| Colleges and universities often employ a "mace" | | | | packed with meaning, honoring our forbears, and |
| to connect the institution's customs with the best | | | | reminding our students the university was not |
| traditions of higher education dating to the first | | | | born yesterday. And the people attending the |
| universities founded during the Middle Ages. | | | | church were warmed by the university's |
| A mace symbolizes authority, learning and | | | | remembrance. |
| scholarship, history, reputation, and values. It | | | | Sixth, once you've determined, at least generally, |
| suggests commemoration, elegance, honor, | | | | the materials and probable design of your mace, |
| pageantry, purpose, quality, solemnity, stability, | | | | the next step is to search for craftsmen or |
| and continuity. | | | | women with qualitatively superior artistic and |
| During my service as the President of | | | | technical skills capable of making a university |
| Cornerstone University we developed a mace for | | | | mace at the level of excellence you require. We |
| the university. While the product of our efforts is | | | | made our mace from Honduran Mahogany and |
| spectacularly beautiful, that result was by no | | | | found, amazingly, an incredibly skilled-and |
| means guaranteed during development because | | | | fast-woodcarver in our city. Precious gems were |
| we were forced to learn by trial-and-error. We | | | | donated and installed by local jewelers. A nearby |
| discovered articles about the history and | | | | fine furniture business donated and completed our |
| significance of the academic mace, but we did not | | | | mace's polished lacquer finish, highlighting the |
| find helpful "how-to" content. Helping you with | | | | mace's intricately carved features and preserving |
| process is the purpose of this article. | | | | the wood's natural tones. Both a local architect |
| First, your president should endorse the effort | | | | and a sculptor contributed their design expertise. |
| and preferably be enthusiastically engaged. His or | | | | Area carpenters crafted and contributed a |
| her leadership can smooth bumps in a process | | | | Michigan cherry wood armature, along with a black |
| that will require months and may take years. | | | | marble base, to create the mace's pedestal. I |
| Second, identify a Mace Development Coordinator. | | | | recommend you give first preference to regional |
| The importance of who this person is and what | | | | craftsmen or women in order to facilitate |
| vision, talent, and work ethic he or she brings to | | | | communication, preserve local character, and |
| the task are not possible to overstate. This | | | | promote constituent engagement. Who you select |
| project needs a champion, because the president | | | | also influences the time required to complete the |
| has neither the time nor maybe the expertise to | | | | project. |
| give to it. Developing a distinctive mace involves a | | | | Seventh, as the mace development project nears |
| unique combination of knowledge and skills: artistic, | | | | completion, write a set of standards governing |
| philosophic, administrative, political. Identifying a | | | | when and how the mace will be presented. |
| highly regarded coordinator who possesses these | | | | Remember, to develop your institution's traditions |
| gifts-and who "gets things done"-is key to | | | | by associating a certain aura with your mace you |
| success. I found a retired, emeritus professor of | | | | must handle it in a special way. Consider these |
| music who was eager to continue contributing. | | | | guidelines: the mace should be used in all official |
| She was a god-send. | | | | ceremonies and only in official ceremonies (not |
| Third, take time to research carefully and | | | | borrowed for a fraternity party or an athletic |
| thoroughly the history of university maces, the | | | | championship); a Mace Bearer, a position of high |
| style of maces used in universities around the | | | | honor, should be chosen for his or her |
| world, the artistry and symbolic significance of | | | | accomplishments; the Mace Bearer should wear |
| mace workmanship, and the types of academic | | | | white gloves to signify elegance and to preserve |
| events wherein university maces are presented. | | | | the finish of the mace; the mace should lead all |
| Perhaps visit other colleges and universities to | | | | processionals and recessionals; the mace should |
| view their maces and to learn how those maces | | | | be placed in a position of prominence and dignity |
| were developed. Only after this review is | | | | on the speakers' platform, etc. You may also wish |
| completed should you begin the long process of | | | | to designate a Mace Trustee, a person charged |
| drawing a sketch in which the shape, size, and | | | | with caring for the mace before and after the |
| evolving symbols of the mace can be visualized | | | | event, including delivering the mace to the event |
| and evaluated. This is an iterative experience. You'll | | | | location and returning it to the Office of the |
| embrace, than abandon, a series of "great ideas." | | | | President after the event's conclusion. Appointing a |
| Metal versus wood. Philosophic versus practical. | | | | Mace Trustee is a practical matter, but it also |
| Academic, athletic, regional or state images? | | | | provides the university with another opportunity |
| Length or height, weight. Precious gems and | | | | to involve individuals in the august traditions of the |
| metals? Cost. Maces range from inexpensive | | | | university. |
| functional pieces to unique, "priceless," objects | | | | Eighth, the university mace should reside in the |
| d'art. | | | | Office of the President, which will be responsible |
| Fourth, at this juncture we found it helpful to | | | | for securing and displaying the mace. Institutions |
| share a progress report with personnel and | | | | have placed their maces in other locations, but I |
| selected constituents, inviting their feedback. We | | | | believe the symbolic authority vested in the mace |
| worked especially closely with three or four | | | | is reinforced by residence in the Office of the |
| professors whose expertise in philosophy, | | | | President, somewhat like the key to the city in |
| traditions of the academy, and our university's | | | | the mayor's office. |
| history protected us from inadvertent errors of | | | | Ninth, when we unveiled our mace, I was able to |
| presentation. Throughout the process, the Mace | | | | say that all funds necessary for the development |
| Coordinator regularly kept me informed as | | | | of the mace had been contributed by friends of |
| President, which allowed me to contribute ideas | | | | the university. This comment always goes over |
| and to connect the project with appropriate | | | | well with the faculty and the CFO. |
| supporters. We found this interim exposure also | | | | Tenth, finally, when your mace is finished, I |
| generated interest and excitement in the project. | | | | recommend a mace commissioning ceremony |
| Fifth, if appropriate, connect your mace physically, | | | | during the fall or perhaps a special convocation. |
| not just symbolically, with your institution's | | | | When you present and explain the mace's |
| heritage. For example, identify a piece of wood or | | | | symbolism you are celebrating the values and the |
| metal taken from the original campus or Old Main | | | | growing prestige of the institution. |
| and include this element in your mace's design. Our | | | | The university mace we developed was quickly |
| institution was founded by religious leaders in a | | | | embraced as an iconic addition to the university's |
| church, so we contacted the current leadership of | | | | tradition. Those who bear it speak of the honor |
| the church, requesting their assistance. They | | | | accorded them. It connects us with those who |
| graciously gave to the university a piece of | | | | have come before and those who will come |
| original oak from which our woodcarver crafted a | | | | hereafter in the pursuit of learning. Like great art, |
| part of the university seal featured on the mace. | | | | it moves us. It is the university. |
| This element is not only beautiful, it is emotional, | | | | |