World Crytozoology Society

*Created by: Garry Stahl a pastiche.
*Appearance: One news article so far.
*Number of Members: On the order of 10,000
*Nature of Members: Persons interested in unproven beasts.
*Organization: Club
*Game Role: People fascinated by the weird, and may cause problems because of that.
*World Role: Psudo-science cranks, or not.
*Relative Influence: Minor, small numbers, no great press.
*Public or Secret?: Public.
*Publicly Stated Goal: According to the journal Cryptozoology, the WCS serves "as a focal point for the investigation, analysis, publication, and discussion of all matters related to animals of unexpected form or size, or unexpected occurrence in time or space."
*Relative Wealth: Minor, they live off membership dues.
*Group advantages: Open minds. Willing to look at evidence at face value.
*Group disadvantages: Perhaps a little too credulous at times. They can be over eager to believe the improbable
*Those who favor them: Believers in the local critter, Nessie, Big Foot, the Michigan Dog man, etc.. 
*Those opposed to them: Incredulous science that wants that extraordinary proof.<P>People for the Ethical Treatment of Monsters: While not disagreeing on the existence of the various critters often opposes the WCS as to means and methods.
*Area of Operation: World wide, when they can afford to.
*Headquarters Location: Camden, New Jersey.
*Public Face: Earnest pusher of Woo woo, or are they?
*Notable Members: Bernard Heuvelmans -- Founder and late President. He was a Belgian-French scientist, explorer, researcher, and a writer probably best known as "the father of cryptozoology". His 1958 book On the Track of Unknown Animals (originally published in French in 1955 as Sur la Piste des Bêtes Ignorées) is often regarded as one of the best and most influential cryptozoological works</P><P>Loren Coleman -- An American cryptozoologist who has written books on a number of topics, including cryptozoology.</P><P>John Willison Green -- A Canadian retired journalist and a leading researcher into the Bigfoot phenomenon. He is a graduate of both the University of British Columbia and Columbia University and has a database of more than 3000 sighting and track reports, leading some to affectionately refer to him as "Mr. Sasquatch." A man feeling very smug right now.
*History of the Organization: The World Crytozoology Society was founded to serve as a scholarly center for documenting and evaluating evidence of unverified animals; that is, animal species or forms which have been reported in some manner but which have not been scientifically proven to exist. The study of such animals is known as cryptozoology, and "Cryptozoology" is also the title of its journal.</P><P>The official emblem of the society is the Okapi, which was chosen because, although it was well known to the inhabitants of its region, it was unknown to the European scientific community until the English explorer Harry Johnston sent to London an Okapi skin which received international attention in 1901.</P><P>The journal Cryptozoology is published bi monthly The Society also published a newsletter WCS News.
*Bureau File: The World Crytozoology Society has been a thorn and an salve by turns. Under the old mission they were a constant voice for publication, even if that wasn’t wise. Currently they hare more in line with what we are doing.</P><P>With the current revelations of dragons, the positive identification of Sasquatch, and the Mosasaurus in the East rive you can feel the smug crossing into New Jersey. 
Category:Groups
Category:Supernatural
Category:Secrets