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88-661: The Boston Club is an exclusive private gentlemen's club in New Orleans , Louisiana , US, founded in 1841 as a place for its white members to congregate and partake in the fashionable card game of Boston . It is the third oldest City Club in the United States , after the Philadelphia Club (1834) and Union Club of the City of New York (1836). The clubhouse has been located at 824 Canal Street since 1884, formerly 148 Canal St, on

176-527: A "closed club" and was more diverse. Members could invite guests into the club freely where they could use the premises "gratis," though in the traditional club style new members were put up through a blackball process. A few Jewish men, such as Judah P. Benjamin and the first Rex , Lewis Solomon, had been members of the club in its earlier days. Eventually, however, the club became almost exclusively Anglo-American as racial attitudes in New Orleans hardened after

264-538: A club required member approval and payment. Thus, a club was dependent on class and vice versa. Historian Robert Morris proposed that clubs were "part of the power nexus of capitalism , and essential to the continuity of elite dominance of society." Several private members' clubs for women were established in the late 19th century; among them the Alexandra Club , and the self-consciously progressive Pioneer Club . Women also set about establishing their own clubs in

352-480: A clubhouse of 22 stories and a worldwide membership of over 11,000, is the largest traditional gentlemen's club in the world. Membership in the Yale Club is restricted to alumni, faculty, and full-time graduate students of Yale University, and the club has included women among its members since 1969. While class requirements relaxed gradually throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and, from the 1970s onwards; "relics of

440-596: A contemporary private members' club with the business facilities of an office. It was for this reason that the Institute of Directors acquired one of the older clubhouses in Pall Mall as more business-friendly. Clubs in Ireland include two prominent Dublin social clubs, each having both male and female members, a range of facilities and events, and a wide network of reciprocal clubs: The Kildare Street and University Club (formed on

528-438: A convenient retreat for men who wished to get away from female relations, "in keeping with the separate spheres ideology according to which the man dealt with the public world, whereas women's domain was the home." Many men spent much of their lives at their club, and it was common for young, newly graduated men who had moved to London for the first time to live at their club for two or three years before they could afford to rent

616-399: A family environment. A gentleman's club offered an escape. Men's clubs were also a place for gossip. The clubs were designed for communication and the sharing of information. By gossiping, bonds were created which were used to confirm social and gender boundaries. Gossiping helped confirm a man's identity, both in his community and within society at large. It was often used as a tool to climb

704-480: A house or flat. Gentleman's clubs were private places that were designed to allow men to relax and create friendships with other men. In the 19th and 20th centuries, clubs were regarded as a central part of elite men's lives. They provided everything a regular home would have. Clubs were created and designed for a man's domestic needs. They were places to relieve stress and worries. They provided for emotional and practical needs. They provided spaces such as dining halls,

792-497: A lavish club lifestyle could be centered around something as simple as a card game serves as a sign of prosperous times in New Orleans. The Boston Club is the oldest City Club in the Southern United States . Only two Gentlemen's City Clubs, that offer the facilities of a traditional gentlemen's city club – regular hours, paid staff, a bar, a dining room, lodging rooms – that are associated with

880-464: A library, entertainment and game rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms and washrooms, and a study. In many ways, they resembled a home. Clubs had separate entrances for tradesmen and servants, which were usually located on the side of the building that was not easily seen by the public eye. Many clubs had waiting lists, some as long as sixteen years. There is no standard definition for what is considered a gentlemen's club. Each club differed slightly from others. In

968-579: A meal, and in some clubs stay overnight. Expatriates, when staying in England, could use their clubs, as with the East India Club or the Oriental Club , as a base. They allowed upper- and upper-middle-class men with modest incomes to spend their time in grand surroundings. The richer clubs were built by the same architects as the finest country houses of the time and had similar types of interiors. They were

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1056-470: A modern parading krewe was the Mistick Krewe 1867 parade entitled "Triumphs of Epicurus" including masked and costumed krewemen representing food and beverages with boeuf gras included. A boeuf gras was included in the first Rex parade decorated with garland and ribbons directly behind Rex. Legend has it that Old Jeff, a stockyard bull from Arabi, was used in later years. In 1900 boeuf gras

1144-471: Is " If Ever I Cease to Love ", a quirky tune from the 1870s musical Bluebeard . This was adopted because the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia had a fondness for Lydia Thompson , the actress who sang the song in the musical, which was playing in New Orleans at the time of the first Rex parade in 1872. It has stuck around since then and is played often during Carnival. Traditionally, the secretive membership

1232-409: Is a reception area with a large round table behind leading into formal and informal dining areas. The formal dining room is forty-five feet deep, with molded stucco ceiling cornices and large center ceiling medallion of floral designs, and mantels finished in the period Eastlake Style replacing earlier marble mantel carved with cherubs and flute players. The bar, located behind the informal dining area,

1320-411: Is made of oak along with the wainscot running around the room. The second floor has two rooms, the front, a former card room while the rear is mainly used as a sitting room but can be converted easily into a dining room, it is finished in oak with cypress doors and is attached to a billiards room, board room and lady's water closet. The Boston Club is a social club composed solely of Anglo-Americans since

1408-429: Is made public on Lundi Gras, the day before Mardi Gras. Rex is always a prominent person in the city, one who is usually involved in several philanthropic and civic causes. Being chosen Rex is one of the highest civic honors a person can receive in New Orleans. The Mayor of New Orleans traditionally hands over the key to the city of New Orleans to Rex for Mardi Gras Day. A consort is also chosen each year for Rex and she

1496-526: Is replaced by an aristocracy of ballot. Frederick Lewis Allen showed how this process operated in the case of the nine "Lords of Creation" who were listed in the New York Social Register as of 1905: 'The nine men who were listed [in the Social Register] were recorded as belonging to 9.4 clubs apiece,' wrote Allen. 'Though only two of them, J. P. Morgan and Cornelius Vanderbilt III , belonged to

1584-523: Is the fourth float in the Rex parade and is surrounded by masked krewemen costumed as butchers and bakers, many of whom are past kings of Carnival. Since its founding in 1872, a few years after the civil war, Rex has constantly held itself to a tradition of public service. The Rex motto , "Pro Bono Publico" (for the public good) was adopted during this time, and continues to define the organization's commitment to service. Following Hurricane Katrina, Rex organized

1672-578: Is the oldest extant fox hunting club in North America. The Golden Square Mile is home to several of Montreal's clubs, including Club Saint-James, which was founded in 1857. At the end of the nineteenth century, twenty of its most influential members felt that the St James was becoming 'too overcrowded' and founded the smaller Mount Royal Club in 1899. Overnight it became the city's most prestigious club, and in 1918, Lord Birkenhead commented that it "is one of

1760-554: Is titled the "Queen of Carnival". The queen is always a debutante of the current season. Like Rex, the queen is chosen in the spring of the previous year, and must keep her identity secret until Lundi Gras. In addition to its famous parade, the Rex Organization also holds a private ball for its membership and invited guests on Mardi Gras night. In the 1950s, this ball made headlines when the Duke and Duchess of Windsor bowed down to Rex and

1848-603: The Hotel Monteleone ) until 1867 at which point it moved to 4 Carondelet Street, the former home of New Orleans financier, Edmund Jean Forstall . In 1884 it moved into its current clubhouse at 824 Canal Street (then known as 148 Canal Street) and the house was fully purchased by 1905. The club was closed for 3 years during the Civil War. The History of Gentlemen's Clubs in New Orleans starts with The Elkin Club, named after Harvey Elkin,

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1936-674: The Knickerbocker Club , in 1933 the grandsons of six of them did. The following progress is characteristic: John D. Rockefeller, Union League Club; John D. Rockefeller, Jr., University Club ; John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Knickerbocker Club . Thus is the American aristocracy recruited.' The oldest existing American clubs date to the 18th century; the five oldest are the South River Club in Annapolis, Maryland (founded c.  1690/1700 ),

2024-536: The Knickerbocker Club , the citadel of Patrician families (indeed, both already belonged to old prominent families at the time), Stillman and Harriman joined these two in the membership of the almost equally fashionable Union Club ; Baker joined these four in the membership of the Metropolitan Club of New York (Magnificent, but easier of access to new wealth); John D. Rockefeller, William Rockefeller, and Rogers, along with Morgan and Baker were listed as members of

2112-1198: The Mississippi River are The Pacific Club in Honolulu (1851); the Pacific-Union Club (1852), Olympic Club (1860), and the Concordia-Argonaut Club (founded 1864), all in San Francisco; and the Arlington Club in Portland, Oregon (1867). Today, gentlemen's clubs in the United States remain more prevalent in older cities, especially those on the East Coast . Only twelve American cities have five or more existing clubs: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. New York City contains more than any other American city. The Yale Club of New York City , comprising

2200-573: The Mistick Krewe , extends an invitation to Rex and his queen to join him and his consort at the ball of the Mistick Krewe has been on public display on Canal Street, where a red carpet is rolled out. The court of The Rex Parade joins by invitation that of the senior krewe and the event is called The Meeting of the Courts , then when the monarchs have all made their exits, the Captain of the Mistick Krewe closes

2288-587: The Royal Thames Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club ) have a specific character that places them outside the mainstream, while other clubs have sacrificed their individuality for the commercial purpose of attracting enough members, regardless of their common interests. (See article at club for a further discussion of these distinctions.) The oldest gentleman's club in London is White's, which

2376-699: The Schuylkill Fishing Company in Andalusia, Pennsylvania (1732), the Old Colony Club in Plymouth, Massachusetts (1769), the Philadelphia Club (1834), and the Union Club of the City of New York (founded 1836). The Boston Club of New Orleans, named after Boston (card game) and not the city, is the oldest southern club, and third oldest "city club", founded in 1841. The five oldest existing clubs west of

2464-876: The Union Club in New York or the Metropolitan Club in Washington, D.C. Members of the Boston Club frequently patronized Jockey Clubs of the area, the Eclipse Race Course , the Metairie Race Course and the Fair Grounds Race Course , putting up high stakes purses to help offset the Jockey Club's expenses. "The Boston Club...being composed of gentlemen who know ‘what's what’...insured a numerous and distinguished attendance upon these occasions." Later noting "In

2552-566: The Union League Club (the stronghold of Republican respectability); seven of the group belonged to the New York Yacht Club . Morgan belonged to nineteen clubs in all; Vanderbilt, to fifteen; Harriman, to fourteen.' Allen then goes on to show how the descendants of these financial giants were assimilated into the upper class : 'By way of footnote, it may be added that although in that year [1905] only two of our ten financiers belonged to

2640-475: The West End of London . Today, the area of St James's is still sometimes called "clubland". Clubs took over some parts of the role occupied by coffee houses in 18th-century London . The first clubs, such as White's , Brooks's , and Boodle's , were aristocratic in flavour, and provided an environment for gambling, which was illegal outside of members-only establishments. The 19th century brought an explosion in

2728-527: The 18th and succeeding centuries. Many countries outside Britain have prominent gentlemen's clubs, mostly those associated with the British Empire : in particular, Australia , India , Ireland , Pakistan , and Bangladesh . There are also many clubs in major American cities, especially the older ones. The gentlemen’s club in Moscow (Angliyskoye sobranie, rus. Английское собрание), founded approximately in 1772,

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2816-773: The 19th century, the family was considered one of the most important aspects of a man's life. A man's home was his property and should have been a place to satisfy most of his needs, but for elite men, this was not always the case; it was not always a place that provided privacy and comfort: perhaps because the homes of elite families often entertained guests for dinners, formal teas, entertainment, and parties. Their lives were on display, and often their lives would be reported in local papers. A gentleman's club offered an escape from this family world. Another explanation would be that men were brought up as boys in all-male environments in places like schools and sports pastimes, and they became uncomfortable when they had to share their lives with women in

2904-497: The 21st century, numerous new private women's clubs had formed in support of previously male-dominated pursuits, including professional affiliations and business networking . In 2023, The Daily Telegraph reports that an "[A]bsolutely chilling" discordance around admitting women to men-only clubs persisted in the UK, as the SFGate also reports in the U.S. Membership is by election after

2992-932: The Brisbane Club, United Services Club and the Tattersalls Club (unrelated to the identically named club in Sydney). Adelaide has the Adelaide Club and the Naval, Military and Air Force Club of South Australia. Perth has the Western Australian Club and the Weld Club . Hobart has the Tasmanian Club and the Athenaeum Club. The Launceston Club is located in the northern city of Launceston Rex parade Rex

3080-555: The Civil War and even white minorities would be blackballed leading to an air of antisemitism , especially with the rise of the Crescent City White League . For his merits early in his career Edgar B. Stern was invited to join. Stern declined the invitation on learning that close Jewish friends would be unable to join. The Boston Club has no reciprocal relationships with any national or international gentlemen's clubs, unlike other revered national societal institutions such as

3168-959: The Commonwealth Club, the Kelvin Club, the Newcastle Club, the Royal Automobile Club, the Tattersalls Club in Sydney and the Union, University and Schools Club allow women to enjoy full membership. Sydney has the Australian Club , the Royal Automobile Club of Australia , the Tattersalls Club and the Union, University & Schools Club . The City Tattersalls Club , which named itself after

3256-545: The English model of city clubs in the St. James's district of London, are older: the Philadelphia Club , and the Union Club of the City of New York . In The Moviegoer , by Walker Percy , "Uncle Jules" is said to have suffered a heart attack (his second) and died at the Boston Club on Mardi Gras. Gentlemen%27s club A gentlemen's club is a private social club of a type originally set up by men from Britain's upper classes in

3344-781: The Faculty Club associated with the University of Toronto , the Arts and Letters Club , and a number of other clubs. Other Ontario cities have their clubs: the Rideau Club at Ottawa; the Hamilton Club; the Frontenac Club at Kingston , and The Waterloo Club by letters patent. The Halifax Club was founded in 1862. The Union Club (Saint John) in Saint John, New Brunswick was founded in 1884 through

3432-443: The Mistick Krewe of Knights have not since been seen. The Rex organization and the Mistick Krewe of Comus still hold their annual balls together on Mardi Gras night. Rex assembles floats using techniques that have spanned generations, entirely by hand. Contrary to popular belief, Rex floats are not built over Civil War-era cotton wagons; they are instead built on wagons formerly employed by the City of New Orleans to collect refuse in

3520-519: The Pelican Club, organized The Orleans Club in 1851 with less restrictive membership policies but similarly closed, during the Know Nothing Times. A few members of this club would later found The Pickwick Club , the city's second-oldest gentleman's club, who would influence the development of modern-day Mardi Gras. Unlike The Pickwick Club or Louisiana Club , the Boston Club was not initially

3608-570: The Queen of Carnival. Pre Hurricane Katrina , the Rex ball was held on one side of the Municipal Auditorium, while on the other half of the building at the same time, the Mistick Krewe (the oldest krewe), holds its ball and was a more veiled affair. Since Hurricane Katrina, the organizations have held their balls in the Sheraton and Marriott Hotels downtown. The rich tradition that Comus, ruler of

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3696-414: The Rex parade to be the highlight and most beautiful sight of New Orleans carnival. Parade themes tend to cover themes related to mythology, ancient kingdoms, and Louisiana. One member of the Rex Organization is each year chosen to be the monarch of the organization; he is often incorrectly referred to by the (technically redundant) phrase "King Rex". The correct title is simply "Rex". The identity of Rex

3784-745: The Tattersalls Club, no longer has exclusive membership criteria. Newcastle has the Newcastle Club. Melbourne has the Melbourne Club , the Alexandra Club, the Athenaeum Club (named after its counterpart in London), the Australian Club (unrelated to the identically named club in Sydney), the Kelvin Club and the Savage Club . Geelong has The Geelong Club . Brisbane has the Queensland Club ,

3872-631: The United States have at least one traditional gentlemen's club, many of which have reciprocal relationships with older clubs in London, with each other, and with other gentlemen's clubs around the world. In American English , the term "gentlemen's club" is commonly used euphemistically by strip clubs . As a result, traditional gentlemen's clubs often are called "men's clubs" or "city clubs" (as opposed to country clubs ) or simply as "private social clubs" or "private clubs". Christopher Doob explains in his book Social Inequality and Social Stratification in U.S. Society : The most exclusive social clubs are in

3960-406: The Vieux Carre which took effect in 1973. The theme for each year's parade is decided more than a year in advance, and as soon as the parade is over on Mardi Gras Day, float artists begin work on the next year's parade. It takes thousands of man hours to create an entirely new parade, and it is for this reason, as well as the organization's commitment to its history and traditions, that many consider

4048-445: The admissions committee's standards for values and behavior. Old money prevails over new money as the Rockefeller family experience suggests. John D. Rockefeller , the family founder and the nation's first billionaire, joined the Union League Club , a fairly respectable but not top-level club; John D. Rockefeller, Jr. , belonged to the University Club , a step up from his father; and finally his son John D. Rockefeller, III , reached

4136-420: The advent of mobile working (using phone and email) has placed pressures on the traditional London clubs which frown on, and often ban, the use of mobiles and discourage laptops, indeed any discussion of business matters or 'work related papers'. A new breed of business-oriented private members' clubs, exemplified by One Alfred Place and Eight in London or the Gild in Barcelona, combines the style, food and drink of

4224-416: The age of exclusion" reported SFGate in the United States in 2004 "seem to be in no danger of going the way of other 19th century institutions." At Montreal, the Beaver Club was founded in 1785. Every year, some of its members travelled back to England to sell their furs, where they established the Canada Club in 1810; it still meets twice yearly as a dining club. The Montreal Hunt Club, founded in 1826,

4312-432: The aristocracy and politicians were likely to have several clubs. The record number of memberships is believed to have been held by Earl Mountbatten , who had nineteen in the 1960s. Public entertainments, such as musical performances and the like, were not a feature of this sort of club. The clubs were, in effect, "second homes" in the centre of London where men could relax, mix with their friends, play parlour games , get

4400-482: The basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, in order to obtain parade permits and other public licensure. In effect, the ordinance required these, and other, private social groups to abandon their traditional code of secrecy and identify their members for the city's Human Relations Commission. The Mistick Krewe of Comus (along with Momus and Proteus, other 19th century Krewes) withdrew from parading rather than identify its membership. Rex decided to comply with

4488-538: The best clubs I know in the New World, with the indefinable atmosphere about it of a good London club". In 1908 the University Club (McGill University), affiliated with McGill , opened. The Forest and Stream was formed by Frank Stephen and some of his gentlemen friends and associates on 27 November 1884 at a meeting held at the St. Lawrence Hall in Montreal. The club's original founders were Andrew Allan, James Bryce Allan, Hugh Montagu Allan, Louis Joseph Forget, Hartland St. Claire MacDougall, Hugh Paton, and Frank Stephen. It

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4576-484: The betting circles last evening... The wagering was spirited and lively, and a good deal of money will change hands as a result." Boston Club Founder John Randolph Grymes owned filly Susan Yandal who ran in the first races at the Fair Grounds, his cousin Henry Tayloe , younger son of leading turfman J. Tayloe III of The Octagon , was one of the founders of The Louisiana Jockey Club , along with native French Creole Bernard de Marigny . Entering from Canal Street,

4664-421: The club a private space and attempted to control the spread of information from the outside. Under no circumstance was the club to be depressing or too involved in the pains of reality. Whether from "the streets, the courts, Parliament , or the Stock Exchange ," the chaotic nature of work life was put on hold. Young bachelors and other members were in many ways shielded from the true problems of society. While it

4752-417: The club could be represented as " homosocial domesticity". Similar to male coffeehouses of the Ottoman Empire , the clubs were a home away from home. They were alternative, competing spaces in the sense that it had some similarities with the traditional home. One of the key attractions of these clubs was their private, often exclusive, nature. They were getaways from the tight, restrictive role expected from

4840-424: The club, only the wealth and importance of the club and its amenities was displayed instead of their possibly inferior possessions or structures at home. In English clubs, this domesticity was particularly emphasized. These clubs, primarily in London, were usually very "quiet" and their members were well-behaved: again pointing to the calm familiarity of the household. In addition, club staff were tasked with keeping

4928-413: The connection between the members was membership in the same branch of the armed forces, or the same school or university. Thus the growth of clubs gives some indication of what was considered a respectable part of the "Establishment" at the time. By the late 19th century, any man with a credible claim to the status of "gentleman" was eventually able to find a club willing to admit him, unless his character

5016-441: The curtain on the Carnival season. This event is televised live locally (and to selected areas outside of the city) – and many New Orleanians stay up to watch despite their weariness – until the very end. In early Mardi Gras celebrations parades would include a live ox or boeuf gras ('fattened ox'). The ox represented the last meat to be eaten before the beginning of Lent. The first appearance of boeuf gras in

5104-435: The edge of the Central Business District. It was designed and built in 1844 by James Gallier as a city residence for Dr. William N. Mercer , a Maryland native, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine trained surgeon and veteran of the War of 1812 , posted in New Orleans, then Natchez, Mississippi, where he married Ann Eliza Farar whose dowry included Laurel Hill and Ellis Cliffs, Mississippi by way of her mother,

5192-484: The entrance to the club is a 10x12 vestibule framed by sidelights between engaged ionic pilasters and columns, with a wooden door inscribed in a frosted glass the club's initials BC, opening into a marble-paved hallway. Adjacent, to the left through a solid mahogany door, is a well-decorated parlor, extending fifty-five feet deep from the front facade. Here can be found leather chairs, lace curtains, and rockers with foremost men of New Orleans discussing current events. There

5280-482: The financial crisis of 1837. Next was The Pelican Club, founded in 1843 from the remnants of The Elkin Club, and folded at the beginning of the Civil War. It confined its membership through blackball policies to bankers, cotton brokers, attorneys, physicians, and political leaders; the smallest lapse in credit spelled denial of membership. It was to this club Henry Clay and Gen. Winfield Scott would retire for respite. Younger gentlemen, who had been rejected membership to

5368-429: The guest flow could be more easily controlled than at the home. Members' social status was marked by the prestige of the club, but within it, the lines were blurred. Prominent guests could be invited to dinner or to lounge at the club over the house. Staff would monitor these guests and their arrival for the members and, as employees of the members, could personally tailor the experience. Thus, by holding important events at

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5456-424: The heiress of Richard Ellis, who with his brother John Ellis, for their loyalty to the crown during the American Revolution, received the original 20,000 acres royal english land grant . The club was organized by thirty leading mercantile and professional men, they were the heads of families and men of substance on the shady side of life, yet full of bonhomie and fond of the card game of Boston from which this club

5544-420: The late 19th century, such as the Ladies' Institute, and the Ladies' Athenaeum. They proved quite popular at the time, but only one London-based club, The University Women's Club , has survived to this day as a single-sex establishment. Traditionally barred from full membership in existing clubs of similar interest, and somewhat mobilized by the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the United States; by

5632-424: The late 19th century. The Rex parade is put on by The School of Design . Since 1971, the parade has started at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and South Claiborne Avenue, proceeding south (river bound) on Napoleon to St. Charles Avenue, then east (downtown bound) on St. Charles to Canal Street. Unlike some other old-line krewes, Rex's route never went through the French Quarter prior to the city's ban on parades in

5720-731: The merger of Kildare Street Club ( traditionally Conservative ) with The Dublin University Club ( academic )) and The St Stephen's Green Hibernian Club (similarly formed when the St Stephen's Green Club ( Whig ) merged with The Hibernian United Services Club ( military )). A number of other, specialist clubs flourish in Dublin such as The Royal Irish Automobile Club (R.I.A.C) on Dawson Street, Established in 1901, The United Arts Club, Royal Irish Academy , Royal Dublin Society , Yacht Clubs (The Royal Irish , The National , and The Royal St George ) of Dún Laoghaire, The Hibernian Catch Club ( catch music ), and The Friendly Brothers of St Patrick ( originally anti-duelling ). Most major cities in

5808-414: The merger of two earlier clubs, and the Fredericton Garrison Club was founded in 1969 by associate members of the area headquarters officers' mess. The Manitoba Club is Western Canada's oldest club, founded in 1874 at Winnipeg. The Union Club of British Columbia was founded in 1879 in Victoria. The Vancouver Club was founded in 1889. Australia has a number of gentlemen's clubs. Of those listed below,

5896-465: The network analysis perspective by Maria Zozaya. Today, establishments based on the concept of the traditional gentlemen's clubs exist throughout the world, predominantly in Commonwealth countries and the United States. Many clubs offer reciprocal hospitality to other clubs' members when travelling abroad. There are perhaps some 25 traditional London gentlemen's clubs of particular note, from The Arts Club to White's . A few estimable clubs (such as

5984-429: The new ordinance, rather than disappear from the main event of Mardi Gras Day. Two federal courts later declared that the ordinance was an unconstitutional infringement on First Amendment rights of free association and an unwarranted intrusion on the privacy of the groups subject to the ordinance. The Supreme Court refused to hear the city's appeal from this decision. While the Krewe of Proteus returned to parading in 2000,

6072-416: The oldest cities – Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia. Others, which are well respected, have developed in such major cities as Pittsburgh, Chicago, and San Francisco. The most exclusive social clubs are two in New York City – the Links and the Knickerbocker (Allen 1987, 25) Personal wealth has never been the sole basis for attaining membership in exclusive clubs. The individual and family must meet

6160-435: The pinnacle with his acceptance into the Knickerbocker Club (Baltzell 1989, 340). E. Digby Baltzell , sociologist of the WASP establishment, explains in his book Philadelphia Gentlemen: The Making of a National Upper Class : The circulation of elites in America and the assimilation of new men of power and influence into the upper class takes place primarily through the medium of urban clubdom. Aristocracy of birth

6248-557: The popularity of clubs, particularly around the 1880s. At the height of their influence in the late 19th century, London had over 400 such establishments. Club Life in London , an 1866 book, begins: "The Club in the general acceptation of the term, may be regarded as one of the earliest offshoots of man's habitual gregariousness and social inclination." An increasing number of clubs were influenced by their members' interests in politics, literature, sport, art, automobiles, travel, particular countries, or some other pursuit. In other cases,

6336-468: The proposers (at least two and in many clubs more), who have known the candidate for a term of years, formally nominate the person for membership. Election is by a special committee (itself elected), which may interview the candidate and which looks at any support and also objections of other members. Some top clubs still maintain distinctions which are often undefined and rarely explained to those who do not satisfy their membership requirements. After reaching

6424-417: The social ladder. It revealed that a man had certain information others did not have. It was also a tool used to demonstrate a man's masculinity. It established certain gender roles. Men told stories and joked. The times and places a man told stories, gossiped, and shared information were also considered to show a man's awareness of behaviour and discretion. Clubs were places where men could gossip freely. Gossip

6512-446: The stoic gentleman. Like the home, men could act and behave in ways not usually acceptable in public society. For men who lived their lives at the club, the home lost its status as their base. Members would use this address for official documentation, mailing, and appointments. Meals, formal or informal, were provided and tastes could be catered for by the club staff. Spaces within the club were designated for these various functions, and

6600-633: The top of a long waiting list, there is a possibility of being blackballed during the process of formal election by the committee. In these circumstances, the principal proposer of such a person may be expected to resign, as he failed to withdraw his undesirable candidate. More often, the member who proposes an unsuitable candidate will be "spoken to" at a much earlier stage than this, by senior committee members, and he will withdraw his candidate to avoid embarrassment for all concerned. The clubs are owned by their members and not by an individual or corporate body. These kinds of relationships have been analyzed from

6688-415: The turn of the century, with few details known about its constituents. Members usually announce their associations upon death, in their obituaries. Its clubhouse has held lavish balls, regular daily lunches, monthly dinners, and annual spring and fall parties. Its events and social activities were the fodder for many newspaper and social columns at the turn of the 19th century and on into the 20th century. That

6776-456: Was also a tool that led to more practical results in the outside world. There were also rules that governed gossip in the clubs. These rules governed the privacy and secrecy of members. Clubs regulated this form of communication so that it was done in a more acceptable manner. Until the 1950s, clubs were also heavily regulated in the rooms open to non-members. Most clubs contained just one room where members could dine and entertain non-members; it

6864-657: Was christened. It epitomized the South's most refined male tastes and attitudes, a member once noted, "Propriety of demeanor and proper courtesy are alone exacted within its portals." Founded in 1841, members organized and rented rooms first at the Merchants Exchange, 126 Royal St, in the Vieux Carre , then 129/130 Canal Street until the Civil War when it closed from 1862 to 1866. After the war, it occupied 214 Royal Street (currently

6952-423: Was definitely an escape, it was not an escape from domesticity. Men knew and enjoyed the matching elements of the home life; it was more of a transfer or alternative reality. Despite the opportunity for mobility within the club, secrecy and exclusivity supported the patriarchal authority. With the absence of female voices and set of rigid institutional structures, members created internal stability. Induction into

7040-854: Was formed with 15 shareholders and is still open today. Quebec City has the Literary and Historical Society , the Stadacona Club, and the Garrison Club, which was founded by officers of the Canadian Militia and opened to the public in 1879. The Toronto Club is the oldest in that city, founded in 1837. Others include the National Club , the Albany Club , the York Club , the University Club of Toronto,

7128-679: Was founded in 1693. Discussion of trade or business is usually not allowed in traditional gentlemen's clubs, although it may hire out its rooms to external organisations for events. Similar clubs exist in other large UK cities, such as: In London, the original gentlemen's clubs exist alongside the late 20th century private members' clubs such the Groucho Club , Soho House and Home House , which offer memberships by subscription and are owned and run as commercial concerns. All offer similar facilities such as food, drink, comfortable surroundings, venue hire and in many cases accommodation. In recent years

7216-419: Was founded in 1832 by a group of Harvey's friends who purchased "Elkinville" after Mr. Elkin encountered financial difficulty, these men included John Slidell , John Randolph Grymes , and Glendy Burke . It was the first official private social club in New Orleans. An open club, members could freely invite guests, it sponsored dances and balls in the vicinity of Bayou St John and closed officially in 1838, due to

7304-415: Was objectionable in some way or he was "unclubbable" (a word first used by F. Burney). This newly expanded category of English society came to include professionals who had to earn their income, such as doctors and lawyers. Most gentlemen belonged to only one club, which closely corresponded with the trade or social/political identity he felt most defined him, but a few people belonged to several. Members of

7392-628: Was often assumed that one's entire social circle should be within the same club. Harold Macmillan was said to have taken "refuge in West End clubs ...: Pratt's , Athenaeum , Buck's , Guards , the Beefsteak , the Turf , [and] the Carlton ". Although gentlemen's clubs were originally geared towards a male audience, domestic life played a key role in their establishment and continuity. Defying classic gender norms,

7480-536: Was organized by New Orleans businessmen in part to put on a spectacle in honour of the New Orleans visit of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia (remembered locally as "Grand Duke Alexis") during the 1872 Carnival season. Also in the minds of the founders of Rex was the desire to lure tourism and business to New Orleans in the years after the American Civil War . Rex has held more parades in New Orleans than any other parading organization . Its official song

7568-403: Was restricted to New Orleans residents of European ancestry for most of its history, typically being elected from the membership rolls of The Boston Club including the first Rex, Louis Solomon, a Jewish businessman. However, in 1991 the New Orleans city council passed an ordinance that required social organizations, including Mardi Gras krewes, to certify publicly that they did not discriminate on

7656-411: Was taken out of the Rex parade as it was thought outsiders to traditional Mardi Gras would not understand. By proclamation from Rex usage of a live ox "was not in harmony with the beautiful displays which are produced in this era and (it) must be relegated to the past." In 1959 Rex issued another proclamation announcing the return of boeuf gras as a papier-mâché float design. Today le boeuf gras

7744-477: Was the centre of noble social and political life in the 18th-19th centuries, and largely determined public opinion. A gentleman's club typically contains a formal dining room, a bar, a library, a billiard room , and one or more parlours for reading, gaming, or socializing. Many clubs also contain guest rooms and fitness amenities. Some are associated mainly with sports, and some regularly hold other events such as formal dinners. The original clubs were established in

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