A gentlemen's club is a members-only private club of a type originally set up by and for English upper class men. The Reform Club is a gentlemen's club on the south side of Pall Mall (at number 104 in central London. A club is an association of people united by a common interest or goal England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Is a concept in Sociology that refers to the group of people at the top of a Social hierarchy. Today, however, they are generally more open about the sex and social status of members. Many countries outside the United Kingdom have prominent gentlemen's clubs. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

In United States the term "gentlemen's club" is frequently used as a euphemism for strip clubs — a trend also increasingly common in the United Kingdom, with chains such as Stringfellows and Spearmint Rhino using the term in this way. A euphemism is a substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener or in the case of doublespeak A strip club is a Nightclub or bar that offers Striptease (the erotic removal of a performer's clothing and possibly other related services such as Peter Stringfellow (born 17 October 1940, Sheffield) is an English nightclub owner who has cultivated a "playboy" image in the British popular Spearmint Rhino is a chain of Strip clubs that operates throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Central Europe,

Contents 1 History 2 Current status 2.1 United Kingdom 2.1.1 Quirks of membership 2.2 Australia 2.3 United States 2.4 South Africa 3 See also 4 References

History

The original gentlemen's clubs were established in the West End of London. The West End of London is an area of Central London, England, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions businesses headquarters and the commercial London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Even today, the area of St. James's is still sometimes referred to as 'clubland'. St James's is an area of central London in the City of Westminster. Clubs took over the role occupied by coffee houses in 18th century London to some degree, and reached the height of their influence in the late 19th century. A coffeehouse ( French / Portuguese: café; Spanish: cafetería; Italian: caffè The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Often, they were formed by groups of acquaintances who shared some interest or pursuit. Gambling, usually on cards, was central to the activities of many. Others were characterised by their members' interest in politics, literature, sport, or some other pursuit. Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively In other cases, the connection between the members was membership of the same branch of the armed forces, or a background at the same university. Some of the older clubs were highly aristocratic, but over time, increasingly more were founded. By the late 19th century, any man with a credible claim to the status of "gentleman" was able to find a club willing to admit him, unless his character was very objectionable in some way or he was "unclubbable" (incidentally, a word first used by Samuel Johnson). The term gentleman (from Latin gentilis, belonging to a race or "gens" and "man" Cognate with the French word gentilhomme Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson) (18 September ^[1] This came to include professionals who had to earn their income, such as doctors and lawyers.

It should be noted that public entertainments, such as musical performances and the like, were not a feature of this sort of club. The clubs were, in effect, "second homes" where men could relax, mix with their friends, play parlour games, get a meal, and sometimes stay overnight. A parlor game is a group Game played indoors During the Victorian era in Great Britain and in the United States, these games were extremely They allowed upper- and upper-middle-class men with modest incomes to spend their time in grand surroundings; the richer clubs were built by the same architects as the finest country houses of the time, and had the same types of interiors. The English country house is generally accepted as a large House or Mansion, once in the ownership of an individual who also usually owned another Great They also were a convenient retreat for men who wished to get away from their female relations. Many men spent much of their lives in their club.

The class requirements relaxed gradually throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on In addition from the late 20th century some clubs opened to women as guests and as members, partly to help keep up membership levels.

Current status

Traditional gentlemen's clubs are no longer as popular or influential as they once were, but many have seen a resurgence of popularity in recent years. Some top clubs still maintain distinctions which are often undefined and rarely explained to those who do not satisfy their membership requirements. After reaching the top of a long waiting list, there is a real possibility of being blackballed; the proposer of such a person is expected to resign, as he failed to withdraw his undesirable candidate. Blackballing was a rejection technique used in elections to membership of a Gentlemen's club (as well as similarly organised institutions such as Freemasonry

Today gentlemen's clubs exist throughout the world, predominantly in Commonwealth countries and the United States, i. The English noun commonwealth dates from the fifteenth century. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the e. the Anglosphere. The word Anglosphere describes a concept of a group of Anglophone ( English -speaking nations which share historical political and cultural characteristics rooted Many clubs offer reciprocal hospitality to other clubs' members when travelling abroad.

In Britain and particularly London, there is a continuum between the original gentlemen's clubs and the more modern but otherwise similar private members' clubs such the Groucho Club, Soho House and Home House. The Groucho Club is a well-known private Social club located at Dean Street in Soho, London. Soho House is a well-known private arts and media club in Greek Street Soho, London, England. Home House is a Georgian town house at 20 Portman Square, London All offer similar facilities such as food, drink, comfortable surroundings, venue hire and in many cases accommodation.

United Kingdom

There are perhaps some 25 London gentlemen's clubs of particular note, from the Athenaeum to White's, see the full list of London's gentlemen's clubs. The Athenaeum Club is a Gentlemen's club standing at 107 Pall Mall, London, England, at the corner of Waterloo Place. White's is a London Gentlemen's club, established at 4 Chesterfield Street in 1693 by Italian immigrant Francesco Bianco (AKA "Francis White" See Gentlemen's club for an explanation of this particular sort of Club. Many other estimable clubs (such as the yacht clubs) have a specific character which places them outside the mainstream, or may have sacrificed their individuality for the commercial interest of attracting enough members regardless of their common interests. A yacht club is a sports Club specifically related to Sailing and Yachting. (See article at club for a further discussion of these distinctions. A club is an association of people united by a common interest or goal )

Discussion of trade or business is usually not allowed in London gentlemen's clubs, but increasingly more people in politics and business use clubs in the UK and around the world for debates and conferences on current affairs. For example, the Commonwealth Club in London counts former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and former Australian Prime Minister John Howard as influential people who have spoken there. The Commonwealth Club may refer to Commonwealth Club of California, located in the San Francisco Bay Area is America's oldest public affairs forum The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to History When Nigeria became a Federal republic within the Commonwealth in 1963 it retained the Parliamentary system of government inherited from General (rtd Olusegun Aremu Okikiola Matthew Obasanjo, GCFR (Oluṣẹgun Mathew Okikiọla Arẹmu Ọbasanjọ olúʃɛ̙́ɡũ ɒ̙básandʒɒ̙́ (born circa March The Prime Minister of Australia is the Head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia, holding office on commission from the Governor-General. See also Howard Government John Winston Howard AC (born 26 July 1939 was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia from 11 March The use of such establishments for public discussion and debate, however, is in its infancy, as many of the larger and more established clubs strictly enforce their rules on such matters.

Liverpool's Athenaeum Club, Church Alley, was founded in 1797 by art collector and social reformer William Roscoe and friends. Its famous library contains many rare and fascinating books. Proprietors (members) and guests also relax in the newsroom and restaurant. There are many interest groups which meet in the club.

Quirks of membership

Some clubs have highly specific membership requirements. For example, the Caledonian Club in London requires "being of direct Scottish descent, that is to say, tracing descent from a Scottish father or mother, grandfather or grandmother" or "having, in the opinion of the Committee, the closest association with Scotland. The Caledonian Club is a members' club in central London for Scots in London and their guests " The Travellers Club, from its foundation in 1819, has excluded from membership anyone who has not met a very specific travelling requirement. The Travellers Club is a Gentlemen's club standing at 106 Pall Mall, London. Year 1819 ( MDCCCXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar in the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Rule 6 of the club's constitution states that "no person be considered eligible to the Travellers' Club, who shall not have travelled out of the British islands^[2] to a distance of at least 500 miles from London in a direct line". ^[3] The Harvard Club is open to all who have a connection with Harvard University. The Reform Club requires its potential members to attest that they would have supported the 1832 Reform Act, whilst certain members of the East India Club must have attended at one of its subscribing public schools. The Reform Club is a gentlemen's club on the south side of Pall Mall (at number 104 in central London. The Representation of the People Act 1832, commonly known as the Reform Act 1832, was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system The East India Devonshire Sports and Public Schools' Club, usually known as the East India Club, is a Gentlemen's club founded in 1849 and situated at 16 St The term public school has two distinct (and virtually opposite meanings depending on the location of usage in the United States, Australia and

Australia

Australia has several gentlemen's clubs in Sydney and Melbourne. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 These include the Australian Club, the Melbourne Club, the Weld Club, the Athenaeum Club (named after its counterpart in London), and the Savage Club. This article is about the gentlemen's club in Sydney For the gentlemen's club in Melbourne see Australian Club (Melbourne. The Melbourne Club is called by many the headquarters of the Melbourne Establishment with members wielding a powerful influence in Melbourne and Australian life The Weld Club is a Gentlemen's club in Perth Western Australia, founded in 1871 by former British military officers

United States

Main article: List of American gentlemen's clubs

Most major cities in the United States have at least one traditional gentlemen's club. The following is a list of notable Gentlemen's clubs in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Gentlemen's clubs are more prevalent, however, in older cities such as New Orleans and around the east coast in New York City (which has the largest number of prominent clubs), Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, D.C.. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern The City of New York Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Some American clubs have reciprocal relationships with the older clubs in London, with each other, and with other clubs around the world. The oldest existing American clubs date to the 19th century; the Somerset Club in Boston, founded in 1826, is arguably the oldest. The Somerset Club is a private Boston social club founded perhaps as early as 1826 For the game see 1826 (board game. Year 1826 ( MDCCCXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display

South Africa

South Africa is home to the Rand Club in downtown Johannesburg. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Johannesburg ( Pronounced /jō-hān'ĭs-bûrg'/ is the largest city in South Africa.

See also

• List of American gentlemen's clubs
• List of London's gentlemen's clubs
• Country club
• Dining club

References

The British Isles (Irish variously Na hOileáin Bhriotanacha, Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa, Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór; Ellanyn Goaldagh Eileanan The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927

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