The Truly Rich Lady Weighs in On the Significance of Private Membership Clubs

In a time when everyone is keen on equality among all kinds of people, rich or poor, brown or white, old or young, is there a place for a place that shuts people out? 

No! Get me out of here!

Of course, I am part of a few of these social organizations, and while I appreciate having that one place (or two or three or four places) where I can surround myself with the company of like-minded people, sometimes it just blows my mind.

Recently, for two hours, I was trapped in a very serious conversation about how best to keep bedroom pillows “always comforting.” Should you chill (by putting the covers in the refrigerator before sleeping) or warm them (the microwave instead).

So very hard! In the end, the Truly Rich Panel decreed that you should just get new ones every month. I wanted to cry. Thank goodness I had work to do (this one), so I excused myself before they moved on to how best to keep the “hair of mature dogs like the puppies.”

Now, before you say, “But the place, Si-si. It is so beautifully private and privately beautiful,” I would like to point out that, after three visits, you will become accustomed to the Baroque splendor. I can only admire a carefully arranged tablescape for so long. And besides, I have so many of these at home.

Which brings us to another point: What is better than your own home if you require Fort Knox-levels of privacy? Here at home, you can really keep people out and no one will bat an eyelash, post a long rant on social media, or complain about the fish.

Yes, yes I love it!

Now, I can’t deny the power of having all the power concentrated in one place. For example, in the aftermath of a calamity, the leader of the casual club of like-minded Truly Rich Ladies can one day decide to create, you know, a casual fund to help in-need communities.

In a few hours, she can have everyone in the room pledge to the fund with very little prodding (the ladies will trip over themselves to donate!) so that, in the end, the endowment is more than enough. “The rest,” she told me, while nibbling on a taquito, “we can reserve for another time of need.”

I don’t think you can wrangle that much money in so little time elsewhere. In fact, a lot of decisions that can affect the country are done over socials at a social club. Just make sure the food is good!

I also have to go back to the simple idea of having a troop or crew or club or whatever you want to call it to belong to. In my girlhood, I was part of a needlepoint circle (I was and still am a nerd), and I simply loved it.

I loved going to our private place, the purple-pink room of my then Truly Rich BFF Maria Katrina, and talk about basketweave stitch and blunt-tip needles, while doing our little masterpieces. We understood each other and fiercely defended our way of life against, say, the cross-stitch girls, who are just weird with their one-track minds.

In this sense, as a group of people who enjoy each other’s company and not an actual place, the club is great idea.