Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-06-24

Fits. After a selection by the high
school glee club and the singing of the
class song by the glee club and the grad
yates the invocation was given by Rev
Roy NJ. Houghton, pastor of the Centre
Congregational church. The boys OF the
glee club sang an effective selection be-
fore the address.
Prof. Horne took for his subject The
making Of men and women" and his
terse and scholarly treatment of the
subject held the closest attention of the
audience throughout. In opening he re
ferred to the graduating class as men and
women in the process of making and by
declaring that man or woman was
so old or so well developed to be
looked upon as a completed product.
The making OF men and women Is an
unending process" he said. "All past
time has gone into the making of an
erect being with brains at the top, and
the evolutionary process Is not complete.
Is 1t possible to improve the human
species? Horticulturists and stockmen
improve their plants and horses by mat
ing the best with the best SO the COM
ing generations shall rise above the
present through the union of the strong
est minds and bodies.
What enters into the making OF a
man or woman? Three elements hered-
ity. environment and will The law OF
heredity is that like begets like. You can
not get bright scholars from stupid par
ents nor will you get stupid scholars from
bright parentage. 1t is the duty of par
ents and teachers to instill into the
minds of the oncoming men and women
that they should choose for their life
partners strong Christian characters that
the next generation may be better than
this. The children will be stronger than
their parents and there is no other way
of increasing the potentiality for devel-
opment of the human race.
hold it as a great compliment to the
parents of this graduating class that
| these young people have completed Their
| high school course with such credit
Without the pOtentiality for acquiring
| knowledge they would not be here
I'VE abuse heredity when We say that
| a man is born, not made. Heredity gives
| the capacity, but more is needed to max,
a man or woman. Environment furnishes
| the opportunity for the development OF
| the capacity. The school is the chic
element in the environment Of younf
| people and 1t is distinctly to the credit
| of your school system that these younl
people are on this platform tonight
| Without an adequate school environment
| to develop their inherited capacity they
| would not be here. The Fundamental
! law of environment is that man tend,
| to become similar to his environment
| Let us all turn diligently to the task o
| making the home. the school and tn,
| town environment more beautiful NOR
| healthful and more uplifting. Sometimes
| the inherited capacity of a child is reach
ed before the high school age is attained
| sometimes his capacity is such that h.
exhausts the environment of the higi
school and is still unsatisfied. Then W,
| send him to college.
| "Heredity and environment supply tn
capacity and the opportunity, but 1t 4
only through the power OF the individ
ual will that they may be made effective
No environment is all good or all bad an,
the complete development of the stroni
men and women rests on the power o
the individual will to select that which /
good and reject that which is bad. tn
heredity and environment are fixed fac
tors, but the will is a free element
Look well into your heredity and Sc
what there is in II that needs to b
overcome, what needs to be cherished
So in your environment keep you
thought and interest on that which 1
uplifting and pass by that which is mea
and ignoble. Thought makes the speech
speech makes the act, the act make
the character and the character make
the destiny. Future generations will b
better than this only as the free will 1
master OF heredity and environment"
The glee club, assisted by Walter 4
Gilbert and Arthur l.. Maynard, sang
selection before Principal Smith ar
nounced the winners of the prizes an
read the honor roll. He presented III
class to the prudential committee an
after a few well-chosen words Rev. /
Q. S. Osgood, chairman, presented tn
diplomas. The class song was sung b
the class and the benedlction was PR
nounced by Rev. Mr.. Houghton.
List Of Honor Students.
The honor roll, to which reference hs
been made, was read by Principal Smit
1t included those who reached an ave
age mark of so per cent during the pa.
year. 1t was with some regret thu
Principal Smith was unable to incluC
! the names OF some others who we
| prevented by Illness and other caus
! from reaching the so per cent mar
, which is the grade OF work which a his
| school student has to do in order
secure a college entrance certihcat
e | The roll is as follows:
t Glass of l9l3-Benjamin F. BinghaI
] Marion C. Boorn, Louise B. Brockingto
e Gertrude E. Brown, Helen NJ. Crowle
;, Evelyn IT. Durham, Carrie NJ. Dunto
! Elizabeth F. Hildreth, Ruth L. Hc"0hto
y Esther s. Johnson, Goldle M. j.
< Helen NJ. Johnson, Olga NJ. Joh
e Marjorie F.. Leach, Florence NJ. Mo
( Theodore A. Nilsson. Gertrude S. Plu
] mer, Alphonso c. Rate, Ray C. Sander