SONS OF THE DESERT is the official
international Laurel & Hardy society. It is named after a
lodge that the comedians belong to in a 1933 feature film.
Local chapters, or “tents,” are named after Laurel & Hardy
pictures; the Boston tent (established in 1967 as the seventh
Sons of the Desert chapter, “Oasis #7”) is called “BRATS.”
The Boston Brats schedule eight meetings annually. Meetings with film programs are held on the first Monday of the month (no meetings in January, February, July, and September). Meetings that are cancelled due to weather, holidays, or scheduling conflicts are no longer postponed until the following Monday; said meetings shall be cancelled altogether. The club may occasionally hold special meetings at a different time or venue; these instances will be announced in advance.
MEMBERSHIP: Full
membership in The Boston Brats is open to all Laurel &
Hardy admirers and serious film buffs 16 years or older, upon
approval by the club’s directors; applications for special
exceptions may be made to the directors (see “Conduct of
Members” below). The club chairman is called
the “Grand Sheik,” officers for supporting positions will be
appointed by the Grand Sheik as needed.
DUES: $16.00 for membership, payable upon joining the club, and $10.00 for each meeting attended, payable at the meeting. (The $16.00 is an annual membership fee, subject to renewal for the member to remain an active member in good standing.) Members receive club newsletters or notifications each month, as well as the international Sons of the Desert quarterly publication, “The Intra-Tent Journal.”
PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS may join the club at their first meeting for $16.00, which includes the standard monthly fee. (New members save $10.00 by joining the club at this first meeting. Those who do not join at their first meeting would pay $16.00 for membership plus the standard $10.00 dues fee.) The rate for non-members who have already attended a meeting is $12.00 per month. Under special circumstances, some persons (e. g., friends or relatives temporarily in the area) may be allowed guest memberships at the standard monthly rate.
ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP: It is assumed that if a person joins a club, he or she plans to attend at least a reasonable number of the meetings. An active member of the Brats would be expected to attend at least one-half of the meetings. (Regular attendance is essential to the success of the club, since it is only the dues paid by the members that covers the club’s expenses, such as the hire of a hall, film rentals, and the printing and mailing of club publications.) Therefore, if a member is unaccountably absent from three or more consecutive meetings, the club reserves the right to request an additional contribution of $10.00 to cover operating costs.
The club also reserves the right to suspend mailings to any member found to be regularly attending less than one-half of the meetings, or when there is reasonable cause to believe that the member has lost interest in the club, or has left the area, Any member unaccountably absent from six or more consecutive meetings will be dropped from membership. (Such former members may rejoin the club upon payment of a $12.00 reinstatement fee.)CONDUCT OF MEMBERS: All persons joining The Boston Brats as members, or attending any meetings as non-member guests, agree to abide by the rules and regulations of the club, and to respect the authority of the club officers. It is taken for granted that all members and non-member guests will conduct themselves in a reasonable manner at the meetings, and will be honorable and fair in any dealings with the club and with other members. The club reserves the right to remove from a meeting anyone causing any unreasonable disturbance, and to suspend from membership anyone acting in a manner detrimental to the club or the other members. All membership fees and monthly dues are considered binding, and are not subject to refund. The club will be conducted under the authority of the club officers. In the event of any emergency or unforeseen circumstance, the decisions of the club officers will prevail until the matter can be satisfactorily resolved.
This Charter and the Bylaws (adopted December 1, 1973; latest amendments adopted June 6, 2011) will remain in effect until and unless officially amended by the club.