elitism

Want to Be a Member of the Native Society? You Don’t Even Have to Be Rich to Get In! (Necessarily)

Did you know there is a club in New York called the Native Society? The idea is to bring people together who are originally from New York and grew up through the prep-school system, as well as a smattering of extra people who have that “sensibility.” And as you can see from the details on the ClipArt and text website, this is definitely a club to which you’d want to belong. “I decide” who joins, says club director Oliver Estreich, 24, in a conversation with Guest of a Guest. “It’s a lot of power for one person. I have a good perception of people, how they can offer and add to the group. We have a good group of people and with groups comes power. We’re power brokering relationships; that’s what we’re doing. 

So who gets into this club? “It’s really hard to get in because you have to be evaluated,” said Estreich. “You have to have the native sensibility. You have to have an understanding of culture, cars, fashion, people. It’s kind of like: it’s a mentality.” But not necessarily a rich mentality. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that you have to be rich to get in,” he said. “Because we have some people who aren’t like that, but they offer certain aspects that help further the group as a whole.”

It’s simple, really. “I started on the premisis [sic] of getting all the natives together who grew up in New York City and went to private school here,” he told GoaG. He expanded from there. According to the website, “Honorary Natives are non native New Yorkers who have adopted the attitudes and sensibilities of theNativeSociety™, and may be adopted by the Society with the invitation of an administrator listed above. This will further the personal and business aspects of theNativeSociety™. tNS is exclusive and inclusive in the right proportion for success.”

Too bad they have that rule about knowing about cars. Otherwise we would have totally signed up.

New York’s Secret Coterie: The Native Society [GoaG]

Want to Be a Member of the Native Society? You Don’t Even Have to Be Rich to Get In! (Necessarily)