Secret Fraternities of American Leaders

University fraternities and sororities are organisations primarily established for students` company or gathering people of the same values.

There are many types of these organisations like honorary or professional, but the most interesting are the secret, ritual fraternities. Although most have rituals full of symbolism and carefully kept secrets, only familiar to the members, not many are actually influential like the secret “Skull and Bones” fraternity from Yale University.

Meetings in the “Tomb”

Known as “The Brotherhood of Death”, they are one of the oldest student societies and unlike other fraternities, their membership is carefully selected and secret. It was established 175 years ago. Aspirants go through a series of rituals inspired by Masons in order to become members. Although it is never officially stated who the members are, this is a general knowledge thing among senior students at Yale.

Members meet in the “Tomb” every Thursday and Sunday evening. They are assigned a nickname linked with Roman mythology. A former “Bonesman” described how the finest gourmet meals are dined while in the “Tomb” of Hitler`s silverware. All clocks in the organisation`s headquarters are set five minutes ahead in order for the society members have a sense of being a “world of their own” and a little bit ahead of the rest of the “Barbarians”. He also said they have ideals of racial purity and accumulation of power by any means.

Bush family as members

In 1985, it was first known that famous families were members of this secret society thanks to an anonymous source who gave this information to Anthony Sutton, a private eye. He published a book “America`s secret Establishment: Introduction to the Order of Skull & Bones”. Many influential families were members of the society, and families often have members throughout several generations. The most famous members include Bush family members, among which are father and son George Bush, presidential candidate John Kerry, Supreme Court justice William Howard Taft and many American business leaders. When Kerry and Bush were asked about being “Bonesmen” they refused to give any detail about the matter. During George W. Bush`s first mandate, he nominated 11 “Bonesmen” into his administration.

Competition

Competition society at Yale is “Scroll and Key”, founded in 1842. Each year they choose 15 junior class members to succeed them. They meet like the “Bonesmen” every Thursday and Sunday in their “Tomb”. After their nocturnal meetings, they gather at the steps before the “Tomb” and sing in the streets their traditional “Troubadour” song. First female members entered the society in 1989. Tax records show that “Scroll and Keys” have several million dollars larger donations than their rivals “Skull and Bones”. What is more, they have been donating Yale University over the years and awarding several University awards. The society membership consists of a line of famous and influential people. Many were vice-presidents, ambassadors, secret service members and writers.

Advanced society

“Euclean society” at New York University was established in 1832. It is a nursery-garden of writers and when it was founded; members collected their books and singled out their favourite quotes each day. They often stated Edgar Allan Poe as their ideal, who was their guest, and his poem “The Raven”, which is linked with this society. Little is known of “Euclean Society” culture and symbolism. Membership admittance process lasts for several months and has multiple levels. What is familiar about the society’s values is that it is “progressive” and has always supported gender equality and abolition of slavery. Its members often used internal secret symbolism in their books and works, which the “common folk” could not understand.

Much like the “Skulls”

One of rare societies that is considered to be in the same league as “Skull and Bones” is the “Quill and Dagger” fraternity at Cornell University. It was established in 1893 and it accepts students who show leadership qualities, an honourable character and dedication to a goal. This is one of the original societies at prominent universities to accept women as their members. From 1913 to 1984, “Quill and Dagger” has at least one member in the US Congress each year. Society members were later president`s advisors, Olympic medals winners, Pulitzer award winners and two World Banks presidents, including Paul Wolfowitz.

Hollywood and reality

Opinion prevails in the public that the establishment of CIA is connected with “Skull and Bones”, which is indicated in the new Robert de Niro film “The Good Shepard” and incorrect. CIA founder James Jesus Angleton went to Yale, but was not a “Bonesman”. Neither was Richard Bissel who was offered membership, but he turned it down. A more accurate statement is to say that a large number of intelligence services members went to Yale and it is considered that this University influenced the forming of intelligence organisations most. A book was written on based these grounds.

Details on these societies are not available to the public. There are rare examples when former members come out in public with certain information, but what is for sure is that secret society members have a powerful influence on the American and world policy. Contacts which the members have last a lifetime and frequently affect the most important political, business and social decisions.