Topical Club

A Topical Club is a Hiver cultural institution similar to human ideals of schools, collecges, and universities.

Overview

All Hivers have some degree of curiosity. But just because an individual is curious does not mean that it is intelligent or even well-educated. The Hiver institution of topical clubs evolved as a response to the unending curiosity of Hivers and a common desire to know more about everything.

Description (Specifications)

Topics: Topical clubs are formal organizations of Hivers with an interest or curiosity about a specific subject. Typical subjects are the sciences (perhaps biology, electromagnetic radiation, mathematics, or gravity), social sciences (perhaps education of yearlings, government, or history) or self-improvement (perhaps leadership techniques, physical training, or sports). There are topical clubs established for almost any subject of interest to Hivers; most Hivers belong to at least one such club, and probably several.

• In general, topical clubs are an outlet for a major drive within Hiver society, and by providing that outlet, the clubs help stabilize Hiver society. There are many topical clubs, and some of those achieve a continuing legitimacy and acceptance; they tend to become semi-official regulatory agencies.

Regulation

Topical clubs are independent and self-governing. They each establish their own criteria for membership and may be open to all or only to invited individuals. They may join with other clubs to share information, or they may stand fully independent.

Functions

Topical clubs fulfill a necessary function in Hiver society: they are pseudo-nests with pseudo-nest goals that may not be practical or acceptable. Topical clubs allow individuals to follow more than one goal in their lives. And one of the greatest ambitions of some topical clubs is to transform themselves into nests, able to devote its full resources, on a full-time basis, to its chosen purpose. Topical clubs have several functions within Hiver society.

• They educate individuals.
• They conduct beneficial research which may not be funded or encouraged by the nest or the government.
• They provide a safe place for Hivers to indulge their curiosity.
• They help Hivers avoid duplicating research which has already been conducted.

History & Background (Dossier)

Notable Topical Clubs: Two of the most notable topical clubs are the Manipulations Club of Guaran and the Legal Club of Glea.

Manipulations Club of Guaran

The Manipulations Club of Guaran was originally organized on Guaran about 1,000 years before Hivers achieved spaceflight, and was dedicated to teaching individuals how to perform manipulations. At about the time spaceflight was achieved, the club changed its emphasis from teaching manipulation to studying manipulation. It currently maintains the official records of manipulations within Hiver society, and ranks them by effect and importance; scholars use these records to analyze trends within Hiver society.

The Manipulations Club is also the accepted validating agency for manipulator status. A manipulation may be filed with the club (along with supporting documentation) and if accepted, the manipulation is recorded as such within the club's records. Such an acceptance and recording accords official manipulator status to the responsible individual.

Legal Club of Glea

The Legal Club of Glea is the central depository for all legal decisions and precedents within the Federation.

The records and publications of the club are required readings for anyone who wants to be a judge in the Federation, and the Legal Club accredits individuals who have passed its course of study. The Legal Club of Glea maintains ties with legal clubs on the various worlds of the Federation, and helps keep them informed of decisions and precedents which may affect them. Because the Hiver Federation has no formal or pervasive legal structure (instead depending on custom, precedent, and essential fairness), the Legal Club of Glea and the legal clubs of the member worlds help to maintain that fairness, as well as a uniformity throughout the Federation.

References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Alien Module 7 - Hivers
• GURPS Traveller Alien Races 3 (Hivers and Droyne)
• TNE - Aliens of the Rim
• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science