Social clubs are an important pillar of American culture and social life. Most Adult Americans are a member of at least club, and many are members of multiple ones. There are a variety of different clubs, ranging from religious and political organizations to service clubs to fraternal orders to veteran's organizations to interest groups. There are dozens of different groups and organizations, and even the smallest American town will have at least one club hall if not several. Prominent clubs with membership exceeding ten million Americans include Rotary International, Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, The Elks, The Buffaloes, Tammany Halls, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the United Veterans of America, and chapters can be found in every American state or territory. The clubs provide for like-minded American adults to come together to provide community service, to network and to have fun together, and they are an important pillar in holding the American civilization-state together across vast distances.
The
Splendid Knights of Valhalla are an ethnic fraternal order for orcs. Founded on Io, chapters can be found across the Jovian system and the Belt, with new chapters being formed in the Saturnian system. The Knights have 1.02 million members in 30,000 local chapters (called "mead halls", which are lead by a jarl) across 14 countries, though it's largely concentrated in the United States. They were founded initially on Io following the merger of several previously existing orcish social groups, and have become the premier social club for the modern, urbanite, middle class orc. The club participates heavily in charity (as do most social clubs), with a particular emphasis on providing educational benefits to under-privileged orcs. In 2130, the Knights of Valhalla Foundation supported approximately 45,000 students with approximately $67.5 million in scholarships and grants, while also donating more than $45 million to schools. Members also participate in a program where orcish convicts are provided with start up jobs and places to live after they're released from prison. The Knights of Valhalla also fight against stereotypes and discrimination, funding PSAs and outreach events and also requiring members to pledges of non-violence and sexual monogamy.
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Fifth Horsemen Motorcycle Club is a one-percenter outlaw motorcycle club, and it is sometimes considered a splinter from the Knights of Valhalla since some of the founders were also Knights. However, while the Knights are a respected social club, the Fifth Horsemen are one of the most notorious and violent organized criminal organizations found on Io. It was founded after the Ionian Mutiny by military veterans, and it operates primarily in the Ionian Outback--though it has territory in the larger coastal territory. Riders participate in various criminal enterprises ranging from drug trafficking, gun running, prostitution, extortion, vehicle theft and murder. Founding member Belabo NaRundi is currently listed as one of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives by the Colchis Office of Criminal Investigation for a quadruple murder, despite the fact that there are ongoing rumors that the Fifth Horsemen are not only protected by the Minutemen, but also frequently used as a paramilitary force for extrajudicial killings. The Fifth Horsemen are the largest and most well known of the orcish outlaw motorcycle clubs that were founded in the wake of the Mutiny. Like most other clubs, the Fifth Horsemen are apocalyptic and believe that the end times are coming soon.
