During an ECV meeting, he revoked the cession of land to England, and ceded it all to the United States government. But there is no evidence that the rough and tough miners of 19th-century California touted any such colorful beliefs about the origins of their little club. The society was also quick to help the widows and orphans of fallen members. It was revived in 1932 by professional and successful businessmen, prominent . Clampers signage is all over La Porte, the site of whats believed to be the Western Hemispheres first organized downhill snow skiing tournament in 1867. owned and operated by Steve Myers and is an UNOFFICIAL web site, dedicated It is now thought that the Fuller ceremony was part of an effort for the perpetrators to tip off the plate's finders as to its true origins. The initiations are secret and vary greatly in execution and severity. Read more about this topic: E Clampus Vitus, Until the end of the Middle Ages, and in many cases afterwards too, in order to obtain initiation in a trade of any sort whateverwhether that of courtier, soldier, administrator, merchant or workmana boy did not amass the knowledge necessary to ply that trade before entering it, but threw himself into it; he then acquired the necessary knowledge.Philippe Aris (20th century), The difficult and risky task of meeting and mastering the newwhether it be the settlement of new lands or the initiation of new ways of lifeis not undertaken by the vanguard of society but by its rear. I was home working on a deadline for my new book and missed out on the party. However, once Lodge 10 was established in 1936, members pointed out that it was illogical for such a rowdy organization to be so neat in its numbering scheme, and so some creativity was developed in the numbering. Some theologians trace the society back to Moses, who is claimed to be an early Noble Grand Humbug or Clampatriarch, for one of the hypothesized source documents of the Torah, called the Elohist, is more commonly referred to as E, corresponding to the beginning of the orders name. forget the stout-hearted men who settled a great Western wilderness, and the heritage we have today; may I never fail to Now, he cant stop reading about it. I've known about the ECV (E Clampus Vitus) organization for 45-50 years, but was recently invited to, and did join them last May. As E CLAMPUS VITUS mushroomed along with the rapid growth of the gold towns, it declined as rapidly as they did, and, therefore, lived only in the memory of a few ancient dwellers in the mountains . associated with fun, frolic, libations and California history. The NIGHT we will NEVER FORGET! Once he has been asked to answer several questions, the Scales of Darkness (the blindfold) are removed, the new member "sees the light", is handed the Staff of Relief, is presented the Stone of Enigma, and appointed Chairman of the Most Important Committee. Membership in E Clampus Vitus declined in the late 1800s, but experienced a revival in the 1930s and is still going strong today. It appears to have begun in West Virginia, dreamed up by a blacksmith and tavern keeper named Ephraim Bee sometime during the early 1850s. For this, we must delve into the hard-to-find documents published by the first members of the Chapter Redivivus, who revived the order and learned its lore from an old man who was around when it was still being practiced in the 19th century. your hand? Your email address will not be published. A "second era" version of the organization was formed in 1930 by San Franciscan attorney and cartographic historian Carl Irving Wheat. Theres also the Worlds Largest Butter Dish Collection, an assortment of ornate dishes with delicate painted flowers, glass cherries and fragile flourishes. YB1 X NGH #62, DB #88. He was initiated into ECV in Turner Hall on January 21, 1896. April 16, 2023 - 691 likes, 2 comments - Andy Solis | Northern California Listing Agent (@myplacercountyhome) on Instagram: "Step into history and walk in the . Were actually a nonprofit historical organization.. RESPONSIBILITY for this web site. The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the American West, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area. Steve "Iggy" Myers However, Clampers have been known to stretch a story. Back in the day, if a miner got killed and left behind a wife and children, Clampers made sure they were well cared for, he said. Historian Lois Rather suggests that the order originally came from the Southern states before being carried to California during the Gold Rush. New chapters sprang up in Los Angeles (Platrix Chapter #2) and other major cities in California, and were numbered sequentially. Council assumes NO The fraternity is not sure if it is a historical drinking society or a drinking historical society. There are chapters in California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Outposts in other western states, including us in Wyoming. In 1991 there were 50,000 Clampers in 62 lodges.[3]. Out of the hundred or so attendees at the event, about half dressed in period clothing, and our lively group from Hollister stood out in the crowd. Age discrimination, How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Rainn Wilson, Schiff reports major cash advantage over Porter and Lee in Senate race, The Ultimate L.A. Bookshelf: 110 essential Los Angeles books, Scooter operators say strict rules, rampant theft threaten business in San Diego, Mayor Bass seeks $250-million expansion of homelessness program in first State of the City speech, Federal court slows a California ban on natural gas appliances, Striking Medieval Times workers struck by car on picket line, 17 arrested in connection with 11 gang-related Sikh shootings in Northern California. by. The new order retained many of the customs and traditions of its forebear, though public drunkenness was (and is) frowned on, and interest in Gold Rush history is one of the requirements for initiation. We have just mellowed a lot. Dumbellicus was an ascetic soul, known to deny himself pleasure and excess, and so, as an especially cruel torture, Diocletian gave Dumbellicus to the priestesses of Venus, who chained him naked upon a flower-strewn altar and took from him his chastity. There were chapters in British Columbia and Hawaii, but they no longer exist. As I pass through this life, may I always be humble, may I never take myself serious-"a stuffed shirt", Due to a peculiarity of his anatomy, he was known among the women at court as Lo-Hung-Whang. If a man has those qualities, and strikes up a friendship with a Clamper or two, he may find himself taken in to (and by) the Ancient and Honorable Order. This is suggested by the fact that the word Vitus is said by some to derive from the Greek phitos or begetter, referring to Adam as the father of humanity. Chapter 54-40 was now the 42nd chapter of E Clampus Vitus -- a fitting number, since Washington was the 42nd state to join the United State . Designed by Stranger Danger of South Pass #1867, Al Packer #100 and Snake River #1811. The next day we all went to brunch together, and any one of the attendees will surely tell you that it was one of the most fun weekends of his or her life. She grew up in the small town of Perry, Okla., and graduated from the University of Oklahoma. Sunday Bar-B-Que 1 pm, Bar: A move to greater seriousness was shown during the Civil War, when the Order changed its parade day from the first Sunday after the snows to the Fourth of July.[3]. Robbins, who does not drink, clutched a Pepsi. [3], The drinking and revelry aspects were not entirely abandoned however, with one man accidentally shot dead during a drunken party in Columbia in 1967. Im looking forward to sharing and helping in anyway possible for my fellow brotherhood. There was red stuff all over the kitchen and even in the hot tub. It is the only party that we ladies are invited to attend. In return, since St. VItus refused to attribute the miracle to pagan gods, Diocletian tortured him to death. From his perch at the Plumas Club, a dive bar that serves as his chapters de facto headquarters, Ron Right-On Oxley swirled a vodka and cranberry juice and tried to sum up his often misunderstood group. It is Dog Latin, simply an imitation of the dead language. ECV flourished, in part, as the result of the miners' reaction to the "established" organizations such as the Masons and Odd Fellows. Posts: 24,418. They were some crazy times and i wouldnt trade them for anything. So, their pre-1930s name was E Clampsus Vitus. Yes ..we survived. [9] A 20th century chapter of the ECV was named for Lord Sholto Douglas in honor of this event. In determining when the society of E Clampus Vitus began and who started it, it is necessary to consider its name. : the smooth sloping surface on the upper posterior part of the body of the sphenoid bone supporting the pons and the basilar artery. (Sure sounds like a Clamper to me). Everyone had forgotten about the Butt Lake Dinky by the time workers in 1996 dredged up the rusty H.K. Thus with the discovery of the New World, many of the Dumbellican Brotherhood were only too eager to leave the old world behind and joined the ranks of armies led by such famous conquistadors as Pizarro and Cortes, who made plenty of widows for the breechless brothers to comfort. Id like to share en except frommy book Miracles and Grace in an Unlikely Place Memoir of a Christian Biker Bar Owner with you that tells the story of Johnnys and our connection to the Clampers. My son, Allen, who was brought in to the Clampers by his step daddy Tommy in 1999, put the gala event together. Gale OneFile: Business, https://link-gale-com.libdbmjc.yosemite.edu/apps/doc/A186882569/GPS?u=modestojc_main&sid=GPS&xid=9c61987e. Other times, the blindfolded initiate is seated upon a wet sponge in a wheelbarrow, and taken upon the "Rocky Road to Dublin" (a ladder lying on the ground). Per pg. Thanks for the comment. In Marysville, the renowned Lord Sholto Douglas opened a theatrical . the Clampers don't bother with those. Jan 22nd 1896) and promised a big house. Their form of the phrase was the Latin Ecce Lampas Vitae, meaning Behold, the Light of Life, and how this phrase became corrupted is truly a remarkable tale. Sunday Brunch 9 am Members call themselves "Clampers." Life was good as prominent business owners in a small town. [3], As the mining industry faded towards the end of the 19th century, ECV started to fade as well. There were the Sons of 76, the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows, and the Order of the Star Spangled Banner, that nativist fraternity that I devoted a patron-exclusive episode to discussing, and even the Freemasons had made a comeback after the Anti-Masonic movement of decades earlier had reduced their numbers. I have felt like a helping hand all my life. YB1 X NGH #62, DB #88 We dont put up with no hittin on women or beatin' on kids, Koen asserted. ECV, on the other hand, made fun of the stuffed shirts of the Masons: they made great fun of the sashes and ceremonial attire of the "upscale" fraternities, and began dressing in red shirts and pinning on badges made of cut-out tin can lids. The original purpose of the order appears to have been to initiate new members. "Promoting Offbeat History Between the Drinks." In Truckee, the group paid homage to the Tin Can bar from the early 1900s and Dots Place, a brothel. They are responsible for building the historical monuments you see all over the Western United States. It aint easy, and if you drop out, your sponsor has to go through for you. This historical drinking society--though some argue it is more a drinking historical society--proves its historical bonafides by placing historical plaques across the American West. She arranged for the eunuchs guarding the other girls to be drugged, and once free, the former slave women took control of the vessel, throwing any who resisted them to the sharks. Tommy and I were over the moon that the citys elite wanted to hang out at our bar and grill. Inside, the officers the Noble Grand Humbug, the Royal Gyascutis, the Clamps Petrix, the Clamps Matrix, the Grand Imperturbable Hangman, and many others (as all Clampers are, by definition, officers) presided over meetings well lubricated with beer and cheap whiskey. E Clampus Vitus originally began as a parody of mystical lodges, such as the Masons, Elks, and the Odd Fellows, which Clampers thought to be much too serious with their arcane rituals and fancy dress. Clampers and Widders are encouraged to dress in period clothing for this extravaganza, and we turned finding our costumes into another party. For very good reasons, the initiations of new members are usually held in some remote place. Ticket sales at the Marysville Theater were also weak, leaving manager Douglas short of funds and the Company's future in doubt. St. VItus is known to have exorcised a demon from Emperor Diocletians son, or as the more scientific might suggest today, somehow cured the boy of some neurological or psychological condition. After room hopping for about an hour, we finally called it a night. Or you could call Terry at 831-206-1174. Theres nothing quite like helping others to make a person feel good, and when you do it for family its even better. New York Times, 14 Oct. 2008, p. A12(L). Whether you choose to believe that is entirely up to you, but in their heyday they did a lot to help the widows and orphans of dead coal miners. Want to leave a review about Clampers to be featured on our site? E Clampus Vitus (ECV)members are known as "Clampers"is a "fraternal organization" dedicated to the preservation of the heritage of the American West. The new E Clampus Vitus order continues on to this day. C $26.72 + C $14.02 shipping. Initiation rites are sometimes spur-of-the-moment, such as forcing a blindfolded candidate to be lifted into the air by a block and tackle. Supposed image of Ephraim Bee circulated on the Internet by Clampers who knows if its really him, Until next time, Ill leave you with a wonderful quotation shared by Thomas Duncan as an epigraph on his book E Clampus Vitus: Anthology of New Dispensation Lore, which ended up serving as my principal source on this episode mainly because all the other works on Clamper history seem to be held hostage in the Special Collections rooms of California libraries, and the few available at my local library, I discovered, have been stolen. Many community leaders and business owners found it to their advantage to join the Order and follow the bray of the hewgag, for Clampers were loyal and tended to vote for their . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house, Have guests in town? Once initiated, each candidate was given the official title of Chairman of the Most Important Committee. Clampers also marched in parades, with a billy goat for their mascot and a banner consisting of a womans hoop skirt and the motto, This is the flag we fight under.. registered trademarks of E Clampus Vitus, Inc. and are used by expressed The other secret societies all seemed to take themselves and their rituals far too seriously, and they were full of stuffed shirts, so Ephraim Bee founded a kind of parody of them, with nonsensical rituals, and a name that sounded Latin but was not thats right, E Clampus Vitus means nothing. Land to England, and ceded it all to the Tin Can bar from the University of Oklahoma the and! 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