The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1903-06-18
PENN BACCALAUREATE
Annual Sermon to Graduating Class
by Rev. Kaye.


for the Senior class of Penn college
was held in the chapel Sunday after
noon and every seat was taken. The
services were opened by song which
was followed by the Scripture reading
by Rev. J. w. Somerville and prayer
by Rev. P. Mcknight. Prof. L. +.
Burnett and Howard Hockett then
sang the beautiful duet, Prepare YeI
the Way OF the Lord" which was
greatly enjoyed by all. At the close
of the service the college chorus rem
dered Kipling's "Recessional."
The address of the afternoon was
delivered by Rev. A. Cato Kaye, Of the
Congregational church, and was on
the subject, Culture and Service"
! 1t was a carefully written and scholar
| ly production and held the close atten-
| ton of the audience. The text was
taken from Matt. 20:26-27, Whose
ever will be great among you, let him
be your servant" and also from LIST
Thess. 5:21: prove all things; hold
fast that which is good"
The speaker said in part:
Our mother tongue is not very ex-
act and our thinking is often indefinite
and ambiguous because we fail to de.
fine what we mean by the terms we
use. The word culture, for instance,
is used to mean several things: to de-
scribe a process of education and also
for the finished product of system of
education. There is still wagner use
of the word, to describe what is sup
posed to be the higher standards of
taste, the power of approaching the
true and beautiful, especially in art,
manners and morals. This refine
ment of taste is the distinct mark of
culture.
"The most persistent thought of the
age among thinking people is probably
the idea of self-development. We
want to be stronger, more complete,
more capable, more happy.
"Our whole conception of education
has broadened of late years. The
psychologist whose labors have so
much to do with our ideas of education
and who a few years ago were gener-
ally dominated by the materialistic
schools of France, Germany and Eng
land are beginning to define man pref
ty much as st. Paul did-as body, soul
and spirit. Though their Technology
is different Modern culture means 70
forget nothing, to be guilty of no one
sided development. Take for instance
the changed thought Of the body.
Though what you do on the athletic
field and in the gymnasium does not
count in the shape of marks to better
your class standing, it's value is re-
garded because we have learned some
thing of the value OF sound body in
this strenuous world"
| He then spoke at some length to
show our debt to the generation which
is now teaching us for the problems
which they actually or approximately
solved in adjusting the vast mass of
new facts which were thrust upon
them by the theory of evolution, to
| the old faith.
You are indebted to your teachers
for more than rational conception of
culture. You are indebted to them
for the faith which teaches the very
| uses of culture.
."Our ideas of culture, it's object and
use, always must rest upon our belief
in what we are, from whence we came
and for what purpose we are here.
"The matter which 1 wish to leave
in distinct light is this: No system
of culture can be adequate or worthy
which neglects the moral or spiritual.
If the purely secular seat of learning
disastrous and inexcusable than the
mistake of the school which fails to do
justice to the demands of the body
and mind while ministering to the
spirit. If the UNCONVENTIONAL school
has superiority which makes it i'm
perative on all good men to support it,
it lies in the completeness of it's
scheme of culture.
81 congratulate you on receiving
the culture of this school. 1t is n
important one to the Friends denomi-
nation in this part of the world. lit has
good reputation among the profess
ors of the more pretentious schools of
the state. know this because have
friends among the professors of sever
al of these schools.
Nov, what is your culture worth?
What ought you to do with 1T? To
these very important questions / am
sure you have the answer ready and
the right one.
THE ends of culture and it's modes
Of service are too numerous to dwell
upon. But be sure of this-culture
means service. The man of culture
is a social force just in proportion as
he feels and obeys Christ's law of SER
vice.
Beware of selfish utilitarianism.
Beware of the refined selfishness
which is the peculiar temptation of
scholar. Many man and woman
would be capable of an honest days
work If it were not for their clothes or
their station. And so it seems be-
meath many Unprecedented scholar 20