A childhood secret club is an informal form of organization that tends to interest children aged approximately 8 to 11. For other uses, see Organization (disambiguation). ...

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. This article is about social groups. ... For other uses, see Name (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Gang (disambiguation). ...

Unlike group activities like Scouting, which are led by adults, these groups are led by children. This article is about the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts/Girl Guides organizations. ...

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. In the context of cryptography, a code is a method used to transform a message into an obscured form, preventing those not in on the secret from understanding what is actually transmitted. ... An elaborate, permanently habitable tree house. ...

Such clubs are usually either all boys or all girls but not mixed. But there are exceptions to this commonly found gender diversion. 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. Cognitive development procesess and theories Cognitive development refers to ...how a person perceives, thinks, and gains an understanding of his or her world through the interaction and influence of genetic and learned factors (Straughan, 1999) Jean Piaget was a psychologist who believed there are stages of cognitive development that each... Egocentrism is the practice of regarding oneself and ones own opinions or interests as most important. ... The Age of Reason is either Thomas Paines book The Age of Reason. ...

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. A plot device is an element introduced into a story to solely to advance or resolve the plot of the story. ... Ealing Studios, a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London, claims to be the oldest film studio in the world. ... Hue and Cry (1947) is a British film directed by Charles Crichton and starring Alastair Sim and Harry Fowler. ... For other uses, see Surveillance (disambiguation). ... Usborne Publishing, often called Usborne Books, is a childrens book publisher that is based in the UK. Formed by Peter Usborne in 1975, it has become one of the largest producers of childrens books in the world, translated into over 90 languages. ...

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. 

Sobel, David (2001). Children's Special Places: Exploring the Role of Forts, Dens, and Bush Houses in Middle Childhood. 

External links

• "Child.com: Secret Clubs" – parental advice column
• "Florida Statute 1006.14: Secret societies prohibited in public K-12 schools" – example of law prohibiting
• "Headroom: Stages of Emotional Development" – including where secret clubs fit in

See also

• Calvin and Hobbes - have a secret club called G.R.O.S.S.
• Children's street culture
• Gossip
• Paracosm (fantasy world)
• Secret societies in popular culture
• Secret society
• The Goonies
• Enid Blyton - author of numerous novels for children, featuring clubs and fantasy elements