Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-06-19
CO N N ENCE N EN 7.
The Most Successful in the
History Of the College.
SYNOPSIS OF THE EXERCISES.

The college chapel would hardly hold
the people who came TO hear the bacca-
laureate sermon Sunday evening.
After the hymn sung by Il choir OF
mixed voices, Rev. w. +. Jones read
the scripture lesson, and prayer was
offered by Rev T. G. Woodruff, when a
duet was sung by Mr.. Beckner and Miss
Kellogg. Dr. Bruske announced his text
from ii Timothy, 2:24: Apt to teach. y
The text was exceedingly appropriate,
as all the graduates from the collegiate
will teach, either III pulpit
or school room. President Bruske said
IF one follows professional teaching he
must not expect TO accumulate riches,
and no one need fear dead lines,
either" and gave many examples TO
prove that dead lines are less likely TO
be found in this profession than in
many others The royal road TO learn
ing, said President Bruske, has been
found, and the school rooms of today
are heaven on earth compared with
those of a few decades ago. The teach
ers of today seek not only TO help the
talented and the geniuseS, but help the
untalentcd and ungifted more. The
preacher of few years ago has given
place to the pastor of today, and general
teaching of masses must give way to
individual teaching. There must be
greater true Christianity Ill the ministry
and teaching professions, and each one
who would enter this work must be sure
that work calls him, and not that he
calls the work Follow thou Me, is a
great injunction TO obey. The sermon
was helpful and inspiring III its intense
ly practical suggestions.
The class day exercises Monday after
noon were decidedly unique in character.
There was represented Il gathering ON
the banks Of the river StyX in HadeS of
Grover Cleveland in the person of VIII
liam Howe; Munchausen, represented
by f.. G. Marsh Plato by l.. ;. Brooks (;
Noltaire, by Il. II. Sidebotham Hamlet,
by j. Il. Northon; Juliet. by Miss Hes
ton; Xantippe, Miss Jones' Pocahontas,
Miss GilmuS, Frances +. Willard, Miss
Booth. Matters in this mundane sphere
where discussed and incidentally the
fOibles and hobbies of many of the
students OF Alma college were shown
up, the whole forming a most delicious
bit of absurdity. After this the mem
bers of the class came back TO earth and
held typical class meeting, closing
with the singing of the class song, after
which they adjourned to go down town
and partake Of ice cream at President
Bruske's expense.
Rev r.. Z. Lynd of Saginaw, the first
student of Alma College, in his address
before the graduating class of the Com
mercial department Monday evening
on Patriotic Citizenship, said that fol
a successful business career there is not
only necessary a knowledge of CONNER
cial laws and usages, but of all the
agencies by which men are made purel
and better. The popular belief that
wealth is the synonym of cOntentment
| larger liberty and sweeter joy, is all {
delusion. Greed is sapping the founda-
tiOnS of all our institutions The desire
of influence for personal aggrandize
ment is one thing, but the desire Of in
| 1uence for the good of society is {
greater and more worthy thing. The
speaker dwelt at length on the corrup
ton in municipal, state and national gov
ernment. Patriotism is the most i'm
portant factor III good citizenship; no
| the seeming patriotism which seek
office and its spoils, but that whicl
springs from love of country, noble anC
pure motives. If America has favored
SONS il is because they have made them
selves favorites, if she has honored sons
it is because by their lives they hav,
made themselves hOnOred. Indifference
to social conditions is treason, and the on
who is guilty of such treason should b
shot with the white bullet of the ballot
One cannot be a good christian anC
citizen unless he uses every etfott T.
better the condition of the world, anC
there is no higher duty of Christian
manhood than to enlist in the warfar
against wrong. This we owe TO tn,
country which our forefathers Tough
TO maintain.
The musical numbers of the program
Were piano duet by Misses Urquhar
and Megginson vocal duet by Messrs
Beckner and Young, and a quartet b,
Messrs. Young, Beckner, Baker an,
Stoutenburgh The graduates of thi
department are Ray Baker and Fred L
Stoutenburgh of Alma and Will Youn
of Athens H.
The chapel was filled Tuesday morn
ing by those who had gathered to hea
and see the graduating exercises of tn
kindergarten Training Department
The teachers. members of the graduatin
class and little ones of that dcpartmen
marched in and took places on the plat
form. After prayer by DR. Brusko
"The Children's HOdr-Review of tn
Seasons" was conducted by Mrs. Plum
II was delightfully."- entertaining, restfu
and helpful Kindergarten songs wer
sung, the little games played, aud
4 sonu et1ucr IN .Aftna,1 IN txxp lfttla f.ts