Scabbard and Blade

Last updated
Scabbard and Blade
ScabbardBladeCrest.gif
Founded1904;121 years ago (1904)
University of Wisconsin
TypeHonorary
Affiliation ACHS
Former affiliation PIC
StatusDefunct
Defunct date2019?
EmphasisROTC, JROTC and midshipmen leadership
ScopeNational
PillarsHonor, leadership, professionalism, officership, unity
Member badge Scabbard and Blade badge.png
Colors  Red,   white, and   blue
Symbol5 stars
PublicationScabbard & Blade Today
Chapters59
Members449 (2012) active
137,000 (2014) lifetime
Headquarters1018 S. Lewis Street
Stillwater , Oklahoma 74074
United States
Website www.scabbardandblade.org

Scabbard and Blade (S&B) was a college military honor society founded at the University of Wisconsin in 1904. Although membership was open to Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cadets and midshipmen of all military services, the society was modeled after the U.S. Army, calling its chapters companies.

Contents

It was founded as a men's organization and later became a co-educational society. The Junior Program opened membership to Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) cadets and midshipmen as well.

S&B was a member of the Association of College Honor Societies. Around 2021, the national organization closed, with some chapters continuing to operate as location organizations.

History

Scabbard and Blade was founded during the 1904-1905 academic year at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. [1] [2] Its founders were five senior officers in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC): Leo M. Cook, Albert W. Foster, Victor R. Griggs, Charles A. Taylor, and Harold K. Weld. [3] [1] [4] The society's mission was "developing aspiring and current military officers that emulate the Five Star qualities while fostering strong joint-service relationships".

Although membership was open to Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cadets and midshipmen of all military services, the society was modeled after the U.S. Army.

Its first national convention was held in Madison, Wisconsin on May 11, 1906, and included representatives of the society's four companies. [1] [5] Conventions were annual until April 1916, until disrupted by World War I until February 1920. [1] After the 1920 meeting, conventions were held biannually until 1940 when all companies were directed by general order to bring their affairs to a close because of World War II. [1] According to its 1940 directory, S&B had 31,980 members. [6]

The society was inactive during World War I and World War II when there were no courses of military training in universities and colleges because all able-bodied men were in the service. [1] [5] After 70 companies had been reactivated, a national convention was held in November 1947. [7] [1] The society had grown 150 active chapters or companies active companies, 20 inactive companies, and 89,154 total members in 1962. [6]

Scabbard and Blade was founded as a men's organization and became a co-educational society. Before going coed, it sponsored auxiliaries and support organizations for women, including Guidon, Blades, and the National Organization of L'Esprit de Corps, founded in 1971. [5]

S&B became a member of the Association of College Honor Societies in 2010. [8] In February 2012, it had 59 collegiate chapters and 449 members. [8] In 2014, there were some 137,000 cadet officers. [9]

Around 2021, the national society closed its operations, although a few chapters operate as locate organizations. Its last national headquarters was located at Stillwater, Oklahoma. [7] [5]

Symbols

The society's badge was a gold American eagle, holding a shield over its breast, crossed with two swords. [6] The scabbard featured small jewels that represented five stars. [6]

Scabbard and Blade's colors were red, white, and blue. [6] The society's five stars or pillars were honor, leadership, professionalism, officership, and unity. [1] Its quarterly publication was originally called Scabbard & Blade Journal and was later called Scabbard & Blade Today. [7] [5]

Membership

ROTC

Members had to be an ROTC student in at least their second semester, preferably in their junior or senior year. They had to rank in the top 20% of their unit commander's Order of Merit Listing or have a 3.5 GPA. Candidates also had to receive a letter of nomination from their ROTC unit's commander and take a pledge to become a commissioned officer in the United States Armed Forces.

JROTC

There were two membership levels for a JROTC Company: Junior Membership and Distinguished Junior Membership. Junior Membership was open to active JROTC students who were juniors or seniors in high school and were in the top 20% of their class with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Distinguished Junior Membership was only open to JROTC students who were active Junior Members in S&B.

Chapters

Governance

Scabbard and Blade consisted of three organizations: The National Society of Scabbard and Blade, The National Honor Society of Scabbard and Blade, and Scabbard and Blade Endowment Resources. [3] The latter was a nonprofit corporation that raised funds and endowments to support the ROTC principles. [5]

Officers

Scabbard and Blade called its chapters companies. Companies were organized into regiments in order of their establishment. Each Scabbard and Blade company had a faculty or school staff member who served as the company advisor. In addition, each company was required to have the following officers:

Notable members

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reserve Officers' Training Corps</span> Military officer training program in the US

The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets</span> Military unit

The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets (VTCC) is the military component of the student body at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Cadets live together in residence halls, attend morning formation, wear a distinctive uniform, and receive an intensive military and leadership educational experience similar to those at the United States service academies. The Corps of Cadets has existed from the founding of the university as the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1872 to the present-day institution of Virginia Tech, which is designated a senior military college by federal law. As of August 2024, about 1,300 cadets are currently enrolled in the program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exhibition drill</span>

Exhibition drill is a variant of drill that involves complex marching sequences which usually deviate from drill used in the course of ordinary parades. Teams performing exhibition drill are often affiliated with military units, but the scope of exhibition drill is not limited to military drill teams. Exhibition drill is often performed by Armed Forces Precision Drill Teams, the drill teams at service academies and ROTC and JROTC units, and civilian drill teams that perform at parades, drill meets, and half-time shows and other public venues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pershing Rifles</span> Military-oriented honor society for college-level students

The National Society of Pershing Rifles is a U.S. military-oriented honor society for college-level students founded in 1894 as a drill unit at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. It is the oldest continuously operating U.S. college organization dedicated to military drill. Originally named Varsity Rifles, members renamed the organization in honor of their mentor and patron, Lieutenant John J. Pershing, upon his departure from the university in 1895.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnold Air Society</span> Honor society for U.S. Air Force officer candidates

The Arnold Air Society (AAS) is a professional, honorary, service organization. AAS is open to officer candidates in Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) and at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), and is formally affiliated with the Air Force Association (AFA). In addition to AFROTC or Academy commitments, AAS members must complete candidate training, attend meetings, and contribute to their respective Squadrons and ROTC detachments. Doing so enhances the officer candidate experience of cadets as well as builds stronger leadership, organizational, and professional skills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beta Gamma Sigma</span> International business honor society

Beta Gamma Sigma (ΒΓΣ) is an international business honor society. Founded in 1913 at the University of Wisconsin, University of Illinois and the University of California, it has over 980,000 members, selected from more than 600 collegiate chapters in business schools accredited by AACSB International. It has collegiate chapters in over 190 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Military College</span> Public college in Milledgeville, Georgia, US

Georgia Military College (GMC) is a public military junior college in Milledgeville, Georgia. It is divided into the junior college, a military junior college program, high school, middle school, and elementary school. It was originally known as Middle Georgia Military and Agricultural College, until 1900. While GMC is a state-chartered and funded institution, its governance is not overseen by either the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia or the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John E. Davis (North Dakota politician)</span> American politician

John Edward Davis was an American politician who served as Director of the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency from 1969 to 1976. He also previously served as the National Commander of The American Legion, from 1966 to 1967, and as the 25th governor of North Dakota from 1957 to 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Oklahoma Army ROTC</span>

The University of Oklahoma Army ROTC is the primary officer training and commissioning program at the University of Oklahoma and one of the oldest in the nation, having existed in some form since the First World War. It is known as the "Sooner Battalion" and is notable for having produced thousands of officers for the United States Army, including 19 general officers. It is led by three officers and two noncommissioned officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn State Army ROTC</span> United States military unit

The Penn State Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps is the ROTC department at The Pennsylvania State University. It is the largest branch of the ROTC program at the school, which also has Naval ROTC and Air Force ROTC. The Nittany Lion Battalion (NLB) is one of the 41 participating battalions in the 2nd Reserve Officers' Training Corps Brigade, also known as the Freedom Brigade. The brigade is headquartered at Fort Dix, NJ, and comprises ROTC programs in the North Eastern United States including CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and VT.

A corps of cadets, also called cadet corps, is a type of military school intended to prepare cadets for a military life, with the school typically incorporating real military structure and ranks within their respective program.

In the United States, the National Defense Cadet Corps (NDCC) was the forerunner to the current Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program and is essentially identical to it with just one exception: The NDCC is funded internally by the schools that opt for a military training system like JROTC but without any financial assistance from the Department of Defense. Therefore, the schools bear all costs associated with the program, including military instructor salaries, uniforms, training materials, and any other program expenses. As of 2012, there were three remaining US Army NDCC units in the United States. The US Navy began its program in April 2011. The US Marine Corps and the US Air Force also operate NDCC programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps</span> Military unit

The Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (AROTC) is the United States Army component of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It is the largest Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program which is a group of college and university-based officer training programs for training commissioned officers for the United States Army and its reserves components: the Army Reserves and the Army National Guard. There are over 30,000 Army ROTC cadets enrolled in 274 ROTC programs at colleges and universities throughout the United States. These schools are categorized as Military Colleges (MC), Military Junior Colleges (MJC) and Civilian Colleges (CC).

Reserve Officers' Training Corps in South Korea is a college-based officer training program which was established in 1961. South Korea's Conscription Law applies to males, aged between 18 and 35, although women are allowed to enroll in the ROTC as of 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps</span> US military program

The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) is a federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and at US military bases across the world. The program was originally created as part of the National Defense Act of 1916 and later expanded under the 1964 ROTC Vitalization Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps</span> Military science elective class

Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AFJROTC) is an elective class offered in many high schools across the United States. It is the junior division of a U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program composed of physical training, aerospace science academic classes, and leadership skill creation. Outside of the formal class, there are extra-curricular teams that cadets may participate in to create qualities of leadership and followership. Unlike the collegiate version of ROTC, upon completion of JROTC there is no military service required. This allows the youth of the United States to experience the military without having long-term commitments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military Order of the World Wars</span>

The Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) is an American social organization of military officers of the United States and their descendants. It was created in 1919 as the Military Order of the World War at the suggestion of General of the Armies John J. Pershing as a fraternity for American military officers coming out of World War I. Two decades later, when the United States became involved in World War II, the conflict reference was pluralized to its current title of Military Order of the World Wars. Though the society's title has not been changed since 1945, it accepts additional members from other conflicts and non-conflict service, including those in current military service, retired military service, and former military service. It also accepts members who are lineal descendants from a qualifying officer and family members within two degrees of consanguinity as hereditary members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Square and Compass (fraternity)</span> American collegiate fraternity (1897–1952)

Square and Compass, also called Square and Compass–Sigma Alpha Chi, was an American collegiate social fraternity associated with Freemasonry. It was established at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia in 1917. In 1952, Square and Compass merged with Sigma Mu Sigma (ΣΜΣ), originally another Masonic fraternity, resulting in a new organization called Sigma Mu Sigma–Square and Compass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannon and Castle</span> Yale University military honor society

Cannon and Castle is a military honor society founded at Yale University in 1929. Elected members include cadets and midshipmen from all three Reserve Officer Training Corps branches, active-duty servicemembers, veterans and faculty of the Yale community.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Air Force ROTC | Department of Aerospace Studies". Fresno State. May 17, 2023. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  2. Robson, John, ed. (1963). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 690-691.
  3. 1 2 "Home". Military Leader / Scabbard & Blade. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  4. Robson, John, ed. (1963). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 690-691.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "National Society of Scabbard & Blade Records". Oklahoma State University Archives. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Robson, John, ed. (1963). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 690-691.
  7. 1 2 3 Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VII-45–48. ISBN   978-0963715906.
  8. 1 2 "National Society of Scabbard and Blade Honor Society- Reserve Officer Training Corps". Association of College Honor Societies. February 12, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-04-14. Retrieved 2024-05-27 via web.archive.org.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Scabbard and Blade Fraternity. Company E (Purdue University) | Archives and Special Collections". Purdue University. Retrieved 2024-05-27.