Miller School of Albemarle - Blue Ridge Blast Yearbook (Charlottesville, VA)

Page 80 text:

Historyof the Vawter Literary Society T was-with expectant and eager minds that the boys of the higher classes, to- gether with some of the male instructors, assembled in the chapel on the night of September 12th, 1903, for the purpose of forming a literary society. That such an organization had long been needed at the Miller no one doubted, but a leader to undertake so important a step had been lacking. Now such a person had been found, and under the able leadership of Mr. Latham, our instructor in Phys- ics, and Mr. Beale, of the School of Languages, and J. Heath Lewis, of the Department of Chemistry, the students set to work to form a literary society. The members of the new society were thoroughly interested in the task before them, which was indeed a labor of love,', and though entirely unacquainted with such work, they eagerly entered into it, with the result that very soon a constitu- tion and by-laws had been drawn up and officers elected accordingly. ln naming our organization, there was but one name in the minds of all, and by a rising vote we named it after our superintendent, who from the beginning had 70 5 I

Page 79 text:

W ,C if? flue? ? ' f Q QQ Z1 2 Z I 4 QQ Y f2?, J x 'I'

Page 81 text:

entered most heartily into our plans, and had in addition given us a beautiful hall, handsomely furnished according to our own ideas. .In thus giving us a local habitation and a name, Captain Vawter has placed each and every one of us under lasting obligations to him. December 19th, IQO3, marked the beginning of the career of the Vawter Lit- erary Society by the public and formal dedication of Union Hall, to be used jointly by our Society and the Athletic Association. This first public program stands out in striking contrast with the one rendered on the first anniversary of the Society. In the first program the debate was the all-important part. Although the students had had but two months in which to master the mysteries of rules of order and debate, and naturally showed their newness in such work, yet the program was an unqualified success in that it gave the boys some idea of what they could do when they made the effort. At the anniversary program a considerable change had taken place. Wl1e1'eas a year before a professor filled the president's chair, now it is occupied by a boy of eigh- teen, the field of work has been increased many fold, orations, readings and reci- tations, both serious and humorous, all well-delivered, follow in succession. The members have ceased to be a disorganized body of schoolboys, and conduct them- selves with that appreciative attention and dignity which always shows a thorough interest in literary work. . The Society has kept pace with the times 5 live topics have been discussed from week to week, new members have been added from time to time, discipline en- forced, and the standard of literary work has been raised to a higher plane. The possibilities which had been shown have resulted in the formation of a society among the girls-the Longley Literary Society. These two organizations will be represented in the final exercises of this session. There is no better proof of the high standard of the Society's work than that at the beginning of the session, when only a year old, and possessing not one cent of money, it should undertake the difficult task of publishing an Annual-the BLUE RIDGE BLAST. There is no organization which does not cherish its past and no greater pleas- ure is accorded its members than to recall the records of the past, provided greater inspiration for the future is thereby gained. So it is that the members of the Vawter Society are proud of their history, short though it be, yet unexcelled in its record of good solid work. And as each commencement rolls by, its members will come back to the Alma Mater to view with pardonable pride the Hall where they have debated in years gone by, and read once more with feelings of emotion the motto which has meant so much to them- Vita sine litteris mors est. I. M. MONTZ. fl