Secret Societies Question

Vanessa,

A question I have, how exactly is the determination made in the Navy (and presumably the other Union armed forces) between an illegal secret society that will get its members hung and just a bunch of guys that get together to watch a game and drink beer while off-duty?

I am thinking specifically of things like the four load handlers Eric meets at Arsenal Gate after returning from Coven. Are they not guilty just because they don't meet in private? Some other criteria?

I could see a rule that all members of such a group are guilty when it is shown that some use the group to perform some other illegal end (basically expanded conspiracy liability that doesn't actually require that all the members of the conspiracy commit an act in furtherance of the conspiracy, whether that act is itself illegal or not), but to simply say being in a secret society will get you hung is an extremely vague standard that could be open to enormous abuse.