Category:
Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations
Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations
The Association of Angry Young Women
Nov 1957: Anita Nock announced her intention to form an "Association of Angry Young Women."
Melbourne Age - Nov 26, 1957
Later reports indicated that her association didn't attract a lot of members.
Vancouver Sun - Feb 25, 1958
However, a news report from a few months later suggested that the Association did exist, in some form. The "Monaco incident" referred to involved Lady Docker tearing up a paper flag of Monaco after she learned that her son wasn't invited to attend the wedding of Prince Rainier of Monaco and Grace Kelly. Hearing about this, Prince Rainer had her banned from the entire French Riviera.
London Sunday People - May 11, 1958
Posted By: Alex - Sat Oct 28, 2023 -
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Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, 1950s, Women
Herbivorize Predators
The Herbivorize Predators organization was founded "with the goal of discovering how to safely transform carnivorous species into herbivorous ones." Its members believe that this will promote the well-being of all sentient beings and prevent the suffering and untimely deaths of prey animals.They acknowledge that their mission is controversial but feel that "now is the time to conduct research on potential ways of herbivorizing."
It's certainly an ambitious goal. I think they'll have their hands full just trying to herbivorize humans.
Another critique from the Ecology for the Masses blog:
its also easy to forget that herbivores can be just as big of a source of stress for other herbivores as the threat of predation... To put it simply there is always going to be something causing an individual some type of stress out there (even from their own species).
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jul 19, 2023 -
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Category: Animals, Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Food, Vegetarians and Vegans
Ugley Women’s Institute
The Women's Institute, according to Wikipedia, is a "community-based organisation for women in the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand." The first Women's Institute branch in the UK was established in 1915. And by the 1920s the village of Ugley in Essex had its own branch, making it the Ugley Women's Institute.The jokes began soon after. An Apr 13, 1945 column in the Saffron Walden Weekley News notes:
People will still have their joke about the uncommon name of Ugley, but the Ugley ladies must have become hardened to it by now. There are as lovely ladies in Ugley as elsewhere, I have no doubt, and certainly their Women's Institute is doing excellent work.
By the 1950s the members of the Ugley Women's Institute had apparently grown tired of the jokes. Newspapers reported a name change:
Evansville Press - Mar 24, 1956
However, I find that the same story then kept popping up throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, always reported as if it was breaking news, which makes me wonder if it was true in the first place. In the UK Register of Charities the organization is still listed as the Ugley Women's Institute.
Wisconsin State Journal - Sep 9, 1962
Incidentally, the village of Ugley also has an Ugley Farmers Market. And the town of Loose, in Kent, boasts the Loose Women's Institute.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jun 21, 2023 -
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Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Odd Names, Women
The Queen of Love and Beauty at the Veiled Prophet’s Ball
The Veiled Prophet Parade and Ball was a yearly civic celebration in St. Louis, Missouri, over which a mythical figure called the Veiled Prophet presided. The first events were in 1878. The parade and ball were organized and funded by the Veiled Prophet Organization, an all-male, secret society[3][4][5] founded in 1878 by prominent St. Louisans.
The organization chooses one member to be a Veiled Prophet who conducts meetings and oversees activities but not necessarily for one year, spokesman Allyn Glaub said in 1991. They were a highly select group culled from the area's business, civic and governmental leaders, "the people who run St. Louis and St. Louis County."
See the 1938 Veiled Prophet below.
The Wikipedia article on the ball itself here.
A list of all queens.
Posted By: Paul - Mon May 08, 2023 -
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Category: Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Disguises, Impersonations, Mimics and Forgeries, Parades and Festivals, Regionalism, Nineteenth Century, Twentieth Century, Twenty-first Century
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
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