The Crest

1 | THE

CREST

A Message from Dean LauraWeaser

The CGA Crest is a treasured symbol and has been worn

proudly on the blazers of girls attending Culver Girls Academy since 1971. It epitomizes everything founding CGA Dean Mary Frances England envisioned: a strong school with separate traditions for young women and an emphasis on citizenship and leadership preparation.

If Dean England were alive today, she’d find her dream realized.

Culver’s alumnae pioneers should take pride that the seeds they planted and the traditions they established have not just taken root, but have been cherished, upheld and strengthened by those who followed in their path. The young women of CGA today benefit from the experiences and legacy of the Culver women who blazed the trail.

I am proud to continue to build on Dean England’s vision. Central to this and a

priority among CGA is creating an environment of warmth, openness, and support within the dormitories which maximizes the opportunities for girls to learn life skills and practice leadership roles. The principle is serving young women well as they excel in every area of the school and can routinely be found leading campus events and initiatives and achieving great academic successes.

I am excited about the insights you will gain into CGA after you read this booklet.

It is an honor to lead Culver Girls Academy and I appreciate the opportunity to share some information about the incredible program with you.

Laura Weaser Dean of Girls Summer 2010

2

| THE CREST

3 | THE

CREST

A Message from Dean LauraWeaser

The CGA Crest is a treasured symbol and has been worn

proudly on the blazers of girls attending Culver Girls Academy since 1971. It epitomizes everything founding CGA Dean Mary Frances England envisioned: a strong school with separate traditions for young women and an emphasis on citizenship and leadership preparation.

If Dean England were alive today, she’d find her dream realized.

Culver’s alumnae pioneers should take pride that the seeds they planted and the traditions they established have not just taken root, but have been cherished, upheld and strengthened by those who followed in their path. The young women of CGA today benefit from the experiences and legacy of the Culver women who blazed the trail.

I am proud to continue to build on Dean England’s vision. Central to this and a

priority among CGA is creating an environment of warmth, openness, and support within the dormitories which maximizes the opportunities for girls to learn life skills and practice leadership roles. The principle is serving young women well as they excel in every area of the school and can routinely be found leading campus events and initiatives and achieving great academic successes.

I am excited about the insights you will gain into CGA after you read this booklet.

It is an honor to lead Culver Girls Academy and I appreciate the opportunity to share some information about the incredible program with you.

Laura Weaser Dean of Girls Summer 2010

2

| THE CREST

3 | THE

CREST

The Crest N

early four decades ago, young women became part of the fabric of Culver, and Culver has never been the same. Sharing a beautiful 1,800-acre campus with Culver Military Academy since 1971, Culver Girls Academy (known for a time as Culver Academy for Girls after it first opened its doors in September 1971) has made its own special mark in secondary education.

As the girls enrollment has increased in numbers, from just 77 in 1971 to more than 300 today, Culver Academies has become an even more exciting place to learn and to grow. The young women created distinctive successes, symbols and traditions of their own, and adapted the best examples of the Culver Legion and the already well-established school for boys.

One of the most powerful emblems of Culver Girls Academy is the CGA Crest.

Like a coat-of-arms from the banners of medieval heraldry, the Crest is adapted from the insignia of the Culver Legion, and is divided into four quadrants, each showcasing meaningful icons representative of a CGA education: a linked chain and leaf signifying strength of friendship; an open book and blazing torches signifying knowledge and tradition; a pair of broadswords and a set of perfectly balanced scales signifying strength and justice; and a star and laurel wreath signifying service and success. Taken together, these symbols represent the underlying framework for the values and leadership experiences emphasized as part of a Culver Girls Academy education.

For the girls of Culver, an embroidered CGA Crest has evolved into a prized possession that must be earned by each young woman before it is sewn onto her blazer.

It is presented to her at the Crest Ceremony, a very important milestone for a girl at Culver.

The CGA Crest is not just given to a girl; wearing the Crest represents her commitment to challenge herself to live up to and exemplify the school’s values, virtues, and ideals.

In another sense, the CGA Crest today is a unifying symbol for the students of Culver Girls Academy: weaving them together with their classmates and uniting them in spirit with those alumnae and faculty daughters who preceded them at Culver and who pioneered guiding principles and distinctive traditions for a remarkable school for girls that prepares young women as responsible, active citizens who will become the leaders of tomorrow.

4

| THE CREST

“Anything a boy can do, a girl can do better.”

– Encouraging words spoken to Greta Hughes CMA ’59, one of Culver’s first two female graduates, by her father Art Hughes, a CMA English instructor and Fine Arts chair.

The Crest N

early four decades ago, young women became part of the fabric of Culver, and Culver has never been the same. Sharing a beautiful 1,800-acre campus with Culver Military Academy since 1971, Culver Girls Academy (known for a time as Culver Academy for Girls after it first opened its doors in September 1971) has made its own special mark in secondary education.

As the girls enrollment has increased in numbers, from just 77 in 1971 to more than 300 today, Culver Academies has become an even more exciting place to learn and to grow. The young women created distinctive successes, symbols and traditions of their own, and adapted the best examples of the Culver Legion and the already well-established school for boys.

One of the most powerful emblems of Culver Girls Academy is the CGA Crest.

Like a coat-of-arms from the banners of medieval heraldry, the Crest is adapted from the insignia of the Culver Legion, and is divided into four quadrants, each showcasing meaningful icons representative of a CGA education: a linked chain and leaf signifying strength of friendship; an open book and blazing torches signifying knowledge and tradition; a pair of broadswords and a set of perfectly balanced scales signifying strength and justice; and a star and laurel wreath signifying service and success. Taken together, these symbols represent the underlying framework for the values and leadership experiences emphasized as part of a Culver Girls Academy education.

For the girls of Culver, an embroidered CGA Crest has evolved into a prized possession that must be earned by each young woman before it is sewn onto her blazer.

It is presented to her at the Crest Ceremony, a very important milestone for a girl at Culver.

The CGA Crest is not just given to a girl; wearing the Crest represents her commitment to challenge herself to live up to and exemplify the school’s values, virtues, and ideals.

In another sense, the CGA Crest today is a unifying symbol for the students of Culver Girls Academy: weaving them together with their classmates and uniting them in spirit with those alumnae and faculty daughters who preceded them at Culver and who pioneered guiding principles and distinctive traditions for a remarkable school for girls that prepares young women as responsible, active citizens who will become the leaders of tomorrow.

4

| THE CREST

“Anything a boy can do, a girl can do better.”

– Encouraging words spoken to Greta Hughes CMA ’59, one of Culver’s first two female graduates, by her father Art Hughes, a CMA English instructor and Fine Arts chair.

Strength of Friendship A

“

linked chain appears on the CGA Crest, signifying that

friendships forged at Culver can last a lifetime. If you ask CGA alumnae, there’s a very good chance they will tell you that friends made during their first months at Culver Girls Academy became friends for life.

Culver encourages an environment of warmth, openness,

and support fostered by faculty and staff and cultivated within the dormitories by student leaders to maximize opportunities for girls to learn important life skills and practice leadership roles. By tradition, each new girl entering CGA becomes a “Little Sister” guided with help from a “Big Sister” in a mentoring role. Special activities are programmed during orientation and during the early part of the school year to ensure that new girls are well-cared for as they make the adjustment to living away from home and being a student at Culver.

A

t Culver we obtain

more than just friends, but family. People everywhere, from your dorm, your second home, stand by you through thick and thin. From

Freshman year at Culver fosters a sense of belonging as girls

from communities throughout the nation and the world discover

weeks to months, the friends

new friends and become valued members of the Culver community.

that are made are beside you

Certainly freshman girls learn about time management and study

no matter what. The Culver

skills as they tackle the rigorous academic subjects taught in the

Girls Academy; where the

classrooms of Culver, but they also learn valuable lessons about citizenship, leadership and life skills, the importance of the Honor Code, health and safety, and making wise, informed choices.

Throughout freshman year, girls learn important lessons

about the values symbolized in the CGA Crest. If they learn those lessons well, they earn the honor and privilege of wearing the Crest 6

| THE CREST

Monday to Sunday, from

on their blazer.

strength of friendship lasts forever.

”

— Lauryn Robinson ’13 Ithaka Dorm 7 | THE

CREST

Strength of Friendship A

“

linked chain appears on the CGA Crest, signifying that

friendships forged at Culver can last a lifetime. If you ask CGA alumnae, there’s a very good chance they will tell you that friends made during their first months at Culver Girls Academy became friends for life.

Culver encourages an environment of warmth, openness,

and support fostered by faculty and staff and cultivated within the dormitories by student leaders to maximize opportunities for girls to learn important life skills and practice leadership roles. By tradition, each new girl entering CGA becomes a “Little Sister” guided with help from a “Big Sister” in a mentoring role. Special activities are programmed during orientation and during the early part of the school year to ensure that new girls are well-cared for as they make the adjustment to living away from home and being a student at Culver.

A

t Culver we obtain

more than just friends, but family. People everywhere, from your dorm, your second home, stand by you through thick and thin. From

Freshman year at Culver fosters a sense of belonging as girls

from communities throughout the nation and the world discover

weeks to months, the friends

new friends and become valued members of the Culver community.

that are made are beside you

Certainly freshman girls learn about time management and study

no matter what. The Culver

skills as they tackle the rigorous academic subjects taught in the

Girls Academy; where the

classrooms of Culver, but they also learn valuable lessons about citizenship, leadership and life skills, the importance of the Honor Code, health and safety, and making wise, informed choices.

Throughout freshman year, girls learn important lessons

about the values symbolized in the CGA Crest. If they learn those lessons well, they earn the honor and privilege of wearing the Crest 6

| THE CREST

Monday to Sunday, from

on their blazer.

strength of friendship lasts forever.

”

— Lauryn Robinson ’13 Ithaka Dorm 7 | THE

CREST

Knowledge & Tradition “

A

n open book and blazing torches aptly represent

sophomore year at Culver Girls Academy, as girls gain knowledge and learn to light the way for others. Sophomore year at Culver Girls Academy affirms character strength. Girls learn the benefits of collaboration and develop the confidence to become excellent leaders. Sophomores memorize and recite the CGA Leadership Oath, pledging to put the powerful words into action.

S

Culver really teaches you the

on the stage, on the athletic fields. Whether learning lessons

importance and meaning of

in leadership from the back of a horse as an Equestrienne,

the Culver Girls Academy’s

courageously performing a solo in front of an audience in

leadership program. We

Eppley Auditorium, or taking on a leadership role in the dorm,

ophomore year at

are taught through Culver traditions, the importance of communication, knowledge,

Girls are fully engaged at Culver — in the classrooms,

sophomore girls gain in self-awareness — not only of their personal talents but also their personal potential, affirm their

critical thinking, and overall

character strengths, and absorb knowledge and wisdom from

wellness. My sophomore

their peers, their mentors, and their instructors. Sophomores

year I have learned to be a

grow in mind, spirit, and body through Culver’s integrated

responsible leader and to

curriculum that emphasizes the cultivation of character.

communicate to others the importance of self respect and respecting others.

”

By the end of sophomore year, the girls have studied

the history, importance, and structure of the CGA Prefect System, and are prepared to take on leadership roles in the governance of their dorms.

– Carson Canonie ’12 Atrium Dorm

10

| THE CREST

11 | THE

CREST

Knowledge & Tradition “

A

n open book and blazing torches aptly represent

sophomore year at Culver Girls Academy, as girls gain knowledge and learn to light the way for others. Sophomore year at Culver Girls Academy affirms character strength. Girls learn the benefits of collaboration and develop the confidence to become excellent leaders. Sophomores memorize and recite the CGA Leadership Oath, pledging to put the powerful words into action.

S

Culver really teaches you the

on the stage, on the athletic fields. Whether learning lessons

importance and meaning of

in leadership from the back of a horse as an Equestrienne,

the Culver Girls Academy’s

courageously performing a solo in front of an audience in

leadership program. We

Eppley Auditorium, or taking on a leadership role in the dorm,

ophomore year at

are taught through Culver traditions, the importance of communication, knowledge,

Girls are fully engaged at Culver — in the classrooms,

sophomore girls gain in self-awareness — not only of their personal talents but also their personal potential, affirm their

critical thinking, and overall

character strengths, and absorb knowledge and wisdom from

wellness. My sophomore

their peers, their mentors, and their instructors. Sophomores

year I have learned to be a

grow in mind, spirit, and body through Culver’s integrated

responsible leader and to

curriculum that emphasizes the cultivation of character.

communicate to others the importance of self respect and respecting others.

”

By the end of sophomore year, the girls have studied

the history, importance, and structure of the CGA Prefect System, and are prepared to take on leadership roles in the governance of their dorms.

– Carson Canonie ’12 Atrium Dorm

10

| THE CREST

11 | THE

CREST

Strength & Justice T

he broadswords and balanced scales on the CGA Crest

signify strength and justice. Junior year girls at Culver learn to

“

become strong and just leaders who can truly make a difference in the lives of others by practicing ethical decision-making and effective leadership.

The CGA Prefect System parallels democratic

government and allows girls to self govern, lead each other, take on responsibility, and serve as role models. At Culver, girls participate in activities and exercises to promote the understanding and adoption of specific virtues and values – the

A s a junior leader, you are privileged with the

cardinal virtues of compassion, moderation, justice, courage and

ability to look up to and

wisdom, and the essentials of ethical decision-making: integrity,

continue to learn from

commitment, vision, communication, critical thinking,

senior leaders, whilst

self-discipline, competence, and responsibility.

Experience gained serving through the CGA Prefect

simultaneously leading the underclassmen. My roommate is an amazing senior leader, and I have been able

System allows girls to discover first-hand that virtuous behavior is

to learn from her words and

critical when leading others. Junior girls learn to listen well and to

actions throughout the year.

be compassionate, open-minded, and non-judgmental. They learn

”

proper ways to resolve conflicts, how to establish achievable goals for themselves and their peers, and learn to be part of a leadership team that works together in a spirit of collaboration. Working together, they develop shared goals, strategies, and plans for

– Brenna Newell ’11 Ithaka Dorm

their senior year.

12

| THE CREST

13 | THE

CREST

Strength & Justice T

he broadswords and balanced scales on the CGA Crest

signify strength and justice. Junior year girls at Culver learn to

“

become strong and just leaders who can truly make a difference in the lives of others by practicing ethical decision-making and effective leadership.

The CGA Prefect System parallels democratic

government and allows girls to self govern, lead each other, take on responsibility, and serve as role models. At Culver, girls participate in activities and exercises to promote the understanding and adoption of specific virtues and values – the

A s a junior leader, you are privileged with the

cardinal virtues of compassion, moderation, justice, courage and

ability to look up to and

wisdom, and the essentials of ethical decision-making: integrity,

continue to learn from

commitment, vision, communication, critical thinking,

senior leaders, whilst

self-discipline, competence, and responsibility.

Experience gained serving through the CGA Prefect

simultaneously leading the underclassmen. My roommate is an amazing senior leader, and I have been able

System allows girls to discover first-hand that virtuous behavior is

to learn from her words and

critical when leading others. Junior girls learn to listen well and to

actions throughout the year.

be compassionate, open-minded, and non-judgmental. They learn

”

proper ways to resolve conflicts, how to establish achievable goals for themselves and their peers, and learn to be part of a leadership team that works together in a spirit of collaboration. Working together, they develop shared goals, strategies, and plans for

– Brenna Newell ’11 Ithaka Dorm

their senior year.

12

| THE CREST

13 | THE

CREST

creating and completing a service project focused on a meaningful response to a social need within a clearly-defined local, national or international community.

Service & Success “

Graduating seniors are ready for the future that awaits them in an ever- changing global

world beyond Culver Girls Academy’s Graduation Arch, the symbolic passageway from Culver Girls Academy to the larger world beyond.

S

By then, the virtues and the lessons represented by the Crest have moved well beyond

ymbolic of service and success, the star and laurel wreath shown

the image sewn on their blazers, and are now etched deeply into their minds and emblazoned on

on the CGA crest frame the CGA Leadership and Life Skills program

their hearts. Indeed, the young women who graduate from Culver Girls Academy now personify

designed to prepare students for success in their senior year at

the virtues and values of the Crest they have worn with so much pride. They have become

Culver, and beyond. By senior year, the lessons of leadership have

shining stars — true Culver daughters — deserving of laurels and praise.

been learned and integrated, and the young women are teaching and empowering others, mentoring, modeling high standards and holding others accountable.

Seniors at Culver Girls Academy are prepared to lead their

peers and their school. This doesn’t mean they “rule the school.”

Rather, they practice servant leadership and lead others by example, modeling the high standards to which they hold others, as well as themselves, accountable. Now it is their turn to be the leaders of

W ith a good group,

Culver: communicating a vision, setting goals, and delegating responsibilities. Most importantly, seniors are training and

the best thing the leader

empowering younger students to become the future leaders who

can do is step aside and

will follow in their footsteps.

let everyone shine.

” – Madeleine Balchan ’10 Court Dorm

During this pivotal year, guest speakers and interactive

workshops challenge students to ready themselves for transition to the next stage of life.

Seniors also serve the world around them through completion

of a required Senior Servant Leadership Practicum, a critical part of the preparation for leadership and citizenship for both boys and girls at Culver Academies, and a capstone of their Culver career. A senior’s Servant Leadership project affords her the opportunity to integrate the best of what she has learned about herself and about leadership by

14

| THE CREST

Mentoring Special Olympics 2010

Senior 15 Leadership | THE CREST

creating and completing a service project focused on a meaningful response to a social need within a clearly-defined local, national or international community.

Service & Success “

Graduating seniors are ready for the future that awaits them in an ever- changing global

world beyond Culver Girls Academy’s Graduation Arch, the symbolic passageway from Culver Girls Academy to the larger world beyond.

S

By then, the virtues and the lessons represented by the Crest have moved well beyond

ymbolic of service and success, the star and laurel wreath shown

the image sewn on their blazers, and are now etched deeply into their minds and emblazoned on

on the CGA crest frame the CGA Leadership and Life Skills program

their hearts. Indeed, the young women who graduate from Culver Girls Academy now personify

designed to prepare students for success in their senior year at

the virtues and values of the Crest they have worn with so much pride. They have become

Culver, and beyond. By senior year, the lessons of leadership have

shining stars — true Culver daughters — deserving of laurels and praise.

been learned and integrated, and the young women are teaching and empowering others, mentoring, modeling high standards and holding others accountable.

Seniors at Culver Girls Academy are prepared to lead their

peers and their school. This doesn’t mean they “rule the school.”

Rather, they practice servant leadership and lead others by example, modeling the high standards to which they hold others, as well as themselves, accountable. Now it is their turn to be the leaders of

W ith a good group,

Culver: communicating a vision, setting goals, and delegating responsibilities. Most importantly, seniors are training and

the best thing the leader

empowering younger students to become the future leaders who

can do is step aside and

will follow in their footsteps.

let everyone shine.

” – Madeleine Balchan ’10 Court Dorm

During this pivotal year, guest speakers and interactive

workshops challenge students to ready themselves for transition to the next stage of life.

Seniors also serve the world around them through completion

of a required Senior Servant Leadership Practicum, a critical part of the preparation for leadership and citizenship for both boys and girls at Culver Academies, and a capstone of their Culver career. A senior’s Servant Leadership project affords her the opportunity to integrate the best of what she has learned about herself and about leadership by

14

| THE CREST

Mentoring Special Olympics 2010

Senior 15 Leadership | THE CREST

THE CULVER GIRLS ACADEMY — Leadership Oath —

On my honor as a leader, I will strive

To make ethical and responsible decisions, To support the rules and regulations, To care for others, To conduct myself with integrity and To serve the community.

I pledge this commitment in the best interest of the Culver Girls Academy and for those for whom I am responsible.

For more information about Culver Girls Academy, visit our website at

culver.org