The first anime club in the United States was the Cartoon Fantasy Organization in New York in the late 1970s, who met in the basement of the Polish Democratic Club. Anime tapes were so precious they could only be traded usually, not sold (and with translation scripts if you were lucky). The mascot of the group was a weasel named Fanta. 

If you were an anime fan prior to the 80s, you had to be in a club because anime was so rare that you could only get it at screenings in clubs and conventions. 

The Cartoon Fantasy Organization is also relevant to the history of Furries, as the founders of organized furry fandom initially met there in the late 1970s before starting the first true furry clubs and conventions in the 80s. Anime fandom and furry fandom have a “common ancestor,” and emerged from the same group. 

yeehaw