Category:
Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations
Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations
Pearl Harbor Vengeance Legion
With a name like "Pearl Harbor Vengeance Legion," its members must have been pretty badass. Survivors of Pearl Harbor perhaps?No, they were workers at Westinghouse's lamp division who had gone a year without being late or taking a sick day.
VENGEANCE LEGION MEMBER
BLOOMFIELD, N.J., Mar. 15 — Member in good standing of the Pearl Harbor Vengeance Legion is Doris E. Miller, who helps make airplane landing lights at the Westinghouse Lamp Division. The membership card she is displaying certifies that she has not been late nor absent since the Jap attack on Pearl Harbor. The "Legion" has been organized by the Joint Committee of Labor and Management to combat absenteeism and is open to any employee who has maintained a perfect attendance record for 12 months following Pearl Harbor. Miss Miller lives at 36 Brighton Terrace, Irvington, N.J.
BLOOMFIELD, N.J., Mar. 15 — Member in good standing of the Pearl Harbor Vengeance Legion is Doris E. Miller, who helps make airplane landing lights at the Westinghouse Lamp Division. The membership card she is displaying certifies that she has not been late nor absent since the Jap attack on Pearl Harbor. The "Legion" has been organized by the Joint Committee of Labor and Management to combat absenteeism and is open to any employee who has maintained a perfect attendance record for 12 months following Pearl Harbor. Miss Miller lives at 36 Brighton Terrace, Irvington, N.J.
Passaic Herald-News - Mar 16, 1943
Posted By: Alex - Mon Dec 12, 2022 -
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Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, 1940s
The Traffic Cone Preservation Society
The purpose of the Traffic Cone Preservation Society is to preserve and study these "Helpers of Humanity" in order to allow future generations "the opportunity to enjoy these magnificent creatures in their natural habitats."
The society (and website) was created by Amy Winfrey back in the late 1990s. So in Internet years it's ancient. It's nice that she's kept the website up all these years.
When she created it she was a student at UCLA. She's now a professional animator who's worked on shows such as South Park and BoJack Horseman.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Aug 23, 2022 -
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Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Strange Websites
The American Association of Psychiatrists from India
This group was founded in 1979 and later changed its name — but not because they were concerned that the name sounded oddly contradictory. Instead, they wanted to avoid being confused with the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin. The group is now known as the Indo-American Psychiatric Association. Details from its website:In the fall of 1979, six psychiatrists of Indian origin from the metropolitan area of New York City met to discuss the need of an organization that would address the professional needs and interests of psychiatrists from India.
It was estimated at that time that there were approximately 1000‐1200 psychiatrists of Indian origin practicing or in training in the US.
The group also agreed that the organization should include all mental health professionals interested in the vision and mission of this organization.
This group started out as a professional, educational and social group.
The organization was named as the American Association of Psychiatrists from India (AAPI).
It was estimated at that time that there were approximately 1000‐1200 psychiatrists of Indian origin practicing or in training in the US.
The group also agreed that the organization should include all mental health professionals interested in the vision and mission of this organization.
This group started out as a professional, educational and social group.
The organization was named as the American Association of Psychiatrists from India (AAPI).
Posted By: Alex - Sun Aug 14, 2022 -
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Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations
The Society for the Prevention of Progress
Marine biologist Joel Hedgpeth founded the Society for the Prevention of Progress in 1945. He was its sole member. According to his obituary in the Journal of Crustacean Biology: "Many a grad student and junior colleague wanted to join this august club, but Joel refused applications—growth in members would represent progress."However, there were exceptions to his no-membership policy. For instance, Hedgpeth wrote to C.S. Lewis inviting him to become a member.
The initial inspiration for the Society seems to have been to protect the environment against the "encroachment of material civilization." The Society's statement of purpose (below), as well as the Society letter-head Hedgpeth had printed up, reflected this intent.
However, Hedgpeth evidently also intended his Society to embrace a much broader spirit of contrarianism, as seen in the manifesto outlined in the article below.
Decatur Herald - Feb 15, 1945
Posted By: Alex - Tue May 31, 2022 -
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Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations
Theora Carter, Apostle of the Toothbrush
Read more about the lady here.
Posted By: Paul - Sat May 07, 2022 -
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Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Hygiene, 1910s, Teeth
The Farmer’s Anti-Automobile Society of Arkansaw
I'm going to assume that there never was a "Farmer's Anti-Automobile Society of Arkansaw" (or any other state) and that the list of road rules they supposedly adopted was early twentieth-century humor meant to poke fun at car-hating farmers.Although some blogs, such as here, seem to think that this list of crazy road rules might have been real.
The Carmen Headlight - Sep 10, 1909
Posted By: Alex - Mon Mar 07, 2022 -
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Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, 1900s, Parody, Cars
Whiffy’s Club
Because Marilyn Meissler had always wondered if she was the only person who liked the smell of skunks, in 1989 she placed an ad in USA Today seeking out other skunk lovers:Calling all Skunk Lovers. My family and friends think I am the only person in the world that likes the skunk scent. I would like to prove them wrong, so if you or anyone you know likes the scent, please reply.
She got such a positive response that a year later she founded "Whiffy's Club" — a club for people who like the odor of skunks. For $35 members got a t-shirt, button, membership card, and newsletter. And for an extra $11, they got a bottle of skunk aroma.
Montreal Gazette - July 3, 1989
Sequoyah County Times - Jan 31, 1991
Posted By: Alex - Fri Dec 03, 2021 -
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Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Perfume and Cologne and Other Scents
International Association of People Who Dine Over the Kitchen Sink
Norm Hankoff had the idea for the "International Association of People Who Dine Over the Kitchen Sink" in 1991, while he was standing at the sink using potato chips to spoon tuna salad into his mouth.The next year he founded the Association. He referred to its members as 'sinkies'. Then, in 1994, he came out with The Official Sinkies Don't Cook Book, which included "recipes" such as:
- cakeless frosting
- a handful of mashed potatoes
- a cracker topped with mayo, then another cracker, then American cheese, then another cracker, mustard, cracker, pickle chip, cracker and Swiss cheese
- chocolate cake in a glass of milk
Amazon Link
The Association still exists. Or, at least, it still has a website: sinkie.com.
Sinkies consider the day after Thanksgiving to be their annual holiday. They call it "Dine Over Your Kitchen Sink Day".
Posted By: Alex - Thu Nov 25, 2021 -
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Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Food, Thanksgiving
American Tentative Society
The officers of the American Tentative Society insisted that, despite the odd name, the society wasn't a joke. Its purpose, they explained, was to promote the idea that scientific knowledge should always be regarded as tentative — subject to growth, revision, and change.The three founders of the society were science journalists Alton Blakeslee, Rennie Taylor, and Pat McGrady. They came up with the concept in the mid-1960s, but it remained nothing more than a crazy idea until 1974, when Taylor died. In his will he bequeathed $300,000 to making the society a reality. This left the other two stuck with the problem of how to spend the money. So they solicited ideas from the public.
As far as I can tell, they ended up using some of the money to give awards to scientists (such as Stephen Jay Gould) whom they viewed as embracing the tentative nature of scientific knowledge. The rest of it was eventually given to the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing to endow a fellowship awarded annually to students accepted for enrollment in graduate-level programs in science writing.
Posted By: Alex - Tue Oct 19, 2021 -
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Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Science, 1970s
Who’s Nobody in America
Back in 1979, when being in Who's Who still had some kind of cultural cachet, Derek Evans and Dave Fulwiler decided to create an anti-Who's-Who, which they called "Who's Nobody in America." To acquire entries, they placed the following ad in newspapers:AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO NOBODY
Will your name be omitted from the 1980 edition of Who's Who?
Nobody Press is currently compiling the 1980 edition of Who's Nobody in America. This handsomely bound and widely distributed reference work will, for the first time, provide a comprehensive list of American nobodies.
If you think you might be a nobody, or know of one, at no cost or obligation, complete the attached request for applications."
Will your name be omitted from the 1980 edition of Who's Who?
Nobody Press is currently compiling the 1980 edition of Who's Nobody in America. This handsomely bound and widely distributed reference work will, for the first time, provide a comprehensive list of American nobodies.
If you think you might be a nobody, or know of one, at no cost or obligation, complete the attached request for applications."
Applicants included:
- A woman who complained she had been seeing her psychiatrist monthly for eight years and he often called her Evelyn. Her name was Mildred.
- An entire American Legion post in Newport, Ky.
More info: Washington Post
Posted By: Alex - Sat Aug 28, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Success & Failure, Books, Satire
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