[[19th Century]] | [[California]] | [[James F Bowman]] | [[Nathaniel J Brittan]] | [[Dan O'Connell]] | [[Henry Sturgis Morgan (1900-1982)]] | [[President Reagan]] | [[President Nixon]] | [[President George HW Bush]] | [[Henry Kissinger]] | [[Charles Schwab]] | [[United States of America|USA]] ## The Elite Men's Club Where America's Powerful Gather in Secret **Bohemian Grove** is a 2,700-acre private campground in **Monte Rio, California** (about 75 miles north of San Francisco) owned by the **Bohemian Club**, a private men's club based in San Francisco. Every July, approximately 2,000-3,000 of America's most powerful men - presidents, cabinet officials, corporate CEOs, bankers, media moguls, military leaders, and other elites - gather at the Grove for a two-week retreat featuring theatrical performances, lectures, heavy drinking, and networking away from public scrutiny. The club was founded in 1872 by San Francisco journalists and artists but was quickly taken over by wealthy businessmen. Members and guests have included every Republican president since Herbert Hoover, numerous Democratic officials, Supreme Court justices, Fortune 500 CEOs, and international leaders. The Grove is famous for the **"Cremation of Care" ceremony** - a theatrical ritual performed on the first night where members burn an effigy representing "worldly cares" in front of a 40-foot concrete owl statue. The extreme secrecy, all-male membership, pagan-style rituals, and concentration of power have made Bohemian Grove subject of conspiracy theories, though the reality - powerful men making policy and business deals in private without accountability - is concerning enough without speculation. ## The Bohemian Club Origins (1872) **Founded in San Francisco**: The Bohemian Club was established in 1872 by a group of journalists, artists, musicians, and writers in San Francisco. The original purpose was creating a social club for creative professionals. **The Name**: "Bohemian" referred to the unconventional, artistic lifestyle - free-spirited creative types living outside mainstream society's constraints. **The Early Years**: Initial members were working journalists, struggling artists, and writers. The club met in rented spaces in San Francisco for drinking, conversation, and artistic performances. **The Takeover**: Within a few years, wealthy San Francisco businessmen joined the club. They were attracted to the artistic atmosphere and bohemian cachet, but their membership fees and donations quickly made them dominant. By the 1880s-1890s, the club was controlled by San Francisco's business elite with artists and journalists relegated to secondary status. **The Pattern**: This is classic pattern of elite capture - creative/intellectual institution gets founded, wealthy people join for cultural legitimacy, they take control through money, the original purpose is subordinated to elite networking. ## The Grove Property **Acquisition**: The Bohemian Club began purchasing land in Sonoma County (Monte Rio area) in the 1890s, eventually accumulating 2,700 acres of redwood forest. **The Setting**: The Grove consists of: - Ancient redwood forest (some trees are 1,000+ years old) - Russian River running through the property - Over 100 "camps" - smaller areas where different groups of members stay - The "Grove stage" - large outdoor amphitheater for theatrical performances - The "Bohemian Grove owl shrine" - 40-foot concrete owl statue used in ceremonies - Dining facilities, bars, and other infrastructure **The Camps**: Members organize into camps of 10-100+ men based on shared interests, geographic origin, or industry. Camps have names like: - Mandalay (most elite camp - presidents, CEOs, top officials) - Cave Man - Hillbillies - Lost Angels - Stowaway - Over 100 others **The Exclusivity**: Getting invited to certain camps (particularly Mandalay) indicates highest level of elite status. ## The Annual "Encampment" **The Timing**: Every July, the Grove hosts a two-week retreat (typically last two weeks of July). **The Attendance**: Approximately 2,000-3,000 men attend, including: - Bohemian Club members (about 2,500-3,000 members total) - Guests invited by members **The No-Women Rule**: Bohemian Grove is strictly all-male. No women are allowed on the property during the encampment. This has been challenged legally multiple times and remains controversial. **The Schedule**: Days include: - Morning: "Lakeside Talks" - lectures by prominent speakers on politics, policy, technology, etc. - Afternoon: Drinking, networking, outdoor activities - Evening: Theatrical performances ("Grove Plays"), more drinking, socializing **The Drinking**: Heavy alcohol consumption is central to the experience. Members and guests drink throughout the day and night. **The Informality**: Despite the concentration of power, the atmosphere is supposedly casual - no business suits, lots of drinking, and the motto is "Weaving Spiders Come Not Here" (meaning no business dealings, though this is obviously ignored). ## The Cremation of Care Ceremony **The Opening Ritual**: On the first Saturday night of the encampment, members perform the **"Cremation of Care"** ceremony. **The Performance**: - Members gather in amphitheater in front of the 40-foot owl statue - A theatrical performance is staged involving robed figures, torches, and dramatic music - An effigy called "Dull Care" (representing worries and responsibilities) is brought before the owl - The effigy is "cremated" in a fire while members cheer - The ritual supposedly symbolizes leaving behind worldly cares and entering a period of freedom and revelry **The Owl**: The owl represents wisdom in many traditions. At Bohemian Grove, it's a concrete statue that serves as the focal point for the ceremony. **The Aesthetics**: The ceremony looks like pagan ritual - robed figures, fire, dramatic staging, symbols. This has fueled conspiracy theories about occult practices. **The Reality**: It's theatrical performance created in the early 1900s (around 1915-1920), written by club members. It's meant to be dramatic and impressive, setting the tone for two weeks of drinking and networking. ## The Members and Guests Bohemian Grove membership and guest lists have included: **Presidents**: - Herbert Hoover (member) - Dwight Eisenhower (member) - Richard Nixon (member, later said it was "the most faggy goddamned thing you could ever imagine") - Gerald Ford (member) - Ronald Reagan (member) - George H.W. Bush (member) - George W. Bush (guest) - Donald Trump (reportedly attended before presidency) **Other Political Figures**: - Henry Kissinger (frequent attendee) - Colin Powell - Dick Cheney - Newt Gingrich - Numerous cabinet officials, senators, and generals **Business Leaders**: - CEOs of major corporations (banking, tech, oil, manufacturing) - Media executives and owners - Real estate developers **Other Notables**: - Supreme Court justices - University presidents - Scientists and researchers - Journalists and media figures **The Pattern**: Overwhelmingly Republican and conservative, though some Democrats and moderates attend. Mostly white, obviously all male. ## The Lakeside Talks **The Lectures**: Each morning during the encampment, prominent figures give talks at the "Lakeside Talks" area: **Past Speakers Have Included**: - Government officials discussing policy - Corporate executives presenting business strategies - Scientists discussing research - Military leaders discussing defense issues **The Significance**: These aren't just entertainment - they're policy discussions among people who make decisions affecting millions. Cabinet officials outline policy proposals, CEOs discuss industry strategy, generals discuss military operations. **The Problem**: These discussions happen in complete secrecy with no public oversight, press coverage, or accountability. ## The Manhattan Project Connection **The Most Famous Grove Decision**: In September 1942, during WWII, officials met at Bohemian Grove and discussed the Manhattan Project (atomic bomb development). **The Meeting**: While specific details are debated, it's documented that key figures involved in the Manhattan Project attended the Grove and discussed the program. **The Significance**: The decision to proceed with building atomic weapons - one of the most consequential decisions in human history - was partially made at a private men's club in the woods by members drinking and socializing. **The Secrecy**: The Manhattan Project discussions at the Grove were kept secret for decades, only revealed later through historical research. ## The "Weaving Spiders Come Not Here" Myth **The Motto**: Bohemian Grove's motto is "Weaving Spiders Come Not Here" (from Shakespeare's _A Midsummer Night's Dream_), supposedly meaning no business deals or work at the Grove. **The Reality**: This is complete fiction. The Grove is precisely where business deals, political alliances, and policy decisions are made: - Corporate executives meet potential business partners - Politicians cultivate relationships with wealthy donors - Officials discuss policy with industry leaders who'll be affected - Board seats, government appointments, and business deals are negotiated **The Cover**: The motto provides plausible deniability. When criticized for being elite networking club where the powerful make decisions in secret, members can claim "no business is conducted" at the Grove. ## The Secrecy and Security **No Press**: Media and journalists are strictly excluded. Members who are journalists must attend as members, not as press, and cannot report on what happens. **No Photos**: Photography inside the Grove is prohibited (though some photos have leaked over the years). **Security**: Private security guards patrol the property. During the encampment, local police also provide security for the surrounding area. **The Perimeter**: The Grove property is fenced and access points are controlled. Protestors and critics are kept far from the actual encampment. ## The 1989 Spy Magazine Article **Philip Weiss's Infiltration**: In 1989, journalist Philip Weiss infiltrated Bohemian Grove (he had been invited as a guest) and wrote an article for _Spy Magazine_ describing what he observed. **The Revelations**: - Heavy drinking and boorish behavior by America's elite - Urination against trees (hundreds of men, outdoor setting, lots of drinking) - Elaborate theatrical performances - Lakeside Talks by government officials - Confirmation of the all-male, elite networking nature **The Reaction**: The article was one of the first detailed public accounts of what happens at the Grove. The Bohemian Club was furious but couldn't really dispute the reporting. ## The Legal Challenges **Employment Discrimination**: The Bohemian Club has been sued multiple times for refusing to hire women: **1978 California Law**: California passed law prohibiting sex discrimination in employment and public accommodations. **The Club's Defense**: Bohemian Club argued it's private club, not public accommodation, so discrimination laws don't apply. **The Outcomes**: Various legal battles. The club has been forced to allow women employees but maintains the all-male membership and guest policy. ## Conspiracy Theories vs. Reality Bohemian Grove has spawned numerous conspiracy theories: **The Theories**: - Club practices occult rituals and worships pagan gods - Members engage in child sacrifice (completely baseless) - Illuminati/New World Order headquarters - Satanic practices **The Reality**: These extreme theories are false. But the reality is concerning enough: - America's most powerful men gather in secret - Policy discussions and decisions happen without public oversight - Business deals and political alliances are formed - The concentration of power and secrecy undermines democracy - All-male exclusivity reinforces patriarchal power structures **Why Theories Emerge**: The extreme secrecy, strange rituals (Cremation of Care), concentration of power, and all-male nature create environment ripe for conspiracy speculation. The club's refusal to be transparent fuels theories. ## The Protest Movement **Bohemian Grove Action Network**: Activist groups have protested the Grove for decades: **The Protests**: Every July during the encampment, protestors gather outside the Grove (kept far from actual property by security and police): - Feminists protesting all-male exclusivity - Anti-war activists protesting military and political leaders - Occupy movement protestors against elite power - Conspiracy theorists **The Police Response**: Local police heavily protect the Grove during encampment, often arresting protestors. **The Effectiveness**: Protests have raised public awareness but haven't changed the Grove's operations or membership policies. ## Why Bohemian Grove Matters **Undemocratic Power**: America's most important decisions - policy, business, military - are made by powerful men meeting in secret without public accountability. **Elite Networking**: The Grove facilitates relationships between government officials, corporate executives, and military leaders that shape American policy in favor of elite interests. **All-Male Exclusivity**: Excluding women from this concentration of power reinforces male dominance in politics and business. **The Secrecy**: Democratic governance requires transparency. Secret meetings of the powerful undermine democracy. **Corporate-Government Fusion**: The Grove brings together government officials and corporate executives who regulate and are regulated by each other, enabling corruption and capture. **Historical Importance**: Major decisions (Manhattan Project discussions, business mergers, political campaigns) have been influenced by relationships and discussions at the Grove. **Class Power**: The Grove exemplifies how America's ruling class maintains power through exclusive social institutions that facilitate coordination and mutual support among elites. **The Mythology**: The Cremation of Care ritual and other theatrical elements create shared mythology and identity among members, strengthening bonds and sense of being part of special elite group.