You obviously have no actual knowledge re: the relationship between Welch and Buckley. Welch was a major financial contributor to Buckley's magazine (National Review). Buckley was invited by Welch to become an endorser for the first JBS front-group (Committee Against Summit Entanglements aka CASE) and Buckley did so. When Welch was invited to attend a dinner to honor Alfred Kohlberg, Welch told Kohlberg's secretary that she should also invite several other people whom Welch described as his "friends". Among the persons Welch listed was none other than William Buckley Jr! Many issues of the JBS Bulletin recommended not only Buckley's magazine (National Review) but books authored by both Buckley and by most of the contributing authors to National Review. Most of those same authors ultimately denounced Welch and the JBS. In fact, the most influential conservative intellectual of the 20th century (Russell Kirk) denounced Welch and the JBS.

Every major argument circulated by Robert Welch and the JBS was falsified by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI -- and Hoover asked the American Legion's National Americanism Commission to assist the FBI with thwarting the false information being circulated by the JBS. The American Legion agreed to do so.

Please read my reply to AlexisS above. I would be interested in hearing what you think was bigotry or unjustified hatred promulgated by JBS.

Here are the "Core Principles" of the JBS--always have been and always will be:
[jbs.org]
Mission:
To bring about less government, more responsibility, and — with God's help — a better world by providing leadership, education, and organized volunteer action in accordance with moral and Constitutional principles.

Preserving Individual Rights & National Independence
"These United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States … We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."
— Declaration of Independence, 1776

The Declaration of Independence established the independence of both the original 13 American colonies and the United States of America that they together formed a decade later.

The Declaration proclaimed that our personal rights come from God, not from government.

The John Birch Society endorses the timeless principles of the Declaration of Independence. The Society also labors to warn against and expose the forces that seek to abolish U.S. independence, build a world government, or otherwise undermine our personal liberties and national independence.

Restoring the Constitution
"That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed." — Declaration of Independence, 1776

The Constitution of the United States of America instituted the government that secures our God-given rights.

The John Birch Society endorses the U.S. Constitution as the foundation of our national government, and works toward educating and activating Americans to abide by the original intent of the Founding Fathers. We seek to awaken a sleeping and apathetic people concerning the designs of those who are working to destroy our constitutional Republic.

@MarPep - You claim that you have an open mind about evidence of bigotry associated with the JBS. Most people (including JBS members) have very little factual knowledge about JBS history. A major reason for this is because the JBS does NOT allow outside independent researchers to have access to its archives for historical research purposes.

However, I have compiled a very extensive list of connections between JBS members, JBS writers and speakers, and JBS officials with bigots and their arguments. Most of my documentation comes from FBI investigative files. If you are genuinely interested in the factual record, then see:
[sites.google.com] That online Report includes a very lengthy Chronology which reveals the voluminous connections between the JBS and various bigots.

The National Review was founded by Buckley--so any chance of this being a one-sided story?? . "Bigotry and Extremism" are sometimes(usually) in the eyes of the beholder. Like Barry Goldwater said "Extremism in defense of Liberty is no vice, and moderation in pursuit of Justice is no virtue."

@MarPep Why don't you read it first? I was alive at the time. I remember this scuffle. It's an important piece of Conservative history.

@AlexisS I just read it, and it is reasonably fair reporting, but certainly coming from the pro-Buckley side of the debate.

@MarPep A cautionary tale, for sure.

@MarPep I remember my grandfather studying the JBS. He said they were creating their own cell structure as they believed the communist cells in the US were formed. In short, they were taking on the tactics of Communist infiltrators. He said that the danger of imitating the enemy was that they would become the enemy.

@AlexisS The structure of any organization doesn't tell us anything about the goals of any particular organization. In this case, the cell structure was desirable for both sides because it was dangerous to be identified by the opposition. However, the JBS bulletins that would periodically be inside the newspapers and showing how the US Representatives and Senators voted on bills, and news regarding the UN and government spending---those had the names of the local officers of JBS.

Your link: "Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name"

Eisenhower himself warned of the "Military-industrial complex" that posed serious danger to the US--but not until his last days in office. He was very much influenced by the same Deep State that had gained enormous power through the OSS and other Intelligence agencies from WWII onward.

Truman was similarly influenced, and regretted it.

@MarPep Apologies, tried to post it through my phone and must have screwed it up. It can be found on the JBS wikipedia page.

News to me as well.

Can you name another, off the top of your head??
Most anti-communist organizations keep their membership names and numbers secret--and for good reason---dirty tricks and sabotage are tools of the trade for Communists and Leftists in general.

@MarPep The World Anti-Communist League (WACL). I think the name of that organization had changed though...

@SpikeTalon I remember a bit about them--Chiang Kai Schek, then Reverend Syun Mung Moon, the Nicaragua Contras. Mostly NGO-type para-military and the Unification church. it's been 30 years since the last I heard of them. Taiwan would surely still have a lot of anti-communists.

JBS is just everyday citizens.

You all are so young. lol I've posted this article separately above, but it's important to mention it agin. You should know the background of the group. The antics of JBS were a major crisis in the Conservative Movement. See this article:
The Inside Story of William F. Buckley Jr.’s Crusade against the John Birch Society [nationalreview.com]

@MarPep - What you neglected to mention is that the JBS is incorporated as an "educational" organization but UNLIKE other educational groups, the Birch Society does NOT permit outside independent researchers to have access to its archives for historical research nor does it permit access to its membership so that independent scholars can produce a fact-based summary of the membership.

BY CONTRAST: Consider some of the Birch Society's most prominent organizational critics and opponents. Their organizational records are archived at various colleges and universities and state historical societies. The correspondence of the leaders of those groups over many decades is also available and, in many cases, their are oral history transcripts of interviews of those leaders. In addition: many books as well as Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations contain information about the organizations and the leaders which is based upon the official records and personal papers which are readily available to all researchers. NONE of this is true regarding the Birch Society.