You could call it a procession of white. Women in white dresses and men in white shirts and trousers. They walked down the streets of Chautauqua, New York and through the “golden gate,” accompanied by band music, banner-carrying teenagers, and little girls throwing flower petals. Eventually, they ascended the stairs into Philosophy Hall. There they received their “diplomas,”certifying their successful reading of twelve selections from the book list of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC).

My wife, Becky Princehorn, was one of the 138 graduates in the CLSC’s Class of 2016. The twelve books she read included Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths by Karen Armstrong, The World’s Religions by Huston Smith, and Prairy Erth by William Least Heat-Moon. Overall, there are some 800 selections on the CLSC book list. They represent four general areas of knowledge — science, religion, history, and the arts — and are organized according to the year they were placed on the list, going back to 1878. That was the year that Bishop John Heyl Vincent established the CLSC with the goal of changing education from “the peculiar privilege of the few” into “the valued possession of the many.”

Most of the books on the CLSC list are not the kind that keep you on the edge of your seat. With a few exceptions, such as Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, they are nonfiction works, and some examine subjects that the average reader would consider dry, if not downright dull. That is particularly the case with the pre-20th Century books. Consider these titles: Easy Lessons in Vegetable Biology, Preparatory Latin in English, and The Physiology and Hygiene of the House in which We Live. Other titles deal with complex or comprehensive subjects: Art in America, from Colonial Times to the Present Day, Christianity in the Non-Western World, and The Moral Life of Children. Thus, the diploma each graduate receives is an emblem of personal perseverance as much as intellectual achievement.

CLSC Graduates who wish to continue their reading adventure may reach higher levels of recognition. Completing an additional 14 books puts them into the Guild of Seven Seals; 14 beyond that level makes them Parnassians. To become an Olympian, a Parnassian must read 14 more books, not counting those he or she previously read. The summit of CLSC achievement – the Centurian level – is attained only by those hearty souls who read 49 titles beyond the ones they completed to reach the previous levels. In the end, a Centurian has read no fewer than 110 books on the CLSC book list and received a level of literary enrichment that few people ever attain.

I am not sure how many more books Becky plans to read on the CLSC list; she has talked about reading enough to qualify for the Guild of Seven Seals. Even if she didn’t read one more, I am proud of her achievement and feel honored to have seen her recognized at the recent ceremony in Chautauqua.

Note: I do not want to disparage any of the books on the CLSC list. Although some may not be exciting to read, they nonetheless deal with important and valuable topics that would be worth any reader’s time. For more information about the CLSC and its book list, visit www.ciweb.org/clsc.html.