4. Freemasons

What Is It:
The Freemasons date all the way back to 1390, with roots in medieval stonemason’s guilds. And multiple Founding Fathers were members, with George Washington swearing his oath of office on the Bible of the St. John’s Masonic Lodge No. 1 of New York.

Famous Freemasons:

George Washington
Benjamin Franklin
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
J. Edgar Hoover

Why You Should Join:
Over one third of US Presidents have been Masons, so that gives you pretty good odds for becoming powerful. But do the Masons control the world? Mason historian Robert Cooper says, “If we’re a secret society, how do you know about us?” Unless that’s what they want us to think…

5. International Order Of St. Hubertus

What Is It:
Dating back to 1695, the International Order of Saint Hubertus brought together the greatest aristocratic hunters of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Count Anton von Sporck founded the society, but its real claim to fame didn’t come until the 20th century. The order made headlines in 2016 when it was rumored that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was meeting with the secret society members when he died.

Famous Members:

Count Anton von Sporck
Antonin Scalia
Why You Should Join: In 1938, the order refused to accept Nazis as members, enraging Adolf Hilter and Herman Goering. The former banned the society, while the latter executed the organization’s Grand Prior.

6. The Independent Order Of Odd Fellows

What Is It:
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows started for people who were too lazy for the long initiation process to become Freemasons. The future George IV reportedly founded the secret club in 1810 when an impatient relative was refused Freemason membership; however, some of the Odd Fellows own records date their origins to around 587 BCE and exiled Israelites in Babylon. Needless to say, it became one of the most popular secret clubs for British politicians.

Famous Members:

George IV
Winston Churchill
Stanley Baldwin

Why You Should Join:
In 1834, six members of the outlawed Odd Fellows society were sent to an Australian penal colony for their membership. If it’s worth a life sentence, it must be pretty cool.