Childhood secret club

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A childhood secret club is an informal form of organization that tends to interest children aged approximately 8 to 11.

Some defining features of these clubs are:

Unlike cliques, these associations have names. Giving a name to the group is what creates the club. Also these younger groups don't have the kind of social competition that adolescent cliques do, or the level of anti-social behavior that street gangs do.

Unlike group activities like Scouting, which are led by adults, these groups are led by children.

The secrecy may be more in concept than in actual practice. For instance the name of the club and its membership are usually obvious to all. There may be a desire to create all kinds of secret codes and plans, but they are rarely implemented. A ramshackle den, tree house, clubhouse, fort, or "secret base" may be built in nearby scrubland or an abandoned building.

Such clubs are usually either all boys or all girls but not mixed. There may be a sense of competition between the genders, as well as independence from adult authority.

Many schools have rules against secret clubs, and some jurisdictions even have laws prohibiting secret or invitation-only societies in public elementary or secondary schools.

The fact that interest in these clubs tends to be a phase one goes through at a certain age may result from the stages of children's cognitive development. After growing out of the "egocentric", or "preoperational" stage, reaching the "age of reason", one is able to understand other people's intentions. The next step after that would be the ability to understand groups, and the desire to belong to a club.

Written material about these secret clubs, such as the external links listed below, mentions the ages of eight and nine years old particularly often. While slightly older children may also participate in secret clubs, they would be less expected to use fantasy elements in their activities.

Juvenile comics and literature often feature such clubs as a plot device, often with spy or detective themes, and often far more organized than their real-life counterparts. Movies have featured such clubs, notably the early Ealing comedy-thriller Hue & Cry. There are also juvenile nonfiction books that serve as "how-to's" for codemaking and surveillance, most notably the Usborne Good Spy Guide series.

[edit] References

Thomson, Ruth, Judy Hindley, Colin King, Elisabeth Graham-Yooll (1978). The Good Spy Guide: Tracking and Trailing. London: Usborne. ISBN 0-86020-168-6.