Hello and welcome to an hour fake history throwback episode.

As fans of the podcast know, whenever I'm taking a break from creating new episodes,

I like to resurrect a past favorite and re-release it with a fresh introduction to hopefully

give some new context to an old show.

Today I am throwing you back to the beginning of season 5, that is episode 96, What is America's

weirdest secret society?

In this episode, I explore one of America's more ridiculous historical hoaxes, the strange

tale of the so-called Drake Plate.

This was an artifact that many people believed proved that the English pirate and adventurer,

Francis Drake, had been the first European to reach California.

Now at the heart of this story is the irreverent secret society, E.Clampus Vitus.

As you'll hear, this episode is mostly concerned with exploring the history and fake history

of this highly unusual organization.

As I learned more about E.Clampus Vitus, I found myself charmed by their entire ethos.

I really love the idea of a service club that is devoted to weird history, storytelling,

and spinning their own mythology, not to mention a healthy appreciation for beer and alcohol

experience.

I also love the thought of a secret society that is designed specifically to mock the idea

of secret societies.

Chef's kiss.

Beautiful.

Now when you listen back to this episode, I think you can hear how much I genuinely appreciate

...