Humboldt County, and the Eel River valley area in particular, has been home to a large number of community-based service groups, fraternal clubs, and special interest organizations. Some of these groups continue to meet to this day, like the Knights of Columbus, the Freemasons, the Village Club of Ferndale, the various Rotary Clubs, and Kiwanis, to mention only just a few. While some of the older groups could be described as mutual benefit societies that once provided burial insurance and performed charity work, some acted as social clubs like the Triangle Garden Club, Fortuna 101 Club, or the Fortuna Townsend Club.

According to 100-year old issues of the Humboldt Beacon, at least 50 clubs convened on a regular basis in the Eel River area. While some groups were chapters of a larger organization, like the United Ancient Order of Druids, some were strictly home grown.

One very active club in the area was the Improved Order of the Red Men. It thrived in the town of Scotia and met regularly at the Scotia Fraternal Hall. The Scotia Fraternal Hall was also shared by other groups, including the Knights of Pythias and the Scotia Men's Club. But in the years of torrential flooding, respectively 1955 and 1964, Eel River valley lost close to two-thirds of its regional clubs.

Not able to snuff out community spirit altogether, service groups continue providing various forms of assistance to the communities they serve, even though they are fewer in number and have less exotic names. Right now, the Beacon is compiling information on service groups, both past and present, and we'd appreciate hearing from present or former members of any clubs, lodges, or fraternities for compiling a series of articles on the subject.