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parties, picnics, and outings-often held with students from other seminaries. For Christinas of 1942 about 125 students 'wrote letters to ail the boys in the Service of the United Stares, from Fairview, Mt. Pleasant, and Spring City" and sponsored a bond drive which was "exceedingly successful. "(10) Seminary pupils were continually encouraged to be creative and to participate in the arts. In 1921 an oratorical contest open only to seminary students was sponsored. The twelve to fifteen participants so delighted the audience that, when an appeal was made for a sponsor to continue the contest. Senator W.D. Canland volunteered to donate $25 annually to encourage the work.(11) No special prizes were awarded, but finalists were given seminary- pins provided by Senator Candland. The year following his death, participants were presented leather-bound Bibles with their names embossed on the covers. (One of the finalists was absent as he broke out with measles and could not attend.) In 1992 an essay contest was initiated. There were some twenty entrants. Sponsor Amasa Aldrich awarded two prizes, $5.00 and $2.50, for the best essay written on any religious subject. Both winners were from Mt. Pleasant. The play "Parlor Matches" was produced in 1947. Special relationships developed between members of the cast and directors. Seminary Principal Christensen's young son, "mascot" of the performers, speedily learned all the lines and stage directions; he eagerly substituted whenever a Thespian missed his cue. In December 1977 Buttars read about an LDS pilot, dubbed "Uncle Wiggly Wings," who dropped candy to children in West Germany during "one of the wars." Buttars and his students decided to simulate the program and constructed 165 parachutes. Local grocer Terrel Seely consented to drop them from his plane on December 23, but postponed the drop until Friday, January 13, because of inclement weather. About 150 kids participated. (12) The first red-brick seminary building, completed in 1917, was located across the street south of North Sanpete High. President Joesph F. Smith and a party of General Authorities had been touring the southern part of the state. On September 10 they stopped at Mt. Pleasant, and President Smith dedicated the building, In a private conference at the seminary, President Smith told President Merz and Principal Young: "I see you have no toilet in this building. 1 will dedicate it only on one condition, that is if you promise to have one put in right away." In 1934, when the beginning history of the seminary was written, there was still no such 115 |
