Colleges and universities often employ a “mace” to connect the customs of the institution with the best traditions of higher education dating back to the first universities founded during the Middle Ages.
A mace symbolizes authority, learning and scholarship, history, reputation and values. It suggests commemoration, elegance, honor, pomp, purpose, quality, solemnity, stability, and continuity.
During my service as president of Cornerstone University, we developed a mace for the university. While the product of our efforts is spectacularly beautiful, that result was not guaranteed during development because we were forced to learn by trial and error. We discovered articles on the history and meaning of the academic mace, but found no useful “how to” content. Helping you with the process is the purpose of this article.
First, your president should support the effort and, preferably, enthusiastically participate. His leadership can smooth out the bumps in a process that will take months and may take years.
Second, identify a Mace Development Coordinator. The importance of who this person is and what vision, talent and work ethic they bring to the task cannot be overstated. This project needs a champion, because the president has neither the time nor the experience to give it. Developing a distinctive mace involves a unique combination of knowledge and skills: artistic, philosophical, administrative, political. Identifying a highly regarded coordinator who possesses these gifts, and who “gets things done,” is key to success. I found a retired music teacher emeritus who was eager to continue contributing. She was a gift from God.
Third, take the time to carefully and thoroughly research the history of college maces, the style of maces used in colleges around the world, the artistry and symbolic meaning of mace workmanship, and the types of maces used. academic events in which the university clubs are presented. Perhaps visit other colleges and universities to see their maces and learn how those maces were developed. Only after completing this review should you begin the long process of drawing a sketch in which the shape, size, and evolving symbols of the mace can be visualized and evaluated. This is an iterative experience. It will accept, rather than abandon, a series of “big ideas.” Metal versus wood. Philosophical versus practical. Academic, sports, regional or state images? Length or height, weight. Gems and precious metals? Cost. Maces range from inexpensive functional pieces to one-of-a-kind, “priceless” art objects.
Fourth, at this time we found it helpful to share a progress report with selected staff and constituents, inviting their feedback. We worked especially closely with three or four professors whose backgrounds in philosophy, traditions of academia, and the history of our university protected us from inadvertent presentation errors. Throughout the process, the Mace Coordinator kept me regularly informed as President, allowing me to contribute ideas and connect the project with the appropriate supporters. We discovered that this temporary exhibition also generated interest and enthusiasm in the project.
Fifth, if applicable, connect your mace physically, not just symbolically, to your institution’s heritage. For example, identify a piece of wood or metal taken from the original campus or Old Main and include this element in your mace design. Our institution was founded by religious leaders in a church, so we contacted the current leadership of the church, requesting their help. They graciously provided the university with an original piece of oak from which our woodcarver crafted a portion of the university seal that appears on the mace. This item is not only beautiful, it is emotional, full of meaning, honoring our ancestors, and reminding our students that college was not born yesterday. And the people who attended the church were moved by the memory of the university.
Sixth, once you have determined, at least in general, the materials and likely design of your club, the next step is to seek craftsmen or craftswomen with qualitatively superior artistic and technical skills capable of making a college club at the level of excellence you desire. want. require. We made our mace from Honduran mahogany and surprisingly found an incredibly skilled and fast woodcarver in our town. Precious gems were donated and installed by local jewelers. A nearby fine furniture store donated and completed the polished lacquer finish on our mace, highlighting the mace’s intricately carved features while preserving the natural tones of the wood. Both a local architect and a sculptor contributed their design expertise. Carpenters in the area fabricated and contributed a Michigan cherry wood truss, along with a black marble base, to create the pedestal for the mace. I recommend that you give preference to regional artisans to facilitate communication, preserve local character, and promote constitutive commitment. The person you select also influences the time required to complete the project.
Seventh, as the hub development project nears completion, write a set of rules that govern when and how the hub will be presented. Remember, to develop the traditions of your institution by associating a certain aura with your mace, you must handle it in a special way. Consider these guidelines: the mace must be worn at all official ceremonies and only at official ceremonies (not on loan to a frat party or sports championship); a Macebearer, a position of high honor, must be chosen for his achievements; the bearer of the mace must wear white gloves to represent elegance and preserve the finish of the mace; the mace must lead all processions and recessions; the mace should be placed in a position of prominence and dignity on the speakers’ platform, etc. You may also wish to appoint a Mace Trustee, a person charged with the care of the mace before and after the event, including delivering the mace to the event venue and returning it to the President’s Office after the conclusion of the event. event. Appointing a Mace trustee is a practical matter, but it also gives the university another opportunity to engage people in the university’s august traditions.
Eighth, the college mace must reside in the Office of the President, who will be responsible for securing and displaying the mace. Institutions have placed their clubs elsewhere, but I think the symbolic authority conferred on the club is enhanced by its residence in the President’s Office, somewhat like the key to the city in the Mayor’s office.
Ninth, when we discovered our mace, I was able to say that all the funds necessary for the development of the mace had been provided by friends from the university. This comment always goes down well with the faculty and the CFO.
Tenth, finally, when your mace is finished, I recommend a mace commissioning ceremony during the fall or perhaps a special convocation. When you present and explain the symbolism of the mace you are celebrating the values and growing prestige of the institution.
The varsity mace we developed was quickly adopted as an iconic addition to the college lore. Those who wear it speak of the honor bestowed upon them. It connects us with those who have come before and those who will come after in the search for learning. Like great art, it moves us. it’s the university.
