Keepers of the Covenant strive to keep Maryville College tradition alive
In 2002, the Keepers of the Covenant established the Spirit of the Covenant award. Each year at the leadership awards ceremony, nominated recipients receive an award recognizing them for their expression of Scholarship, Respect, and Integrity. These individuals serve as models to us all in the manner in which they live their lives.
In the Maryville College community, we challenge ourselves to search for truth, to work for justice, to grow in wisdom, and to become loving persons. In 1990, Maryville College students created the Maryville College Covenant based on these ideals. This document sought to fuse and represent basic shared values and ideals in order to strengthen and affirm the college community. As the community has evolved, so has the expression of the Covenant.
In 1996, staff and students instituted an annual ceremony during which new students join the Covenant. The Keepers of the Covenant, established by the College President in 2000, promote awareness of the Covenant and ensure its vitality.
In 2001, a Covenant Stone inscribed with the three principles of scholarship, respect, and integrity was erected in the center of campus. This touchstone serves as a constant reminder of the Covenant. The Keepers of the Covenant present the Spirit of the Covenant awards annually. The award reflects on the original mission of the Covenant in hopes that the recipients will inspire more of the Maryville College community to be respectful of others, live lives of integrity, and to pursue knowledge through the value of scholarship.
Kristin Gourley, Maryville College’s Assistant Dean of Students, gives insight to the Spirit of the Covenant award. “I feel strongly that each member of the Maryville College community lives out the covenant in their own way, and I don’t think that there’s a right or wrong way to do that,” said Gourley.
“A person who wins the Spirit of the Covenant is someone who actively thinks about things like that, and in their decision making they’re thinking about the Covenant.”
The Keepers acknowledge that there is no one model of the Spirit of the Covenant. There is diversity in the means that community members can embody these principles and recognition should never exclusively be given to one individual.
As the semester progresses, keep in mind who you believe acts with the utmost scholarship, respect, and integrity. As you come up with these individuals, be on the look out for information regarding Spirit of the Covenant nominations.