Welcome to a whirlwind tour of 10 strange societies, those hidden circles where the unusual meets the elite, the eccentric, and the downright mysterious. From secretive philanthropic clubs to quirky appreciation groups, each organization offers a glimpse into a world you probably never imagined.
10 Strange Societies: An Unexpected Journey
10 The Alfalfa Club
Founded by four gentlemen at Washington’s historic Willard Hotel, the Alfalfa Club takes its name from the plant whose roots are reputed to ‘do anything for a drink.’ Legend has it the club was launched in 1913 to honor Robert E. Lee’s birthday, though that tale remains somewhat apocryphal. Membership is ultra‑exclusive—about 200 of the world’s wealthiest and most influential individuals—so spots only open when a current member passes away, and new entrants must be personally invited.
The club’s sole public function is an extravagant banquet held on the last Saturday of January each year. The sitting U.S. President is traditionally asked to address the assembly, a role many have accepted more than once. When President Barack Obama first attended in 2009, he quipped, “This dinner began almost 100 years ago as a way to celebrate the birthday of General Robert E. Lee. If he were here with us tonight, the General would be 202 years old. And very confused.”
For roughly eight decades the Alfalfa Club barred women from its ranks; that policy finally crumbled in 1994 after President Bill Clinton staged a boycott in protest, prompting the organization to admit female members.
9 The Dill Pickle Club
Although it no longer exists, the Dill Pickle Club burst onto the Chicago scene in 1914, the brainchild of Archibald “Jack” Jones, a Canadian organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World. After a falling‑out with the IWW over tactics, Jones erected a new venue where activists could debate labor and societal issues over drinks.
The club attracted a veritable who’s‑who of Chicago’s intellectual elite—Upton Sinclair, Clarence Darrow, and others—while Prohibition turned it into a lively speakeasy frequented by college students. Musical and theatrical performances added to its bohemian allure. By the early 1930s, Jones stopped paying protection money to the local mob, leading police to shut the doors for good.
The club’s entrance bore a warning sign that read “Danger,” and a cheeky motto emblazoned on the door: “Step High, Stoop Low, Leave Your Dignity Outside.”
8 The UK Roundabout Appreciation Society
A relatively obscure British outfit, the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society (UKRAS) lives up to its name by championing the humble roundabout. Its members argue that endless straight roads breed visual monotony, so they advocate installing circular intersections wherever feasible—and adorning the central islands with art, monuments, or even working windmills. In fact, a wind‑mill‑equipped roundabout earned the title of Britain’s best by UKRAS.
The society was founded by Kevin Beresford after his 2003 “Best of British Roundabouts” calendar proved popular. He now spends his time photographing the most eye‑catching rotaries across the UK. Fun fact: Beresford’s nickname is “Lord of the Rings.”
7 The Trap Door Spiders
In 1943, American scientist‑writer John D. Clark wed an opera singer, a match that displeased his close friend Fletcher Pratt. Pratt’s disdain for the new Mrs. Clark was so intense that he formed a male‑only club just so he could spend time with Clark without his wife’s presence. Thus the Trap Door Spiders were born, borrowing their name from the arachnid that seals its burrow behind a hinged door—much like the club’s desire to keep unwanted guests out.
The original roster numbered about twenty men who gathered monthly for dinner and lively conversation. While women could attend as guests, they could only be invited by the host of that particular evening. Membership was (and still is) granted by a vote of existing members after a vacancy appears, typically when a member dies. Notable science‑fiction writers such as Isaac Asimov, Martin Gardner, and L. Sprague de Camp were among its ranks; Asimov even modeled his fictional Black Widowers after this group.
6 The Seven Society
The University of Virginia’s Seven Society remains one of the most secretive collegiate organizations in the United States. Its emblem—a stylized “7” flanked by the symbols for alpha, omega, and infinity—first appeared in the 1905 yearbook Corks & Curls. The identities of its members are closely guarded; they are only revealed posthumously when a banner bearing the Society’s insignia is displayed at the member’s funeral. Even the bells the Society donated to the University Chapel toll in a pattern based on the number seven.
Publicly, the Seven Society is known primarily for its lavish generosity. At a 1947 commencement ceremony, a small explosion sent a check for $177,777.77 onto the stage, funding an interest‑free loan program for any UVA student, faculty, or staff in financial distress. Other notable gifts include $77.77 for a drinking fountain in 1955 and $14,777.77 in 2008 to launch a fund encouraging student‑submitted ideas for campus improvement.
5 The Gormogons
Officially titled the Ancient and Noble Order of the Gormogons, this secretive fraternity emerged in 1724 after a London Daily Post article described a mysterious group claiming Chinese origins from millennia past. Their declared purpose was to position themselves as anti‑Freemasons, even demanding that any former Freemason renounce the Masonic Order before joining.
Because the Gormogons left no written records, their rituals and inner workings have been lost to history. Some scholars suspect that the group was the brainchild of Andrew Michael Ramsay, a fervent Freemason known as the Chevalier Ramsay. Regardless of its true founder, the society vanished in 1738—the same year Pope Clement XII issued a papal bull condemning Freemasonry.
4 The Trilateral Commission
Founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller, the Trilateral Commission was born after the Bilderberg Group allegedly balked at admitting Japanese members. Rockefeller and his co‑founders envisioned a forum that would foster cooperation among leaders from Japan, Europe, Canada, and the United States, believing that joint problem‑solving could improve global governance.
Originally intended to exist for just three years—a “triennium”—the Commission has been renewed repeatedly and now includes representatives from China, India, Mexico, and many other nations. Conspiracy theorists often point to the group as a shadowy driver of a world‑government agenda, largely because numerous prominent political and business figures have served on its panels.
3 The Durham University Assassins’ Society
Durham University, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Durham Castle, also houses the Durham University Assassins’ Society (DUAS), founded in 1996. DUAS is among the oldest and most active assassin societies worldwide, staging a variety of “games” throughout the academic year. Participants attempt to “kill” one another using Nerf guns or cardboard knives, with each game lasting anywhere from a few hours to several weeks.
DUAS doles out a range of whimsical awards, such as the Stephen King Award for Best Narration, which one year went to Millie Power for delivering her kill reports in poetic form. The society is renowned for its extensive rulebook, which covers every conceivable scenario with astonishing specificity.
2 Uttar Pradesh Association Of Dead People
In 1975, Lal Bihari applied for a bank loan in his home district of Uttar Pradesh, India, only to be told his application was invalid because officials had declared him dead. The declaration stemmed from a corrupt relative who bribed a bureaucrat to seize Bihari’s ancestral farmland. Determined to reclaim his identity, Bihari spent eighteen years fighting the legal system to prove he was, in fact, alive.
During his struggle, Bihari discovered a hidden community of similarly mis‑declared individuals and founded the Uttar Pradesh Association of Dead People. The group’s mission is to compel the government to recognize its members as living citizens, thereby restoring their confiscated property and civil rights. The organization attracted thousands of members, and Bihari was even awarded the Ig Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for his efforts.
1 The Hemlock Society
Established in 1980 by Derek Humphry in a Santa Monica garage, the Hemlock Society quickly grew into one of the United States’ largest right‑to‑die organizations. Its core belief was that terminally ill patients should have the legal right to end their own lives with physician‑prescribed medication, distinguishing this stance from suicide driven by emotional distress.
The Society’s name alludes to the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates, who famously drank hemlock to accept his death sentence. Membership peaked in the 1990s before newer groups entered the arena. In 2003, the organization rebranded as End of Life Choices, and a year later merged with Compassion & Choices, retiring its original motto “Good life, good death.”