These words all apply to organized groups of people or things. A cl ub suggests intimacy and informality as well as good fellowship. Clubs may be designed for a variety of purposes, but social clubs are usually of an exclusive nature; membership depends upon the personal judgement, feelings or prejudices of the established members rather than upon any objective qualification. Sectional clubs , of course, are less exclusive, but the payment of dues and the attendance of periodic meeting of a more or less social nature characterize all clubs . The word club has lately become popular because of its pleasant connotations of comfort, relaxation and fellowship. Today many people belong to clubs (ex-servicemen’s clubs , sporting clubs of various kinds, businessmen’s clubs ) where they may entertain themselves and their friends in an atmosphere different from that prevailing in hotels. We also find this word used in book club , wine club or some other groups constituting potential buyers or patrons. Association applies to more formal and businesslike relationships that may obtain between organizations as well as individuals: the Amateur Athletic Association ; the Metal Trades Employers Association ; an association of primary producers.

Federation applies especially to a co-operative organization of states or semi-independent groups for a specific, mutual purpose; as to conduct foreign affairs, or, as in the case of the Federation of Australian University Staff Associations, to strengthen the influence of each of its member bodies. The most common sense of union refers to the trade union , an organization of workers that represents the collective interest of its members in dealing with their employer. In another sense union is close to league . A union or league is a combining of forces for some common end: the English Speaking Union ; the League of Nations. But union sometimes signifies a closer and more enduring relationship than league : The United States is often called the Union .

Fraternity may refer to a fraternal society such as the Freemasons or to a Greek-letter fraternity of U.S. university students. The latter are usually social and are run very much like clubs ; but some fraternities are devoted to service, and others, like Phi Beta Kappa, have an intellectual basis for membership. A lodge is a local branch of a secret or fraternal society. Order denotes a society with common aims and obligations, as a fraternal order or a religious order : The Order of Odd Fellows; the Masonic order ; the Franciscan order . A religious order is an organization of monks, nuns or priests who have taken vows pledging themselves to live under a certain discipline or to perform certain social or religious duties.