Club emphasizes facial 'expressions' — hairwise

Finally, a club without dues or mandatory meetings. You don't need to apply to be a member, nor do you need any real talent. The only requirement is that you have — or enjoy — facial hair.

"I prefer bearded men over non-bearded men," said Jaime Tenny, one of the few female (and non-bearded) members of Holy City Beard & Moustache Society. "There's not that many bearded people. It's fun to see them all in one place."

While growing facial hair may not require talent, it does require moxie, according to several bearded members. "It takes a very unique person to want to have big facial hair down here where it's hot," said member Brad Sale. "It takes a lot of dedication."

Sale wrote a theme song for the society called "The HCBMS and You." It's chorus goes like this:

So give your beard notoriety

We accept all beards, in all varieties

It's the Holy City Beard & Moustache Society

Members have been gathering for pub nights the last Saturday of each month since May. The Sept. 29 pub night, held at Mellow Mushroom, had the largest turnout — more than 25 people.

It's purely a social club (David Merritt said he joined " 'cause I like beer and I like beards"), but members joke that they're "spreading the bearded gospel." The club's motto is "Bringing back the '80s facial hair to Charleston … the 1880s."

Paul Roof, a sociology and pop culture professor at College of Charleston, started the society after learning online about similar groups around the world. The closest he knows of is in Greensboro, N.C., he said.

The Charleston-area society started out as a "virtual community," Roof said, on the social networking Web site MySpace.com. Members decided to meet at local bars and recently participated in their first philanthropic event, the Charleston Nine Memorial Run. Roof hopes future events will include a trip to the NYC Beard & Moustache Championships next spring.

Few members knew each other before joining the society. Sale said they may start out talking about their beards (i.e. what kind of beard shampoo do you use?), but quickly learn they have much more in common.

Roof said most enjoy the same kinds of music (bluegrass or acoustic) and work in similar fields (boating, restaurants or the arts). Many have traveled out west and to the mountains, he said. They're laid back, and they enjoy good beer.

Roof's advice for those thinking of growing a beard or moustache? "If you want to do it, you should do it. Don't listen to the detractors, like girlfriends, mothers and aunts."

Give up shaving for three months — enough time for full growth for most people — to see what your beard looks like. "At that point you can shave it off," Roof said. "But we prefer you don't."

Reach Kristen Hankla at 937-5548 or khankla@postandcourier.com.