Is anyone here a member of one of those groups like the Elks, Moose or whatever

[bozack]

You might have seen on an episode of the Flintstones?

I was wondering if in this day and age they were still appealing to anyone and what these groups typically do?

I saw a club for one near my house and it looked like a bar/place to hang out...didn't know what else they were about?

Thanks

 

[IronWing]

Drink excessively, perform some type of community service once a year.

 

[bozack]

Drink excessively, perform some type of community service once a year.

Nice, sounds like an interesting gig, what does it usually take to get into one of these things? I asked once and they said something about being recommended or something?

 

[IronWing]

Nice, sounds like an interesting gig, what does it usually take to get into one of these things? I asked once and they said something about being recommended or something?

You have to be invited by one of the old drunks, er, members. Many of them used to have no <women, blacks, jews, hispanics, etc> policies but got away from that due to a combination of changing attitudes* and the realization that none of those folks wanted to hang out with a bunch of middle-aged drunk white guys anyway. My impression is that these organizations are on the way out and will likely not survive the current generation of members.



* Very bad for business for small business owners to belong to discriminating organizations and many members were business owners.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Nice, sounds like an interesting gig, what does it usually take to get into one of these things? I asked once and they said something about being recommended or something?

Once you join you are officially the old fart you didn't want to become when you were younger.

 

[Spacehead]

I belong to a local VFW & American Legion as a social member(not a vet) & one of the volunteer fire departments clubs. They have bars in them to raise money for their respective outfits.

As for national clubs like the Elks, Moose or Eagles, as far as i know you just need a friend to get your name up for membership & they voted you in or blackball you. I don't think there are any requirements once you're a member, unless you're an officer or something like that.

 

[PrinceofWands]

The drinks are INCREDIBLY cheap...like 1/2what you pay in a bar or even less. There's generally a restaurant, some meeting/common rooms, and a game area. The elks near here have a poker 'club' that meets twice a week for hold'em tournaments. Nice to have that so close and regular.

The club also has dances, watches big sporting events, and finds ways to participate in community functions. It used to be a social club for all ages, the became mostly older people in the 60s and 70s with membership declining steeply. There has been a revival of sorts in the last few years, with younger members and increasing numbers.

If you want in you find someone to recommend you, pay a something like a $25 application fee, pay annual dues (around here it's about $100), and you're good.

 

[Crono]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ-KZyniB4c

 

[DainBramaged]

I used to belong to the Venetian Club. It was a cool place to drink and the drinks were insanely cheap. Bottles of beer were $1.25 and mixed drinks were $1.75. They were strong mixed drinks too. This is about 1/3 of the cost of drinks other places.

 

[zerocool84]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ-KZyniB4c

Beat me to it

 

[Triumph]

I think these places will all die out as all the WW2 vets kick the bucket. Maybe they'll have some Vietnam vets, but they're not going to last either. Can't say I know anyone my age that's in one of these clubs.

 

[PrinceofWands]

I think these places will all die out as all the WW2 vets kick the bucket. Maybe they'll have some Vietnam vets, but they're not going to last either. Can't say I know anyone my age that's in one of these clubs.

Don't be too sure about that. The poker craze has really invigorated the membership, and mostly younger participants. When they found out how cheap the booze was they brought their friends, and now the place is lousy with 20-40 year olds. Still 5:1 old people, but maybe not down and out yet.

 

[sygyzy]

I am part of Rotaract which is a younger version of Rotary.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I belong to the SCA. Fighting, drinking, drumming and, chicks in chain mail are all free for a minimal charge at the door.

 

[Wheezer]

a close friend at one time tried to get me to join the Elks. Great place, and as others have said, cheap strong drinks. every weekend they had drawings for cash (he won a grand) and it was often a great place to go to get away from the women folk from time to time. Although it was a great place to go party before heading out to the bar, it required attendance of regular meetings and community functions...at the time didn't really feel like getting into it...I was there for the booze.

 

[bozack]

Thanks everyone for the replies, like I said I saw the one near my house and it seemed like an interesting thing with a bar and game room in the basement and what seemed to be a place to eat in the upper level, not high class but everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves...the other clubs like this I have seen were pretty closed in so I could never tell what goes on...just wondering if it was worth persuing or if they are a dying breed.

That homer simpson clip was a hoot and pretty much what I thought of when considering these clubs

 

[FoBoT]

they are the lower/middle class equivalent of high society's country clubs

upper class/rich people join the Country Club

lower/middle class people join the Elks Lodge

 

[SearchMaster]

My wife made me join the Elks a few years ago because they had a pool and membership was reasonably cheap. I went to the initiation thing...when they made you put your hands up to your head like elk antlers (no shit) and started talking about how leaving the Elks Club would cause you to wander through the forest alone, I could hardly keep from laughing.

I never went back though some of my friends from the initiation are still with them as far as I know.

 

[BoomerD]

We never did join one of the clubs, although we've drank in the Elks, Eagles, and Moose lodges over the years. We gave it serious consideration when we lived in Utah with their fucked-up liquor laws...but never did.