The Sons of the Desert inspired chapters in other United States cities, and then in the United Kingdom and other countries. In keeping with the tongue-in-cheek “desert” theme, each local chapter of the society is called a “tent,” and each is named after a different Laurel and Hardy film. There are more than 100 active "tents" worldwide, mostly in the United States and United Kingdom. Members meet up regularly to enjoy Laurel and Hardy movies in an informal atmosphere. Many chapters formed in the 1960s are still active today. In addition to local and regional meetings, the Sons of the Desert holds international conventions every
Doctor Who Appreciation Society production office had asked DWAS not to publicise. This would be an issue throughout the 1980s. Another issue was the growth of the society's local group network, which by October 1980 included seventeen groups, two of which were in North America. The society executive felt that they were unable to effectively supervise overseas groups, for whose actions they had legal responsibility, and withdrew recognition from them as DWAS local groups. The society continued to recognise an allied North American "Doctor Who" Appreciation Society until 1984, but the change encouraged the formation of the "Doctor Who" Information Network as a fully