The Brute Force Committee is best described as a secret society of undergraduate students within the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering of the University of Toronto. Unlike other secret societies, the BFC has the rather specific mission of disrupto ergo sum. Essentially, it's secret membership is responsible for pulling-off "stunts", "capers", "catering events", or "pranks" which fall into four major categories:

Campus Beautification

How'd The Do That?

Shits & Giggles

Property Liberation

Theatrics

History

In its inception in the early 20th century, the Brute Force Committee was actually a lobbying organization focused on student elections. Dressed in black, they were known to quiz students with varying calculus problems or other sillyness before allowing them to vote. This would result in the first of many bannings of the group from the Faculty and Engineering Society.

In 1980, the BFC was allegedly responsible for encouraging "fifteen wheezing, sniffling lice-ridden chickens" to spend the night inside the offices of the Students' Administrative Council<ref>Knox, Paul. "Cry of foul sent up over 'prank'", <b>The Globe and Mail</b>, 7 March 1980</ref><ref>National Editorial Team. "Nothing like a good joke", <b>The Globe and Mail</b>, 14 March 1980.</ref>. Curiously, the chickens were found to be wearing makeshift blue hardhats. This stunt earned the BFC a positive editorial in the nation's premier newspaper, and an irate Letter to the Editor suggesting cruelty to animals<ref>Negodaeff, Rene. "Cruelty to animals", <b>The Globe and Mail</b>, 21 March 1980.</ref>.

In 1990, the Faculty set up a task force to attempt to "improve" the image of engineers. Their suggestions included

* Changing the BFC's controversial name

* Eliminating the wildly successful satiric Toike Oike newspaper, and

* Attempting to impose order on the allegedly out-of-control Lady Godiva Memorial Bnad<ref>Ainsworth, Lynne. "U of T task force aims to improve engineers' image", <b>The Toronto Star</b>, 26 October 1990.</ref>.

In 1992, in it's greatest miscalculation to date, the committee undertook a botched prank in response to a student editorial on vegetation-based female self-pleasurement. In response, the BFC erected a giant zucchini in front of the student newspaper's offices. Although details are scant, it appears that the caper became out of control and may have involved breaking and entering. There was also a sign which allegedly read, Try This Zucchini on For Size. Opposition to the incident included a significant feminist voice which pointed to the entire stunt as proof of the elite, male-centric culture of the engineering faculty.<ref>The Arts. "Swan wades into domain of Brute Force mentality", <b>The Globe and Mail</b>, 5 October 1992.</ref>.

Because of the 1992 incident, the BFC was accused by a national paper in 1993 of arranging for the alleged "hazing" of freshmen<ref>Reaside, Peter. "Why expect engineering students to have a sense of decorum?", <b>The Globe and Mail</b>, 15 September 1993.</ref>

The National Post's September Driver's Edge section in 2000 warns drivers of the BFC's alleged tendency to cut cars in half and wrap them around trees. The article noted three occasions where a car was sliced in half and later found welded around a tree. An Engineering Society spokesperson was quoted as saying that these cars were generally donated to the cause.<ref>Lind, Laura. "September brings peril to cars on campus", <b>National Post</b>, 15 September 2000.</ref>.

Name

In an archived issue of the Toike Oike (the Engineering Society newspaper at the time), an alumnist made an important point regarding the use of the term Brute Force. He noted that Engineers in particular abhore truly "brute force" attempts to solve problems, and always seek more ingenious solutions. In titling the organisation the Brute Force Committee, its founders were actually employing irony, as the committee would exhaust every other means of success before considering force.

In the 1960's, a rival organisation within the Faculty became known as Mario's Bakery, a mock-model of Italian organised crime. The group's leader, humourously dubbed Mario Baker, was known as da Chief. The Bakery typically would cater to various events by installing or performing clever pranks. Mario's Bakery was always an overt group, and its members are clearly identifiable in archived yearbooks and newspapers.

After a short period of time (possibly within one or two years), it became clear that it was somewhat unnecessary for the same constiuency of students to have two organisations dedicated to the same purpose. Mario's Bakery and the Brute Force Committee became one, with the Leader of the BFC adopting the name of Mario Baker and signing corespondence by that name thereafter.

It continues to be known by various aliases, most of which bear the initials BFC, such as:

Burkina Faso Committee

Best Friends Club

Bible Fellowship Committee

Been Feeding Chickens

etc. Aliases with the appropriate initials are usually invented for any given reference.

Structure

The Brute Force Committee lives up to its name insofar as that it is, in fact, a committee. Each Committee member is known as a Minister, with their minister name generally reflecting some sort of humourous portfolio. Catchy minister names have tended to be re-used over past years:

Minister of Nailing and Screwing

Minister of Latex and Oils

Minister of Wealth and Hellfare

These portfolios are usually a play on words of some quality present in the incumbent, rather than an actual description of Committee duties.

The leader of the Committee ("da Chief", or most often "Mario Baker") is the public face of the Committee, and responsible for keeping the typically eccentric Ministry from killing each other. As Mario Baker is essentially in a position of leadership among leaders, diplomacy and shouting are both required skills. Mario runs meetings, sets the tone and tries to encourage a coherent vision of how the Committee should operate.

The assistant to the leader of the Committee, ("Mario's Ass", or simply "The Ass."), is much like a corporate secretary. The BFC's website puts it best: "This minister is... responsible for cleaning up after an event: touching up the paint job, destroying the evidence, and posting bail."

The final and most important elements in the structure of the BFC are the "leaders" and F!rosh (first years) of the Faculty. When summoned, "leaders" (upper years) and F!rosh descend on a given task with endless vigour. After receiving direction from seemingly nowhere (see: Secrecy), they set to work on producing the prank of the evening.

Selection

The selection processes of Ministers, Mario Baker and his Ass are all secrets. A helpful hint is provided in the BFC's motto, We Are Watching.

References

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