The Idiot
ActiveThis is not to suggest incompetence. He holds advanced degrees in three disciplines, has founded and profitably exited more businesses than most members can recall.
The title was self-nominated. It was put to a vote. It passed without dissent. He voted for himself.
The Record
The Idiot is, by constitutional provision, exempt from the Club's prohibition on unsolicited opinion. He avails himself of this exemption freely, loudly, and at length. His contributions to Council proceedings are catalogued by The Secretary under the heading "Irregular Interventions," a category that now runs to eleven volumes, none of which The Secretary has summarized, on the grounds that summarization would lose the essential quality.
Several members have described his presence as the reason the Club has not become "a room full of men agreeing with each other until something terrible happens." The Founder, when asked, said only: "Every court needs its fool. Ours is better than most."
He has been asked to leave a gathering on one occasion. He declined. The President, who alone has the authority to end a gathering, chose not to end it on those terms. Nothing further was said. This is considered one of the Club's definitive stories, and it tells you something important about both men.
Naked & Famous
Performed without a net