Secret Society: Frequently Asked Questions

Secret societies occupy a peculiar corner of human organization — simultaneously ancient and surprisingly active, shrouded in mythology yet governed by bylaws. These questions address how fraternal orders and secret societies actually function: their structures, membership realities, common misunderstandings, and what distinguishes a legitimate organization from something worth avoiding. The goal is factual clarity, not conspiracy theory.

What triggers a formal review or action?

Most secret societies that have operated in the United States since the 19th century run on a petition-and-ballot model, meaning any formal action — admitting a member, disciplining one, or dissolving a lodge — requires a documented internal process. A review is typically triggered when a member violates the organization's oath or code of conduct, when dues go unpaid for a defined period (Freemasonry, for instance, uses the term "NPD" — non-payment of dues — as a specific membership status), or when a petitioner's background check raises concerns during the investigation phase before initiation.

External triggers exist too. Several states passed anti-mask laws in the early 20th century specifically targeting Ku Klux Klan activity, and those statutes remain on the books in states including Georgia and New York, creating a legal boundary that separates ceremonial regalia from public anonymity. For a detailed look at how the law intersects with fraternal organizations, see Secret Societies and the Law.

How do qualified professionals approach this?

Historians, sociologists, and legal scholars approach secret societies through institutional records, not rumor. Scholars like Clyde Daren Crews at Marquette University have documented Freemasonry's internal governance through lodge minutes and grand lodge proceedings — primary sources that reveal remarkably mundane administrative concerns: roof repairs, charitable disbursements, attendance records.

Researchers distinguish between what an organization claims about itself and what its documented practices show. That gap is where the interesting analysis lives. Journalists covering groups like Skull and Bones at Yale rely on former members' accounts, leaked documents, and financial disclosures where 501(c)(8) or 501(c)(10) tax-exempt status requires public filings with the IRS.

What should someone know before engaging?

Before petitioning any secret society, three structural realities are worth understanding:

1. Financial commitment is ongoing. Annual dues in Masonic blue lodges vary by jurisdiction but commonly range from $75 to $300 per year, with additional fees for appendant bodies like the Scottish Rite or Shriners International.
2. Initiation is not guaranteed. The ballot system used by Freemasonry is secret and, in most jurisdictions, requires a unanimous or near-unanimous vote. A single "black ball" can reject a candidate with no explanation offered.
3. Time demands are real. Active membership in organizations like the Knights of Columbus — which reported over 2 million members globally as of its most recent published figures — involves regular meeting attendance, degree work, and volunteer hours.

Reading Questions to Ask Before Joining provides a structured framework for evaluating any specific organization.

What does this actually cover?

"Secret society" as a category covers an enormous range of organizations. At one end: Yale's Skull and Bones, founded in 1832, with a membership of roughly 15 initiates per year and alumni that have included U.S. presidents and Cabinet secretaries. At the other: small local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows running bingo nights and maintaining cemeteries in rural counties.

The Key Dimensions and Scopes of Secret Society page maps this terrain carefully. The functional definition generally includes: selective membership, oaths of confidentiality, ritual initiation, and internal hierarchy. What it does not inherently include is political conspiracy, despite what a century of popular fiction suggests.

What are the most common issues encountered?

The problems that surface most frequently in secret society membership break into two categories: interpersonal and institutional.

Interpersonally, disputes over degree progression, favoritism in leadership elections, and conflicts between older and newer members account for the majority of lodge disciplinary proceedings. Institutionally, declining membership is the dominant challenge — Freemasonry in the United States peaked at approximately 4.1 million members in 1959, according to the Masonic Service Association of North America, and has contracted significantly since then.

Financial mismanagement in smaller lodges is a recurring structural problem. Without professional accounting oversight, treasurer roles held by volunteers can become points of failure — particularly in organizations that own real property, which many fraternal orders do. The Secret Society Finances and Dues page covers the financial architecture in detail.

How does classification work in practice?

Organizations are typically classified along two axes: purpose and secrecy level. A fraternal order like the Elks (officially the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, chartered in 1868) is fraternal-philanthropic with low ritual secrecy. A Rosicrucian order is esoteric-philosophical with high doctrinal secrecy. The Fraternal vs. Esoteric Secret Societies comparison makes this distinction concrete.

Degrees and ranks add another layer. Scottish Rite Freemasonry operates on a 33-degree system; the first three degrees come from the blue lodge, with degrees 4 through 32 conferred by the Scottish Rite, and the 33rd degree awarded honorifically. Classification within the organization determines what ceremonies a member may witness and what knowledge is transmitted.

What is typically involved in the process?

A standard membership process in a mainstream fraternal order follows this sequence: inquiry or sponsorship by a current member, formal petition submission, background investigation by an appointed committee, lodge ballot, and initiation through one or more ritual degrees. The entire process can take 3 to 12 months depending on lodge meeting frequency and the thoroughness of the investigation.

Initiation rituals vary dramatically — Rituals and Ceremonies covers this in depth — but typically involve symbolic drama, memorized catechisms, and the administration of an oath. The home page of this reference provides broader orientation to the full scope of topics covered across these organizations.

What are the most common misconceptions?

The biggest misconception is that secrecy implies illegality or sinister purpose. Most confidentiality in fraternal orders protects ritual content and internal deliberations — the same basic principle that covers jury deliberations or corporate board meetings. The Freemasons, often cited as the archetypal secret society, are listed publicly in phone directories, own prominent buildings in most major American cities, and file tax returns as nonprofit organizations.

A second persistent misconception is that secret society membership confers automatic professional advantage. Networking does occur — Secret Societies and Business Networking examines this honestly — but the relationship between lodge membership and career advancement is contextual, not mechanical. A third misconception holds that these organizations are monolithic. Freemasonry alone comprises 51 independent grand lodges in the United States, each with its own rules, and they do not always agree.