We Need A Fraternal Society For Libertarians, ala Rotary Club, Lions Club, etc

[Origanalist]

Still bitching..

 

[Origanalist]

Joking aside, I remember back when my ex tried to get me to go to the Eagles club there were plenty of women.

 

[Carlybee]

Sounds like menism.

 

[oyarde]

Joking aside, I remember back when my ex tried to get me to go to the Eagles club there were plenty of women.

Yeah , all of them around here have as many gals as guys .Probably the bingo and what not , lol

 

[Suzanimal]

Joking aside, I remember back when my ex tried to get me to go to the Eagles club there were plenty of women.

They have a Ladies Auxiliary (somebodies gotta make the sammiches). However, it seems they do have at least one female Eagle.

First Woman Aerie Member

On April, 2016 in Morro Bay, Ca. None Smith was voted into the local FOE Aeire's Chapter as the first Woman Member of her Aerie.

 

[Suzanimal]

I think we may need a poll.

 

[fcreature]

I like the idea. Now being able to execute it, who knows.

When I visited NH while considering the free state project (I'm in NY) I did stop by a libertarian club house. Don't remember what it was called but it was pretty neat. No clue how they structured anything or even if they had due paying members.

 

[jllundqu]

I also like the idea.

An issue I see is having enough people in any one area to actually meetup and get one running. Hell, we are online and there's barely enough here! Say we started one in Phoenix, AZ. There's a few members here. We would need:

A place to meet - Could be anywhere, really. Someone's house, a bar/restaurant, or borrowed facility of some sort.
A mission or goal - Would it be political or not? Or is this just a physical manifestation of RPF-like people to meetup that share common values?

I actually like the idea a lot. It could grow as the state screws more and more people. I know tons of people who are just pissed at the whole system. We could just open the doors and welcome them to the party with beer in hand.

 

[Carlybee]

Most fraternal thingies do charity work. That would go a long way toward libertarians putting their money where their mouths are.

 

[jllundqu]

Most fraternal thingies do charity work. That would go a long way toward libertarians putting their money where their mouths are.

Agreed!

My Mason lodge does pancake breakfasts to raise money for homeless vets... I'd love to be in a Minarchist/libertarian Society that raised money for things for the cause of liberty...

 

[Carlybee]

Agreed!

My Mason lodge does pancake breakfasts to raise money for homeless vets... I'd love to be in a Minarchist/libertarian Society that raised money for things for the cause of liberty...

Toward liberty but also just philanthropy because libertarianism has the perception of being a philosophy for the uncaring.

 

[Danke]

I also like the idea.

An issue I see is having enough people in any one area to actually meetup and get one running. Hell, we are online and there's barely enough here! Say we started one in Phoenix, AZ. There's a few members here. We would need:

A place to meet - Could be anywhere, really. Someone's house, a bar/restaurant, or borrowed facility of some sort.
A mission or goal - Would it be political or not? Or is this just a physical manifestation of RPF-like people to meetup that share common values?

I actually like the idea a lot. It could grow as the state screws more and more people. I know tons of people who are just pissed at the whole system. We could just open the doors and welcome them to the party with beer in hand.

HB could make your sandwiches.

 

[Anti Federalist]

If you're opposed to rules as such (which must be the case, since you can't be opposed to the rules of our hypothetical libertarian club, since they haven't been determined yet), I guess you must not leave your house much, since anywhere you go (e.g. restaurant) has rules. I don't have a problem with voluntarily accepted rules, as at any private venue, but whatever floats your boat.

No, I don't care for rules much.

Which I why I would not voluntarily subject myself to even more.

 

[jllundqu]

No, I don't care for rules much.

Which I why I would not voluntarily subject myself to even more.

Then the first rule of the new society will be NO RULES!

 

[r3volution 3.0]

Most fraternal thingies do charity work. That would go a long way toward libertarians putting their money where their mouths are.

Toward liberty but also just philanthropy because libertarianism has the perception of being a philosophy for the uncaring.

Excellent idea, demonstrate that we're not all Randian egoists (and also demonstrate the value of private charity contra the welfare-state)

I also like the idea.

An issue I see is having enough people in any one area to actually meetup and get one running. Hell, we are online and there's barely enough here! Say we started one in Phoenix, AZ. There's a few members here. We would need:

A place to meet - Could be anywhere, really. Someone's house, a bar/restaurant, or borrowed facility of some sort.
A mission or goal - Would it be political or not? Or is this just a physical manifestation of RPF-like people to meetup that share common values?

As to the first point, either a relatively well-off libertarian in the community could rent/buy a place first and then start gathering members, or members could gather together at a temporary spot as you suggest until there's enough people and motivation to invest. As to the second, I'm envisioning the latter: an RPF-like place for libertarians to socialize (and to organize political activism, but the club itself doesn't endorse candidate or use dues for political purposes, etc, so as to not to alienate anyone in the minority).

I actually like the idea a lot. It could grow as the state screws more and more people. I know tons of people who are just pissed at the whole system. We could just open the doors and welcome them to the party with beer in hand.

Sounds good

 

[r3volution 3.0]

Q. What should be the relationship between chapters of the organization in different parts of the country?

Just an informal affiliation, or should there be a national-level organization as many other clubs have?

 

[Suzanimal]

Another thing to consider is the tax structure of such an organization. We would definitely want tax exempt status and certain requirements need to be met to qualify.

 

[r3volution 3.0]

Another thing to consider is the tax structure of such an organization. We would definitely want tax exempt status and certain requirements need to be met to qualify.

Good point

It would definitely be non-profit, and it wouldn't be directly involved in politics, so I would think it could get tax exempt status.

....not sure what the specific requirements are.

 

[Suzanimal]

Good point

It would definitely be non-profit, and it wouldn't be directly involved in politics, so I would think it could get tax exempt status.

....not sure what the specific requirements are.

A lot depends on its mission....

For example...

Fraternal Societies

To be exempt under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 501(c)(8), a fraternal beneficiary society, order, or association must meet the following requirements:
It must have a fraternal purpose. An organization has a fraternal purpose if membership is based on a common tie or the pursuit of a common object. The organization must also have a substantial program of fraternal activities.

It must operate under the lodge system or for the exclusive benefit of the members of a fraternal organization itself operating under the lodge system. Operating under the lodge system requires, at a minimum, two active entities: (i) a parent organization; and (ii) a subordinate (called a lodge, branch, or the like) chartered by the parent and largely self-governing.

It must provide for the payment of life, sick, accident, or other benefits to the members of such society, order, or association or their dependents.
An organization that provides benefits to some, but not all, of its members may qualify for exemption so long as most of the members are eligible for benefits, and criteria for excluding certain members are reasonable.

To be exempt under IRC 501(c)(10), a domestic fraternal society, order, or association must meet the following requirements:

It must have a fraternal purpose. An organization has a fraternal purpose if membership is based on a common tie or the pursuit of a common object. The organization must also have a substantial program of fraternal activities.

It must operate under the lodge system. Operating under the lodge system requires, at a minimum, two active entities: (i) a parent organization; and (ii) a subordinate organization (called a lodge, branch, or the like) chartered by the parent and largely self-governing.

It must not provide for the payment of life, sick, accident, or other benefits to its members. The organization may arrange with insurance companies to provide optional insurance to its members without jeopardizing its exempt status.

It must devote its net earnings exclusively to religious, charitable, scientific, literary, educational, and fraternal purposes.

It must be a domestic organization, that is, it must be organized in the United States.

To be exempt, a fraternal organization should apply for exemption.

https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/other-non-profits/fraternal-societies

 

[r3volution 3.0]

To be exempt under IRC 501(c)(10), a domestic fraternal society, order, or association must meet the following requirements:

It must have a fraternal purpose. An organization has a fraternal purpose if membership is based on a common tie or the pursuit of a common object. The organization must also have a substantial program of fraternal activities.

check

It must operate under the lodge system. Operating under the lodge system requires, at a minimum, two active entities: (i) a parent organization; and (ii) a subordinate organization (called a lodge, branch, or the like) chartered by the parent and largely self-governing.

So then, there must be a formal relationship between chapters.

It must not provide for the payment of life, sick, accident, or other benefits to its members. The organization may arrange with insurance companies to provide optional insurance to its members without jeopardizing its exempt status.

check (though if we ever wanted to do this, which might not be a bad idea, we could switch to 501(c)(8) evidently)

It must devote its net earnings exclusively to religious, charitable, scientific, literary, educational, and fraternal purposes.

check

It must be a domestic organization, that is, it must be organized in the United States.

check