The Thirteen Club is a secret society at the College of William and Mary. United by a love of and a devotion to the College, it was founded in 1890 and reactivated in 1994. The Club affirms a primary mission of anonymous support of William and Mary, its students, and its ideals of leadership, friendship, and public service. In doing this, the Club seeks to cherish and preserve the College's history and to aid in the creation of a strong future for its graduates. Membership is undisclosed solely for the purpose of promoting the spirit of anonymous acts which benefit the campus and society at large. *Biographical information provided by the Thirteen Club*
Donation.
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Thirteen Club Banners, Special Collections Research Center, William and Mary Libraries
In order to spread the message of its organization, the Thirteen Club frequently flies banners at prominent on-campus locations. Students are encouraged to help create a work of art by writing their thoughts and reflections on the banners. The two banners in this collection are favorites of the Club.
Hung on September 17, 2015, the banner reads, "The Members XIII asks: 'Tell me what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'" This is a quote from the Mary Oliver poem, "The Summer Day." Using permanent markers, students wrote their answers to this question. Ranging from "changing the world" to "build a cabin," the answers reflect a special moment in the College's history. *Description provided by the Thirteen Club*
Hung between May 3-7, 2015, this banner reads, "Favorite things from one last thing . . ." This accompanied the first annual One Last Thing event, hosted by the Thirteen Club and the Humans of William and Mary. Over the course of five nights, two nominated seniors (each evening) had the chance to share "one last thing," a talk about any lingering thoughts before commencement. The banner hung next to the steps at the Sunken Gardens for audience members to write any quotes or thoughts inspired by the speakers. The original banner was vandalized. Quotes were cut from the original banner and a replacement banner was constructed. This is the replacement banner. *Description provided by the Thirteen Club*