According to our Basque guide, all Basque men in Bilbao are members of an informal group of former classmates. These groups meet yearly to maintain contact and to party. This serves not only as a social group, but as a social safety net whereby members keep in touch and assist each other when there is a need (e.g., financial, medical). When they go drinking, they pool their money. At the end of the evening, remaining funds are deposited here and donated to charity.
