
Y'know, she's hot now that she's all grown up.

Ok, so I don't know if people are still interested, but I might have something to add. I recently graduated from Witt. Late one night I was studying in the office of one of my professors (who was a shifter). A note was slid under the door, and of course, I read it. It was a flier for a shifter party, and it instructed members to dress a certain way according to "family." Each family was listed, and was named after a different character from Winnie the Pooh (i.e Christoper Robin, Piglet, etc...). I shared this with my best friend and we couldn't make much of it. Of course 6 months later he was tapped to be a shifter, and he never told me anything. Apparently he had the right attitude, and I did not. All I know is that during his initiation week, he'd leave at like 10:00 pm and not come back until the am. When he did return, he was covered in mud. Weird.