064
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Title
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064
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Transcription
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founded in 1882, and the P. G. D. C. (Palladian Girls' Debating Club), founded in 1884, soon followed by the organization of similar societies by the Unions, and later by the Delians.
The old-time literary societies gave to their members valuable experience. Not only did they provide social diversion but they gave to the students almost their only training in conducting public meetings, in self-government, and in acquiring self-possession before an audience. The training which they afforded in practical politics assisted many a future leader, like A. W. Field, H. H. Wilson, United States Congressman Ernest Pollard, Governor George Sheldon, Regent E. P. Brown. A glance at old-time topics for debate shows that abstract question debated was (the original spelling retained): "Resolved That the Signs of the Times Indicate that We Are Advancing Moraly and Spiritualy." This type of question gave way later to subjects like "The Negro Question", "Foreign Immigration", "The Advisability of Adopting the Initiative and Referendum."
A classic institution of the early literary society was the "slate," without which some young women might have had many invitations to attend meetings while others might have found themselves without escorts. The official "slate-bearer" passed about a small book listing the names of the girl members, to be duly "scratched" for Friday evening by the men members. Professor H. H. Wilson sometimes tells, when indulging in reminiscences, of a new recruit who furnished an example of polite correspondence. Having been urged by his professor of rhetoric to write with studied exactness, he asked a woman member "for the pleasure of her company to and from the Union society on next Friday evening." Not to be outdone in exactitude, she accepted his proffered escort "for the round trip." On leap-years the women members had their turn at carrying and "scratching" the slate and at extending invitations.
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Rights
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