The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-06-21

Mr.. Ernest Nathaniel Smith was the
class yaledictorian. He delivered the
address printed below with admirable
forensic effect. Without being loud
his voice easily carried to the far re-
cesses of the hall, while his emphasis
was well placed. His delivery was at
times interrupted by applause and his
classmates joined the audience in Civ
ing him an ovation at the close. Fol-
lowing is the
VALEDICTORY.
The rush and turmoil of the present
age extend even to the public schools,
and a graduation nowadays is often a
hurried farewell to associations known
only during four short years. Students
gather from different grammar schools
in a large city, know each other only
during the High School course, then
separate and go their respective ways,
perhaps never to meet again. But in
this case it is different. The class which
graduates this year has been together
much longer than the High School
alone. Indeed some of the members
have advanced together from the first
year that they ever saw the inside of
| q school ROOM and a majority entered
| from the same grammar grade. Teach
ers have come and gone but the class
has remained practically the same, and
rather than a farewell. we have come
together this evening to celebrate the
IL hope uccessful-ending of our first
long period of work. but not the ending
| of our mutual concern and interest.
For some of us it means the ending
of our school life. for others the step
ping block to college and a larger
world. but situated as these Islands
are. many of us will no doubt follow
| common paths in the future.
! Heretofore we have been guided and
| directed in all we did. Hereafter we
have an opportunity TO stand partly if
not wholly alone. Whether we stand
or whether we fall remains with us.
| Figuratively speaking we have been
given a start along the paths of knowl-
edge. After the momentum has died
away shall we come to a dead stop or
| shall we gather renewed energy and
increase our speed? That also remains
with us. Let us hope we shall not be
| like the small boy in the swing who
! called to his brother, John. come and
start me. swing me hard and swing me
high" Rather follow the advice which
John being busy called back, Put your
toe on the ground and start yourself,
then work up" But if we work up we
should remember the words of one of
| our financiers who said. eff you are
going to soar, try and keep one toe on
the ground. you feel so much safer"
There is much difference of opinion
as to whether we should go to college
or not. We are told that source of
power is knowledge We may not all
go to college but we may gain knowl-
| edge everywhere, and if it is the kind
| that can be used, if it is qualitative
rather than qualitative, have we not
realized something and gained in
power?
Indulgent audiences oftentimes hear
| high school graduates define success,
and settle questions which they them
selves have not solved. 1t is natural
for us on viewing the world from a
graduation platform to look brightly on
things and forthwith form high ideals
for the future. Each of us may have
our ideal, but from that we may judge
whether or not our past work has been
satisfactory, for ideals of the future are
but relative to the lives and the minds
that have entertained them in the past.
But whatever ideals have been in
stalled in our minds, whatever views
of success we may look forward to. we
all of us may leave the future to care
for itself if we work and get all we
can out Of the present
Il And to those who have helped us
solve our problems of the past. to those
who have worked with us, to the ones
who are to come next year, we are
about to bid a farewell. The last few
moments are drawing to close in
which we may call ourselves seniors.
Tomorrow we are graduates. It is but
natural that we have made mistakes.
But we trust that these will be over
looked by our friends, who perhaps in
memories flight have been taken back
this evening to their own school days.
If so. I doubt not but what many of
you would like for old associations
sake. to step upon the graduation plat
form once again.
Heretofore it would not have been in
accordance with the dignity of a senior
| to admit to junior that we ever made
mistakes, but in saying farewell to-
night, we earnestly beg of you to profit
by these mistakes, and if in a year at
your graduation. you find yourselves as
| worthy in deeds performed as our class
has found itself. you will have guarded
well the reputation of the school en-
trusted to your care, and will have left
a high standard for future classes such
as has been left to us by classes that
have gone before.
To those teachers who have had our
best interests at heart and who know
our faults perhaps better than our
selves, we say goodby. If by your
opinion we have left undone some of
the work which we should have done
trust that your good teachings remain
ing with us, will yet enable us to find
and to rectify our errors.
1t is with the sincerest regret that we
Tart from Prof. Scott. You have been
TO Us what the controlling lever is to
Ia huge machine. In rebellious moments
yoI have lessened our speed to what
has been most conducive to our own
! safety. Al the times when We have