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Being geeky Catholic school kids, the club to be in was a certain church's Youth Group. My high school had kids from about 10 nearby towns. The church's youth group was comprised of kids from our co-ed high school which was one town over from the Church, the boy's prep school two towns away, and a small girls' prep school 4 towns away.
Many of us from other towns left our home churches and joined this particular town's parish (as official adult roster members who contributed weekly to the collection plate and such), simply to become a member of their youth group. (Most towns only had one or two Catholic Churches). We sang in the choir, ran Emmaus retreats, held dances every month, held service events every month, free coffee and donuts after mass every Sunday...etc. There was actually a waiting list to get into the group because it became so large. Eventually, we had to split some events and meetings by grade (frosh/soph and junior/senior).
One of our coolest endeavors was an offshoot into the hunger prevention movement in the 80s. Our group, Youth Ending Hunger, encompassed students from all over the country, and culminated yearly with an invitation-only visit and presentation to ambassadors from over 75 countries at the UN. We held fundraisers, awareness events, and participated in conference calls weekly.
To be a member of this youth group was well-known enough in the state that many recruiters of local colleges knew of it. Kids from every typical HS cliques - jocks/cheerleaders; theatre/choir; honors track; the rockers/goth/burnout crew; math and science wizzes; foreign language and culture group - were represented in the Youth Group.
So, no Sorority or Fraternity, but definitely a group that "who you knew" made you more likely to be socially accepted within the group, which meant that you hung out together outside the official events. Also, there were a few invitation- or by-application and selection-only leadership opportunities and programs that we all worked hard to be chosen to attend.
We were by no means the "popular kids" but usually the kids who ran a lot of committees, volunteered, and the kids who other kids' parents would trust their children to hang with. (Drinking and smoking were prohibited at all events, and discouraged at home parties). All official business was conducted with adult supervision and for liability reasons.
I guess it was a great preparation and segue into Gamma Sigma Sigma.
Anyway, that's my story.
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