E Clampus Vitus® is a non-profit, men's fraternal organization, currently involved in humanitarian and public help programs while maintaining a steadfast program of historical preservation. The history of E Clampus Vitus® involves an old organization of the same name, started in the Ol' West's gold rush era and revitalized about 1931 at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco and now encompassing Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Washington DC, and in the near future, Washington and Oregon States.

The prime requisites to becoming a Clamper are a sense of humor, an interest in Western history, an open mind, and a cast iron stomach. If a man has those qualities, and strikes up a friendship with a Clamper or two, he may find himself taken in to (and by) the Ancient and Honorable Order. But one can't simply walk up and say, "Can I be a Clamper?" It is for the Brethren of ECV® to invite prospective members to join. And if a man is asked, he should know that the invitation is only given once. If it is refused, it is never tendered again. But a man of any intelligence and character so invited would hardly be likely to turn down such a signal honor. And remember, as the Brethren of E Clampus Vitus® maintain, Clampers are not made, they're born. Like gold, they just have to be discovered.

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