As you are probably realizing, this Lawrenceville Weekend tradition is an integral part of the Hill community experience. Whether it be spoon banging, seated meals, or wearing blazers, Hill would be wildly different without its traditions. One of these traditions that we indulge in is our notorious secret society, the OSS.
The OSS, which stands for the Order of the Sword and Shield and possibly Our Secret Society (unconfirmed), is known for doing mysterious things around campus like hanging up banners or sending emails in Latin. But still, I’ve found myself with a lot of questions regarding the OSS. What is their purpose? Who are they? And why haven’t they asked me to join them (seriously, I am a pleasure to be around)? So, I decided to ask around campus to get some answers.
I began with Edward Tuck Hall Instructor of English and class of ’00 alum Courtney Neese, because anyone who can hide a bunch of colored rocks around campus while keeping their location a secret is most definitely associated with a secret society.
“Perhaps you’re getting it confused with the OSM?” Neese said when questioned about the OSS., Upon further questioning, Neese insisted that she did not know of the OSS.
Next, I spoke with Chair of the Science Department and class of ’95 alum Bill Yinger, because he has seen a lot of movies, so he could have possibly seen movies on secret societies.
“Nope, the OSS is not a secret society,” Yinger said. “I saw a movie about a secret society once. You have to murder someone to be a secret society, bud. Secret societies don’t just make banners and hide Easter eggs.”
Trying to learn more about the organization, I reached out to Associate Headmaster Len Miller. Suspiciously enough, Miller did not reply to my email, which says more than a quote ever could.
On the other hand, Headmaster Zachary Lehman was more than insightful regarding my investigation into the OSS.
“The OSS, which stands for the Office of Strategic Services, was a wartime intelligence agency during World War II and eventually became the CIA, which is also known as the Culinary Institute of America, the premier culinary college in the world. To my knowledge, neither the Office of Strategic Services nor the Culinary Institute of America has every operated within Pottstown or on The Hill School’s campus,” Lehman said. “Moreover, the mere fact that you are investigating either organization demonstrates that you neither have intelligence nor are you a good cook.” While it was hurtful and somewhat confusing, I appreciated illuminating information he provided.
Finally, I spoke to Ellen Nelson’s husband and Philip Rogers Mallory Instructor of Science Mark Nelson because he has been teaching here for a few years now. And quite frankly, what Nelson had to say was the most promising out of everything I had heard thus far.
“The OSS is the ultimate secret society,” said Nelson. “As such, its own members don’t know and will never know that they are in the OSS. Members that think they are in the OSS aren’t actually in the OSS. They just think and act like they are OSS members.”
So ultimately, what do we know about the OSS? Very little. But my possible role as the president of the OSS is something I will be sure to bring up on my college applications.