[Macsee]

Thanks for pointing me to where it is.

I moved this:

<li><a href="group.php{vb:raw session.sessionurl_q}">{vb:rawphrase social_groups}</a></li>

to within the

<vb:if condition="$show['pmmainlink']">
<li><a href="private.php{vb:raw session.sessionurl_q}" rel="nofollow">{vb:rawphrase private_messages}</a></li>
</vb:if>

and now the Groups link shows to only those to whom the Private Message link shows ... which does the main job of blocking the Groups links from unregistered visitors.