A STUDENT PUBLICATION OF FLORA MACDONALD COLLEGE
Volume No. 8
Flora Macdonald College, December, 1959
No. 4
Dr. Woodson Granted Leave Of Absence By Board
Dome Service To Be Traditional
“Hear 0 Heavens, and give
ear O Earth, for the- Lord has
spoken; the people Who walked
in darkness have seen a great
light . . These familiar words
of the prophet Isaiah mark the
beginning of the traditional
Dome iSenvice at FMC. This serv
ice, w'hic’h is one of the high
lights of the entire year, will
be presented in the rotunda aft
er our Christmas banquet on
December 16.
Each year the cast of the
Dome Service is changed but
the service is the same, symbol'
izing the unchanging wonder of
the birth it celebrates. It is cus
tomary never to use' students
who are here for their first time
until they have experienced the
joy and beauty of the Dome
Service by watching it. Ceil
Heins, vice-president of the
C.A., has worked long hours di
recting and perfecting the serv
ice for this year.
Tlie carols sung before tlie
service, the scenery, the dome
choir, t!he air of expectancy
within the entire group as the
service moves from the pro-
phecies of the Old Testament to
the Baby in the manger with
sihepherds, magi, and angels
kneeling before Him help all
to feel a txue spirit of awe and
reverence. As the service closes
with the chioraffl response, all
worshipers realize that their
GPG President Named
Dr. Ansley Cunningham
Moore, presently minister of
the Sixth United Presbyterian
Church at Pittsburgh, Pa., was
named the first president of the
Consolidated Presbyterian Col
lege on Novemiber 25. He wOl
begin his new duties immedi
ately after his resignation which
becomes effectve January 15.
A native of Atlanta, Georgia,
he is a graduate of Emory Uni
versity and Columibia Theologi
cal Seminary at Decatur, Geor
gia. He did graduate work at
the University of Chicago Di
vinity School at Union Semin
ary in Ridhimond and at Union
TheologicaH Seminary in New
York. He holds an honorary doc
tor of divinity degree from
Southwestern at Memphis, Mem^
phis, Tennessee.
Dr. Moore, a member of the
board of trustees of Muskingum
College, is an associate of the
National Presbyterian Church
(President Eisenhower’s
diurch) and is a contributing
editor to THE PRESBYTERI
AN OUTLOOK.
lives have been enriched and
blessed by reliving the pageant
of our Lord’s birth. With the
angels eadh \*ill continue to
sing in his heart “Glory to the
new born King!”
The cast for this year’si Dome
Seirvice is:
Mary — Martha Stevenson
Joseph — Judy Wienges
Isaiah — Wila Jackson
Traveller — Jane Woodard
Watchman — Margaret Ann
Martin
Gabriel — Carroll Shoemaker
Angels — Prissy Thomas, Sal
ly Day, Magie Fislhlbum, Ann
McLeod
Wisemen — Phyllis Golden,
Marty McCoirmlck, Gussie Brady
Shepherds — Shirley Mc
Neill, Jerrie Johnson, Peggy
Wad®, Liz Green
S p e c i a llj committees are:
Lights, Carol Ann Woilfe; cos
tumes, Becky Brooks; proper
ties, Judy McCall; publicity,
nSyivia MJcRa^; Choir, Alice Car-
ol Huggins; Bell lyre player,
Jeanette Davis; building liglhts,
Bajpbara Somers; characters,
Sandra Abbott, Elaine Evans;
make-up, Marilyn McGratih.
DR. MARSHALL S. WOODSON
The Skirl Staff Dedicates
Tills Issue To Dr iVlarsliall Scott Woodson
Float Wins In Carousel
For the third consecutive yeai%
the Red Springs Merchants As
sociation contributed a beauti
ful ffloat for the Charlotte Club
of Flora Macdonald College to
ride in the Carolinas Carousel
parade, held in Charlotte on
Thanksgiving Day. For the
third time, allso, the FMC Cliar-
lotte Cluib, whiicih includes
this yeai^ a co-ed, Charles Mc^
Neill of Charlotte, looking ev
ery inch a Scotchman in his
smart Plaids, won a prize, first
prize this time.
The tartans and kilts; gave
the true Scottish flavor on the
float itself, which was lettered
on each side, CHARLOTTE
CLUB - FLORA MACDONALD
COLLEGE - RED SPRINGS,
NORTH CAROLINA. The Scot
tish symiboD on the front, made
and contributed by talented W.
N. (BiU) Gibson of Red Springs
was whitewith lettering in
bright blue (blue and white —
FMC college colors) “Flora
Macdonald — A Scottish Col
lege — In a Scottish Town,”
with Scotland’s national flower,
a colorful thistle, on the left,
and outlined across the top with
Scottish; Plaid.
Two of the kilted lassies from
the club, with one lad, recently
arrived in Charlotte, acted as
honor guard for Pipe Major
The White Gift
Many long years ago the stu
dents of Flora Macdonald Col
lege gave money to build a lit-
tlte village of about fifteen cot
tages for Leper families in
South, Korea. This village was
named “The Flora Macdonald
College Leper Viliage.” If one
of us were ever so fortunate as"
to tread upon its grounds, in
seirvice to its inhabitants, we
would see large gate posts at
its entrance with the words
“Flora Macdonald College Vil
lage” upon them in large let
ters — letters that reveal a man
ifold love expressed through
generous gifts year after year.
This leper colony is under the
American Leprosy Missions,
Inc. of New York, but under
the suipervisioni of the Presby
terian Mission (U.S.) in Korea
and has as it administrator Rev.
E. T. Boyer. Within the colony
(Continued on Page 4)
Jack Smith, a native of Scot
land now living in Winston-
Salem, who made a colorful fig
ure. as he marched in the full
regalia of the Highlands, piping
vigorously the airs of the OM
Country. Another delightful fea
ture which added Scottish fla
vor, was the group of “Queen
City Hig*hlanders,” led by Don
ald MacDonald of Charlotte as
advance guard. Donald is well
known in Red Springs, where
he organized the Clan Donald-
Society of the Carolinas here at
Flora Macdonald a few years
ago — he is now Chief of the
Clan, and his enthusiastic co
operation added greatly to Iflie
success of the Flora Macdonald
Float in the parade.
Three more generous resi
dents, Jim Townsend, Jim Gra
ham, and Douglas MciMillan,
“paid the piper,” wiho, being
Scottish, didn’t pipe for nothing!
At a special called meeting of
the Board of Trustees of Flora
Macdonald College, held in the
President’s office in Red Springs
on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 8,
the Board reluctantly granted the
request of President Marshall
Scott Woodson to be given a leave
of absence in order to accept the
presidency of the Edgar Tufts
Memorial Association, Ban ner
Elk, North Carolina. As the head
of the Memorial Association, he
wiU be the President of Grand
father Home for Children, Grace
Hartley Hospital, and Lees- Mc
Rae CoUege.
In presenting his request to the
Board, Dr. Woodson stated that
in answering the call to Banner
Elk he did so believing it offer
ed the finest opportunity he knew
of in the Southern Presbyterian
Church for unselfish and sacrifi
cial service to the Kingdom of
Christ. The program at Banner
Elk offers an opportunity to fol
low in the footsteps of his Master
in the ministry of healing the sick,
sheltering the homeless, and guid
ing young men and women in
their college training.
Halbert M. Jones, Chairman
of the Board of Flora Macdonald
CoUege, says: “During liis ten
years as President of Flora Mac
donald CoUege, Dr. Marshall
Woodson has render*ed a disting
uished service to the coUege and
to his Church. Under his leader
ship, Flora Macdonald CtoUege
has grown in educational stature
in student ‘enrollment, and in fi
nancial str'ength. Dr. Woodson
is a dedicated servant of his
CJiurch and his Lord and will
serve with vigor and effectiveness
wherever he may choose. The
Dr. Woodson is to assume his
duties at Banner Elk early in 1960
and succeeds Dr. Joseph H. Car
ter, who has been the Acting Pres
ident for the last two and a half
years. Dr. Carter will continue to
serve the institution at Banner
Elk in the capacity of field repre
sentative and Bible lecturer.
Since March, 1957, Dr. Woodson
has also served as the Acting
President of the Consolidated Pres
byterian CoUege which is being
erected in Laurinburg. At the last
meeting of the Board of Trustees,
of the Consolidated College, Dr.
Ansley C. Moore of Pittsburgh
was elected as the permanent
President and plans to assume his
duties about January 15. Dr.
Moor*e is one of the distinguished,
ministers of America and brings
to his task proven capacities for
leadership.
I In regard to Dr. Woodson’s work
in connection with the Consolida
ted College, Mr. Hector MacLeaa
says: “I doubt if the Consolida
ted CoUege would have ever be
come a reality without the serv
ices of Dr. Marshall Scott Wood
son. His contribution to this great
adventure in Christian higher ed
ucation is immeasurable. His de
votion and zeal to a difficult task
have assured the Consolidated Col
lege of a firm and lasting founda
tion. It is with deep regret that
we'see him take a leave of ab
sence from the Consolidated Col
lege, but we know he wiU be
eminently successful wherever he
goes.”
Dr. Woodson’s motive in asking
for a leave of absence r^er tiian
resigning grows out of an earnest
desire on his part to maintain his
contacts with Flora Macdonald
Board of Trustees of Flora Mac-^coUege and to serve the institu-
donald CoUege, with reluctance
and with deep appreciation for his
years of devoted leadership, has
acceded to his request to give
tion ini an advisory capacity,
while giving his full time to the
work at Banner Elk.
The Board, at its meeting on
him permission to accept the call i Tuesday, appointed a committee
to serve in another field during'
early I960.:’ ^
During the ten years that Dr.
Woodson has served as President
of Flora Macdonald CoUege, the
coUege has shown progress in ev
ery department, and at the pres
ent time the coUege is in the best
condition it has ever been from
the point of view of buildings and
grounds, the quality of its students
and faculty, and the exceUency of
its academic program. The col
lege closed its fiscal year on
June 30 with every bill paid and
an operating surplus of over $21,-
000.
consisting of Mr. Halbert M.
Jones, The Reverend C. W. Worth,
the Reverend Don Carson, and
Miss Mary McEachern to work
out the details in regard to ap
pointing an Acting President to
serve upon Dr. Woodson’s depart
ure.
Dr. Woodson received his A. B.
degree from Presbyterian Col
lege, his M. A. from the Univer
sity of South Carolina, his'B. D.
from Columbia Seminary, and
an earned doctorate from Union
Seminary. He is the recipient
of a nlionorary LL.D. degree
(Continued on Page 4)