We are the Sons of the Desert
Having the time of our lives,
Marching along , two thousand strong ,
Far from our sweethearts and wives ,
(God bless them),
Tramp , tramp , tramp the boys are marching ,
And dancing to this melody
Dah …dah..dah…dah..dah..
Dah…dah…dah…dah…dah ..
Sons of the desert are we.— Sons of the Desert (1933)
Basic Information
The Brotherhood of Funny Hats is a trope depicting Fraternal Orders as just goofy fun. Such groups are shown as either an excuse to get drunk, or life-long Pledge Week for middle-aged men. Throw in a little bowling, some complaining about the wife, silly antics and stunts, and some funny hats.
It's not as common a depiction these days - such groups are either ignored in current media, or presented as a front for a sinister conspiracy. (See Milkman Conspiracy, Ancient Conspiracy, and Conspiracy Theories for ideas) But, back in the 1950s, things like the Elks Lodge, Freemasons, and the like were very common, and generally recognized as harmless.
These fraternal organizations are often active in their communities, organizing and contributing to charities. One notable example is the Shriners, which runs a network of children's hospitals throughout North America.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- One way for the PCs to meet is for all of them to be members of the Charitable Brotherhood of Jackalopes.
- Possibly a good red herring, in either direction. The weird secret society with strange rites might just be the boys getting together for a bit of fun, or the Beneficient and Worshipful Order of the Cobra might be a front for a cult.