In 1966 while a senior at Archbishop Rummel in Metairie, LA (just outside of New Orleans) I started a Turtle Club. I found a stack of membership cards on my dad's dresser, and he told me I could take a few... or did i just appropriate em....don't remember now. Anyway within a week I had about 10 card-carrying-members. I was the presdent and bsoc (big shot on campus) Whenever we would have a few of us in a class together at the same time, and the teacher's back was turned to use the blackboard, one of us would whisper the fatal question... "Joe, are you a Turtle"? The reply was always the same in a LOUD VOICE..."YOU BET YOUR SWEET ASS I AM"! Shit...your heart raced and you knew that you were dead meat. After happening in the same class for 2 or 3 times, the teacher would begin to get pissed. Looked like their head was going to explode. I believe that our History teacher knew about the Turtle Club and he would usually just say "knock it off nuckle heads"! Some teachers were not so understanding. By the end of 2 or 3 weeks, each member had to spend time in detention at least once or twice. That got old fast!!! We kept a log in a small note book and at the end of about 3 weeks we talied the drink payoffs and had a wild Friday night blast. As I recall, it involved such delights as Singapore Slings, Southern Comforts, Hurricane's, Sloe Gin Fizz etc. Yes, you had to drink to be a member. Had a lot fun with those cards! Funny that I had not thought about the membership cards until tonight and decided to Google it. Taking those cards to school was not so bad..... now it's guns. TY for the memories
paul b Rummel- charter class 66