Secret Society Rules

A secret society can be something that is highly exciting and fun to be a part of. Many secret societies like fraternities and sororities have been around for hundreds of years. Whether you are starting a secret society as a chapter of a group that already exists, of whether you are forming your own secret society, you must decide upon and create rules.

Reasons Rules Are Needed

Societies all over the world need rules to function normally. However, secret societies have an even stronger need of rules. A secret society is only as strong as the secrets that bind it, so rules and regulations serve to strengthen that secrecy and keep it from losing membership.

Governing Membership

Secret societies should have a first section of rules that govern membership. These rules should include who can become members, what ages, genders or other specifications you might have for membership, and how those people become members. Usually, secret societies have some type of recruitment process--whether it is a public or private process should also be outlined in the rules. Rules should include what a person must do to become a member, and how long he will be a member.

Governing Rituals and Activities

The second half of rules for a secret society should govern the activities that the society is a part of--such as community activities, fund-raisers and other types of activities that are going to become a part of the secret society. The rules in this section should also outlay the various types of meeting rituals, such as any secret codes that are spoken, any specific rituals that are performed at meetings, and various songs, sayings and people who are important to the society.

Considerations

A secret society is meant to be secret. Therefore, when you create rules, you need to do so with secrecy in mind. Rules should only be written down in documents that are going to be kept secret and hidden from people who are not members of your society. The majority of rules and rituals should be kept by passing them down to new members and keeping them within the society.

Passing on Rules

Members should go through an initiation process before they are invited to learn the rules and rituals of a secret society. Once current members are sure that the new members will become a part of the society, they should pass the rules to the new members, usually by way of some secret ritual that no one else is privy to. The best way to pass along rules is through shared study and through a sense of secrecy and community.

References

• Secret Societies