Secrecy
The Constitution of the Eucleian Society as well as custom stressed secrecy among members. At some point it seems that even honorary membership was no longer a feature of the Society despite the fact several sitting American Presidents had accepted honorary membership in the Society.
The organization was well known enough in New York City to be announced in major newspapers in throughout the 19th century, despite of its habits of secrecy. On occasion Eucleians hosted open forums for important topics of the day, inviting lecturers of great popularity and fame. Politics, current affairs, literature (especially the Gothic and Romantic popular in the era), and university events seems to have been the most popular topics for internal essays, orations and discussions. The Society also employed repeated symbolism, allegory and other seemingly mystical allusions in its writings, none of which are fully explained in its writings. Until the turn of the 20th century, officers of the Eucleians also gave public speeches at commencement, apparently occupying a central position in those functions. This practice was ended to preserve the privacy of the Society's membership.
While there are some archived documents and older publications in circulation, there is very limited information about the Society as a result of its secrecy. In some of the archival records and internal records kept by the Society information has been removed, while other information is written in a kind of shorthand, and even the name of the Society itself is omitted on many documents.
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Famous quotes containing the word secrecy:
“Nowadays the host does not admit you to his hearth, but has got the mason to build one for yourself somewhere in his alley, and hospitality is the art of keeping you at the greatest distance. There is as much secrecy about the cooking as if he had a design to poison you.”
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And jealousy a Human Face;
Terror the Human Form Divine,
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