A Krewe (Old English spelling of crew) is a Carnival organization.
www.mglinks.com Most are private with non-public membership rosters. Membership is by invitation only.
In New Orleans, some date back to 1857 and others as recent as last year. Like any organization, some are perceived as more desirable then others. Desirability depends on what you are looking for. Most of the old-line organizations (I.e., old-family, with or without money) are male only and are seen as the most prestigious. These are like Comus, Rex, Olympians, Zulu, and Original Illinois. To get into some of these Krewes, a man has to belong to the sponsoring club first. Getting into the sponsoring club is NO EASY FEAT! For some organizations, it IS about your pedigree, what you do for a living, and to what other clubs you belong.
There are all female Krewes like Iris, Shangri-la, and Muses (one of the founders is a Gamma Phi Beta). Many of the late 20th century Krewes have both male and female members. I myself am a proud charter member of the Krewe of Orpheus (
www.kreweoforpheus.net - we are celebrating 10 wonderful years!) However, I do belong to others as well as my husband.
There also gay Krewes like Armeinius (
www.armeinius.com) which has some of the most fabulous costumes.
Quote:
Originally posted by MoxieGrrl
Not really along the topic, but JAM, what is Krewes?
|