"It was in Great Britain that the first social club in the world was born. The first of this type of organization started merely as an informal gathering of friends, acquaintances or people with similar interests in a designated location, usually a pub or a coffee house. English scribe John Aubrey calls it a “sodality in a tavern".

In these English clubs, the members talked, mingled, ate, and, of course, drank for hours on end. Generally, the purpose of a social club is to give its members a relaxing venue where they can be entertained, interact, drink and talk. It was to be a place where they can escape to to break the monotony of the daily grind and escape from the pressures of their work and domestic life.

As the years worn on and the idea for social clubs spread to other parts of the world, the concept of what a social club is started to experience changes.

Because of their growing number, their members started occupying larger areas of the pubs and coffeehouses where they meet. When members began to fill-up almost every available space in their meeting place, the tavern/ coffee shop eventually became the official “clubhouse". This development helped establish social clubs as legitimate and permanent.

In France, Germany and other European countries, social clubs were no longer just a place for relaxation and fun. Many became hotbeds for discussions and debate on politics. Some, like Frnace’s Le Club Politique, became serious organizations to contend with in the political arena.

Social clubs became more exclusive and selective of their members too. Those who wish to become members had to meet strict requirements and qualifications before they can be admitted to the club.

NOW

Women’s liberation helped paved the way for the opening of social clubs’ doors for them. What used to be an exclusive male enclave is now an organization for both men, and their wives.

How the club members spend their get-togethers has changed too. Members of the earliest social clubs basically just met to eat, drink and discuss. Today’s social clubs however, have a calendar full of varied activities— club party, fund raising, seasonal soiree—for their members and their guests.

Many of today’s social clubs have less stringent requirements for admittance too, a positive development as this meant that a greater number and a wider variety of people are accepted into the clubs.

Despite the many changes though, one thing remains constant about social clubs: they are still one of the most effective and enjoyable ways to foster a sense of community and meet new and interesting people.