The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-08-30

quet and Picnic.
The first session of the Normal
school Alumni Association was held
at Normal hall Thursday afternoon
and was attended by about ninety of
the graduates. including many from
out of the city. More arrived Friday,
and the annual reunion is proving a
success, and as enjoyable as any held
in the past.
A general reunion was held at two
o'clock in the afternoon, and an hour
later the meeting was called to order
by Pres. Chas. Shellbach, with Miss
Cora Carney secretary.
Miss Cecilia Kelley gave pleasing
instrumental solo, ''Song of the
Alps"
President Shellbach gave brief ad-
dress of welcome.
Prof. Dietrich Lange, of st. Paul,
spoke on the necessity of training
children, and spoke of the many fall
lacies which are rooted in the minds
of many adults, and which it is i'm
possible to entirely remove no matter
how foolish they are.
Miss Fannie Pitcher rendered an
instrumental SOLO, "Narcissus," very
nicely.
Prof. Alfred Torngren spoke of the
difference which is found in the &C
tual from the ideal world Of the
graduate.
After some pleasantries, introduce
ing himself, in which there was story
telling and illusions to the many elo-
quent celebrities who were on the
program for speeches, and who have
been rehearsing their parts for months,
Prof. O'Shea spoke at considerable
length, the substance of which is as
follows:
II congratulate you my friends up
on gathering here at this suspicious
time, suspicious for several reasons.
In the first place you have returned to
your Alma Mater at time when she
is full of prosperity and promise, per-
haps more so than at any period in
her history. You have yourselves
since coming here witnessed the mag
niicent Improvements which have
been made recently in material equip
ment: and you understand l am sure
that these are but humble means to-
ward a most noble aim which this in
stitution is realizing every year of it's
existence, and which it is destined to
realize more completely in the future.
I can tell that you are glad to be an
Alumni and Alumnae of this institu-
tion, not only because it has served
you most helpfully in the past, but
because you are anxious to be identi-
fed with it's more glorious future. I
think that loyalty to ones Alma
Mater and sincere devotion to it's
interest because of what it is doing
for humanity is akin to the love of
of country-that patriotic feeling
which is one of the deepest and no.
blest emotion in human life. / am
sure you will gladly lend your aid in
the promotion of the interests of
this institution in every possible way
because of what it will thereby be en-
abled TO do for those who will follow
you. 1t is most healthful tonic to
a mans moral and emotional nature
to have some worthy thing that he
may be loyal and devoted to so that he
may at times grow away from him
self to think of others and of their
interests.
81 cannot help but contrast today
the present condition and the future
promise of this school with what they
were when l first came here, and this
growth is but Indicative of what will
become more marked as the years 90
on. We are in the midst of magnifi-
cent REGION equal to the best and SUI
perior to most of the regions from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. 1 regret that
our honored and beloved president is
not with US today that he might re-
late the history of the growth of the
school, which it has been his privilege
to witness from almost it's very be-
ginning.
''You gather here at the suspicious
time for another reason. You are
not simply body of Alumni and
Alumnae; you are a body of teachers,
engaged in noble cause which is far
more noble TODAY tbap If hoe avor