2080 Gentleman Membership

How special is this charity auction organized by Alexander Hamilton, what does it mean for Renly to choose such an occasion as his return stage, and what special significance does it have for the internal struggle of the Hall family? This is obviously not a hasty decision, and the deep meaning behind it is far more complicated than imagined.

First of all, there is one thing to pay attention to: this charity auction is held in the Garrick Club, which itself means that only 10% of the top elites can enter it, and other outsiders, without an invitation letter, are absolutely No admission - even the distribution of invitations has to go through layers of review, it's not a joke.

The Garrick Club is a private club and one of the oldest and most prestigious private clubs in London.

The concept of a private club was first born in England in the seventeenth century. The world's first modern private club should actually be called a gentleman's club. It was the "White's-Club" established in 1693. )", which started as a café owned by Italian immigrants and gradually evolved into England's first gentleman's club, which brought together more than half of the British aristocracy during the heyday of the White Club.

England in the eighteenth century was still dominated by men. As the literal translation of "Gentlemen's-Club" implies, in the early stages of its development, all members received were men; in the nineteenth century, with the new British With the passage of the Voting Rights Act, more and more men of different classes have obtained the right to vote, which also means that the new class must seek a new identity, and joining a gentleman's club is often the first choice. After all, they all need to re-expand their life circles when they are promoted from the bottom class to the upper class.

It's like a cigar club or a whiskey club in "Titanic."

The traditional function of gentlemen's clubs is not an entertainment venue. In fact, most top-level gentlemen's clubs are aimed at the "second home" of elite men. Therefore, these top-level clubs are often equipped with restaurants, libraries, leisure rooms, Bedroom, bathroom, study, etc.

So, why is this set up?

One way of saying it is the continuation of the boys' early life, because boys' and girls' schools were very common at that time, and they were the mainstream. After leaving the school, they also needed a place to continue the way of life in the boys' school. The gentleman's club is like this. came into being.

Another way of saying it is an extension of men's family life. The gentlemen at that time were mainly men with aristocratic status. They often owned their own manor and held parties in the manor, which was also the main way for them to socialize, and ten In the eighth century, the news industry was very developed. The banquets and parties of the nobles often became the object of gossip and voyeurism. Those parties would become the focus, and then faced the dilemma of exposure of private life, which also made the gentleman's club a pure land reserved for noble men. final position.

The gentlemen's club is closed to the public, away from the spotlight, and away from the pressure of a large family such as wives, children and servants, which allows men to "be themselves" here, even to make a little outrageous behavior. It doesn't matter - it's not specifically a third party destroying the family, but... gambling.

The gambling records of the top gentlemen's clubs may be one of the most bizarre records in human history, and one of the most famous and typical events occurred in the white club:

At that time, the two nobles made a bet against the famous arched glass window in the club to see which of the two raindrops above the window would slide from top to bottom first.

It must be noted that the seat in front of the arched glass window of the white club is not for ordinary members. It is the most honorable position in the entire club and is often assigned to the most influential members of the entire club, that is, among the top nobles. top figures. And their life is "bet on raindrops".

In daily life, it is absolutely impossible for them to show such a side of themselves, because they need to maintain dignity and perfection; but in the gentlemen's club, they can be themselves to the fullest, and everything that happens in this space is reserved in here. No one talks too much.

In the early stage of the development of gentlemen's clubs, politics/politics was an integral part that could not be ignored. Different clubs could be regarded as the main bases for different/party/ factions, and also as informal discussion places for important issues. Side news often has important purposes, and those behind the scenes that the public cannot see may become the key to influencing the direction of national policy.

Of course, with the passage of time, the situation has also changed a lot.

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, clubs focused on women began to rise, and most gentlemen's clubs also began to accept applications from women, and "gentlemen's clubs" gradually transformed into "private clubs".

Of course, there are still some clubs that maintain the tradition of "gentlemen". For example, the White Club, the only woman it has received for more than 300 years is the Queen's Arrival in 1991; and the Carlton-Club, the Thatcher. Mrs Hall was their only female member until 2008 when applications for female membership were fully opened.

Among them, the White Club is undoubtedly the top private club in the UK. The current British Prime Minister David-Cameron is one of its members, and his father used to be the chairman of the club; Prince Charles married Princess Diana. The bachelor party is held here, and Prince William is currently a member of the club.

From this information, it can be seen that private clubs are a very, very important social platform. Although the political/political color has gradually faded away, every member must go through layers of review; They are the top components of British society, and they hold the main lifeline of this society.

Now, the types and styles of private clubs are diversifying. For example, the London Art Club, which was established in 1963, is a gathering place for the top people in the British literary and art circles. It is the power center behind the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Joining the club often means With the breakthrough of their careers, authoritative artists from all fields of art in the UK are gathered here——

By the way, Renly officially received an invitation to join the club in March this year, and after a year-long review period, he can officially become a member.

The Garrick Club is another top private club. This club was established in 1831 and is located in the West End of London. All activities and members are closely related to drama, stage, theatre, etc. It is famous for its large art collection, even Having a theatre library with a collection of theatre-themed collections is known as the only one in the world, which makes every theatre lover eager to join it.

Charles - Dickens, William - Thackeray (William-Thackeray) and others are members of the Garrick Club.

However, the membership review system of the Kerry Club is very strict. It must be recommended by more than three members, and then more than two-thirds of the members vote. After reaching a certain percentage of votes, they can become a member. This also ensures that Kerry can become a member. The elite level of gram club members.

Renly is not yet a member of the Garrick Club - this time back to London, Renly was jointly recommended by three members and nominated, and then a member vote will be held; even if the vote is passed, it will have to wait until At the beginning of next year, he will be able to officially become a member of the club.

Of Renly's group of friends, only Alexander Hamilton was a member of the Garrick Club; of course, all of them were members of the Oxbridge United Club.

Alexander chose to hold a charity auction at the Garrick Club, which itself has been carefully considered. This is undoubtedly the best place to promote Renly; at the same time, Renly is also waiting for the approval of joining the club, and the charity auction is also for Renly An important option for Renly's extra points; in addition, the Garrick Club is not as arrogant and rigid as the White Club, they are willing to open their hearts to accept the new aristocracy, rather than uphold the ancient tradition of three centuries ago. Inviting guests is undoubtedly very important.

In addition, part of the reason is because the Garrick Club in London's West End has a performance stage, which can be the best venue for the auction.

But like the White Club, Carlton Club, etc., not just anyone can get into the Garrick's Club - it's an honor for the members, even if they're a relatively open and relatively free member of the older clubs , but it still doesn't mean that they can allow anyone to come in and visit.

Not even for a charity auction.

Therefore, when Alexandria held a charity club, all the guest lists need to be reviewed by the Garrick Club, and even the officials of the Red Cross need to be reviewed. Every guest who enters the club is able to match their social status, rather than just donating millions of pounds to get a ticket.

Neither the initiative nor the final decision is in Alexander's hands.

The side has once again proved the rareness of this charity auction. Even if they are invited by Alexander, they may not be able to enter it; in other words, many people have not been able to join the Garrick Club and are looking forward to being able to enter with the help of Alexander's invitation letter. Among them, a glimpse of the true content.

It is precisely because of this that if Renly appears wearing a hat and T jeans, it is a high probability that the Garrick Club refuses Renly to enter.

That's why Renly makes that joke; that's why the charity auction has sparked so much discussion.