page_title: Burning Spear Society
section_title: Controversies
hierarchical_section_title: Burning Spear Society / Controversies
caption_attribution_description: Official photo of Florida Governor Charlie Crist
context_page_description: Burning Spear is a secret society of students at Florida State University, founded in 1993. Though not much is publicly available on the dealings of the organization, with exception to internal information shown in a leaked manual published in 2013, members often cite the provision of political, professional and financial support of FSU community leaders and efforts that strengthen the university's public standing. Its membership consists of student leaders from various factions of campus, included but not limited to: SGA, Seminole Student Boosters, Student Foundation and the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils. In its relatively young 30-year history, Burning Spear has become one of the most secretive and influential collegiate secret societies in America.
context_section_description: Burning Spear has claimed existence for only twenty-six years, but there are dissenting opinions that say the society has operated in one form or another for a much longer time. Their control of campus and state politics has been compared to The Machine at the University of Alabama and the Skull and Bones society of Yale University.
  There are a large number of Burning Spear alumni from Florida State now in the legislature and the organization is also said to control a political action committee that gives campaign contributions to candidates that attended Florida State.
  Multiple Student Government Association Political Party leaders have also openly claimed affiliation, including several elected Student Body Presidents.
caption: Charlie Crist
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