7. Illuminati

What Is It:
This shadowy secret society was originally created by a German professor in 1776, and its goal was to oppose the Roman Catholic church’s power over science and philosophy. One of its many precepts that flew against religious teaching: the belief that suicide was okay. Members of the Bavarian Illumanti (as it was called) were suppressed by the Bavarian government and seemingly vanished in less than a decade. Its creator died in exile.

Famous Illuminati:

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (alleged)
Ferdinand of Brunswick

Why You Should Join:

That bland founding story has to be a cover for some major world-domination stuff. After all, Kanye West, Beyoncé, and Kim Kardashian have all been rumored to be secret members. Dan Brown wouldn’t lie to us, right?

8. Flat Hat Club

What Is It:
Founded in 1750 at William & Mary College, the Flat Hat Club was the nation’s first secret society. Thomas Jefferson was a member during his time at the college, and the name is either a secret Latin code or a reference to those mortarboard hats people wear to graduation.

Famous Members:

Thomas Jefferson

Why You Should Join:
The Flat Hat Club met at Raleigh Tavern, and its main business seems to have been drinking. Thomas Jefferson himself said that the society “served no useful object” – reason enough to Join.

9. The Improved Benevolent And Protective Order Of Elks Of The World

What Is It:
You may have heard of the Elks. Well this secret society is even better. When Black folks were banned from the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World in 1899, they simply created their own “improved” version, which they called the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World.

Famous Elks:

According to a 1907 newspaper article, “it is one of the most thriving secret societies among Afro-Americans.”

Why You Should Join:
In the 1960s, the Improved Elks held concerts featuring Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Eartha Kitt. It also actively opposed school segregation in the early 20th century.