New Salem Philanthropic Society

The New Salem Philanthropic Society, abbreviated as NSPS and also known as the Second Salemers, was a "fanatical" American No-Maj group which sought to expose and destroy wizards and witches.

They were active in the 1920s and were lead by Mary Lou. In December 1926, they picketed a rally held by supporters of Senator Henry Shaw Jr, presumably to try to get him to support their anti-witchcraft views.

Based at Pike Street, New York, they held weekly meetings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays. They also published and distributed a pamphlet entitled Fighting Modern Evils.

Behind the scenes

 * Members of the New Salem Philanthropic Society may be of Scourer descent. The Scourers were a band of wizarding vigilantes who wrought terror in North America in the 17th century. Some of them managed to escape justice by marrying No-Majs and integrating into No-Maj society. In revenge for their exile from the wizarding world, they instilled in their non-magic descendants an abiding belief that magic exists, and that witches and wizards should be wiped out.
 * Their banner depicts a wand being snapped over a large fire, possibly a reference to both the stopping of magical practises and the Salem Witch Trials.

Notes and references
Новый Салемский благотворительный фонд