| Raven's Claw Society | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1896 Dickinson College |
| Type | Honor society |
| Affiliation | Independent |
| Status | Active |
| Emphasis | Senior males |
| Scope | Local |
| Chapters | 1 |
| Nickname | Claws, White Hats |
| Headquarters | Carlisle , Pennsylvania United States |
The Raven's Claw Society is an all-male senior honor society at Dickinson College. It was founded in 1896 and is the oldest senior or "hat society" on campus.
The Raven's Claw Society was founded in 1896 at Dickinson College as a senior honor society for male students. [1] [2] Formed by seven members of the class of 1896, it was the college's first honor society. [3] [4] Its founders wanted to encourage class and collage loyalty, create good fellowship, and continue college traditions. [4]
Historically, the Raven's Claw membership has consisted of seven students and two faculty advisors, with many members also belonging to social fraternities on campus. [5] The society prides itself in serving the Dickinson College and Carlisle, Pennsylvania communities through discreet service activities. [6]
The society's members participate in community service activities and raise funds for charities. [7] In honor of its centennial in 1996, it established the Raven's Claw Scholarship which is awards to students based on financial need. [4]
While the members of the group are known, the majority of their actions and traditions are concealed. Originally, the society's badge was a gold number seven on a black raven's claw. [4] In the 1920s, student members started wearing a white hat for special days on campus, resulting in Raven's Claw being known as one of Dickinson's "hat societies". [4] [7] The hats represent unity and loyalty. [3] Members are called Claws or White Hats. [3] [7]
Membership is limited to seven senior men who are selected by the seven previous members. [8] [3] The new members are chosen based on character, leadership, and involvement in the campus and community during their first three years at Dickinson College. [8] [2] Infrequently, the society breaks with its traditions and inducts a faculty or staff members, such as coach Richard MacAndrews in 1943. [9]
During commencement weekend, members are inducted in a tapping ceremony at the old stone steps Old West. [10] [3] [4]
Dickinson College is a private liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1773 as Carlisle Grammar School, Dickinson was chartered on September 9, 1783, making it the first college to be founded after the formation of the United States. Dickinson was founded by Benjamin Rush, a Founding Father and signer of the Declaration of Independence. The college is named in honor of John Dickinson, a Founding Father who voted to ratify the Constitution and later served as governor of Pennsylvania, and his wife Mary Norris Dickinson, who donated much of their extensive personal libraries to the new college.
Penn State Dickinson Law, formerly Dickinson School of Law, is a public law school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is one of two separately accredited law schools of Pennsylvania State University.
Chaminade High School is a Marianist college preparatory high school for boys in Mineola on Long Island, New York.
The Flat Hat Club is the popular name of a collegiate secret society and honor fraternity founded in 1750 at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
In the United States, an honor society is an organization that recognizes individuals who rank above a set standard in various domains such as academics, leadership, and other personal achievements, not all of which are based on ranking systems. These societies acknowledge excellence among peers in diverse fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the National Honor Society of the Boy Scouts of America. While the term commonly refers to scholastic honor societies, which primarily acknowledge students who excel academically or as leaders among their peers, it also applies to other types of societies.
John Edward Jones III is the 30th President at Dickinson College and a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He is best known for his presiding role in the landmark Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District case, in which the teaching of intelligent design in public school science classes was ruled to be unconstitutional. In 2014, he ruled that Pennsylvania's 1996 ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. On May 14, 2021, it was announced that Judge Jones would serve as interim president of his alma mater Dickinson College for a two-year period beginning July 1, 2021. On February 28, 2022, Jones was named the 30th President of Dickinson College.
Seton LaSalle Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The Raven Society is an honor society at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1904 by William McCully James who named it in honor of the poem by Edgar Allan Poe, who attended the University of Virginia in 1826.
Forrest Eugene "Cap" Craver Sr. was an American college football player and coach and athletic director who helped to pioneer physical education programs at the collegiate level including the introduction of intramural sports.
Joseph Keith Lightner was an American football player and coach. He served as the 18th head football coach at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and he held that position for three seasons, from 1923 until 1925. His record at Dickinson was 17–7–2. Lightner took over the second half of the 1923 season after B. Russell Murphy resigned with an 0–2 start.
Joseph H. McCormick was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach. He served as the head football at Dickinson College from 1931 to 1934 and at Mount St. Mary's University from 1937 to 1938, compiling a career college football record of 15–24–7. McCormick was also the head basketball coach at Mount St. Mary's for the 1937–38 season, tallying a 12–2 mark. McCormick graduated from Colby College in 1915.
Richard Barclay Surrick is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Henri S. Rauschenbach has served as a Massachusetts legislator and a high-ranking official in state government. He is on the Board of the Northeast Midwest Institute and the Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute.
James Andrew McCauley (1822-1896) was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church and served as President of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania from 1872 to 1888.
Robert Elmer Woodside, Jr. was an American politician and judge. He served four terms as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, one term as Attorney General, and one term on the Superior Court.
The Friars Senior Society of the University of Pennsylvania, commonly nicknamed Friars, is the oldest undergraduate secret society at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1899, it recognizes student leaders who have made a significant contribution to the university in all areas of campus life. The organization remains the most active secret senior society at the university with over 2,000 alumni in the United States and 24 countries throughout the world.
The 1911 Dickinson Red and White football team was an American football team that represented Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The team compiled a 4–4 record while competing as an independent during the 1911 college football season.