Do you belong to any Gentlemen's Clubs?

[Matt]

Originally Posted by appolyon

I think a place where you could go for a quiet drink after work where you know a few of the guys and the staff know who you are and what you like, definately has a bit of an appeal to me.
back in the day, that was The Argo to me.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by appolyon

I think a place where you could go for a quiet drink after work where you know a few of the guys and the staff know who you are and what you like, definately has a bit of an appeal to me, though I'm not currently a member of any such places. Pretty tough getting membership to places like the Melbourne Club or Savages here in Oz.

The Cosmos Club in DC is a good example of what you describe. It's open to men and women and provides a great venue for business and entertainment.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Originally Posted by chorse123

My wife belongs to one, an alumni club. It's a nice home-away-from-home place for dinner or drinks. Her club has an excellent gym as well, and social events, although they are geared towards older members. I like the idea, as they generally offer something unique, but I think there's a delicate balance between fun and inviting and assholish.
I spent this past weekend at one of these clubs in NYC as a guest, although I am an alum. It's nice to be able to have dinner or drinks without the hassle of pulling out a credit card and waiting for the bill. I understand there's no tipping, perhaps because good service is expected. I would consider joining if the rooms were cheap. As it is, a standard room (twin bed) for members is $165/night, which is considered fairly inexpensive by NYC standards, but not inexpensive in an absolute sense.

 

[maxnharry]

I recently joined one in DC and am not sure if I find it valuable. It's a great place for a lunch meeting and adds a little more then just meeting at a restaurant. Just not alot going on socially-most members are alot older than I.

 

[JLibourel]

Getting back to the Bohemian Grove gatherings, I was amused to learn that some Bible loonies (I won't dignify them with the honorable name of "Christians&quot hold that the Bohemian Grove assemblages are part of a Satanic conspiracy to rule the world on behalf of their Dark Lord. They describe the Boy Scout-ish rituals like burning an image of "Care" in front of a statue of an owl as "Baal worship"!

 

[J Simulcik]

Originally Posted by JLibourel

They describe the Boy Scout-ish rituals like burning an image of "Care" in front of a statue of an owl as "Baal worship"!

That's ridiculous!









Everyone knows the owl is a symbol of Athena.

 

[Concordia]

Originally Posted by JLibourel

Getting back to the Bohemian Grove gatherings, I was amused to learn that some Bible loonies (I won't dignify them with the honorable name of "Christians") hold that the Bohemian Grove assemblages are part of a Satanic conspiracy to rule the world on behalf of their Dark Lord. They describe the Boy Scout-ish rituals like burning an image of "Care" in front of a statue of an owl as "Baal worship"!


Not just Bible loonies. If you troll some of the sites run by Larouchites, you'll find that they also have an unhealthy fascination with the occult. Apparently they take statements of ambition for accomplished fact.

 

[appolyon]

Originally Posted by m@T

back in the day, that was The Argo to me.

I've been to The Argo and though its a nice place it is out of the way for me ... I'm out in Brunswick and work in the conservative business dress.

I've been noticing alot lately that I will go out for dinner with a couple of mates and then we'll want a change of scenery for a drink or two and all the places just seem to be full of uni students getting hammered... even some of the nicer places.

Oh and places that require a dress code are typically frequented by heavy set men in black shirts and suits and the place ends up having a very underworld kind of vibe...

 

[JLibourel]

Originally Posted by Concordia

Not just Bible loonies. If you troll some of the sites run by Larouchites, you'll find that they also have an unhealthy fascination with the occult. Apparently they take statements of ambition for accomplished fact.

The Larouchites! I hadn't given them a thought in years. They seemed to be much more in evidence back in the 1980s. I never knew too much about his doctrines, but his followers struck me as a nasty bunch. I once had a run-in with two of them that might well have ended in a punch-out between them and me had they not been girls. Both were quite good-looking, too, which struck me as a sad waste both then and now.

In all, I guess it is a weird political personality cult devoted to the eclectic, erratic Mr. Larouche, rather than any kind of coherent political philosophy or ideology.

It's rather amazing how this man, with little formal education and a lot of lunatic-fringe views, seems to be able to secure audiences and establish contacts with many individuals in positions of power and influence in various countries around the world over the years. I gather he's kind of big in Russia these days.

 

[Fulcannelli]

Originally Posted by Connemara

I'd like to join one of the old Tory clubs in London, just to get a taste of what the last gasps of the aristocracy are like.

Here they have a young phillipino boy tied up ready for a beasting

 

[auto90403]

My former father-in-law was invited to the Bohemian Grove about 5-7 times over the years.

He went once and then never again.

A lot of pompous men who were nowhere as important as they thought acting like assholes.

 

[zjpj83]

Yes, I almost never have time to go. It's kind of a waste.

 

[Nugget]

I do.

It is a great club, very old, slightly modernised recently, except the members bar.

reciprocity is awesome and stay in super clubs in many places for almost nothing. worth every penny.

 

[Flieger]

Originally Posted by Connemara

I'd like to join one of the old Tory clubs in London, just to get a taste of what the last gasps of the aristocracy are like.

We are fine, thank you.
And, no, we would never let you in.

 

[british Knight]

Originally Posted by Connemara

I'd like to join one of the old Tory clubs in London, just to get a taste of what the last gasps of the aristocracy are like.


Con, while I am not a member of those clubs I am dating an older guy who is a member of the most notorious and prestigious. I won't name names, but they're top of pops. Yes I'm gay, but I'm not one of those horrible rentboy *** types and I would probably kick most peoples ass that took the piss out of me

If you want to get in, some clubs in America have reciprocal memberships with existing ones..

Failing that, I can tell you, yes its impressive, but don't be fooled, its jsut very traditional and English. It's like stepping back in time.
Firstly, accomodation is fairly basic, but clean and functional and quite well priced.
The food is really good and reasonably priced, they all have rather fancy looking bars, generally very traditonal, roaring open fire, red/green couches (I forget the officla name for them).

Most of the people there are fairly wealthy and well connected, think top proffessional, lawyers judges etc and a lot of them are posh.
Or like me are affiliated. I'm not any of that, but I am well spoken and intelligent so I manage to hold my own and my partner would not take me there if I was not able to hold your own because I supose it is a bit of a little boys club. They don't allowanyone there and I'm pretty sure they turn a blind eye to gay behaviour as its as old as times and belive me it goes on everywhere.


It's pointless going there on your own (if you get in), you'll look stupid unless you're a regular and you'll want to run out because you know unless you're with someone who's known, they will look at you differently and a lot of the time people go together.

Anyway, I hope that gives you a bit more insight, I used to think of the same thing so happy to help. But yeah, you need to live the life to be a part of those places, I'm sure they see straight through me (I'm not one of them) but I'm with someone who is, so I guess they must think I have some sort prestige/ability (compared to their basis of comparison). Class is a complicated thing, but yeah its nice to see, you know once you've been to a place like that it won't get anymore special. I would not like to go all the time, its a bit too formal, perhaps its easier if you're a genuine member, but I feel a bit like a visitor, so maybe that is why.

I don't tell my friends I go to those places, but sometimes when you go there, its hard to be impressed with anything else, like the next night you're at a pizza hut (or some other mediocre franchise) and the night before you were sipping wine from crystal glasses, in a room full of very successful and well connected people.

But don't get sucked in, class is not earned by a trust fund and clothes from Jermyn Street.
I don't belive any of the people there are better people than me, I just belive they have been brought up in families where that way of life is what they do.