Organisation
The sect is divided into various sections, including the "dirty clothing" section (污衣派) and the "clean clothing" section (淨衣派). The former is dominated by beggars while the latter is made up of non-beggars. It has many fenduo (分舵; branches) spread throughout the land and each of them is headed by a duozhu (舵主; branch master).
Each member carries at least one pouch-like "bag" (袋子) and the number of bags he/she carries indicates his/her rank in the sect. The highest rank a member can attain is that of an elder (長老), which is second only to the chief. Elders carry nine "bags" each.
The sect is headed by the chief (幫主), who holds the highest authority in the sect. Each chief is selected from a pool of nominees based on his/her prowess in martial arts, contributions to the sect, personal conduct, and popularity. The chief carries the revered Dog Beating Staff (打狗棒) as a symbol of leadership. The sect has some weird practices and customs, such as the one that allows all members to spit once on a newly elected chief as a mark of respect.
The Four Great Elders serve as the chief's deputies and reserve the right to strip the chief off his post if he fails in his duties. Besides, there are also elders with designated duties, such as the Elder of Discipline (執法長老), who enforces law and order in the sect. The Elder of Training (傳功長老) oversees the martial arts training of members.
The sect holds monthly meetings to discuss their plans in the jianghu in a different location each time.
Read more about this topic: Beggars' Sect
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“It is because the body is a machine that education is possible. Education is the formation of habits, a superinducing of an artificial organisation upon the natural organisation of the body.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895)