The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-05-22
PREPAREDNESS
Essay by Miss Lillian Thomasson at
the Closing Exercises of the
OcaIa High School

Ocala High School
Prearedness, the watchword of our
nation today, should signify not only
a policy for the upbuilding of our ma
val and military forces to standard
whereby they shall be able to cope
with the strongest nations of the
world; not only a policy which viii
make our country the leader of the
financial world, but also policy by
which we shall so improve our coun-
/ try that we viii leave to our descend
ants land more productive and pro-
gressive than the one left to us by our
ancestors, and give to our people a
spirit of unity and Americanism un-
thought Of by the trainers of the con-
stitution. Regardless of the conflict
new raging in Europe, regardless of
the warIike conditions which confront
us below the southern boundary of
the United States. a still greater de-
gree of preparedness than armed
strength must be accomplished by our
nation.
Unity is one of the essential quail
ties necessary for preparedness, and
to gain unity we must go to the base
of the nation and build upward so
that we may fit our people to over
come the barriers arising in the ev-
eryday lives of men and women, and
show to them the duty which is theirs
to perform as inhabitants of the earth
The inefficiency of the American
system in preparing for war-like con-
ditions is easily seen when we con-
slider the present condition of our
army and navy. The American fleet
of battleships, ranking easily among
| the two strongest in the world as far
as armament is concerned, is practic-
ally inferior in strength because of
the inability of our naval department
to equip it with enough men capable
of performing their duties efficiently.
The largest battleships on the Allan
tic were locked at Newport News for
more than three months during the
last year because of the shortage of
men to complete their sailing crews.
Thus we see that the inefficiency of
our war strength is not on account of
the inferior quality of our fighting
equipment, but on account of enough
well trained men.
Just as our nation and our presi-
| dent have finally awakened to the
primary Importance of preparedness,
so have the people of the country
come to realize the Importance and
necessity of efficient men and women
in every vocation of life Why did
Ocala spend so much money in erect
ing and equipping such a beautiful
school building? It is to provide the
children of the community with all
the material necessary in prepared
ness for citizenship. Military drill
and Home Economics have been
introduced. The military drill is to
aid in the equiping the boys with
healthy bodies, for it is said that
healthy body almost always posses
ses healthy mind Home economics
is offered to prepare the girls for the
duties which almost all Of them will
be called on some time during life
to perform.
Mans development is three-fold
development: The development OF
the body, the mind and the soul. All
of these are important and should be
stressed at all times during a stud
ent's school days, for the path which
he follows then will either lead him
to success or failure in later life. It
is there that the mind is plastic, there
fore more capable of comprehending
and retaining any mental image; and
the body at its greatest period of de-
ve1opment should be trained in cor
rect healthfuI modes. BY far the most
important moral development is habit.
Could the young but realize how soon
they become mere bundles of habit,
they would give more heed to their
conduct while in the plastic state.
1--WE are spinning our own fates, good
or evil, and never to be undone. Ev-
er smallest stroke of virtue Of vice
leaves its never-so-little scar" Thus
we see the real Importance of forming
good habits. Our future is in our own
hands, and if we do not make the
most of our opportunities we know the
result
After our preparation for life's work
is finished there is yet another thing
to consider for ability is worthless
without the power to put it into ac-
ton. A quotation from a recent
speech by Orison Sweet Marden
makes this very clear" There is no
other success quality, excepting hon
esty, which is more in demand today
in all lines of human endeavor than |
VIM Resolutions, however good are
useless without the energy necessary |
to carry them out. No matter how
much ability young man may have,
or how clever. courteous, or amiable
he may be, even IL he lacks energy, |
the power of success, he never accom-
plishes much Even small ability I
with great energy will accomplish
more than the greatest ability with