Comrades are those you can count on. You share enough of a common ideology, enough of a commitment to common principles and goals, to do more than one-off actions. Together you can fight the long fight.
– Jodi Dean, Comrade (2019)
The James Connolly Social Club is a private membership club for residents of the Capital District of New York who want an organizational home that reflects their political and social commitments to collective action, mutual trust, and solidarity. We exist to fight the long fight against isolation, paranoia and alienation. Much more than a set of ideas written on paper or gestured to online- the JCSC is a space to create the tools for building a vibrant community that fosters participation and collective responsibility. Unlike the many excellent public venues and spaces in the Capital District, the JCSC is a membership organization. More than just a bar or a venue, the JCSC emphasizes democratic participation and commitment as the foundation of all social relationships.
We want to build long-lasting relationships that are distinct from what we are used to as patrons of bars, clubs and other social venues. JCSC allows people to become stewards of, and participants in, a new organization. It is a space to find social fellowship with like-minded individuals and create relationships of interest across economic and cultural lines.
The United States has had a long tradition of social clubs aimed at the upper class, social elite, and politically connected. We believe that the time has come to do better. The JCSC is a club for people looking for community regardless of class, gender, religion, race, or ethnic origin. Much like a rod and gun club for ideas and conversation, the JCSC will provide a space for people to pursue their interest in democracy, collective responsibility, and quirks of local history. We achieve this by grounding the abstract idea of community in concrete reality: democratic governance, collective responsibility, and a fiscal solvency model that does not rely solely on grants or the largess of a few wealthy members.
These Are Exceptional times.
-The James Connolly Social Club Membership Committee