Arizona republican., 1911-06-02
DIPLOMAS PRESENTED Closing Exercises of Phoenix
 Public Schools ADDRESS 0F REV. MIR. DEERE.
A Large Class Completes Course of Study in Pub lie Schools Urged by Speaker to Press Onward to High Goal.


 ! The stage of the Elks theater was 1 occupied last night by the graduating class of the Phoenix public schools, and the scene presented when the curtain rose before a house filled with the parents and friends of the pupils was one of unusual beauty. The entire class was seated on the stage. the girls on one side dressed in
 white. and the boys oh the other numbering in all more than one hun
 dred scholars. Although the diploma from the grades means that the work
 of preparation for the higher educa
 ton is but we'll begun. the fathers
 and mothers present felt pride in the
 achievements of their children. be
 cause they knew the years of pa
 tient work the scholars had done to
 reach the evening of their graduation.
 At the request of Professor John
 D. Loper. ot the public schools. Rev.
 J. Harvey Deere. pastor of the First
 Baptist church of Phoenix. had con
 sented to address the students, and
 his talk was the most important fea-
 ture of the program. In his address
 to the scholars Rev MT. Deere showed rare understanding of the deep sig
 nificance of the occasion. and he made the best of his opportunity to drive many important and helpful lessons home to his audience. He had the attention of every scholar from the beginning. and rose to the hiGI est flights of oratory mingling humor with serious appeal. and laying stress on the one thought directed to the students. Get somewhere"
 The program was opened by a chor us by the class. entitled Night Sinks on the Wave" and numbers of people in the audience had opportunity for the first time to learn the musical ability of the scholars of the grade schools It. was a surprise to many that the teaching of music should be carried SO far in the public schools The singing of the scholars was well calculated to give pleasure. and show ed greater finish than anyone had been let to expect The sweet voices of the boys and girls. lacking strength { but not the timber and tone required i to blend in perfect harmony. filled i the house with melody that brought | forth enthusiastic applause
 Rev F.. \. Phillips. pastor of the | Christian church, delivered the invo- | cation immediately after the first | song, and after another song by the | class. Professor Loper introduced Rev | Mir. Deere, who said in part:
 When I stand before this class to- night I can appreciate the plight of ] the little girl whose mother had a | great deal of trouble in getting her to sleep upstairs She disliked going to bed early. and it was sometimes quite difficult to persuade her to stay in the room. One night after her moth er had put her to bed and had gone down stairs, the little girl became very much frightened and she called down to her mother. who immediately went up stairs to comfort her. and assure her that the danger existed Inly in her imagination Finally the little girl was pacified and her mother went down stairs again In few minutes she heard the voice of her ittle girl calling out:
 Mamma. did you say there were angels all around me in this room?
 Yes
 Well. it's funny how afraid I am If these angels
 That about described the way eel before this graduating class As
 stand before you I am impressed with the possibilities of your young ives Sometimes I think there is too ittle importance attached to the bud ling talents and powers of young peo- 'le. who have reached certain stage 'f intellectual development It is
 tremenduous event in a boys or a 'irrs life when the diploma is placed n his hand, and he isttold to get out nto the world and make something If himself. The world is a wonderful 'lace in which to conquer or fail, and
 almost tremble when I ask myself. what will you make of your opportun- ties and what will you do with your ives? Everything is before you. You an do as you wish. You can follow lmost any course you select. You nay go forward or you may go back yard. I might say: There are no trinSs tied to you You are the masters of your own future
 There is one thought more than ny other that I wish to impress upon our minds this evening I want to dvise you to Get somewhere" Pick ut some goal. and head straight for |, and don't allow anything to dis outrage you or cause you to give up our ambition. Make up your mind :, 'here you are going. and-get there-i {. nless you are prevented by sickness