Several existing sets of virtues

[Sir Ancelyn]

Just to get another ball rolling.  I was a member of DeMolay when I was a youth and for interest and general discussion here are their cardinal virtues:

DeMolay - Filial Love, Revrence for Sacred Things, Courtesey, Comradeship, Fidelity, Cleanliness and Patriotism

I know I have not been the best exemplar of the cardinal virtues, but they are an excellent foundation for young men to build on. Frank S. Land created DeMolay in 1919 to fill a need and it is still going strong today.

[Sir Ancelyn]

I held back on the other sets of virtues because I need to be sure of what is public knowledge and what would get me thrown out for divulging it.  Should have changed the name of the thread, but my trigger finger went straight to post. :-)

[Sir Edward]

Well, we wouldn't want you to get in trouble. Is it really a "secret society"? I know there are a lot of groups out there that don't mind being public with their philosophy, structure, and rules. But so-called "secret societies" are "secret" in terms of those things, and not their actual existence, so if it's more in that category, it's best to check with their rules about what can become public knowledge.

I've heard of the DeMolay group (named for the last Templar grandmaster Jacques de Molay), but I don't know anything about them.

[Sir Ancelyn]

DeMolay is reasonably well known and only the degreework is secret. I question whether or not it is completely factual, but it was fun when I was a member so I won't complain.

The other societies I am a member of are The Freemasons, The Royal Arch - related to the Masons, and The Loyal Orange Institution in the US (not terribly secret as everything in the ritual is readily found in the Bible). Technically they are all fraternal organizations and not secret orgs, and their core virtues are all, IMHO, excellent standards for men to live their lives by. As such I am not eager to be thrown out of any of them for accidentally revealing something I have taken an oath not to reveal.

Oath keeping is a prety good virtue in most circumstances too. :-)

Layers within layers, within layers . . . . .

[Dragonlover]

And if you will refer to what J.F.Kennedy said about americans and their dis-want of "secret societies"...Hmm....

[Sir Edward]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBav72i7I3s[/youtube]