The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-06-29
GLASS DAY At
OAHU COLLEGE
The Fifth Annual Tree Planting,
Class Prophecy and
viii.

on the campus just mauka of Pauahi
Hall, Oahu College. There was con
siderable number of the friends. of the
| school and of the class present.
These are the fifth class day exercises
that have been held, each class, in
its succession, planting a tree as memo
rial. The actual tree planting, which
was done by the class, every member
taking part, was made the occasion
of considerable merriment. The tree
planted was a golden shower. The
trees that have been planted in the
past were, a kukui, a koa, rubber,
and an olive. All have thrived and
in time will become arboreal features
OF the campus.
The exercises opened with an ad-
dress by President Grifiths to the class.
He said:
'"This is a pleasant annual custom
that has become one of the fixtures of
commencement. This is a class day.
hope that, however much the pro-
gram may be varied and whatever
may be the invocations introduced, it
will always be kept a day in which the
class interests will predominate; a day
in which the class will say those things
to itself and about itself in which the
general public is not much interested
but which are so pregnant with mean
ing to the class itself. The historian
will tell what great and glorious things
you have done in the past; your proph-
ct will tell you what the Sybil says
you are going to do in the future;
some outsider like myself will tell you
what you ought to do. The planting
of a tree is a good thing in itself and
symbolic of things significant. hope
that as it's roots spread out and attach
it to the soil that the roots of your
affections will become also deeply i'm
bedded in Punahou soil. I trust also
that this Golden shower" which you
give to US may typify the golden
shower of earthly and spiritual bless
ings which is to far upon you. AS
you stand here together, almost the
last time as class, these things ought
to have for you a deer .gnificance.
81 am going to speak to you just for
a minute upon some ideals drawn from
history. The ideal is the real measure
of the character of an individual, of
a nation, of civilization. Progress in
an individual is but the passage
through succession of ideals each for
the moment controlling his thoughts
and his activities. You can yourselves
remember how different ideals have al
ready dominated your ambitions Was
it an ambition to be a cowboy, a motor
man, a detective or a 1awyer-a seam
stress.
Progress in a nations history con-
sists in rising from low standards to
higher ideals. These ideals of the day
mold the character of the people and
sound the note of the nations his
tory
.'The progress of civilization is too
but a succession of ideals. AS students
of history you have seen the change of
ideals which were the guiding forces
in all human endeavor and which have
decided the destinies of nations.
There is rich suggestion in an in
cident in the life of Moses. He had been
on the mountain and had seen the
wondrous manifestations of the attrib
utes of Jehovah; he had been startled
by the expressions of Gods power,
wisdom and justice but still dissatis-
fed, he asked, Now, Lord, show me
thy glory and the Lord answered and
said unto him, 7 will make all my
goodness pass before thee. The glory
of God consists not in his power, not
in his justice, not in his wisdom, but
in his goodness.
I'VE can judge of the ideals of a
nation by observing the objects of its
Aboriginal man fairly wor
SHIPPED muscle and Drawn. His rulers
and kings were the men who could
their enemies by physical
power. The Hebrew idealized justice;
an eye for an eye and tooth for
tooth was justice not tempered with
mercy. The Greeks made much of wis
DOM Minerva, the goddess of wisdom
Is worshiped; the knowledge and Gull
Lure of the Greeks still challenges the
admiration of the world. Power va
riously expressed still has a strong in
auence in shaping the lives OF people
Of today
The real test of your moral character
s not your power, your sense of JUS |
ice. or your wisdom but your attitude |
towards that quality which we call |
gOOuDoSS. GU can not, U1uSL HOT SPEAK
lightly of truth and honor and right |
sousness. The young man who treats |
hese things f1ippantly can not be |
rusted with responsibilities. You |
should early place yourself in a posi- |
ion where you are in accord and in CO. |
operation with goodness and where you
ire ready, in social and civic affairs, |
O maintain this noblest ideal of life.
Some one has said that the true
md of education is to lift US above |
he spirit of the age in which we live.
Your horizon should be broader than |
he circle in which you work, wider
han your home, your state, your
church, your race. If your education
ioes not extend your field of vision,
WIDEN your sympathies beyond the
lear and the present, and develop with
n you higher ideals than those of the
commercial age within which we live
t has failed to achieve its highest pur-
rose.
'>As you leave this school, you will |
lave opportunities to give expression
o the highest ideals which actuate
rou You will manifest to the world
he knowledge and wisdom you have
lcquired. your power will be tested and |
Tour ideal of justice will be expressed.