As I've mentioned before, an obligation you take to keep things private and/or secret, whether it is the ritual secrets of a fraternity or sorority or anything received in confidence from anyone, is binding upon yourself for life, even if your membership may cease in that organization.
I once held a SECRET security clearance from the Government, which was required before I could even begin surveying and updating the floor plans of the Alternate Joint Communications Center inside Raven Rock mountain in Pennsylvania some years ago. It's no big secret that the place exists and serves as the communications hub for US military traffic (more info at
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/raven_rock.htm); the Russkies once had several nukes aimed at it to wipe it off the face of the earth if World War III ever started and the nukes went flying. However, I am privy to certain details of the facility that are classified, and I am bound to a strict non-disclosure agreement that is still in force. If I violate it, I'm violating Federal law and can risk going to prison for it. There are other people I know who once were cleared for TOP SECRET SIOP-ESI (i.e. the nuclear launch codes) and are bound by even stricter non-disclosure agreements, even though it's been years since they've pulled alert in an ICBM launch control center. I know better than to ask them; they're not going to tell me.
As a member of Alpha Sigma Phi I am bound by the oath I took never to reveal any of the secrets I've learned about the fraternity; and as a Mason and a member of several Masonic affiliated bodies, I've taken a similar obligation. While I've seen and read documents on the Internet and in other books and publications revealing such information I have sworn to keep secret, but it does not absolve me from the obligations I've taken.
Hybrid Mode
