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Demorest Medal Contests

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20: 130: 146:, in December, 1895. The general officers of the National WCTU gave their approval, and Carman was directed to inaugurate the work and report the results to the St. Louis Convention the following year, when the system was adopted by a National department of work and Carman named as the superintendent. Recitation books, embracing orations on Prohibition, Total Abstinence, Scientific Temperance, Anti-Narcotics, Franchise, Social Purity, and other topics, were published. Medals were designed with mottoes and emblems of the WCTU, and circulars setting forth the plans of this new system sent out to all the States in the Union. 167:"I am delighted that you are appointed my associate in medal contests, and as you are at the head of the W. C. T. U. work I feel that it is well to consolidate the two as nearly as possible. The only thought Mr. Demorest had was to educate the rising generation in the principles of total abstinence for the individual and the inherent right of the people to enact the prohibition of the sale of intoxicants for the State and Nation. So long as you adhere to that work you will fulfill his wishes and ours, and we shall not care which medal is used." 61: 110:
of Prohibitionists. The motto of the medal itself, "From Contest to Conquest", was suggestive of Demorest's own faith and of the purpose held by him and his political associates. The original Demorest medals were furnished free of charge to any one who would drill a class of contestants, on condition that no admission fee was charged and that no collection should be taken from any contest audience.
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The popular methods of these contests, the manner of their preparation, and the local interest aroused in them, insured large attendances wherever they were held, and thus multitudes of men and women, not previously concerned or sympathetic, were led to hear Prohibition discussed from the view-point
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Under the plan, competition was first local and among a class of six or more, for a silver medal; then, over a wider territory, between at least six winners of silver medals, for a gold medal; later still, among the winners of gold medals, for a diamond medal, in final competition. Upon every medal
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In December 1897, nearly two years after the death of Mr. Demorest, the Demorest Medal Contest system and that of the WCTU were united. Mrs. Demorest held the position as World's Superintendent until her death in March 1898, when she was succeeded by Carman, who had previously served as her
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Beginning in 1894/6, the prohibition elocution movement in Canada was operated under the management of the national body of the Royal Templars. The Order did not confine the contests to its own societies, but supplied the literature and medals freely to all friendly organizations.
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in April 1886. It was his idea to make these contests promote directly the growth of Prohibition sentiment by enlisting the effort and winning the sympathy of boys, girls, young men, and young women. After Demorest's death, the Demorest medal system was merged with that of the
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The WCTU was not slow to recognize the value of this educational system, and soon members of the organization adapted the idea of Medal Contests to its many lines of work. A plan for the organization of a system of distinctly WCTU medal contests was presented to
106:. All contestants were required to use recitation books, compiled from the best writings and speeches of the Prohibition orators and advocates, and issued by the Medal Contest Bureau. Thousands of these books were circulated. 163:, Canada, in October 1897, medal work was adopted as a department and Mrs. Demorest named as World's Superintendent. Soon after that convention, Carman received a letter from Mrs. Demorest, in which she said:— 113:
At the time of his death (1895), it was estimated that Demorest had expended on medals (silver, gold, and diamond) and in maintaining the Medal Bureau more than
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became head of the Medal Department, which position she held until 1922. Mrs. Carman was succeeded by her daughter, Maude Carman Cathcart.
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the word "Prohibition" was plainly inscribed. All recitations by contestants avowedly supported the Prohibition policy and
402: 19: 32: 129: 397: 48:) was placed in charge of the Medal Department. She, however, died a few months later (March 1898), and 64: 36: 31:(May 9, 1886 – December 1897) were a system of public oratorical competitions, founded as a means of 366: 298: 329: 216: 94:, and Norway. Up to September 1, 1894, Ms. Demorest had given away 34,000 medals at a cost of 186: 181: 153: 45: 258: 8: 78:. In less than three years, it had spread throughout the various States and into Canada, 369:
via Center for the History of Medicine, Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard University
74:, on May 9, 1886. In the following year, Mr. and Mrs. Demorest introduced the plan into 103: 49: 392: 139: 376: 350: 285: 237: 83: 71: 331:
Report of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union ... Annual Meeting
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The first contest was held in Bedford Street Methodist Episcopal Church,
149: 75: 334:. Vol. 25. Woman's Temperance Publishing Association. p. 262 327: 60: 221:. Westerville, Ohio: American Issue Publishing Company. p. 790 87: 349:
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
160: 143: 91: 309:(7). New York: National Temperance Society: 106. July 1906 16:
System of public oratorical competitions from 1886 to 1897
252: 250: 248: 246: 210: 208: 206: 204: 202: 374: 291: 243: 199: 218:Standard Encyclopedia of the Alcohol Problem 388:1897 disestablishments in the United States 328:Woman's Christian Temperance Union (1898). 214: 321: 383:1886 establishments in the United States 159:At the World's WCTU Convention, held in 148: 128: 59: 18: 124: 375: 256: 257:Jewett, Cornelia T. (January 1907). 13: 413:Woman's Christian Temperance Union 215:Cherrington, Ernest Hurst (1924). 42:Woman's Christian Temperance Union 14: 424: 360: 175: 408:Prohibition in the United States 367:Demorest prohibition prize medal 344: 279: 269:(1). National Temperance Society 231: 1: 229:– via Internet Archive. 192: 7: 44:(WCTU), and Mrs. Demorest ( 10: 429: 403:International competitions 55: 299:"Demorest Medal Contests" 259:"History of Contest Work" 65:William Jennings Demorest 37:William Jennings Demorest 23:Demorest series of medals 90:, South Africa, China, 29:Demorest Medal Contests 169: 156: 134: 67: 24: 303:The National Advocate 263:The National Advocate 187:Mary Latimer McLendon 182:Ellen A. Dayton Blair 165: 154:Ellen Louise Demorest 152: 142:by Adelia Carman, of 133:WCTU series of medals 132: 63: 46:Ellen Louise Demorest 22: 125:Merger with the WCTU 398:Temperance movement 157: 135: 68: 25: 420: 354: 348: 347: 343: 341: 339: 325: 319: 318: 316: 314: 295: 289: 283: 282: 278: 276: 274: 254: 241: 235: 234: 230: 228: 226: 212: 116: 97: 50:Adelia E. Carman 428: 427: 423: 422: 421: 419: 418: 417: 373: 372: 363: 358: 357: 345: 337: 335: 326: 322: 312: 310: 297: 296: 292: 280: 272: 270: 255: 244: 232: 224: 222: 213: 200: 195: 178: 140:Frances Willard 127: 114: 95: 58: 17: 12: 11: 5: 426: 416: 415: 410: 405: 400: 395: 390: 385: 371: 370: 362: 361:External links 359: 356: 355: 320: 290: 242: 197: 196: 194: 191: 190: 189: 184: 177: 176:Notable people 174: 126: 123: 57: 54: 35:propaganda by 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 425: 414: 411: 409: 406: 404: 401: 399: 396: 394: 391: 389: 386: 384: 381: 380: 378: 368: 365: 364: 352: 351:public domain 333: 332: 324: 308: 304: 300: 294: 287: 286:public domain 268: 264: 260: 253: 251: 249: 247: 239: 238:public domain 220: 219: 211: 209: 207: 205: 203: 198: 188: 185: 183: 180: 179: 173: 168: 164: 162: 155: 151: 147: 145: 141: 131: 122: 118: 111: 107: 105: 99: 93: 89: 86:, Australia, 85: 84:New Brunswick 81: 77: 73: 72:New York City 66: 62: 53: 51: 47: 43: 38: 34: 30: 21: 336:. Retrieved 330: 323: 311:. Retrieved 306: 302: 293: 271:. Retrieved 266: 262: 223:. Retrieved 217: 170: 166: 158: 136: 119: 112: 108: 100: 69: 28: 26: 172:assistant. 115:US$ 100,000 80:Nova Scotia 33:Prohibition 377:Categories 193:References 96:US$ 75,000 76:California 88:Honolulu 338:4 April 313:4 April 273:4 April 225:3 April 161:Toronto 144:Chicago 56:History 393:Medals 104:Party 92:Burma 340:2024 315:2024 275:2024 267:XLII 227:2024 27:The 307:XLI 379:: 305:. 301:. 265:. 261:. 245:^ 201:^ 117:. 98:. 82:, 353:. 342:. 317:. 288:. 277:. 240:.

Index


Prohibition
William Jennings Demorest
Woman's Christian Temperance Union
Ellen Louise Demorest
Adelia E. Carman

William Jennings Demorest
New York City
California
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Honolulu
Burma
Party

Frances Willard
Chicago

Ellen Louise Demorest
Toronto
Ellen A. Dayton Blair
Mary Latimer McLendon





Standard Encyclopedia of the Alcohol Problem
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