The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-05-27

You ought to have good times at
commencements, girls You have had
plenty of hard study and really siren
uous work during the school year. and
when commencement comes it IS a
good deal more to you than just an OPP
pOrtunity to receive your diplomas.
The diplomas are testimonials of your
merit and they have value for thai
reason a girl carrying home her di-
plOma with its signatures of teachers
and examiners has a right 10 be proud
and happy IF she care enough about
this certificate Of progress to have it
framed and hung in her own room, it
Will always be a souvenir Of the bright
est period Of her life. Unless it is
framed. il may be lost 10 view. You
may have jolly and genial DAYS later
on. but never any viii be more thor
OUghly delightful than those YOU have
passed In the sChOolrOCm IN your carly
teens. The diploma is a milestone that
marks red-Ietter days
Clustering around commencement are
number Of functions. each and all Of
which are extremely pleasant to girls
who have kept pace together day by
day, week by week. for ten months Of
the twelve. In some schools there is a
ceremony of tree-planting or ivy-planj-
ing at commencement. and as each
class brings its spade and trOweI Sc
lectS a spot for its vine or tree. and
sings its song of joy, older people look
ing on have a vision of the future.
Ten or twenty years hence. where
shall this merry company be and what
changes will have taken place in this
CHEEKY circle of gay young girls? Who
knows2 One thing is certain; the girls
who plant the ivy will never forget
their school. and now and then they
Will return to it 10 renew the old as
sociations. Very likely in days to
come girls like you will bring casts
and pictures to adOTn the walls OF the
recitation rooms and assembly rooms
that have meant so much in the be-
ginning of their careers.
Class day. with its informally and
fun. is one OF the most agreeable fes-
lures Of the commencement season Iii
order to have it successful those who
take part in the exercises should be
carefully chosen. In a spirit of good
humOTed banter. the girls who write
the class history and the class pro-
phecy must hit off points in the char
acter of their friends. No one in the
class is exempt from the merry conf
ment. not in the least malicious. but
always mirth-prOvok' ng, that describes
each girl in turn. Ever the teachers.
if popular and beloved, are nor exempt
from the gay raillery of class day.
teacher who is passed over in solemn
silence is probably one of those color
less persons who do little harm in the
world. and also little good
Last year a girl nafgnbor of mine
gave me 4 DeeD beforehand into the
class histories and prophecies which
had been evolved from the clever brains
Of the claSS committee. I did rot Won
der that when these faCetiOuS C-iti- /
risms were given in the presence of
the class the laughter was immOder-
ate. Never is laughter SC u1trammeIed /
and so free. never are JestS so we'll |
received as Oh class day. in a school /
where the girls know ono another In /
timately ana understand all one an
others little ways. Little Vanities lit |
tie tricks of gesture. little oddities Of !
manner. nave their appropriate niche 1
in the class history
But when class prophecies are at
tempted. there pre- often flashes Of ST /
ence in the middle of the mirth. No /
matter how nigh runs the tide Of fun. /
nobody can forget that after COM
nercement there will be separations /
and good-byes. that girls who have /
shared the same seat nav go one 70 4
the east and one to the west and that 4
he everyday COmpanionshiP viii be at /
IN end.
Some time during commencement. il |
practicable. there should De a feast /
Let the table be decorated with flowers
n the class cOlors. and when tia
-iands have been discussed with the
hearty appetite that belongs by right
o every schoolgirl. let the to2stmiS-
ress do her D2Tt- She must net leave
lnythiEg to the moment Some days
previous to the feast the tsastmistress
must make a list of sentiments apprc-
1riate to the time and Dlace. and ar
-anCe with certain girls so that they
will be ready TO respond. 4 break In