Ah yes, I guess it is one of the primary roles for such organisations.

But in the end it seems there are much more powerful forces in the world which ultimately destroy the secret societies.

At some point the esoteria and spirituality crosses the path of greed and lust for power, and the secret orders lose.

One could say that they survive as long as they don't become powerful in the worldly sense -- once they do, they seem to be domed.

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The use of the lodges in the Russian Revolution is quite well documented - as well as the French and the American. Infiltration of lodges by the Perfectibilists also. It seems that the lodges would get their men in power, and thereby effect the change they wanted. You could debate when (or if) the corruption started. Maybe on the infiltration during which the robes of the society would be worn by men who had baser motives at heart? The original Rosicrucians seemed a little purer of heart, but perhaps the corruption goes back to the time of Solomon. The symbolism does at least.

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> You could debate when (or if) the corruption started

As soon as membership of lodge was recognized to grant power.

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