A perceptive question.  The oldest documented clubs (post-Renaissance
European) were English and were informal periodic gatherings of friends for
the purpose of dining or drinking together. Thomas Occleve (in the time of
Henry IV) mentions such a club called La Court de Bone Compaignie (the Court
of Good Company), of which he was a member. In 1659 John Aubrey wrote, "We
now use the word clubbe for a sodality [a society, association, or
fraternity of any kind] in a tavern."  Accordingly, Conch-L is not a club,
but if it conformed to this definition, I wouldn't miss a meeting.

On the other hand, you may mean that Conch-L is an online association of
people united by a common interest or goal (shell collecting), and are
implying that as such, based upon my aversion to shell clubs, I should
follow my own arguments and drop out.  (That's meant to be a little joke.)
Since it is apparent that Conch-Lers are rarely united on anything and share
wide differences in goals and objectives for participation in Conch-L only
loosely tied together by the theme of shells (remember the flying pigs?),
I'd hardly call it a club.  It's much more a forum - a public place for open
discussion.

Marlo
merritt island, fl

________________________________________
From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Michael LaFosse
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 4:37 PM

Dear Marlo,

Isn't [Conch-L] a "Shell Club," after all?

Michael

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