Purdue Reamer Club
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| Nickname | "The Spirit of Purdue" |
|---|---|
| Named after | Reamer (tool) |
| Established | October 1923 |
| Founder | C.C. Reeder |
| Type | Student organization |
| Headquarters | Stewart Center, 128 Memorial Mall |
| Location | |
| Services | Maintaining the Boilermaker Specials and athletic fundraising. |
Split from | Purdue Independent Association |
Parent organization | Purdue University |
| Website | https://purduereamerclub.org |
The Purdue Reamer Club is an independent student organization active at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Founded in 1923 as an athletic boosting organization for students who were not involved in Greek Life, it is one of the oldest and largest student organizations on campus.[1] In 1940 the Reamers were appointed custodians of the Boilermaker Special (BMS), the official mascot of Purdue University, a task its members proudly carry out to this day.
History[edit]
Formation[edit]
The Reamer Club was formed in the early 20th century as a response to the large number of students joining Greek fraternities. Since Greek organizations were more organized and knew more people at the time, they easily controlled many of the extracurricular activities on campus and were major leaders in larger activities such as the Debris (Purdue's Yearbook), Exponent, Prom, and Military Ball. In the spring of 1922, C.C. Reeder, an independent student, saw potential to get other independet students elected to activity positions. He formed several independet student organizations, the longest-lasting being the Purdue Independent Association (PIA), which disbanded in the 1950s.
In the early 1920s, the Greek organizations decided to form the Purdue Gimlet Leadership Honorary to increase school spirit among fraternity men. In September 1922, a group of sports-minded PIA members met to discuss furthering the interest of independent students in both varsity and intramural sports. They concluded that an athletic boosting organization similar to the Gimlets would be best, and called for the formation of the Reamer Club. The name Reamer was chosen as the PIA felt that "Reamers would smooth out the holes the Gimlets made." In other words, they would finish the task the Gimlets started. The constitution of the new club was approved in October 1923.
Equality[edit]
The Reamer Auxiliary was founded in the fall of 1972 although an unofficial organization had existed for several years. In the spring of 1973, it was absorbed into the club, with all Auxiliary members becoming full members. In the fall of 1973 the club pledged female students for the first time, and in the fall of 1975 the first woman, Kathy Moriarty, was elected club president.
Boilermaker Specials[edit]
In the spring of 1939 sophomore pharmacy student Israel "Izzy" Selkowitz suggested that Purdue have an official mascot, something symbolic of a school rich in engineering heritage. This idea would develop into the Boilermaker Special I, presented to the University on September 11, 1940. Purdue administration assigned the Reamer Club the tasks of maintaining and caretaking the new mascot, which is now on its fifth iteration as the BMS VII.
The BMS IV, known as the "X-tra Special," was presented to the University on October 27, 1979. It is significantly smaller and more maneuverable than its larger sibling and can be seen at home volleyball matches, home basketball and football games, and other sporting events. The Xtra is now on its third iteration as the BMS VIII.[2]
Functions[edit]
Club members drive the Boilermaker Specials to various athletic events, including all away football games and all home basketball and volleyball games.[3] Outside of athletics, the Reamer Club contributes to the local community through philanthropic events such as Relay For Life and Purdue University Dance Marathon (PUDM).[4] The Boilermaker Specials are also frequently seen on campus for "spirit runs," and are notorious for 8 AM dormitory wakeups with the BMS VII's authentic 5-chime locomotive horn on home football days. Off-campus the Boilermaker Specials can be seen in events such as the Lafayette, Indiana Christmas Parade and commonly ferry the Grand Marshal of Purdue's homecoming parade.
Membership & Alumni[edit]
Active membership in the club is limited. Each regular academic semester the club hosts callouts for students followed by prospective events. If selected by the club, prospective members must undergo an intense 8-week pledging process in which they learn the many traditions, songs, and cheers of Purdue University. Active members and pledges must additionally meet certain educational requirements, e.g., a minimum 2.0 GPA.
In addition to active members and pledges, the club hosts many honorary members who have made meaningful, substantial contributions to the Purdue University athletic, educational, or at-large communities.
The Reamer Club maintains an extensive alumni organization and a periodical newsletter, The Reamed, to keep alumni informed on the club's status.[5] There is a strong Reamer presence on Facebook as well. Notable Reamer alumni include Jerry L. Ross, a United States Air Force officer and former NASA astronaut.[6]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Purdue Reamer Club Promotes Traditions, Pilots Boilermaker Special". tourtheten.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ↑ Raman, Subhiksha. "Reamer Club to design new Xtra Special". Purdue Exponent. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ↑ "- PURDUE UNIVERSITY | BoilerLink". boilerlink.purdue.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ↑ "Purdue Reamer Club, Stewart Center, 128 Memorial Mall, Room G20, West Lafayette, IN (2021)". www.glunis.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ↑ "The Reamed Archive – Purdue Reamer Club". Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- ↑ "Purdue Reamer Club". Purdue University Archives and Special Collections. Retrieved 2021-05-04. Unknown parameter
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External Links[edit]
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