Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-06-22
DIPLOMAS ARE CONFERRED
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATING Elk
ERoIsEs HELD LAST EVENING.


seph A. DeBoer OF Montpelier Forty
in the class-other Features OF Com
meneement Week.
The members pf the class OF 1906 OF
the Bmttleboro high school received
their diplomas last evening at the exer
cises Of graduation which took place
in the auditorium beginning at
O'Clock. The front Of the stage was
banked with laurel and artificial pond
lilies with the letters b. II, 5, at the
north side of the stage, and the numer'
ais '06 nj the south side. Above hung
the class motto, Row Not Drift, IN
crimson and gold, the class colors. The
edge of the motto was decorated with
pond lilies, the class flower The stage
was occupied by the prudential COM
mittec, the speaker of the evening, the
principal and teachers of the school and
the members of the graduating class.
The exercises were opened with an
excellent rendition of the Franz Sehu-
bert overture by Leitsingers orchestra.
This was followed by two selections,
Carnival Festival and Away 10 the
Fields, by the school chorus under the
direction of Miss Emma j. Gregg. Pray
er was then offered by Rev. +. q. 5.
osgood and after the Slumber Song
had been sung by semi-chorus Hon.
Joseph A. DeBoer of Montpelier was
introduced.
Mr.. De Boer addressed the class upon the
subject Of The Personal Factor in Chance,
developing the advice that, while chance or
fortune has its place in deciding the nature
OF the individual career, II is yet true that
the personal factor, the self equation, finally
and truly dominates every human life and
determines its place and usefulness in the
world. He argued that true happiness and
true usefulness are born within and OF the
individual, as are also honors and construc
tive capacities Of every description, and that
friends, associations, opportunity and chance
can only contribute 10 their creation and de-
yelopment Man must make his own way
gain his own proper place and earn his
bread by the sweat OF his own brow and not
OF some others and ii by trick or wit he
has them from another and not through per.
sonal endeavor, he will miss what men call
happiness and success. 1t is not the size or
extent Of his performance which makes his
success but the quality and the truth In his
performance. The man who makes a good
shoe and the man who builds an enduring
bridge are equally successful, the difference
being one OF degree and that difference of
degree is measured by his reputation or
world.immortality as ii is set up in the mem.
DRY OF his work, crystalized by newspapers,
magazines, books, or even word of mouth.
apli nal fnpt ha ns
and women were next developed: First,
health, because that is essential to the do.
ing Of work; next character because that is
essential to maintaining position; then, a
strong desire to achieve, because that pro-
notes ambition and serious effort; and,
finally, true capacity for performance to
insure success in the competitive contests
which the real world supplies in every call
ing OF life.
After fully simplifying and Illustrating
these precepts, the speaker concluded with
the following direct address to the members
OF the graduating class:
1t has been your great privilege TO obtain
the elements of your education in a town
and state of New England whose history is
respondent with the great and noble acts
of as good and highly developed and cul.
tured people as ever lived. You have
of nature as beautiful and under the daily
admontion of lives and actions as sincere
and worthy as today exist upon this earth
You have been given the best that public
supervision and parental affection could sup.
ply. That was your chance and your good
fortune. You now pass out of the sphere Of
directed effort into one of immediate per.
sonal endeavor or else one of further study
but under your own more direct supervision,
and you pass out of an irresponsible and
controlled existence into a life for which you
must yourselves become largely responsible.
You may do this with hope, with courage,
and even with JOY, for it is sweet to actually
join the ranks of those who produce and to
do things oneself, and TO cease from being
only such as consume and are the objects of
care You are graduating out of condi.
tion of preparation into the opportunity of
performance and your people, your city and
the world will with anxiety, but hope await
your response The answer need not be
quick, but it must be sure and constant 1t
must find you earnest truthful, charitable,
loyal and productive and it must find you
joining a sincere work with sincere EN-.
deavor to so do that work as to contribute
value and pleasure to the times in which you
live and to the people with whom your days
will be spent
cannot bring you a better message than
to recommend you to honest toll, to honest
habits to the avoidance of hypocrisy, to
trying to not only be right but always and
everywhere to stand up for what is right, to
fidelity to agreements, and always and ever
to loyalty to and love for your friends, your
neighbors, your state and. your country, and, |
above ALL to a true care of and respect for
yourselves.
To your happy school days I wish you
the addition of happy life. To your sue
cess in the running of your course I wish |
you the addition of a successful career in the |
long and great race of life, and, most of ALL |
/ wish you that true and only success which |
a life well spent and honorably spent invar-
iably secures days that are passed in SER
vice and in thoughts that are gentle, human
and kind.
When Mary Morgan, one of my teachers,
died in Albany, her pupils placed memorial
window in the chapel of the old High school
and underneath inscribed her own words,
life is beautiful and God is everywhere.
Life is beautiful and everywhere throughout
its skies, lands or seas exists the evidence
of presiding deity Confident in the
beauty and goodness of life and in the de.
tense and protection of the Deity who regu.
lates the lives of men, you may now set sail
upon the broader sea of human experience.
May all your ships come to port in a safe
harbor, freighted with treasure and bring
you to perfect peace! Entrust the voyage
not to the accident of chance but to self eff.
fort and to the factor of personal and self
endeavor.
At the close of Mr.. DeBoer s address
the chorus sang The Two Grenadiers,
and the class was presented to the
school board by Principal E. Burr
Smith, who spoke briefly. In behalf
Of the board L. F. Adams conferred the
diplomas, and after the class had sung
It's class SONG the exercises wore