:
stalls on the chancel.
By 1929 the pattern was firmly
established: the procession to the
Cathedral Friday morning for the
service, immediately afterward all
gathering to sing class and Academy
songs, a football game in the afternoon,
banquet in the evening, a Saturday tea
for all alumni and faculty to reminisce,
and a dance that evening.
The only significant changes after
that happened in the 1930s – moving the celebration to October for better
weather, and switching the dance to Friday night and the banquet to Saturday
night.
And yes, for those of you who wondered, since at least the 1950s the
weekend of Charter Day has been determined solely by when we can schedule
a home football game!
So, why do we do all this?
Is it an excuse, on a lovely October weekend, to hold an extended series
of parties? Is it an excuse to bring back alumni so old friends can gather, and
even stimulate some donations? Well, there are going to be many activities
and parties, renewed acquaintances recounting endless humorous stories,
and hopefully even financial contributions necessary to support this great
endeavor.
But those reasons are secondary to why we are here today. We are here to
remember and reconnect with our fundamental purpose, what really draws
us together and why we have the Academy. And that purpose is embodied
in the original Charter: “Propagating the Heavenly Doctrines of the New
Jerusalem and establishing the New Church signified in the Apocalypse by the
New Jerusalem.”
We exist so that the New Church can be embraced and then shared with
everyone. From this stems all its other Charter purposes: “Promoting education
in all of its various forms, educating young men for the ministry, publishing
books, pamphlets and other printed matter, and establishing a library.”
For the founders of the Academy had a vision – a vision from the Lord. It
was a vision of what life could be – both in this world and in the world to come.
They saw in the revelation to the New Church the Lord’s purpose in all of
creation, a heaven from the human race. This is why we are here – to support
and promote a heavenly existence.
Yes, we are a set of schools, the Swedenborg Library, Cairnwood Estate
and the Glencairn Museum. But all of these exist to establish the Lord’s
We are here to remember
and reconnect with our
fundamental purpose,
what really draws us
together and why we
have the Academy.
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