The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1912-04-27
THE PURPOSE OF
"OLD HOME PRIZE"
For Delaware, Maryland And Virginia
Peninsula, Familiarly Known As
"The Eastern Shore

The Old Home Pri was founded in
1908 for the Pocomoke High School and
in 1909 for the High Schools at Oman
cock and Accomac c. H., Virginia The
modest sum of One Hundred Dollars was
given for investment for this purpose for
the Pocomoke School, and a like sum for
the two Virginia Schools. The annual in
come from this fund.- now six dollars in
each case. is used for the purchase of a
gold medal or looks to be given each
Commencement to that member of the
Graduating Glass, or other scholar best
in History or Composition, or BOTH Sc
lected to write an Essay upon any topic
pertaining to the past. present or future
of the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia
Peninsula, or any part Of it, commonly
known as THE Eastern Shore" and long
ago known as The Land of Gentlemen"
and the lower portion of which has re-
Gently become known as 1.-The Land of
Evergreens."
These pri essays are to be read at the
School Commandments or Finals and are
then to be filed in special binders to be
kept in the School Libraries
The old song of "Ho~le, Sweet Home"
and the celebrations of recent years at
various places of "Old Home Week,
are doubtless what first suggested to me
the idea of the Old Home Pri e, or at
least of giving it that name. In my
somewhat extended travels in this coun-
try and abroad become firmly convinced
that, all things considered, our Eastern
Shore is a most favored section, and in
deed far more so than the generally high
90 10 al. ~,
other sections their local history and
good points had been written up by ap-
preciatve writer's and had caused com
mendable local pride and progress.
wanted the Eastern Shore, and especially
the lower evergreen part Of it, where |
was raised and where most Of my kin are,
to thus know all about ITSELF and to fol-
low al, the good and progressive paths
such a study might reveal. ] also wanted
to furnish our advanced scholars with
topics for essays about which they could
write with comparative ease and not to
have to struggle too much, as has been
too often the case, in trying to write
about subjects far too deep and broad for
their years.
The su5ject-matter of the essays for
the Old Home Pri is so broad that it
ought to furnish an almost endless va
riety OF interesting yearly topics, and
moreover topic once written upon could
be written upon again from another
view point.
Our State and other historical socie-
ties and the United States Government
are constantly accommodating interesting
data concerning our people, their lands,
occupations. form of government, &C.,
and the Old Home PR idea is to hep
in seeing that this work is done well and
thoroughly in our own section, and to
fully examine such work already COM
piled and especially to encourage the
examination an appreciation of such
work already so we'll done by the Rev.
Littleton Purnell Bowen, Dad, of POGO
moke, Nd; the late Thomas T. Upshur,
Esq, of Northampton County, Va. Hon
John Upshur Dennis, of Baltimore: Jen-
nings Chopper Wise, Esq, of Richmond
Va and others.
The Cd Home Prize Essays thus far
written have been far above the average
school essays, and already many of our
children and their parents and friends
are taking fresh interest in the many
lQedS SuSSeSleu ny lllS pIlEe'
1t is showing that we have much inter
estipg history, biology, geography, geo.
logy and Zoology and all such, and much
more, right here at our very doors, and
that quite an interesting book could be
made containing this data as 10 our own
immediate section 1t is also beginning
to make the phrase, Know thyself"
mean more than before
Above all, however, the best result
perhaps of this pri e will be to instill in
many, and especially in our young people,
more loyalty for our old home, and to
cause them to better appreciate the best
and most helpful men and women of our
section of the past and present, and to
make me predictions as to the future,
and to keep many from leaving the coun-
try to live in cities.
Most OF US think thai life's best things
are "over yonder," far away from our
home: or. as the old saying is, that Far
away birds have the finest feathers" The
Old Home Fri is intended to teach that
these best things, or at least many, If
not mos. of them, are right here on the
Eastern Shore, and it IS only for us to
learn what they are, compare them with
what others have, and then to appreciate
more fully our good fortune, ana to not
only thus bring more Joy and content
ment to ourselves but to teach us better
TO help others, who need such hep and
are deserving of it.
Another purpose of this pri is TO fur