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The O.W.L. Society was founded in 1887 at the University of Virginia as a secret society devoted to the literary arts. Founded two years prior to the Thirteen Society and T.I.L.K.A., both founded in 1889, the O.W.L. Society can claim to be the oldest secret society existing at the University today, though it has not been in continuous existence since its founding. ==Founding and early history== The original O.W.L. Society appears to have been a primarily social group of influential University students. Among the Society’s founders was Thomas Longstreet Wood, a student active in literary pursuits, who later went on to publish ''Arcade Echoes'', a compilation of the best student writing during his time at the University. Mr. Wood, like far too many promising University students, died tragically at a young age soon after graduation. It was classified as a ribbon society, similar to Eli Banana and T.I.L.K.A., with which it shared a substantial number of common members. The O.W.L. also included many members of prominent fraternities, such as Delta Kappa Epsilon, in its ranks. Eli Banana and T.I.L.K.A. dominated University social and political affairs at the time, and also drew their membership from the fraternities, giving us a good indication of the Society’s importance in the University community. The O.W.L. was accordingly regarded in fairly high respect, and definitely as a “good thing,” as the students of the day called something they approved of. Of the ribbon societies, the 1895 edition of the University’s annual, ''Corks and Curls'', ranked the O.W.L. just below Eli Banana and T.I.L.K.A. in terms of social prominence, and highly in terms of academic performance. The O.W.L. published its membership in ''Corks and Curls'', but its proceedings, membership selection, and other activities were held secret. The Society operated on a single ball system in membership proceedings, that is, one vote in the negative from any member was sufficient to exclude a candidate from the Society. The Society remained small, never including more than eight members at one time. The pages of Corks and Curls also give us two mottos, one Latin and one French. In Latin,“De mortuis nil nisi bonum” is translated as “Nothing but good about things past” or “Of the dead, nothing unless good.” In French,“La nuit porte conseil” is translated as “The night brings sound counsel.” Though its specific activities remain unknown, it can be reasonably assumed that the O.W.L. served to support the University’s burgeoning literary scene, which at the time included ''College Topics'', the ''Virginia University Magazine'', ''Corks and Curls'', and numerous minor student publications, many of which were founded within just a few years of the O.W.L. These literary institutions, particularly a student newspaper, were hallmarks of an expanding University, which was growing both in terms of size and prestige. On January 19, 1894, seven years after its founding, the O.W.L was re-organized: “In order to promote the literary spirit not merely in a narrow circle but in the whole College, the constitution was amended and the qualification for membership made honorary.” The Society was transformed from a purely social organization to one with both social and practical functions. Its membership was now drawn from the ranks of editors of important University publications including the ''Virginia University Magazine'', ''College Topics'', and ''Corks and Curls''. This reconstituted organization likely served as a forum to bring student literary leaders together with the goals of improving and promoting their respective publications. As is the case today, early University literary endeavors sometimes struggled with low readership, small numbers of subscriptions, and the corresponding challenging financial situations. Membership in the O.W.L. would have allowed the leaders of these organizations to engage and collaborate, share best practices, and assist each other in the often-arduous task of managing a student publication. At the same time, the Society would have built and strengthened friendships among these students outside of their professional capacities. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「O.W.L. Society」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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